Keep Your Panties On, Girls

So, my brother plays this game. He's fourteen.

He's not a super serious elite player but he's pretty good. He likes collecting trophies and breeding competitive crosses. He's not a daily player but he's on fairly often. He got interested in the game from watching me play.

I know of other young males that are playing and I seriously think that's awesome but there is one thing that bothers me... The amount of weird, unprovoked private messages he gets from little girls. He and I have a good laugh over them before he generally blocks the sender. But, for real, it's creepy.

What the hell, kids? Stop objectifying boys on Howrse.

STOP SIGNING YOUR POSTS

Why the hell do some people feel the need to sign their posts? Are they afraid we might not know who is posting? Like they haven't noticed their names are automatically displayed?

Furthermore, are they so proud of their post that they feel the need to sign it, as if they've just toiled over a literary masterpiece that is undoubtedly on track to become a classic?

For real though. WHY? POR QUÉ?!

Habits of Successful Players

I'm sure you've seen it. Players who complain that the only way to be successful is to buy your way to the top.

I will not deny that those who have access to Passes are at an advantage but there are numerous things that factor into whether or not someone is a successful player. Passes are only part of it and, arguably, they're a very small part.

So, what makes a player successful?

Willingness to learn

We all come into this game knowing next to nothing. Whether or not you're willing to take the time to learn the basics is a huge determining factor in how far you'll ultimate go.

There's a lot to learn and it can be daunting. Blupping, foal games, proper feeding requirements, how to make Equus, how to manage an equestrian center. Take it slow. Read the game guide. Do the tutorial. Ask meaningful questions.

Learn to play properly and you'll see immediate results. You'll have healthy horses who are at the top of their game, a working equestrian center to use while blupping, and plenty of Equus to spend as you see fit.

Work ethic

Got horses to blup? Pastures to shuffle in your equestrian center? Aging Points to gather? Do it.

Successful players work hard. Some players have friends to help them manage their game but ultimately whether or not something gets done is up to the account owner.

You can't have it all unless you're willing to work for it.

Time management

Tackle the important stuff first. If your team needs you to work a horse you should probably do that before farming your Aging Points or hitting up the forums for a posting binge.

It's up to you, but you must weigh your responsibilities and goals. Do those which are most important first.

Ability to budget

This is a big one.

I see so many players throw fits when promotions roll around by complaining that they can't afford anything. Here's the thing though – if you saved your Passes and Black Market Items and used them only during promotions you could afford to take part.

Save your Passes. Save your Horns of Plenty. Save your Titan's Challenges. Use your weekly trades to acquire items you know you'll need in the future. Show some restraint.

Successful players play smart and so should you.

Following the rules

This sounds silly, right? But hear me out. Howrse is a community based game. You cannot get far if you're unwilling to abide by the rules.

What do I mean by this?

The way I see it, there are two sets of rules in the game – the mandatory terms of service and the community determined rules of etiquette and engagement. Let's discuss the second set.

No one likes a cheater. No one likes a beggar. No one likes a player who lies to get ahead. Rule of thumb? Do to others as you would have them do to you. If it would piss you off, don't do it to someone else.

Don't be surprised when your bad behavior comes back to bite you in the ass. It isn't worth blowing your reputation for a quick boost of instant gratification.

What do you think? Did I miss any important points? What do you think struggling players could stand to improve upon?

Huh?

When I get a private message and I have no idea what the sender is talking about...

Prehistoric Divines

Yea, so I'm going to need Howrse to continue the Prehistoric Divine series so that I can add this monster to my stable.

Anisodan - source

All in favor?

Inhabitants of the Creative Space

The Creative Space is often a dark place. Let's explore the cliques, shall we?

The understated – These artists tend to be quite talented, but their mild (and often agreeable) personalities fail to bring them much praise. Regardless, for what they lack in fanfare they more than make up for in ability. Their quiet confidence speaks volumes to their talent and maturity.

The complainer – You know them. They've always got something to whine about and it's almost almost always something that everyone else is also dealing this – thus making it a none issue. Let it be known that some of these bitchers are quite talented. However, when half your posts are complaining about the Creation Space terms of use or how much of a travesty it is that your coat didn't make it in last month the quality of your work kind of diminishes.

The unnecessary critiquer – “Hey, ummm... You're going to draw the eye, right?” Nope. I was obviously going to just leave that part out.

The off-topicer – “Hey guys, want to see the wolf/dragon/cat/original character I drew?” No. We don't. Extra points if these off-topic exploits are angst-ridden and/or point you to an off-site art gallery.

The WIP hoarder - “Hey, you know that coat you all told me you liked? I scrapped it. Check out this Gypsy Vanner I'm doing now! And this pony! I might try drawing the horse I lease too!”

The over-sharer – We get it. You're working on a new coat but please understand you do not need to update us with every single brush stroke you do.

The enforcer – These guys travel in packs and hunt for any uncredited reference or lineart they can find. Hey, I get it, respecting copyright and intellectual property is a big deal, but we don't need to converge en masse or jump to nasty conclusions when a civil discussion will suffice. If there's a problem, escalate it to the moderator and stop throwing your imagined weight around.

The advertiser – This artist only shows up when the voting period is open. They're just here to garner votes and clog up the forum. Extra points if they post on every page and across multiple servers.

The embellisher – They drew a decent coat once. They've now submitted it in over ten different colors.

Thoughts? Did I miss anyone?

I'M QUITTING

A major update! Queue the whining and threats of quitting.


I hate the Equestrian Center changes, I'm quitting!
Just like I threatened to quit after the last Equestrian Center changes!
And like I threatened to quit after the addition of the Great Challenge!
And when you added the VIP accounts!
And when you changed the way the horses looked!
And when you changed the site layout!
And when you added unicorns!



For real, though. Shut up. If you're going to bitch at least do it with some conviction.