Stat-Based Competition System

The addition of a stats-based competition system represents an exciting evolution for our traditional text-based sim game. By assigning and developing stats to reflect the unique abilities of each animal, this system enriches gameplay, introduces strategic depth, and fosters long-term engagement.

This approach allows players to train, compete, and breed their animals in meaningful ways that enhance immersion and offer new opportunities for creativity and personalization. Whether focusing on excelling in specific events or creating balanced, versatile animals, players are empowered to shape their experience like never before.

The system not only elevates the competitive aspect of the game but also integrates seamlessly with existing mechanics, ensuring flexibility for both new and seasoned players. By combining stat-driven competitions, dynamic events, and a rewarding progression system, this update breathes fresh life into the game, keeping it engaging and relevant for the community. For players who enjoy the current system, it will still be fully available, so you won't need to learn the new one unless you want to explore it.

The Stats

Introduce a stats-based competition system where horses and dogs gain stats reflecting their key abilities:

• • Horse Stats: Speed, Agility, Stamina, Grace, Strength.

• • Dog Stats: Speed, Agility, Stamina, Focus, Strength.

Events are judged using tailored formulas emphasizing relevant stats for each competition. To keep results dynamic and exciting, a Random Adjustment element introduces unpredictability, simulating real-life factors like mistakes or penalties. Over time, additional events can be added to sustain player interest and enhance gameplay.

Increasing Stats

The stats system integrates seamlessly with the existing points-based mechanic:

• • Animals gain stats based on their accumulated show points (e.g., 1 stat point for every 100,000 regular points).

• • Players can allocate earned stats to specific skills, customizing their animals’ strengths.

• • Flexibility is key: players can engage with this new system or stick to traditional showing methods.

This adds complexity to breeding, showing, and training, creating fresh opportunities for strategic decision-making.

Breeding Mechanics

Introduce depth to breeding with a formula for passing stats from parents to offspring:

1. Parent Contribution: Average the stats of both parents.
2. Random Adjustment: Add variance (e.g., -2 to 3) for unpredictability.
3. Generation Modifier: Subtract a small amount (1-2 points) from inherited stats to encourage training and growth over the animal's lifetime.

Event Examples and Scoring Formulas

Tailor events to highlight specific stats for both horses and dogs. For example:

Horse Events

• • Show Jumping: (Agility × 2) (Speed × 1.5) − (Random Penalty: 1-6 for knocked rails).

• • Race: (Speed × 3) − (Stamina ÷ 2) (Dice Roll: 1-6).

• • Dressage: (Grace × 2) (Agility × 1) (Random Judge Bonus: 0-10).

• • Cross-Country: (Stamina × 2) (Speed × 1.5) (Agility × 1) − (Obstacle Faults × 3).

Dog Events

• • Agility Trials: (Agility x 2) + (Speed x 1.5) (Focus x 1) - (Mistakes x 3)

• • Flyball: (Speed × 2.5) (Focus × 1.5) − (Errors × 5)

• • Weight Pulling: (Strength × 3) (Stamina ÷ 2) − (Mistakes × 5)

Competition Levels and Stat Ranges

Competition levels based on total stats:

• • Beginner: 10-25 stats.

• • Intermediate: 26-50 stats.

• • Advanced: 51-75 stats.

• • Elite: 76 stats.

Reward System

Animals who place well in events earn HPD winnings for the owner, offering a fair and engaging way for new players to generate income. This system emphasizes in-game engagement over real-world financial investments, making the game more accessible.

Benefits to the Game

1. 1.  
2. Enhanced Player Engagement Players work toward meaningful goals by improving their animals' stats. Players become more invested in their animals' development, keeping them engaged longer.

3. Strategic Depth By introducing stats players can strategize how to train or prepare their animals for specific events. For example, a player might focus on agility to excel in jumping competitions or endurance for long-distance races. This adds an extra layer of thought and planning to the game.

4. Dynamic Competition Stats allow for detailed comparisons between animals in competitions, making outcomes feel more dynamic and fair. Players can compete to have the "best" animal in a specific category, adding to the rankings/achievement system.

5. Replayability With a stats system, players may want to replay the game to explore different training strategies, improve their lines further, or try to win competitions with new stat combinations. This can greatly increase the longevity of the game.

6. Personalization Stats customization empowers players to shape their animals’ development, creating a more personalized and immersive experience.

7. Revenue Opportunities A stats-based system could unlock additional revenue for the game. This feature enhances the game's depth and appeal while avoiding the pay-to-win scenarios that might alienate players.

Thank you for making it to the end. Please share your thoughts on a feature like this—your input is invaluable and I want to hear it! ♥ trig

If this ever gets implemented I would need a comprehensive guide written as I don't really understand/can't envision this. But if it brings traffic to HP, it's worth a shot and a good idea. I like the idea of keeping some simplicity of the game "as is" because that's what I have the mental capacity to understand right now.

To be noted, confusing can be an aspect that alienates future players or current ones. I've had trouble sticking with Howrse because once one gets passed the tutorial of basic game play functions, the overarching idea and strategy points were not well marked enough for me to understand how to be connected into the game play. 

I adore the idea of having a breed specialize in a discipline, as stated, you could have say Warlanders who are Dressage focused and so on, whatever you want your stable to be. The more you can immerse yourself, I think the better...

I wouldn't want over complicated things either, but I think some ideas are really good and get left in the cold because of one issue or another. Whether that's programming concerns, financial concerns for the cost of doing that programming, or something else. I get that real life stuff factors in. There's room for improvement as there is in all things in life. 

If we don't get new players and more people continue to decrease their breeds it's a very real possibility that the HP we all clearly love so much could disappear in a few years time. It's not a pleasant thought but it's not an unrealistic one either. HP means the world to me. I don't want to see that. 

I definitely think it's worth a shot. I was also one of those people who tried howrse but never fully got into it. It's been a while but I think it was because I was already playing HP and didn't want to devote time to learning another game. I like that I'd have the option to either play as normal or try and work on improving stats. I agree with some others that have voiced their opinions on there's not much "to do" currently on HP. I find myself logging in to train and make shows and then log off. I miss the old days of more interaction, selling animals, clubs that are active, etc. I love HP but it needs some oomph to keep it going. All of us "OG"s are getting older and we're not seeing a lot of new blood come in. 

Ok Im gonna give two sides to this because to be honest I am "indifferent". I LOVE HP bc it is basically the game I grew up on, just like probably 99% of us and I truly think that is the sole motivator of the pushback. We all have a bit of sim game "PTSD" (for lack of a better term) from HL changing and I know for me my first instinct to any big HP changes is pure anxiety over "losing my game" all over again xD BUT what I love about this idea, is its OPTIONAL. Not a vital part of the game, we would still have our beloved point system. And honestly I'm always down for improving my pixel children so I'd def give it a go. The big thing to those saying it sounds confusing is, to new players unaccustomed to HP/HL the current game is probably confusing at first too xD this may just add a more "aesthetic" layer that has specific goals that could attract new players and actually keep them around. And I could definitely see new players run out of things to do quickly until they get into the multi-facited layers of the game. I think it's a great compromise between keeping HP the game we all know and love, and adding things to bring in new players! As long as we don't revive flash player and add in cartoons I will be here for the long haul xD

Trig, you're the bomb for brainstorming ways to make the game more inviting for everyone!

”Sometimes people think if they love a broken person enough, they can be what finally repairs them, but the problem with that is the other person just ends up broken, too.” -Colleen Hoover

I am feeling the same way that Ris and Naima are feeling toward this.. I play HP because it's easy, simple and fun and it's something that I also really enjoy doing! If I wanted stats or anything of the sort I'd play a game like Howrse. 

I enjoy training my animals on a weekly basis without having the extra hassle and stress. I already have enough of that in my life as it is, and I play HP because it's a way for me to just be worry free and not have to stress. 

I like the idea of keeping the game "as is" because I don't have the mental capacity to understand this. 

I absolutely love this idea, it brings something new into the game for us who have put a lot of money into it already, it would actually give us some kinda insentive to actually breed and train on the game now! 

I'd definitely love to see this, or even something very similar added, because yes HP is nice and easy.. but it's becoming boring for a lot of us who would like to see something added, especially with the money that gets put towards the game, it'll be nice to get something worth it from that. 

As someone who has never played horwse, I can't quite picture it and would benefit from a detailed how-to-do guide if it went ahead. I loved Horseland so much and was devastated when it changed so I totally understand why people are wary of new ideas, but I welcome any changes that encourage more new players to join and love the fact it would be completely optional.

Fear not! I'm going to work on a mockup of what the animal page could look like and a more simplistic explanation of how stats and competitions work. I promise there will be no cartoons required to make this work xD And again, if you're satisfied with the current system this will have zero effect on that. 

I'm definitely going to fall into the indifferent basket like Arzu, but I do want to echo what Nyt said, that the longevity of HP is at stake here - and that kind of is the bigger picture.  Can HP continue forward with less engagement and less players?  Less players ultimately = less revenue, and there is always the [rising] cost of doing business.  HP needs to be able to keep the HP lights on, and sometimes we need to evolve to make this happen.

The best part of all of this is that it could be optional (seriously love this, because it allows those who love the existing HP to remain the same without change - it caters to the best of both worlds).  A setting on an animal page where perhaps you could "hide" the stats from view (like you can hide your money) would help keep things the same for those who aren't interested.  It could theoretically "hide" the fact that it even exists lol.

In terms of my own personal interest, it isn't there for me, but because my personal life doesn't allow time for an added layer of complexity.  I'll happily stay in the old existing basket until maybe things change a couple years down the road when my kids are older.  The best part?  If this allows for the diversification of the game, then it may guarantee that HP will still exist down the road when I can participate :)

Also, editing to add: HP never just sets us loose to figure things out without a guide (and the help section has been updated for user-friendliness), so I don't think we should be worried that we will be floundering in the unknown, not knowing what we are doing. And the community is always there to help

So, my initial/basic reaction to this is that I really like the concept and appreciate the way that it could potentially offer a new feature for players who were interested in engaging with that feature but without making it absolutely necessary to do so. I.e.  People could still continue to play HP precisely as they have been playing it, it's just an optional extra that anyone who wants a slightly more involved game could choose to explore. 

HP absolutely should not try to pander to the same crowds as games like Howrse, as the mechanics of that game are so drastically different (which, for the record, I don't think that Trig is suggesting it should!). HP doesn't need to try to be any game other than itself... but I don't think that a little light evolution and development of gameplay elements is a bad thing if it ultimately makes the game more interesting and appealing to new players - especially those who don't come from the 'I used to play HL and am looking for some nostalgia' background. I've suggested a couple of people on DA who enquired about HP try it out. In both cases was essentially met with the reaction of 'well there isn't much to do', and to be honest I found it really difficult to argue with them as the game is very simple and repetetive by design. And whilst that is part of its appeal, the idea of some simple little changes that people can choose to either engage with or to ignore might help to appeal to newer players more, and more traffic for the game can only be a good thing. 

The trick is to make it interesting and engaging without making it too confusing and involved to understand, so that both new and old players feel encouraged to use it rather than seeing it as an unwelcome change to something that they have both sentimental (nostalgia) and time/effort-won (i.e. the amount of hours they've put into the game so far) attachment to. I can understand people being wary of change after many of us lost everything we had worked for on HL in their massive overhaul, but I really don't think that Trig is suggesting anything like that. 😅

wouldn't be one for me, sorry!

First off.. I would love it if we could win both HPD and HPB.. Please!

I love that it fixes the problem of having to sale upgrades just to play the game.

I have questions though.. Would it be us just entering the shows like we do now, but can pick certain shows like dressage, jumping and racing. Or is it more involved like being able to watch the show or play your horse in the show itself? Like a flash type game.

I like the simplisty of HP. I would prefer the 1st option of entering like we do now and waiting for the day it happens. I would love to have MORE shows than we do now. I feel like that is really limiting our game play right now. I'd love to see an extra 30 shows per day created by the game or allowing upgrades to do 3 public shows and non upgrades 2 per week.

I sent in my reply to HP survey, but I want to bring up my idea of being able to enter the 10 shows with the lowest number of animals in each show. Either make it a perk of being an upgraded member or that you can purchase it in the cash shop and be able to use it for 1 month preferably.

If HP becomes Flash type gaming I will probably leave just like most of us left HL. So please be careful with how you implement this or it really could be the end of this game.

Im with Bix and Nadhima I am enjoying the system as it is simple, thats why I love this game its like the old HL.

as someone that started HP back in the day, and played HL (although i don't remember it) i also played various horse games, Horse Isle, Howrse and now i play Equestrian The Game and Horse Riding Tales i prefer the simplicity of HP but as someone that feel i can't compete with the "Elites" i don't have alot of money. I can't make graphics and i feel no matter what i do i can never compete or get the points high enough.  some aspects of the game just feel untainable as a poor player.  But the currency in this game is really hight. So it makes it difficult for new players to get anywhere and get on the Rankings board.  i am open to new ideas but like everyone else i am here becasue my world is a dumbster Fire and i want to escape for a bit.  But also frustrating. 

But i am with everyone else on here, i don't think changing the way we gain points will help the game.  

The way I have been seeing it is this would not change how our horses earn points and it would be as optional as the Horse Tetris mini game currently is.

I don't think the system should even award standard points, only stats that can be allocated. Points only obtained by current HP gameplay, and stats only through discipline shows. If players can create discipline shows for others to enter, then it's another source of income too.

@trig -- (well I guess @everyone...)

I don't have much time, but I read through the forum... and a quick thought -- What if, it was a totally *optional*/different side of game play.

What if the new stats - the idea you're proposing, was an interactive part of the game. Players could enter say, a jumping show, or a dressage show, or (maybe throw in a western disipline) barrels...  and those "training" sessions got them certain points towards certain strengths.  

___

Okay so stick with me real quickly -- kinda like the 3D training that horseland incorporated. I'm not talking about the "world racers" and stuff.. I'm talking about the difference between "auto shows" and their 3D jumping. I

And then the people who like the simple way of the game, can enter the "auto" shows. and it continues to opperate as usual? Then you could have the ones who wanted to breed for certain charactertics for the stats part of the game, or you could have the people breeding for the points.

Think about the future of HP and bringing "something" to do for the younger kids. I started HL when the 3D training was a thing. I agree that I didn't like the world part of the flash, but I do think the 3D added something to do while your auto shows were going overnight.

And keep in mind - the "3D" shows (which again, they don't *have* to be, just a thought to engage more younger/new players) would be a "side hussle" or a side benefit... wouldn't be how they got points. the points would be the same as usual. 

It could be as a replacement to the "games" tab we have -- think about like 3 entries a day per horse (or some type of limit) and  that's how they gained stats?

____

An questionable concern though -- would be *if* history were to repeat itself, and then we COULD make a divide in HP. the "old school" vs the "stats breeders, or new gen" kinda like how Horseland had the "Traditional trainers" and those who thought they were "race world trainers" 

Ya know? I'm kinda word vomitting right now, because truthfully - I do have to write this up quick, but my ADHD would have me forgetting in a few hours so I thought I would just blurt it out now

Adding something like this would definitely make me a more engaged player. Right now I find myself bored and I can never stick it out with lines. 

Just addressing a couple things and I'll be back with the TLDR version of this proposal tonight xD

@Keena: I'm definitely not advocating for any type of 3D, interactive competition experience. It would have a very similar entering method to the current show system (text-based). The biggest difference would be that placings are not randomly assign but based on animals stats with a slight random factor to keep things interesting. 

@Fantasy: This isn't a proposal to change the way points are gained, that part stays exactly the same. This allows players to use those points for a purpose if they want to and make money in the process. It also opens up more opportunities for new players to be successful because, as you stated, the current rankings are very intimidating and currency is very hard to come by.

@Lyn: In this idea, I'm using points as we current gain them as the way to increase stats. As your animals gains points via the standard show method, every 100k points your animal gets turns into 1 stat increase that you get to pick where it goes. It limits the amount of "new" while also giving purpose to the points. 

Like alot of us my knee jerk reaction was panic at the thought of anything changing here because this game is sacred to me haha. However, I do agree I think we need to bring some freshness into the game and to think about the long term so we can keep being able to even play HP. 

Unfortunately, the game is pretty stagnant in my opinion. It's true that after training, organizing animals and general account maintenence there is not much to do unless you do the side hustles of graphics or coding which not everyone does.

I know as far as having things to do in game and having interaction with other players, that there are many events or games hosted by players that you can partake in. However, I am a player that is mostly active at specific times so I feel like I can't keep up with alot of scheduled events. As far as games/puzzles/raffles in the clubs or forums it's nice to have those things but they feel more like fun side things you can do. I feel like there needs to be something added to the main point of playing HP which is training and breeding animals. I like the idea of having something optional you can do to enhance game play and maybe even refresh healthy competition among all of us trainers. 

I am with the people who are worried about how this will look. I like the sleekness and simplicity of HP and I worry about any changes that might end up looking clunky or overwhelming to look at. Then I think about it more and I remember that none of the admin, creators or coders behind all of this have never made anything look bad and they fix things asap.

I think this could be a good thing for HP if done correctly. I love that all the OGs are consistent with playing but there are no new faces that I see around. I feel like we need to find a way to balance keeping things as they are now but also adding things to make it interesting and competitive enough to entice and keep new players actually playing. 

This is interesting, but does sound an awful lot like Howrse (or at least how it was run several years ago before I left that game due to time constraints on my end).

Like how would the stats affect the animals already currently in-play or are still on the game but retired?
Would they all just be randomly assigned, or some sort of animal owner option to edit-in?

With the levels, Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced-Elite, would they be shows that say upgraded players have the option to create right along side our normal public/private shows that we currently have today? Or would they be a Cash Shop kind of optional purchase?

I'm just going ooohhh boyyy this would be a very big programming thing and that's what my brain struggles to even understand haha.

Hopefully I didn't repeat too much, tried to read everything up to this point! xD