New features

@ShadowKokufu, I like your theory that Howrse is running out of funding to run the desktop version of the game, I had a similar thought myself. If indeed the graphics are suffering because they are too expensive to run, and too expensive to hire designers for, it makes a lot of sense that Howrse would scrap the trophies because now they no longer have to display hundreds of tiny detailed images in a complex interaction procedure on two pages, and no longer need to hire designers to design beautiful trophies even if they add more items and divines to the game.

They also very conveniently opted out of displaying a collections for the most plentiful creations on the game, Golden Apples and Helios' Rays, which, while they still might be coming, would make sense to leave out if Howrse doesn't have the money to run a graphical page for so many items.

Not that I know much about programming, but I think it may be possible.

If it is true that this is due to finances, then it kind of makes me wonder why they've done this to themselves, at least from the divine and graphics standpoint.

Anyone else remember when the release of a new divine was a rare occurrence? It feels like a very long time ago.

Why they don't just design new divines but stick to the old release schedule is beyond me. That way they'd retain their value, and there would be a backlog of unreleased divines that they could chuck out sometimes during the promos. That, rather than an influx of divines with dubious use and poor graphic designs (looking at you weird Zonkeymily things)
Then again that would require promos going back to a sideshow rather than the main event.... hmmm.... just saying, howrse used to be better back in the day

Did anyone notice Iris' Coat isn't listed under Special Coats in the new Collections tab? It's just gone completely

Capitalism requires infinite growth so this is the sort of thing that happens eventually.

Just a little out-take - in relation to GA's and HR's, I prefer them where they are in the directories, as they still tell you the names of the horses you have them on, if there aren't more than three of them... collections don't have that feature

If we don't get some statement of official acknowledgement I may explode! How long does Howrse think they can ignore us? If this problem began because of lack of funding then the surest way to make that worse is to upset your core player base that pays the Howrse bills around here. I have a Pegasus account I have paid for for YEARS. What has been done with that money? Surely not a single penny went into this downgrade. Do they not even check this thread? Do they not even read the players feedback? This game is like a childhood friend to me and the fact that we are all being totally ignored and written off is breaking my heart. On top of it all an admin posts a thread asking which trophies we've won! Seemed to be actually expecting excitement and praise, telling me not a single mod or admin has read our pages and pages and PAGES of complaints. Howrse devs, you have got to level with us at some point. If money is truly your largest concern, that firstly makes me deeply sad, but secondly I am certain of one thing. Infinite growth is impossible. You cannot always expect to make more money than you did last month. Your profits will stagnate and that is simply a part of life. Be mature and listen to us, please.

Sorry for double comment but I feel I must point out: THIRTY PAGES of complaints on this thread. This is unheard of. I cannot believe that they are ignoring DAYS of complaints. I am so insulted and hurt.

Well, I'm sure many of the mods have read most all of the posts. Admin, not sure what they do except correct bugs and other things, which I am grateful. I don't know who is in charge of development or even if it is more than one person but clearly Admin has no power, i.e. all the 'can-answers' we constantly get from them.

This newest update has ran me out; I'm staying long enough to get rid of my inventory and thats it. No use of letting this stuff go to waste if others can use it ya know?

To clarify, moderators are volunteers that help moderate the site. We're not involved in development aspects.

The Admin team relays information back to the development team, as they are separate groups.

^ Perhaps they should reorganise the development team somewhat, as they currently appear to be wildly out of touch with the actual playerbase.

Or then again perhaps the development team is a group of people employed, as most of us are, just to do the best job they can whilst following instructions sent down from high-powered meetings that they are not invited to. Just a thought based on my own experiences in business.

That is a fair point, of course. I don't know enough about the organisation to say at which point in the chain it actually goes wrong. It is just apparent that at some point it certainly does.

Taking away the numbers was a huge part in making trophy collection dull, I've come to realize.

Before, you could see just HOW close you were and calculate just how much you needed to do. Now, you have... well, to give an example, I have to enter 100000 competitions. I'm somewhere in the 14000 range to do it, but before I would have known the EXACT number and could have watched the number go down and gotten motivated to keep going.

Now, it's just like? Well I have no clue how many I need to enter so I'll get there when I get there

[quote=1404392503][author]deimos[/author]Or then again perhaps the development team is a group of people employed, as most of us are, just to do the best job they can whilst following instructions sent down from high-powered meetings that they are not invited to. Just a thought based on my own experiences in business.[/quote:0]

Sure, if that's the case our suggestions may not go UP but at least something could be passed DOWN. Even if they worked for a higher power that doesn't care at all about this game, it's not hard to provide a response written by a human being to address thirty pages of complaints. Ow and the admin team should be in here responding to the response made by players, or at the very least, whoever answers Contact Us should actually be able to provide proof that anything suggested in there is actually being addressed. But as far as I can tell, Contact Us for complaints is a sham, Ow is an empty figurehead, and the admins don't do much but report bug fixes for updates we don't want.

There is a manager, there is SOMEONE in charge of PMs sent out to all players such as dev updates, prepod players are addressed when they report bug fixes. The team KNOWS how to communicate with us, they just choose not to.

If they can't or won't change the trophies back to how they were I'd rather see the whole concept scrapped. I used to enjoy seeing the different trophies displayed on my page and now when I look at the medals I just 'meh' because it's just not something that people wanted and I certainly don't like the change.

In my opinion, having the "powers that be" post, in the forums, the question "How many trophies did you win last week?" is rather like having the bank that foreclosed on your house ask how your search for a new home is going. I find it hard to believe that they'd even ask that question, considering the number of negative posts here. I'd think that if they read any of this, AT ALL, they wouldn't ask such a thing. I rather thought the topic might have been a bad joke.

In truth, I'm not a "trophy hunter" but did like knowing what my progress was and what I'd need to achieve to reach the next level (i.e. X number of rosettes won) and not just that I was at, say, 57% of whatever.

I see that forum and the update itself like a slap to the face rather than a 'joke'. It's rude and showing that they dont really care anymore

[quote=1404392549][author]Desert Dancer[/author]In my opinion, having the "powers that be" post, in the forums, the question "How many trophies did you win last week?" is rather like having the bank that foreclosed on your house ask how your search for a new home is going[/quote:0]

Plus to me it seems like proof that they CAN communicate with us, they just... don't.

Like clearly they can post topics, right? So why didn't they read through this one and be like "we've heard your response to the change and are working towards fixes! If anyone has suggestions for things they'd like to see please let us know!" I mean people would still be upset but that would have been a MUCH better topic and might have even calmed people down.

I know I would have forgiven them a little, had they done that. But they didn't DO that, they just did radio silence for a week and then made a tone-deaf topic that sounded like outright mocking and proved they didn't even take so much as a glance at any of the feedback they've been given.

And it's not just in here, people have been sending them stuff through Contact Us for a week solid and THAT'S how they respond? It's frustrating. I mean it's nothing new, but it's hard to cut them slack when they don't tell us ANYthing and then post things like that.

Devils advocate here - I think their trying to see just how many of us really dislike the new features. Because I very much doubt that all have upped a ticked to contact us.

The fact that they did up the new thread how ever........

As a matter of fact, I don't dislike it, since I never chased trophies or rankings and my collecting is for my own enjoyment, but I feel for those who have been impacted so severely...

What on Earth?! I just got on my account and I have all of the sudden won trophies for Competitions for the EC VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, and XII. Then I won Tianma and 4 other prizes. Did I seriously earn all of this today? I don't understand their reasoning.

Has this happened to anyone else since the.beginning of the update?

Yes I just won a host of EC comps trophies too. I already have divine to Etrian, interested to see what is next, assuming some may have got there with these additions today?

Maybe this is what they have been working on?

Did you guys figure out what was credited towards EC competition trophies for you today? Has there been a transfer for some players of earlier progress beyond the 1 month mark, perhaps?