So, you may have noticed I've been inactive. Or maybe you didn't notice. But, either way, I haven't really been updating here because I've been drifting away from Howrse.
At first, I planned to go quietly but I've been thinking it over and figured I'd share the reasons why I no longer want to play this game. Maybe you'll agree. Maybe you won't. But I feel that I've been playing Howrse, and SIM games in general, long enough to weigh in on some things that I believe are holding the game back.
So, in no particular order, here are my grievances. I've played Howrse competitively for years and I just can't do this anymore.
1. Community controls and restrictions.
Howrse has a very strict code of conduct on their forums. Player content, in general, is heavily moderated and controlled.
At first, this seems logical. The game widely appeals to children and there are a number of reasons why a website may want to limit what they can and cannot discuss. Some of it has to do with liability but a large part of it, no doubt, is to decrease the demands that come from moderating open discussions.
The problem with this is that the site's community suffers. The limited communication outlets don't really do anything to protect young players, as underaged accounts are already subject to reduced freedoms and added parental controls.
What the site loses is the sense of community that makes so many other SIM games great. It also creates a very strange dynamic in that the game's existing forums become hangouts for players that are obviously looking for social interactions but are left parroting answers to inane gameplay questions all day long. It's downright bizarre.
I never realized just how bad this was until I joined SIM games where you're actually free to talk about whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. We're not even talking questionable content. Just a basic place to chat freely. Share things. Make friends.
2. Premium account restrictions
The introduction of the VIP account was a good idea. However, I think it's rather ridiculous to limit the number of perks a player may have, especially considering many of them are features that I believe should be included in basic free gameplay.
Again, this is one of those cases where you can see the logic, and it makes sense on paper, but in practice, it's a disaster.
3. High premium fees
Howrse is expensive. Like crazy expensive. We're not even talking about a micro-transaction here or there, we're talking $350 Divine Packs and events that will cost a minimum of 50 Passes to complete being standard fare.
Howrse's VIP charge is on par with what a membership to a new MMORPG would cost you. Or a subscription to a premium gaming service.
For a game about ponies. Played widely by children.
It's disgusting.
4. Event cash grabs
One of my biggest problems with Howrse is the events. When I originally joined, the events were a great way to score some great items while also being fairly easy and low stress. But, over time, the cost and difficulty increased while the prizes themselves decreased.
Added to the fact that Howrse works against players by making them essentially select between high-tier prizes or the event Divine, all while requiring that both choices require a large pass expenditure, you're left shelling out a good chunk of cash while only enjoying the benefits of a portion of the event in question.
One could argue that this is done in the interest of balance. On one hand, you don't want to give a top-tier player the divine as well as all the high-value Black Market Items right? Wouldn't that be unfair to less invested players?
Well, yes, if the Howrse team didn't expect that the top-tier player wasn't just going to turn around and purchase those Black Market Items at a later date anyway.
You can see evidence of this in that the event items (like cards, fertilizers and so on) used to be offered in chance items. You could open a Horn of Plenty and receive some event items while also getting a chance at a BMI. But that was phased out and replaced by event item packs. What's that prove? It proves that they knew they could throttle the event prizes because they could count on their Pass buying players to still need those items enough to purchase them outright later.
The problem, however, is that it hurts the low-tier players the most. They're left without the divine and with only a handful of fairly useless low-level BMI. And assuming a player did save enough Passes to make a bid for the divine, it only stresses their future ability to purchase BMI and play competitively.
And do not get me started on the constant barrage of Divine offers. It isn't uncommon to have an event running while also offering two separate promotions to win Divines through gambling with Black Market Items.
My guess is that the saturation of cash offers will only increase.
Not to mention that Howrse's events simply are not fun.
5. Lack of customization and basic genetics
All breeds have a small set number of available coats. There are no markings. No variations.
The only real customization Howrse offers are the Golden Apple coats, Helios Rays, and assorted bonus skins like the 5th Element and Magic Hat. But these aren't terribly unique either and are all predetermined.
The Diamond Apple was a great item which allowed a player to basically design their own horse and even choose coat colors that would otherwise not appear on a particular breed. It was discontinued, I am told, due to a programming error. It has never been reintroduced to the site. When the item is brought up, the moderators are generally quick to spew out excuses claiming it lagged the site or that the difficulty in programming it is too great.
The same excuses are given when the question of genetics comes up. We're told it's too much to program. Too much for the site to run.
To which I say bullshit. There are literally dozens of other SIM games in which genetics are a basic feature, some of which are fairly complicated. And most of these games don't have the benefit of being backed by a major company like Ubisoft. There are civilian-run games that are more compelling than Howrse.
They could do all this. They just don't want to. And don't lie to yourself and claim they can't justify the cost. They're making bank off of you.
6. Community moderators and the hands-off approach the admin have taken
In general, I've always felt community moderators are a bad idea. They're biased. They're unreliable. They're not invested in the continuing health of the game.
But because Howrse does have such a controlled forum model, player moderators are generally enough to keep the forums clean. However, they're not very good about dealing with problems more serious than player banter and bickering.
The problem is that the admin aren't very good at this either. They've taken a very hands-off approach to running the site and deal mostly with backend issues, leaving the front end to a bunch of unpaid housewives and retirees.
It's difficult to talk to an admin without receiving a copy-and-paste response or a flat out dismissal. The result is that most problems never really get resolved and the successful player is one that knows when to shut up because the only time you'll ever prompt a moderator or admin to act is when you're being unruly.
Having a problem? Too bad, kid. Go buy some Passes.
7. Owlient and Ubisoft's poor track record
Owlient has had a number of their SIM games close down due to low profits, and Ubisoft is in the same boat. Ubisoft's recent announcement to close Tales of Etria made me nervous for the future of Howrse. Howrse's shameless cash grabs also don't bode well as these tend to be the last gasps of a failing game.
Ubisoft seems to understand that there's a market for horse themed games. They just can't quite figure out how to make one that anyone actually wants to play. This is generally their own fault, as they can't seem to break out of the micro-transaction model. They'd rather make your gaming experience so frustrating that you throw money at it to progress, as opposed to actually making a compelling game that you're happy to invest into.
8. General site stagnation
Lack of meaningful updates. Recycled events. New divine designs are simply poor edited 3D model templates.
9. Pay-to-win model
You really cannot progress if you don't have a steady Pass flow.
If your horse isn't top-tier, it will lose in any competition that matters. If you do not have the ability to either buy Ageing Points or have a number of Divines to make farming them easier, you will never be able to keep up with the players that do. Bonus BMIs are what will make or break a horse's performance, and whether or not you have a VIP account heavily influences the number of bonuses you can acquire at any given time.
But really, I think a player that's supporting the site should have an edge. The problem here isn't that Pass buyers have an edge, it's that they completely and utterly dominate the game. Non-Pass buyers are playing to lose. And losing isn't fun.
This game is an imbalanced nightmare.
