Thanks ZOwey for the fast update


I think that hearing from the team that their actual goal is not reducing the number of AP is quite comforting. As long as the problem will be resolved soon and, again, the number of AP stays the same as it was before, I am pretty sure we all wouldn't mind if the team changes the AP distribution

Lastly, thank you for passing on our ideas and feedbacks, I just hope that they will be taken in consideration

I appreciate you getting back to us, and I do apologize if my posts came across as rude or out of order, it was honestly just caused by a bit of anxiety that yet another big change had been done behind our backs, but I will take more time to wait and see in the future when it comes to this.

Thanks so much ZOwey for looking into this, it's really appreciated and hopefully can all be fixed soon! It is also comforting to see ideas and feedback are being taken into account!

Older comment, but I just wanted to add what I've experienced since joining. Howrse used to be booming- horse sales were incredible, there was never a shortage of competitions or studs, we could be and resell for a profit with passes, etc.

Nowadays, that doesn't happen. There is a website called archive.org that takes screenshots of a website throughout its lifespan. If you compare the statistics shown on their pages, you'll see a considerable difference between online player count today, and, say 2011 and 2012, two of the years I'm looking at. A random date in 2011 has 3716 online users, and 2012 had 4829 players, with a total player in 5 millions and 7 millions, respectively. 2013 has nearly 10 million registered players, but with less than 3,000 online on several dates throughout the year. In 2015 many dates show less than 2k players, even less than 1k players throughout most of the year, and at the beginning of 2016 they stopped displaying that information. Quite a substantial difference compared to the less than 400 or so I see normally (245 at the moment).

So, in terms of active players, not in registered accounts, player activity has dropped. It shows, most painfully, in horse studs and sales- Retired Coats that I used to be able to sell for a fair price are going for dirt cheap, because 1) there's few collectors, 2) the collectors already have the coat, and/or 3) they know there's not a competitive market for coats anymore, so prices will continue to drop. And now, I can't find studs for draft horses or donkeys. Period. I have to use my own studs.

Whilst I understand that it may be tiring to see all the talk of Howrse dying, it is also fair to say that the numbers show that to be true. Do I want it to be? No, I grew up on this game! I used to love it! But not anymore. Even if Howrse did get a huge popularity boost from Ubisoft, it's clear the game is no longer going in that direction, and I would prefer players, especially new ones, to take these things with a grain of salt.

If it’s to stop people using automation programs then ban the people who do rather than letting everyone else take the hit?

I dont think its that easy to be able to point out who is and isn't cheating, especially from an admins or game developers perspective. (take my word with a grain of salt, im no admin and certaintly no game developer) Just because you think somebody is "clearly cheating" does not mean that they are.

They are doing things to try and limit cheating, and I do agree that some of those things punish the majority more than they punish the ones doing the cheating though.

I dont believe there will ever be a game with absolutely 0 cheating though. *shrug*

Now that we have finished bickering I will ask again...
Anyone got the prize list for the lottery?

Here you go ChesterPony

Thanks Rogan.

Is this where RC coats are usually leaked from another server before they're available on this one?

I wanted to add my personal anecdote:
When I first started in 2007, I bought a green star strawberry roan Arabian unicorn (very rare at the time) for 10 old passes (1000 new) and I believe I sold it for as much. I've had a unicorn with the rarest coat in the game in the direct sales for a few weeks now and it's not selling for 1 old pass (100 new). I understand the economy (monetary and skill/GP based) will change over time but that's crazy. (This was not meant to be advertising - I'm sorry if my wording is not allowed. Mod please remove if you find it in violation of forum rules.)

As for species with limited/restricted coverings: I think we need the option to charge more than 7,500e for a covering. The prices of coverings has never changed much since I've been here. If you can buy a donkey with no used covers in the sales for 100k, you're losing money to offer public covers for 7500e. That's why no one is doing it. Having the "cover a draft mare/donkey" as the Daily Objectives has driven up the price of those species which makes them more expensive/not as worth it to acquire. I understand Howrse doesn't want everyone to earn their Daily Objectives passes every day but it's a little ridiculous to not adjust things related to the economy when the economy itself adjusts. It took 11 years to raise the max direct sale prices.
But it's totally fine to quietly release an AP update that affects half the players.

Time for us all to remember that this is the Spoiler Zone and a place to discuss things not yet on the live system.

ZOwey is dealing with the current issues and if she needs any more help with them she will tell us.

This is not the place to compare what things were like 10 years ago. This is a different world in every way, in real life and virtual ones. Neither is it the place to put forward ideas, there is no forum for that but if you wish to give feedback then Contact us is the place to go.

Right, that's all from me but please now take the topic back to where it is intended. Thank you.

Are all the season divines going to be released in the private sales?

Sadly that is something no-one will know until it happens. We are never told in advance about which Divines will be available through sales or luck items

Any news?

Do we know what event is coming after the Lottery?

New Background form Ow's Helios' Ray:

Found some images on the French version, thought I would share.

I know we never know which horses will be in the luck items, but can someone point me to the post that may have listed the order? I'm hoping they re-release the windies.

Does anyone know if we can expect to see specialty coat BM items (bewitched pumpkin, magic hat, etc.) come around again in promos or for sale? Starting a collection and trying to decide if I should save money for giving coats to my own horses or start buying them from the sales...

Ooooh, I LOVE that first one.

Have the testing spots become available for this session yet? Not sure if they ran out already or not.