[UPDATED] Devs' Corner: June 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
  • Posted messages: 12,329
  • Karma: inf.
  • Seniority: 4,078 days
Go to page:
Yay for EC on mobile... now you need to fix the mobile app so it loads up quickly the first time when I open it (instead of like it currently is, and it takes so long I have to close and open it 2-3 times before I actually get in) Also I hate that you can't pick your comps on mobile. You can't choose how long to train/ride for.

I only have the app so I can use it when I'm away from my PC for more than a day or to access the forums.

But I don't see these fixes ever happening when we are dealing with disasters like the trophy update all the time.default smiley (d)

The collections section is growing on me, but it needs navigation improvements and to count towards the ranking like it used to (and pretty badges for our profiles)

But the Trophy page is still ugly, confusing and overall. default smiley (n)default smiley (n)default smiley (n)
WeaverofDreams
  • Posted messages: 93
  • Karma: 10 points
Better not forget the trophies default smiley (b)
lavakirl12
  • Posted messages: 1,529
  • Karma: 10 points
THANK YOU for adding EC on mobile. However please allow a multi-select option for the meadows, I have 26 (X2) that I keep in rotation and this is would take forever to do on mobile currently!

Please bring back the blue background for bedded horses. I am assuming this is a glitch!
segeorge
  • Posted messages: 487
  • Karma: 10 points
Still unhappy about the trophies but okay lol
River5531
  • Posted messages: 8,768
  • Karma: 10 points
Was something done to the hrafn's? I cannot offer a cover to her from my slongvir even though she is old enough. It says she cannot be bred. It used to work default smiley (o)
Ruffian
  • Posted messages: 6,214
  • Karma: 10 points
I couldn't cars less about mobile. As long as desktop is here, I REFUSE to use the horrid mobile layout. That's coming from someone who plays solely on their phone. I'll likely leave if you keep forcing the horrid mobile version like this. Or maybe I'll stay just for the satisfaction of watching the game shut down after repeatedly stabbing it's players in the back and trying to mask and placate all our "retaliation" because you simply couldn't care less about us.

Asfridur wrote:

Sorry to be negative here - BUT I do not use the app other than when we have the labyrinth promos to navigate the map. So it won't make any difference to me
What you're looking at in the mobile version is probably the future of the desktop version.. Unless I'm mistaken, an admin (on another server) confirmed that Howrse is trying to make the desktop version identical to the mobile version, hence the loss of actual values on the trophy page (it's not compatible with the mobile version..) Point is, even though mobile changes don't affect you now, they will in the future if you stay in this game. Considering that they added ECs to mobile, I won't be surprised if the next thing involves removing them from desktop and ruining the EC page.. pure speculation of course, but considering the merge with mobile, I won't be surprised if it actually happens. This game is on a downhill spiral and I don't think it's going to get better any time soon.

Cranedaughter wrote:

What is with trying to direct the conversation about unwanted changes over to Discord?
Makes them look like they're trying to hide all the negativity from the players because they know that we don't use discord when we have forums, so nobody will see it and therefore it will "kill" the conversation while preventing players from riling each other up about the negativity.. default smiley (o)
ShadowKokufu
  • Posted messages: 791
  • Karma: 10 points
Definitely happy that equestrian centers have come to the mobile version! Been waiting on that for awhile.

I do have a complaint about the way bedded down horses appear on the mobile version, though. It’s a lot harder to tell who’s been cared for and who hasn’t when I’m looking at all of them (the old version made their background box blue like the night sky; now it’s just a small moon icon with the same beige background). Would definitely prefer an easier way to tell them apart.
Alloyy
  • Posted messages: 11
  • Karma: 10 points
Could you please bring back the dark blue for bedded down horses on the mobile version?
Cherryberry
  • Posted messages: 30
  • Karma: 10 points
+ Absolutely love the EC addition!!! Long awaited and so worth the wait too. default smiley (y)
- Please bring back the dark blue for bedded horses on mobile. It made it so easy to see when I was done with horses and it was one of the things I preferred in the mobile version. Please, it was such great UI!!! default smiley (l)
TheArbiter
  • Posted messages: 717
  • Karma: 10 points
Cherryberry wrote:

Could you please bring back the dark blue for bedded down horses on the mobile version?


Has anyone taken this to Contact Us? It might be something they can deal with quickly.
deimos
  • Posted messages: 25,488
  • Karma: 10 points
ShadowKokufu wrote:

I couldn't cars less about mobile. As long as desktop is here, I REFUSE to use the horrid mobile layout. That's coming from someone who plays solely on their phone. I'll likely leave if you keep forcing the horrid mobile version like this. Or maybe I'll stay just for the satisfaction of watching the game shut down after repeatedly stabbing it's players in the back and trying to mask and placate all our "retaliation" because you simply couldn't care less about us.


Feel the same way. Friends that used to play the game, tell me I should stop getting so agitated and angry about the changes, and then add this: Ubisoft - find another game.

Been here a very long time, getting tired watching the features and options I used to love getting wrecked and removed over and over.
Rage-quitting has been on my mind several times here in January. Been a long time since I've been so angry over changes made to the game, like years.
But I won't quit and delete my game. Friend asked if I would stick around to watch the ship sink? Maybe I will.

ShadowKokufu wrote:

What you're looking at in the mobile version is probably the future of the desktop version.. Unless I'm mistaken, an admin (on another server) confirmed that Howrse is trying to make the desktop version identical to the mobile version, hence the loss of actual values on the trophy page (it's not compatible with the mobile version..) Point is, even though mobile changes don't affect you now, they will in the future if you stay in this game. Considering that they added ECs to mobile, I won't be surprised if the next thing involves removing them from desktop and ruining the EC page.. pure speculation of course, but considering the merge with mobile, I won't be surprised if it actually happens. This game is on a downhill spiral and I don't think it's going to get better any time soon.

Absolutely your 100% spot on there. The change has been coming for a while now, all point in the same direction. It is only going to get worse. I keep on waiting for a change that blocks the option to open pages in tabs.

Can howrse survive on mobile alone? Very much doubt it. It will require a complete rewrite of the entire game. Plus how many players will drop the game in the process? Or simply start freeloading only?
Will they be able to attract enough paying customers on the mobile platform, to keep the game going? Doubt it. But hey prove me wrong. Who knows maybe the plan is to change the game mechanics all together, and make a clone of the many other "horse games" we can find on the mobile platforms.

Meanwhile forever checking other game-options out there, and they DO exist.
Why am I still here? Have a lot of hours invested in the game. Nostalgia, long time projects and a few friends.
Asfridur
  • Posted messages: 9,702
  • Karma: 10 points
Asfridur wrote:

Can howrse survive on mobile alone? Very much doubt it. It will require a complete rewrite of the entire game. Plus how many players will drop the game in the process? Or simply start freeloading only?


There's a good chance that a change like that will mean i will either be gone, or largely inactive, which is a stark contrast to me now. I do NOT enjoy using my phone to play, and i WON'T use the mobile version. If i have to use my phone for something, i always go straight to the classic version. And i shudder at the thought of trying to take part in a coat release on mobile! A complete switch to mobile will do me in. I can't believe it could come to that...i've not had serious intentions of leaving Howrse before, but i'm not gonna torture myself trying to play, and do the tons of stuff i do daily, on mobile. It'll break my heart to leave all my stuff and accomplishments behind, but it won't change the reality of the situation.

Please Howrse, don't let it come that...do NOT make Howrse entirely mobile!default smiley :'(
Famousamos
  • Posted messages: 14,405
  • Karma: 10 points
The blue backgrounds are back default smiley <:o)
BUT
I would have loved to see such a quick fix to the trophies default smiley :(
Hellgirlie13
  • Posted messages: 66
  • Karma: 10 points
I know we are all being pushed to submit tickets to Contact Us, but has anyone ever gotten a response there? I'm convinced a bot just sends back the same responses based on keywords. I am starting to think they only want tickets there because no one else can see them. I mean, what issues has anyone brought up have been fixed? Personally I have seen zero improvement. It's obvious the devs don't read the forums either. Does anyone actually work for Howrse or is it just a robot in a basement guessing which features will upset the playerbase the most.
Mikunotcheating
  • Posted messages: 130
  • Karma: 10 points
I would like to think they wouldn't try and delete the desktop version, teams and coat collectors are arguably one of their biggest sources of revenue, trying to perform both on the app is completely miserable, so they'd probably lose both of those groups if the game went mobile only.
Oathkeeper
  • Posted messages: 10,260
  • Karma: 10 points
cool update! not enough to make me forget about the trophy fiasco though!
Scorsone
  • Posted messages: 78
  • Karma: 10 points
  • Seniority: 2,856 days
Mikunotcheating wrote:

I know we are all being pushed to submit tickets to Contact Us, but has anyone ever gotten a response there? I'm convinced a bot just sends back the same responses based on keywords. I am starting to think they only want tickets there because no one else can see them. I mean, what issues has anyone brought up have been fixed? Personally I have seen zero improvement. It's obvious the devs don't read the forums either. Does anyone actually work for Howrse or is it just a robot in a basement guessing which features will upset the playerbase the most.


Did you see the post just above saying that the blue backgrounds are back. Someone is listening.
deimos
  • Posted messages: 25,488
  • Karma: 10 points
^ If someone is indeed listening, that makes the complete lack of someone adressing the trophy complaints even less impressive. There has been ample time to adress it, and indeed to apply fixes.
Cranedaughter
  • Posted messages: 321
  • Karma: 10 points
so... am I reading this right? the mobile users got their blue background back after seemingly *a few* complaints but the *pages* of outcry from users upset over the collections trophies has fallen on more or less deaf ears...? cool...
MatchaBlossom
  • Posted messages: 162
  • Karma: 10 points
The blue background was not supposed to have gone so it was an error which required a fix. The trophies and collections are a change, not an error, so can only be 'fixed' if something is not working as intended.
deimos
  • Posted messages: 25,488
  • Karma: 10 points
Semantics and my use of the word 'fixes' aside, the issue is that the powers that be has neglected to even adress our concerns and the problems with the new change they implemented. They have neglected to acknowledge that they took so much away from us, and that they made many efforts and expenses void.

We can't even tell where we are at when working on a trophy anymore due to the numbers being percentages and not keeping the actual score. How is that working as intended? I am aware of the "numbers don't work on mobile" argument, but percentages don't work on the desktop version. How is that any better?

Implementing the new trophy setup was one thing. The handling of the aftermath? I barely have words for that.
Cranedaughter
  • Posted messages: 321
  • Karma: 10 points
Still haven't taken care of my horses since the trophy update, still not motivation. Only logging on to check this forum
MsAnirine
  • Posted messages: 49
  • Karma: 10 points
Cranedaughter wrote:

We can't even tell where we are at when working on a trophy anymore due to the numbers being percentages and not keeping the actual score. How is that working as intended?


Because the intention was for it to work exactly like the mobile version and the mobile version sucks.

Therefore, they made the entire page suck and be functionless and now it's working perfectly according to plan. The point was never to please players or even make the page work, it was just for desktop and mobile to look the same and it does, so. They consider it a success, I guess. default smiley :s

But yeah they're definitely just ignoring us about the trophy issues. I really doubt we're ever going to get a response. All we've got so far (and not even on the website to the main playerbase) is "we can't fix that lol sorry default smiley :) " about the GA and Ray trophies, and about the numbers, both of which are dead in the water. Everything else they just don't see fit to address I suppose. Still don't know why they can't even bring up the Iris Coats. It wouldn't appease me but that seems like an easy one to fix.
Crookedstar915
  • Posted messages: 29,224
  • Karma: 10 points
This whole thing, from implementing drastic, non-functional changes to the lack of communication has pretty much been a crash course in "How not to treat your customers".

I know there was speculation a good few pages back that the forced mobile push is due to finances but all I can think is that if a company can afford to treat paying customers like this, finances cannot possibly be a point of concern for them.

default smiley :$
Cranedaughter
  • Posted messages: 321
  • Karma: 10 points
Would have actually been quite thrilled about the mobile update a month ago and probably played more, both on mobile and desktop. As is, I've deleted the mobile version off my phones and haven't taken care of a single horse since the trophy update. I am just logging on occasionally to check this forum default smiley :s
ScarletWren
  • Posted messages: 45
  • Karma: 10 points
Go to page: