This automated sim horse game is NOT for beginners or for those with no funds to use for up-grading their account. This is one automated sim game where it IS mandatory to read the rules and FAQ completely before you even think about starting to play or you will be completely lost.
Now that the disclaimer is up, Some Horse Game is a fun game, it is a very addicting game and a challenging game. The layout is colorful and easy to navigate, everything you need is at your fingertips. Game play can be complex, you need to keep up with the seasons to know when to breed, you need to actively train your horse(s) otherwise you risk serious injury to your horse(s), you need to keep up vet and farrier on your horse(s) (again risking injury), there's rules about showing horses that are strict. Many rules, many things to keep up on.
The owner of Some Horse Game has lots of experience with running automated sim games, SHG (Some Horse Game) is a very sophisticated automated game with realistic artificial genetics (color tests and genetic disorder tests). However the owner has a very short fuse when it comes to people who will not read the rules, FAQ, or simply search the forum for answers to their questions. Do I blame the owner for being frustrated in that regard? No I don't, I'm sympathetic to the owner. (Heck, just now I had to look up rules for a question that I had).
I have played SHG since it started, and love the challenge of it (just injured 8 horses while breeding yesterday, oppss). There are several levels of membership, white ribbon, yellow ribbon, red ribbon, blue ribbon, and silver platter. Once you sign up for an account you are white ribbon, you can't sell horses, very limited options for playing (designed for an 'intro' to the game), yellow ribbon you have a little more options, you can show in fun shows, red ribbon you have full access to breed/show horses and sell horses, you have a bunkhouse where you can hire a barn manager (no more stressing about vetting/farrier, it's done for you). Blue ribbon accounts are like red ribbons however you have more turns and more breedings, more imports, more horses that can show per game month, and hired hands: groomers, exercise riders, and trainers for your horses (auto-training/grooming). Silver platter accounts are occasionally auctioned off for real money, they're basically blue ribbon accounts with extra money, and extra goodies added. I would suggest anyone joining SHG up-grade to at least a red ribbon account, it's well worth the annual price, plus you have full access to the site and help to support running a well designed game.
So in conclusion, SHG is a fantastic, well designed and run automated sim horse game that is for experienced horse simmers who aren't afraid of looking up things on their own and up to a challenge. It's a challenge worth accepting, and SHG is certainly a thinking person's automated sim game and can be fun when approached properly, if not, it's frustrating.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
El Caballo Review
First off I must say MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Now back to the regularly scheduled review:
I have to admit what drew my original interest in this game was the name itself, spanish for The Horse. Most games are called something similar to gaits of the horse (Trot, Gallop, Canter, so where's Walk?), sounds of the horse (Neigh, Clip Clop), or simply Equine + (Insert Word). So when the words El Caballo Sim came up on my search engine I had to investigate further, especially since the short blurb regarding it indicated it was for 'mature players' only. So I clicked on the link to find myself looking at the stylish, simple website known as El Caballo. With a blue and grey theme everything was easy to find, and the background didn't interfere with the readablility of the text. Very easy to read, the rules are straight forward and easy to understand. I have to admit I'm rather partial to the model horse breeding type of sim game regarding breeding rules. (One foal per year, back-breeding permitted).
Applying to join was an easy process and my application was replied to quickly, I had made an error in my application however the administration dealt with my idiocy with grace and very quickly I was a member of the game. I made my obligatory first introductory post and quickly found out that the game was dominated by stock horse breeds with a small Thoroughbred racing and Arabian following. Just my style, I love my Polish Arabians, Appaloosas, overo Paints, Quarter Horses, and fancy colored Thoroughbreds. (OK, anything fancy colored as the poor, unsuspecting existing members found out rather quickly). But they made me feel very welcome in their intimate community, the administration likes to keep the membership to a small but active group.
I found out that the members of the group are a fun-loving, insane (in a good way), group of young adults who have been involved in horse simulation games for several years and they had a good grasp of what it takes to run a successful game. I found an older suggestion thread on their forum and proceeded to bombard it with various ideas which were well received, some ideas were put into motion, others were put out of their misery. (I didn't say all the ideas were good ones after all, he he he).
The showing scene of the game is bustling, heavily concentrated on western events, however the dressage, show jumping, eventing, etc scenes are getting more popular. There's also a small draft horse population, mostly of colorful Gypsy Vanners, but there are other more traditional heavy horses as well. Although the game is mostly stock horses the members love the rarer breeds as well and embrace them quickly. Both associations/registries and barns host shows on a regular basis, keeping the members busy with show results and other events.
Unlike some other games (or like them, depending on the game) they do not allow non-horse equids (donkeys, zebras, and other asses). (I know, rats no zonies or hinnies, oh well, nothing's perfect).
I've run my fair share of games and this game is very smooth running, no melodramas, no politics, no cliques, all are welcoming and helpful. Ask a question and quickly you'll get multiple replies to assist you. They also love to celebrate special occasions and milestones. (The Christmas goodies were very pleasant and unexpected!) There's many contests available to compete in for extra sim cash and possibly other goodies. It's still a young game so there are no millionaires yet, however it is easy to maintain your initial $100,000 through showing, contests, etc, despite not having the monthly allowance that other games have in place.)
Overall I highly recommend this game for the more experienced simmer that prefers the type of breeding rules that this game has. It has a very approachable administration, easy to read, yet colorful layout, and full of interesting surprises!
I have to admit what drew my original interest in this game was the name itself, spanish for The Horse. Most games are called something similar to gaits of the horse (Trot, Gallop, Canter, so where's Walk?), sounds of the horse (Neigh, Clip Clop), or simply Equine + (Insert Word). So when the words El Caballo Sim came up on my search engine I had to investigate further, especially since the short blurb regarding it indicated it was for 'mature players' only. So I clicked on the link to find myself looking at the stylish, simple website known as El Caballo. With a blue and grey theme everything was easy to find, and the background didn't interfere with the readablility of the text. Very easy to read, the rules are straight forward and easy to understand. I have to admit I'm rather partial to the model horse breeding type of sim game regarding breeding rules. (One foal per year, back-breeding permitted).
Applying to join was an easy process and my application was replied to quickly, I had made an error in my application however the administration dealt with my idiocy with grace and very quickly I was a member of the game. I made my obligatory first introductory post and quickly found out that the game was dominated by stock horse breeds with a small Thoroughbred racing and Arabian following. Just my style, I love my Polish Arabians, Appaloosas, overo Paints, Quarter Horses, and fancy colored Thoroughbreds. (OK, anything fancy colored as the poor, unsuspecting existing members found out rather quickly). But they made me feel very welcome in their intimate community, the administration likes to keep the membership to a small but active group.
I found out that the members of the group are a fun-loving, insane (in a good way), group of young adults who have been involved in horse simulation games for several years and they had a good grasp of what it takes to run a successful game. I found an older suggestion thread on their forum and proceeded to bombard it with various ideas which were well received, some ideas were put into motion, others were put out of their misery. (I didn't say all the ideas were good ones after all, he he he).
The showing scene of the game is bustling, heavily concentrated on western events, however the dressage, show jumping, eventing, etc scenes are getting more popular. There's also a small draft horse population, mostly of colorful Gypsy Vanners, but there are other more traditional heavy horses as well. Although the game is mostly stock horses the members love the rarer breeds as well and embrace them quickly. Both associations/registries and barns host shows on a regular basis, keeping the members busy with show results and other events.
Unlike some other games (or like them, depending on the game) they do not allow non-horse equids (donkeys, zebras, and other asses). (I know, rats no zonies or hinnies, oh well, nothing's perfect).
I've run my fair share of games and this game is very smooth running, no melodramas, no politics, no cliques, all are welcoming and helpful. Ask a question and quickly you'll get multiple replies to assist you. They also love to celebrate special occasions and milestones. (The Christmas goodies were very pleasant and unexpected!) There's many contests available to compete in for extra sim cash and possibly other goodies. It's still a young game so there are no millionaires yet, however it is easy to maintain your initial $100,000 through showing, contests, etc, despite not having the monthly allowance that other games have in place.)
Overall I highly recommend this game for the more experienced simmer that prefers the type of breeding rules that this game has. It has a very approachable administration, easy to read, yet colorful layout, and full of interesting surprises!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Review of Howrse
First off, Merry X-Mas Eve! Hope that Santa will be good to you come the morning! And be sure to give extra treats to your four legged companions!
Now to business, Howrse is an automated sim horse game that originated as Equideo in France, it has been widely popular as a fun diversion of time online for a little over a year. The creators are going to be unveiling a german language version in the near future. Howrse is a versatile game, it is free to sign up and free to play, however to purchase black market items for your horses it costs passes which you can either get through purchasing them via Paypal, selling horses, purchasing one with your reserved money once per month, and other random events.
Howrse can be played by anyone, it is simple to learn but more challenging to master, for those just interesting in fiddling around it is a great time to be had. For those more interested in challenging themselves there are various riding level exams to be taken which challenge the mind, you can open up your own equestrian center where you can be a boarding barn, raise crops, employ other players, etc. The challenge of becoming the best equestrian center is difficult and takes time and patience, but is rewarding when you see yourself getting better as a player.
On the horse side of Howrse you can simply breed horses to see what you come up with or you can strive to breed the best of the best of your breed of choice. Competition is fierce but players are friendly in this game. Experienced players are more than willing to assist new players. There is a nice variety of breeds available to choose from as well. The popularity of breeds as of this morning is:
There has been three new breeds introduced in the past few months and those were the Purebred Spanish Horse, Chincoteague Pony, and Irish Hunter. There is talk about a new layout revamping for next year with new graphics for the horses. The administration also hosts several contests per calender year to keep things interesting, most notably their membership drive contest that concluded recently. Currently there is a Christmas Tree decorating contest where you find random items to trim a tree with floating around, you click on them to collect them and the more trimmings you collect the more goodies you win. (Mostly black market goodies with the potential for passes).
All in all, I highly recommend this game as a fun way to waste a day playing! :)
Now to business, Howrse is an automated sim horse game that originated as Equideo in France, it has been widely popular as a fun diversion of time online for a little over a year. The creators are going to be unveiling a german language version in the near future. Howrse is a versatile game, it is free to sign up and free to play, however to purchase black market items for your horses it costs passes which you can either get through purchasing them via Paypal, selling horses, purchasing one with your reserved money once per month, and other random events.
Howrse can be played by anyone, it is simple to learn but more challenging to master, for those just interesting in fiddling around it is a great time to be had. For those more interested in challenging themselves there are various riding level exams to be taken which challenge the mind, you can open up your own equestrian center where you can be a boarding barn, raise crops, employ other players, etc. The challenge of becoming the best equestrian center is difficult and takes time and patience, but is rewarding when you see yourself getting better as a player.
On the horse side of Howrse you can simply breed horses to see what you come up with or you can strive to breed the best of the best of your breed of choice. Competition is fierce but players are friendly in this game. Experienced players are more than willing to assist new players. There is a nice variety of breeds available to choose from as well. The popularity of breeds as of this morning is:
| Race | Horses | |
|---|---|---|
 | Arabian Horse | 137062 |
 | Paint Horse | 135518 |
 | Thoroughbred | 131063 |
| 4 | Hanoverian | 100679 |
| 5 | Quarter Horse | 87103 |
| 6 | Newfoundland pony | 71638 |
| 7 | Australian Pony | 51662 |
| 8 | Appaloosa | 48803 |
| 9 | Welsh | 47397 |
| 10 | Connemara | 38225 |
| 11 | Standardbred | 34165 |
| 12 | Canadian Horse | 30456 |
| 13 | Purebred Spanish Horse | 26672 |
| 14 | Chincoteague Pony | 17296 |
| 15 | Irish Hunter | 1863 |
There has been three new breeds introduced in the past few months and those were the Purebred Spanish Horse, Chincoteague Pony, and Irish Hunter. There is talk about a new layout revamping for next year with new graphics for the horses. The administration also hosts several contests per calender year to keep things interesting, most notably their membership drive contest that concluded recently. Currently there is a Christmas Tree decorating contest where you find random items to trim a tree with floating around, you click on them to collect them and the more trimmings you collect the more goodies you win. (Mostly black market goodies with the potential for passes).
All in all, I highly recommend this game as a fun way to waste a day playing! :)
Introduction
In the spirit of the fuglyhorseoftheday blog which I am hopelessly addicted to I have decided to go ahead and post about the various sim horse games you can find online. I have been actively involved in sim horse gaming for over 10 years as well as horse rpging. I therefore feel qualified to honestly rate games/rpgs and hopefully get more attention to them as far as new members go. For new people to the gaming/rpging worlds here's a few definitions:
Automated sim horse game: The game is completely run by a computer, the user hits keys to enter their horse(s) into shows, train them, breed them, etc. No human/human interaction necessary, however usually they have forums and chat rooms in case you wish to talk to a fellow human being.
E-mail based sim horse game: This game is mainly run off of a central forum and the website designed by the game's creator. You use e-mails primarily to enter shows, arrange breedings, etc. Human/human contact is necessary for this game and most games pride themselves on being a small community.
Horse RPG: This game is run off of forums and/or chat rooms where people role play as horses. Rules vary widely in this genre and the rpg might be focused on realism completely, fantasy completely, or a mixture of both. (The famous example from my past where stallions bowed to mares and offered them roses comes to mind.) There is no right or wrong way to role play, only matters of taste.
I will be taking requests for reviewing games, otherwise I'll be going down the list of those games I know of personally and then those I find on webring.com and the various horse sim top lists!
Automated sim horse game: The game is completely run by a computer, the user hits keys to enter their horse(s) into shows, train them, breed them, etc. No human/human interaction necessary, however usually they have forums and chat rooms in case you wish to talk to a fellow human being.
E-mail based sim horse game: This game is mainly run off of a central forum and the website designed by the game's creator. You use e-mails primarily to enter shows, arrange breedings, etc. Human/human contact is necessary for this game and most games pride themselves on being a small community.
Horse RPG: This game is run off of forums and/or chat rooms where people role play as horses. Rules vary widely in this genre and the rpg might be focused on realism completely, fantasy completely, or a mixture of both. (The famous example from my past where stallions bowed to mares and offered them roses comes to mind.) There is no right or wrong way to role play, only matters of taste.
I will be taking requests for reviewing games, otherwise I'll be going down the list of those games I know of personally and then those I find on webring.com and the various horse sim top lists!
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