Competition Scarcity

[Tenacious Equine]

UPDATE:
Tom is graciously offering single month account upgrades for people willing to use them to set up recurring competitions, as a temporary fix until the competition update comes out.
For anyone planning to do this:
The disciplines that could use daily recurring comps for trained horses are as follows: (as of 8/30)
Barrel Racing (0)
Cross Country (3) has one each in level 5, 6 and 10
Cutting (2) has one at level 6 and level 10
Log Pull (4) has two at level 6, one at level 5 and 10
Marathon Driving (1) one at level 6
Obstacle Driving (4) two at level 5, one at 6 and 10
Reining (1) one at level 10

I'm only looking at level 5 and above competitions. Daily recurring comps at level 5+ would be the most helpful.

~~~

One of the things I've noticed the most since the changes is now that it seems auto comps stop auto-running after premium expires, there are way fewer competitions open per discipline. Which makes sense, because it takes time for those of us with non-premium accounts to set them up, but it does negatively impact the entire game population, especially when there's only 3-4 comps available to trained horses of a given discipline. Also gives us less opportunities to test our horses, unless we force run comps.

Here's a few suggestions to get around this:
-Mass comp creation. Be able to make more than 1 comp at the same time, as duplicates of eachother.
-Saving comp preferences. Could be tied to its own skill- increasing the number of different saved preferences- or have paid upgrades.
-Notification in "my events" when single-instance comps run, so you are more incentivized to check that section of the game; also an option viewing your past created comp results to create a copy of the same competition.

Would also be good to have maybe 5 competitions each run by the game in each discipline at levels 1, 5 and 10, or 1 at each level, with daily or every other day recurrence, so that even when there aren't player comps available, we'll still have something to enter our horses into.

[Aquila]

One of the things I've noticed the most since the changes is now that it seems auto comps stop auto-running after premium expires, there are way fewer competitions open per discipline. Which makes sense, because it takes time for those of us with non-premium accounts to set them up, but it does negatively impact the entire game population, especially when there's only 3-4 comps available to trained horses of a given discipline. Also gives us less opportunities to test our horses, unless we force run comps.

Here's a few suggestions to get around this:
-Mass comp creation. Be able to make more than 1 comp at the same time, as duplicates of eachother.
-Saving comp preferences. Could be tied to its own skill- increasing the number of different saved preferences- or have paid upgrades.
-Notification in "my events" when single-instance comps run, so you are more incentivized to check that section of the game; also an option viewing your past created comp results to create a copy of the same competition.

Would also be good to have maybe 5 competitions each run by the game in each discipline at levels 1, 5 and 10, or 1 at each level, with daily or every other day recurrence, so that even when there aren't player comps available, we'll still have something to enter our horses into.

I've noticed too that there aren't many comps, and I really like all of your suggestions.

[sleepyjaguar]

I feel the same. Maybe non-premium users could make the competition re-occuring only monthly, for example.
I personally, i would even create a rule only allowing evaluation 5 horses on breed specific competitions, to encourage breed specific breeders to follow the their standard. Right now all competition horses follow one single standard. But maybe that wouldn't be so popular

[Tom]

We are going to make some changes that should help. The problem we had was most of the reoccurring competitions were by accounts that hadn't logged on in a long time.

[Mega]

I agree. I'm mostly a competitor and I don't even play everyday as i used to because of comps. But i know its being worked on and I'm waiting it out.

[Tenacious Equine]

We are going to make some changes that should help. The problem we had was most of the reoccurring competitions were by accounts that hadn't logged on in a long time.

I know recurring comps are supposed to be a premium only feature, but is there any chance you & Larissa could make it so that all accounts can create recurring comps (at least for All Breed comps with normal age restrictions), just until the change happens, and then cancel the recurrence of any comps run by non-premium accounts afterwards? It would be a good temporary solution.

[Tom]

We are going to make some changes that should help. The problem we had was most of the reoccurring competitions were by accounts that hadn't logged on in a long time.

I know recurring comps are supposed to be a premium only feature, but is there any chance you & Larissa could make it so that all accounts can create recurring comps (at least for All Breed comps with normal age restrictions), just until the change happens, and then cancel the recurrence of any comps run by non-premium accounts afterwards? It would be a good temporary solution.

I'll ask Larissa. I don't know how much work it would be.

[Argent]

I know recurring comps are supposed to be a premium only feature, but is there any chance you & Larissa could make it so that all accounts can create recurring comps (at least for All Breed comps with normal age restrictions), just until the change happens, and then cancel the recurrence of any comps run by non-premium accounts afterwards? It would be a good temporary solution.

No support for that. Just upgrade.

[Tenacious Equine]

I know recurring comps are supposed to be a premium only feature, but is there any chance you & Larissa could make it so that all accounts can create recurring comps (at least for All Breed comps with normal age restrictions), just until the change happens, and then cancel the recurrence of any comps run by non-premium accounts afterwards? It would be a good temporary solution.

No support for that. Just upgrade.

As I see it, the main draw to having an upgraded account is for conformation, more turns, faster turn regeneration, etc., with recurring comps being a more minor, passive perk that doesn't massively impact one's individual gameplay.

This isn't a me personally issue, it is a widespread issue, and one of the easier ways to put a bandaid on the problem until we get a permanent fix would be to just make it accessible to everyone. It's not like most people upgrade just for recurring comps; it's a useful QOL improvement, but it wouldn't be gamebreaking for it to be temporarily available to the entire community (especially if limitations could still be put in place, i.e. no changing the default competition settings for purse, breed etc). The fact of the matter is we need more comps. I don't think the current playerbase is going to be able to make sure that there are always enough comps available in every discipline; a greater number of available competitions also benefits everyone, not just the un-upgraded players.

I understand why it's restricted to upgraded accounts in the first place, but in this specific situation I think it would be more beneficial overall for it to be temporarily unrestricted.

[Tom]

We have some major changes coming for competitions and local shows. Larissa and I talked about it and the way the system works now would need enough changed for the temporary solution that she may as well just fix it properly. Should be first on the list after the art update.

However if some people would like to volunteer I can give a month of premium for free as long as they promise to make some competitions.