[UPDATED] Devs' Corner: September 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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Crystal Clear wrote:

And these few good changes could've easily been added to the old system and then everyone would be happy.


Honestly I think this is the biggest take away from the whole thing. I fell like pride is the only reason not to do this tbh default smiley (8) Especially after this outrage and the fix seems soooo easy!
MsAnirine
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This is what so many have suggested:

1. Move the old trophies to 'collections' as it was before the change.
2. Add in this new trophy system as an extra

This would literally solve every problem (apart from half the new trophies be unattainable default smiley (lol))
Bell_z
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Agree with all previous comments, go back to the way it was with the old trophies but keep this new change as an added bonus. I honestly think Howrse will lose a lot of players unfortunately with the new update. I miss the trophies I had default smiley :(
Leebo
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Poseidon's Trident wrote:

've sent feedback using Contact Us at the bottom of the page and I suggest everyone shares their feedback using that option too.


Yes, got the 'can' response from the feedback I sent yesterday. You can never expect any more than that. They will just sit on their hands and wait us out.

I always try to figure out why they do the things they do. I believe most of the time they are trying to keep players from reinvesting their passes in other players. That would explain the dumping of the coats, etc. In the end, the outcome never benefits them, it just makes players angry....they either quit or stop buying passes. default smiley (b)
Arabians are best
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I would really encourage the powers that be to quickly acknowledge the concerns and the overwhelmingly one-sided feedback that has been shared as a response to this update. The discontent will not go away from being met with complete radio silence and some forced optimism.

I want to see an actual, thoughtfully written response that acknowledges the points of criticism that have been brought up. I would also like to hear what the team plans to DO about this mess.
Cranedaughter
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I am trying to remember the last time Howrse has been met with this much criticism for an update. Does anyone have any ideas?

I'm holding out that they will change it back, or at least heavily edit it in a way that soothes our frustrations. I think they'll address this because...

- The last FIFTEEN pages are pure, valid, thorough complaints

- Look at the game play forum. There are people asking questions regarding this update CONSTANTLY.

- This update was never even necessary in the first place

- How are players benefitting from this update at all???

- How is Howrse benefitting from this update at all???

I think the more valid complaints (less emotions/insults) they receive, through this forum or contact us, the more they will be convinced to change things.

Again, I'm struggling to remember the last time they faced this much backlash, anyone remember a time like this?
Tzipporah
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Cranedaughter wrote:

I would really encourage the powers that be to quickly acknowledge the concerns and the overwhelmingly one-sided feedback that has been shared as a response to this update.


More often then not the 'powers that be' ignore us until eventually it dies down. Then they'll give us a new Dev's corner and pretend nothing happened. Although for their sake I think addressing this is the best thing to do for the game - they're losing a LOT of money this way, people will refuse to buy passes if ridiculousness like this with no concern for player opinion continues :/

EchOw normally says they are passing player feedback on to the other peoples so maybe we have a chance? Please EchOw, take pity on us default smiley xd

Its a shame, they were really on fire with the updates to objectives and better divine designs lately. I felt like the game was trending upward. More players active, more activity in the forums, hopefully this didn't choke out the life that was slowly coming back to the game :
jsniper
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Cranedaughter wrote:

I would really encourage the powers that be to quickly acknowledge the concerns and the overwhelmingly one-sided feedback that has been shared as a response to this update. The discontent will not go away from being met with complete radio silence and some forced optimism.

I want to see an actual, thoughtfully written response that acknowledges the points of criticism that have been brought up. I would also like to hear what the team plans to DO about this mess.


Well said. I totally agree. I think we need to respond thoughtfully to explain how this update was genuinely unnecessary so they can come to the same conclusion.
Tzipporah
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Am I understanding this correctly that both trophies AND collections are considered in the ranking and that collections will soon have a new face to be put on our personal pages?
( This is what I believe I read a couple pages back.

I am just trying to get my head around what to work on next.
gollygee
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That would be correct. Collections count for the general ranking already and admins said they will work on making collections visible from players' pages (see RobOw's post).
Nalu93
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I literally never comment on changes, but this one has made me so mad. This honestly must be a joke. I feel like Howrse are trying to force players to play they way they want, not the way we want.

I liked gradually trying to collect the coats for all breeds.
I liked gradually adding retired and GA coats to my collection, yes it isn't a huge collection but I enjoyed finding a gorgeous coat and purchasing it.

I do not appreciate an awful, confusing new trophy and collections page.
I do not appreciate my gradual hard work being shoved into a collections page and not even counting for a trophy.
I do not appreciate seeing trophy objectives for divines I don't have, and to try to achieve grand prix honours when I do not participate in the GP race and will never come close to the top 10 in the GP.
And I really do not appreciate Howrse trying to make me apply 'special coats' to my horses, if I want to apply a coat it will be a GA coat so stop trying to force players into one small box and let us play our game how we see fit!
Lucky J
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Trust is such a fragile thing.

As a long-term player (on my third account, mind), I am currently sat here thinking: If they can pull this stunt now, and neglect to address it or to make amends, what stunt might they pull next?

I might come to the conclusion that pouring as much time and further resources into a game with such an uncertainty in the air is best avoided.
Cranedaughter
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MsAnirine wrote:

And I might add that the ideas that are being pitched here are only focusing on damage control. The problems that are trying to be fixed right now are Not to make howrse better but to partially get back to how the system was before. The feedback here is not as much focused on upgrading the system but downgrading it more to get back to how it was before :/
Don't fix what's not broken. Well, now people are trying to fix what's broken in hopes of having it at least half repaired default smiley xd


I'd settle for a 2000-pass refund for all the trophies I spent money on that are now worthless, but nope, instead I get a few of the Most Useless Divines On The Game (one of which I already have) and a 12-point drop in the rankings. Shocked it wasn't more, frankly.

Yeah, they're NEVER gonna make this up to me. They could give me the best Divine the game has to offer and I'd still be ticked. But they won't.
Crookedstar915
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Crookedstar915 wrote:

I'd settle for a 2000-pass refund for all the trophies

2000 passes wont placate me, theres a lot more spend on these collections, such a small amount will hardly make a dent in what was spend, many RC cost more then that, especially if you need to resort to auctions because the 2500 limit simply doesnt reflect the value of some.
Kiru
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Tzipporah wrote:

- How is Howrse benefitting from this update at all???


My genuine guess is that it's a way to "cut out the middle man" by devaluing items so that players will be forced to spend passes in the Black Market directly or play Events. Because now you can't buy trophy items from players, you HAVE to have them yourself.

Basically, a way for THEM to profit and screw the rest of us out of any income we might have earned via selling things we got with our hard work. :/

I mean, it'll backfire on them when no one has any money cause we used to earn it by circulating things. Collectors actually used to be a pretty significant part of the economy here. I used to buy things for collections, and I used to sell to them to collectors. No clue how I'm going to make money now, but I guess I don't need to spend it, either, since I have nothing to buy. I guess now they think I'll spend all that extra money I'm NOT spending on collections on Crowns...?

Pro tip, Howrse: I'M NOT DOING THAT.
Crookedstar915
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Also, Iris Coats do literally NOTHING on the game anymore. They don't even count for a trophy when you put them on a horse because they're not listed as a "Special Coat" and there's no collection for them. They are now JUST a pretty bauble that gives a 5-point bonus. Nothing else.

(VAs don't count for trophies either by the way, but there IS a collection for those at least)
Crookedstar915
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Does the wording 'Put X special coats on some horses' mean that it has to come from us?
I haven't put a GA on a horse since this update, or purchased one, so I can't confirm.

However all of my current horses with special coats - purchased or created by me - are shown on my trophy page. At first I was confused until I realized that GA coats are *not* included in special coats. Now the numbers line up, 100% of my GA coats and 100% of my special coats are accounted for in their respective categories, whether purchased or created by me.
Tzipporah
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Tzipporah wrote:


How is Howrse benefitting from this update at all???

They won't be if we as a community had any sense at all.
There is even less reason to buy passes with real money than there was before. Players hard work collecting and progressing through the game has been thrown in the trash, a ton of horses and companions have been devalued, and you can't even show off your Divine collections from the trophy section anymore. Divines are one of Howrse's biggest way to earn revenue but now why would anyone want to try for one when most only give you a near worthless item and don't count for anything collecting wise anymore... I was never one to buy passes but I can see the reason why people did over the years and now there's even less reasons to do so.
Khspoon
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I’ve noticed that trying to get “trophy rewards” in the app took me to a blank page with no way off it. No amount of restarting the app or my phone has fixed it either.

Pretty frustrating.
tayba
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Tzipporah wrote:

Does the wording 'Put X special coats on some horses' mean that it has to come from us?
I haven't put a GA on a horse since this update, or purchased one, so I can't confirm.

However all of my current horses with special coats - purchased or created by me - are shown on my trophy page. At first I was confused until I realized that GA coats are *not* included in special coats. Now the numbers line up, 100% of my GA coats and 100% of my special coats are accounted for in their respective categories, whether purchased or created by me.


Yes. Under the old model you could either buy the coat or put it on yourself. Now you HAVE to put it on yourself for the trophy, making buying them essentially useless unless it's for a personal collection that doesn't count on the game anywhere.

GAs are not special coats under the new model. Neither are VAs, or Iris Coats. The rest seem to be included. GAs that were owned by you under the old model got grandfathered in, but from here out, buying them will NOT raise your trophy score.

Iris Coats and Helios Rays (regular) have been erased entirely, too, and do not appear in Trophies OR Collections, so it's not a 100% accounted for situation (unless you didn't own any of those, but many players did).
Crookedstar915
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Also, looking at the general ranking... did they just straight-up lie when they said collections would count towards it? Cause I lost over 150 trophies and dropped 13 places. If they really WERE counting collections, those SHOULD have been accounted for somewhere if they were really being "counted" right? default smiley (o)
Crookedstar915
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Yeah I don't see Howrse benefitting from this at all. They assumed if we don't spend passes on each other we'll spend them on events and Divines. But what's the point? For example why would we spend passes trying to go for a divine... When there is no trophy for it?
Us not spending passes on each other just equals us not spending passes. default smiley (lol) Not very well thought through.
Royale
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Bellus wrote:

Can't the reverse also be true here? default smiley :p


I've spent years collecting GA's, RC's, companions, coats, breeds, pegs, unis, etc.

And because *you're* getting something good out of this and *you* aren't suffering from this change, it's completely fine? This update completely invalidates every ounce of hardwork I've spent gaining passes and eq to buy these collections. I've spent REAL money on this game to complete the metal divine trophy and now it's utterly useless.

But hey thats fine because you got a tarpan and tiny fala, right?
All my hardwork down the drain and you can't even give us collectors an ounce of sympathy? I hate sympathy, you don't have to feel bad for me but it's better than you ignoring the opinions of hundreds of collectors on the game.

Every single pass I've bought, the millions of eq I've spent, the thousands of passes, they don't matter anymore. I spent millions of eq on the coat and breed trophies alone! I'd take a guess and say I've spent over 50m and 25k passes on just RC!


If you like the change, thats fine. But don't go invalidating our feelings when we say this isn't fair because our work now amounts to nothing. We don't get prizes for collecting anymore. Why can I get a prize for collecting dung but not for spending over a million eq on a single rc?
RheaMone
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What they should have done: add the prizes and the point meter so we have a little bit more to show for our effort other than a nice-looking trophy on our page, but keep everything else the exact same.

It can't have been that hard to come up with a relevant prize system for the old trophies?! I could probably invent a balanced prize system in an hour or two default smiley (d)


What they did instead: whatever this hot mess is...


I'm not a collector by any means, but it's pretty clear to me that this "update" was not thought out at all.

Also, why can I not see what my single diamond trophy is?! default smiley (o) I thought I could just hover my mouse over it to reveal what it was, but nope. It's not that hard to code a hover onto a page, there's quite a few of them on other areas of the Howrse website.
serene.snowbun
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All of this is making me rather glad I decided against buying Christmas packs this time around default smiley (m)
serene.snowbun
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