The new Ambassadors program!
The new
Take part in the evolution of the game by becoming an Ambassador.We have been collecting your opinions on the game for years, through surveys, ratings, testing and your comments in the forums and our different communication channels. Also, as mentioned in our Q&A last may, we are constantly trying to improve the communication and strengthen the relationship with the player base. This new edition of the Ambassadors Program is another way for us to get closer to the community. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us. As we strive to enhance your game experience and improve gameplay balance in line with technological developments. However, the large amount of users, the many different cultures, and the diverse opinions involved make our task very complicated. We have a few projects underway on which we’d like to consult the community, but on a smaller scale so that we can process all feedback and suggestions as effectively as possible. That's why we are launching a new version of the Ambassadors program, so that we can work with a smaller group of players and make progress on these topics before presenting them in a more mature version to the whole community. 
The AmbassadorsWe want to bring together players with a variety of profiles and from all versions of the game. They will be selected by the game team according to their player profile, with the aim of obtaining a group of a good hundred players, representative of the community. These Ambassadors will represent your interests and give their advice and suggestions regarding the changes we plan to implement on the game. They can be consulted on big projects, preview game content, take part in even smaller workshops on specific issues, and even propose their own ideas for the game. Communication will take place mostly on a specific Discord server and in English. The program has no fixed duration at the moment, it will depend on how the collaboration goes. BenefitsClick to display 
As an Ambassador, you'll have access to an exclusive Discord server, giving you privileged contact with the game team. You'll have special status on the global Howrse Discord server, as well as the opportunity to have an exclusive avatar frame on the game. You may also receive rewards based on your involvement, as well as occasional gifts. 
ApplicationsWant to become an Ambassador? Great! You have two weeks to submit your application by completing the following form: >> Form << You will need to provide information about your account, how you play and personal information required for the non-disclosure agreement. This information will be used solely for the purposes of the ambassador program and will be deleted at the end of the program or if your application has been unsuccessful. Applications will be moderated. Candidates who fail to follow the game's rules of good conduct will face penalties and their application will be rejected, see eligibility criteria below. Eligibility criteriaClick to display You can apply as an Ambassador if you meet the following criteria:  minimum 60 days of seniority
minimum 18 years old
10 karma points and a correct karma history
Be fluent in English
Using Discord
Sign and agree with our confidentiality terms
Confidentiality:Click to display All ambassadors must commit themselves not to divulge any information provided to them as part of this program (even in spoilers or channels outside the official ones), or risk legal sanctions. This is why we ask them to sign a confidentiality agreement. SelectionClick to display Once the registrations are closed, the team will select the group of Ambassadors over a period of several weeks. The number of Ambassadors is not strictly defined. It will depend on the number of candidates and players of each game version. We really are looking for any profile and invite you to sign up even if you have a small game or little seniority. Selected candidates will be contacted directly to sign the confidentiality agreement and join the Discord server. Once everyone has signed the agreement, the list of Ambassadors will be announced and we can get to work! 
In summary· Applications to be sent from October 2nd to October 16th. · Selection from October 17th. · Confidentiality agreements signed late October/early November. · Announcement of Ambassadors around early November. · Exchanges between the Howrse team and the Ambassadors in the following months Ambassadors will represent your interests and be there for you so that the game can evolve under the best possible conditions. You do not need to submit your requests to Ambassadors directly as this will make communication with the team more difficult. We wish only the best for Howrse! The Howrse Team |
I would have liked to have applied for this as I have been on the game for a number of years. However, my computer currently runs Windows7 (waiting for some replacement equipment) and it will not run Discord. We did try it, but it had a looping error, so it was a no go. Guess that means I won't be applying.
I think you need to rethink the part requiring Discord as you will loose out on good people, like Dr Zig. Many of us older players don't use Discord and we shouldn't be penalized because we don't.
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I can see why discord was chosen for this, and personally I have no gripe with using it. However, Howrse regularly runs test servers, which involve making copies of the existing game and then inviting specific individuals to that part of the game. Is there some reason an ambassador only test server cannot be utilitised instead? Especially if there are going to be test and discussions taking place there first before the main Test environ. Or even utilise the existing Test environment, and set up a separate Ambassador only subforum for the required discussions that are going to need to take place? That only Ambassadors have access to and regular testers are not affected by. It sounds like a lot of the things are going to be theory only discussions and monitoring feedback given that discord is a requirement and not... all having access to the same server, for example. That is one thing I'm confused about. I can see the need for a direct and easy way to communicate with the ambassadors, but Howrse is already set up in a way that could easily accommodate this. Why insist on using a third party site that Howrse and Ubisoft has absolutely NO control over? That is the only reason I'm not going to send in an application. I've played this game consistently for 2 1/2 years, am over 18, speak English, and would love to be an ambassador. I however refuse to use Discord. TONS of players have consistently said they do NOT want Discord. Kinda funny they're only choosing players that will go along with this new mode of communication.  And yet *they* will pick the version representatives, not the players. I'm not an expert, but that doesn't historically work exceedingly well- Oh heavens I hadn't even thought of that. Honestly if after they picked a group of players they want, then we voted which ones we want to represent us, that would be an awesome way of doing this. At the moment it is just concerning...
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I do wonder how they're intending to choose people. There's really not much information given other than "you have to be 18 and have Discord and we're not telling you what sort of commitment this will take or what your responsibilities will be. Also if you say anything about it publicly we'll sue you!" Which doesn't make me want to apply.
 I don't have *that* much of a problem with Discord other than that it's weird that everything site-related goes there nowadays instead of onsite, nor do I think the candidates should be voted on by the playerbase (that'd go sour REALLY quick. The drama  ) but yeah, I have no idea what their determination for players who are going to "represent the community" will be.Like, could *I* represent the community? Absolutely not. I play my way, everyone else plays theirs. Likewise I don't really want someone else telling Howrse what my opinions are when they can't possibly know. I feel like sitewide polls would be better for most of this.
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Requirements: "Discord." OOOF. Big, big big big huge OOF on my side. I was an Ambassador for another server, but no way I'm putting my name forward this time, if Discord is needed. My disappointment is immense. I had to give in to discord recently but they also want personal details including your address... Sure we didn't need to do this last time. Same. And no last time we did not have to write down our address. I do NOT get the discord obsession, I really don't
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I do wonder how they're intending to choose people. I have seen the application and they will ask about where your Howrse's interests are so I would expect they will pick players from different areas of interest.
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I assume they will pick what they feel will reflect a good cross section of players. They ask a little about game interests, as well as age range brackets and for a link to your player page.
I assume this will all be then studied and used to choose a variety of ages and playing styles from the applications? We were told they will be choosing the ambassadors themselves this time, and not via a player vote as they did last time. To be fair that ends up being a popularity contest anyhow.
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Oh well. I will not use discord so that's me out. No great loss. I'm enjoying my extra time to play my own game
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Oh well. I will not use discord so that's me out. No great loss. I'm enjoying my extra time to play my own game
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Based on the description of the program, this will be for specific feedback in regard to whatever projects they have planned, and they want a more cultivated and central group of players to participate, rather than having to compile the feedback they receive across multiple test servers when events/features are in preprod Nice idea, but imo they are already getting all the feedback they could ever need in the forums  Just read threads here, and there it all is! At first I thought this program would be a nice idea, but I'm not going to apply. The DIscord thing is one reason. Getting a bit more used to DIscord in the meanwhile, but I still don't like it. It's hard to find my way around there, it happened so many times already that I was involved in a nice conversation one day, and could not for the life of me find it back the next day. So that would take up too much of my time and also my brain capacity I'm afraid  .(Besides that, I probably would not be hired because of some wrong word I wrote in the forums ages ago, that gave me karma 9 for a week LOL)
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Oh by the way, what is meant by the word 'monetization' here? Tried to translate it but it doesn't help me any further really.
Thanks in advance.
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Oh by the way, what is meant by the word 'monetization' here? Tried to translate it but it doesn't help me any further really. Thanks in advance. The action or process of making money from something, such as a business or assets.
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Nice idea, but imo they are already getting all the feedback they could ever need in the forums Yes, there's plenty of general ideas in the different forums across multiple servers, but it sounds like they already have specific projects (whether they be game modes like the Ascent, new features, etc.) in the making that they need feedback on, which is what the first Ambassador's program did. It doesn't appear to be for general idea submission.
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why discord though... I guess they are trying to target where all the younger gamers are, but I feel like those who actually use discord are not the same market as those who play a splice of life / breeding game like howrse??
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why discord though... I guess they are trying to target where all the younger gamers are, but I feel like those who actually use discord are not the same market as those who play a splice of life / breeding game like howrse?? I absolutely agree with you. I think the rationale is that by using discord they can get players from all servers in one place which makes it easier to process all the information. Makes sense but it doesn't make me like it any more
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Thank you all for your subscriptions, we are processing them and will return in the coming weeks to the lucky ones!
 We will send out a global communication once the new ambassadors have been chosen. It is useless to send us reminders: if you do not receive any news from us, it is because you have unfortunately not been chosen. We look forward to working with the new ambassadors.  Keep an eye on your email in the coming weeks, you may receive news from us. Happy Howrsing! The Howrse Team |