[UPDATED] Devs' Corner: April 2024

Our developers have something to tell you! Every three (3) weeks, our devs will provide you with information about their work in the “Dev’s Corner.”

This publication is a way of keeping everyone updated on what’s happening with the game. We invite you to discuss and leave your feedback for each of the publications.

Note: All posts must adhere to the forum guidelines and be constructively made.

Take a look at our very first Devs' Corner publication!

Warm wishes,

The Howrse Team
 
Ow
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Honestly, I'm getting pretty sick of all these random changes that add nothing to the game. The account page was fine, the avatars were fine. There are *so many* things that could be improved in this game, and yet the Howrse team continues to ignore our feedback and implements stupid changes that do nothing but cause problems. LISTEN to your players. default smiley (n)
Salem
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Well I like the circular avatar. Much more modern and compatible now with Twitter, FB and many other sites and games.

If yours is not displaying properly I suggest you try clearing your cache as that will often solve random problems occurring after an update.
deimos
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By Retired breeder, 25th August 2020 12:20:56
29
deimos wrote:

Well I like the circular avatar. Much more modern and compatible now with Twitter, FB and many other sites and games.

If yours is not displaying properly I suggest you try clearing your cache as that will often solve random problems occurring after an update.


Cache isn’t the issue, mine shows in forums and on my page but otherwise doesn’t show up. Graphics artists spent hours on designs for square avatars and it’s what most of us prefer, you’re the only person I’ve seen say otherwise. You could have your avatar as a circle before if you so wished as well, this is just taking away choice and didn’t need to be done. They also didn’t mention it on the update log.
By Retired breeder, 25th August 2020 12:41:26
3
This is so annoying I recently started dabbling in graphic design so I was working with square avatars that I would spend hours making look nice and appealing. It is also annoying because I adored the avatar I had but had to change it because of the circle thing just please change it backdefault smiley :)
Oh!! Cute little round avatars! How nice for a change of pace default smiley :)
I'd much rather be seen as a well rounded individual than a total square!
funnyone
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Personal preference over avatar shape aside, it does slightly bug me that all changes to the game, especially big ones like this avatar update aren't listed. Every change listed has to do with updating the mobile game and not a hint at a major change like avatar shape. If you're going to change things, especially major things like these the least you could do is inform us in these dev corner things so we aren't all taken aback trying to figure out what's going on and left to guess at what's a change and what could be a potential bug or strange off hand occurrence.
Tattered
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Very happy that you are improving the experience for mobile players! That makes me very happy to see.

With that said, I am now struggling to put into words how much i detest the artistic freedom that has been taken away from players with the circle icons being forced.

How was this needed or called for in any way? Being able to upload a random image and have it actually show up was one of the coolest parts of using Howrse. I love and play this game bc it makes me happy and reminds me of old forum cultures, where the images for profile icons and such aren't all forced to perfectly match bc it's about fun and expression, not weird uniformity.

Please please please please undo this newest element and ????? actually track all the updates in the devs corner? What's the point of pretending there's clarity and effective communication with the community when the biggest change goes entirely unlisted?
Thank you for your time
theodericc
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It's hip to be square. Please bring them back.
SpartanLeo
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i'm fine with all other updates, but i DETEST the circle avatars. At least make it an option to select between square and circular avatars.
cuteypoo
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Im not graphics artist nor expert but this? It has to be some delayed April Fools joke. Appreciate the thought of trying something new but if what your trying has already been done then what are you doing?

I can not think of 1 good reason why anyone would want to implement these circular avatar only. But then not mention it at all? Cmon admit that this wasn't a good Idea. At least make it so you can choose square or circle avatars.

Or Maybe try not to fix what doesn't need fixing. Well now it does because of how many people don't like it (also maybe try asking players first?)

Complete disappointment. I feel like a math teacher getting homework for history class the 7th time this week.
June 8nd
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By Retired breeder, 25th August 2020 13:17:48
8
Ummm...I just turned my avatar into a circle yesterday. A non-blurry one. Some players have been finding ways to make their avatars circular for a long time. Some players had absolutely gorgeous square avatars that they undoubtedly designed themselves. Everyone was doing their own thing. I don't see why there needed to be a change to that.
I just ordered new *square* avatars that are currently in the works... I'd hate to bother the artist, but I would absolutely hate to see that half of their hard work doesn't even show up on my page, so now I'll have to bother them again to ask if I can change my order default smiley (d)

Please, either change avatar shapes to squares or let players choose their display options default smiley :'(
ᴍɪʟᴋ ᴛᴇᴀ
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Why did they go and change the avatar shape? I have upwards of 30 square avatars that I can no longer use, or if I do use them, the username and part of the art is cut off.

Part of the reason I ask for my username on avatars is so that other players don't use them. If my username is cut off, that defeats the purpose.
The Fifth Queen
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i also really hate the new circular avatars. They completely ruin most avatars, and now most of us will have to get new avatars. it's just not a good change and i don't understand why howrse would do that without at least polling the players first. this is a major change to the howrse experience and affects a lot of people, especially graphics artists.

also, some players will be losing their old avatars if they've been playing for a lot time without changing it since they might not even have it still on their computer. for example, i've been playing howrse since 2014 and made my avatar a couple months after i started. since, the computer i used to use has crashed and i don't have the file anymore, so i'm going to have to make a new avatar entirely, but i genuinely really love my old avatar since it was one of the first graphics i've ever made.

**please start polling players before making a major gameplay experience change**
cuteypoo
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Are you serious???? I am so sick and tired of all these useless changes. I have so many wonderful square avatars, plus the one i'm using now, and now they are all cut off. This is ridiculous, and I have a good mind to contact howrse and tell them to change this back. Seriously though, these changes are doing nothing.
livvy.
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Well my avatar now looks weird. Before it showed off my horse beautifully but now his ears and legs are cut off i really dont like it.

I agree with cuteypoo that howrse needs to poll their players on such major changes!
Krugeron
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By Retired breeder, 25th August 2020 13:36:10
2
Great. Another thing ruined by the "wonderful" administration. Hate everything about this update. Its ridiculous, ugly, and useless, and its screwed a lot of people as well.
Does anyone know the actual dimensions of the circle? The edges definitely don't extend to 120x120 like the old ones.
The Fifth Queen
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Weren't the mobile avatars always circle? Or am I going crazy? Although they're all white currently.
hoofbeats
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hoofbeats wrote:

Weren't the mobile avatars always circle? Or am I going crazy? Although they're all white currently.
They have been circular, yes.
Legacy Ann
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The Fifth Queen wrote:

Does anyone know the actual dimensions of the circle? The edges definitely don't extend to 120x120 like the old ones.


They have a 96 pixel diameter by my dimensions
Tattered
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Tattered wrote:

They have a 96 pixel diameter by my dimensions


Thank you for clarifying.
The Fifth Queen
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However, judging by that new one I made to test it out, it appears Howrse is adjusting sizes and automatically shrinking so I'd make it bigger if you don't want that white halo around it.

Here's the circle graphic I made at 96 x 96


Versus the one I made at 100 x 100
Tattered
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Hate the new avatar deal...
494
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Tattered wrote:

However, judging by that new one I made to test it out, it appears Howrse is adjusting sizes and automatically shrinking so I'd make it bigger if you don't want that white halo around it.

Here's the circle graphic I made at 96 x 96


Versus the one I made at 100 x 100


That's really helpful to know, thank you.
The Fifth Queen
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