I don't know if this is the correct spot for this, but I recently found HP. I, like many others, used to play Horseland way back when. I remember Horseland having so many players. Chat was always crazy, running for club president was a huge deal, sales of horses was popular, and so much more. Now, I do think HP is better than HL, but is there a way HP can be marketed or something to get more active players? I've been here only for a couple days, and it's just... slow. I wish there was a little more excitment like the old HL used to be. 

I do LOVE HP though! Do not take this the wrong way. I just think it would be great to have more active players. 

I think HP will always have its die-hard fans, but I've also noticed that these sorts of games have fallen out of favour since social media's invention. It will probably remain that way. I'm not really sure how one could make a game more popular unless people actually sought out games like this to play to begin with. 

I love HP and it'd be nice to see it get a little more traffic; but equally the community here, though maybe small, is pretty great. And the fact that it isn't huge means that there's a real neighbourly feel to interacting with other players; as opposed to HL, which was huge and crazy and full of cliques.

As Abeille mentioned, I think sim games of this ilk will mostly appeal to those of us who experienced them growing up for the nostalgia factor (at least, that's why people find HP in the first place, even if we all stay for different reasons).

I think the other thing to bear in mind is that most of us aren't kids or young teenagers anymore, either; most people work, many have kids, and so HP has to fit in around real lives. Just wait until the chatline contest and forum contest, the game'll wake up then!

I was just thinking along these same lines. Browser based games have definitely taking the backseat to other gaming devices and styles. I would even say that HP is a much older style than some of the other games like Furry Paws and Horse Reality. Do I have any awesome solutions to change anything? No 😬 It's been discussed in the past about adding more challenges to the game play like genetics but that would drastically change the core of what HP is.

Could enter all be taken away to force people to either spend more time on here or have less animals? Yes. Would that go over super well? My guess is no. 

If nothing changes, HP will either make it with the support of the few that really hang on to the nostalgic feelings or it won't. I'm sure I could put things more eloquently but I'm at work and my brain is doing other things haha

HI Moxie! Firstly, welcome to the game! 

I just wanted to mirror a bit of what Uta mentioned earlier. When HL was around, many of us were younger or in our teens - so we had unlimited time on our hands to spend online. Now, most of us are grown adults with a number of things going on in our lives - working full time, having kids, taking care of family.. etc. So, it limits the amount of time that we can spend here. Which is understandable! 
Additionally, there is usually quite a bit going on! We just wrapped up our annual easter egg hunt earlier this week, we currently have the Mascot contest that is still on-going, the event coordinators usually have weekly activities like puzzles or word searches going on where you can earn extra points, and like Uta mentioned - the chat line and forum post contest is approaching which means you will see more of a FLOOD of players coming in and active. 
With social media being around now, having a chat room isn't as appealing because we are able to chat quicker in other ways. I remember crazy busy chat room days! But, that was pre-major social media like we have now. So, it's understandable that that has calmed down too. There's usually atleast 1 person always lurking around chat though (currently as I type this, there are 18 people online)! 

I know that Binny is doing a great job with the social media out reach! She posts on Facebook and Instagram to try to draw in new players as well as sending out a monthly newsletter that gets sent to your email. But, like Uta said - these types of games tend to just draw the nostalgic players. 

I'm sure the other mods and admins may charm in with their opinions and advice as well. 
If you have any ideas for marketing the game - I'm sure that Binny or Blitz are all ears to listen to any ideas you may want to share! 

I gotta agree with what everyone has said so far and honestly I kind of prefer this! I'll check in on the chat room now and then but the more laid back slower pace of things around here is nice for me since I've got two kids and work 3rd shift it allows me to come on, do what I needed to do, maybe talk to one or two people a little and get off without getting sucked into being on the computer all day. I do wish there were more active players for certain things like graphics and such but at the same time we have a great group of graphic artists because it's a smaller group they get more practice. 

Long rant post short: The slower pace is kind of nice for those of us with super busy lives but more diversity in players is very much welcomed. 

As many have already stated, the landscape has indeed changed, both in player style and game style. 

That being said, there is so much to do here on HP and chat is always busy, except for peak Australian time lol.

For me it's a time thing; I like this game and others but I have limited time as an adult.
Ergo, I like that I can come and go.

I agree with what everyone has said and don't really have much to add.

That being said, if you have any ideas for how to get the word out there that we exist, ideas for social media stuff, etc, please let Binny or I know!

Hey! I'm good at making Tiktoks. I can make an account for HP? If we use equestrian themed hash tags we might could bring in some more players? 🤷🏽‍♀️

I agree with what everyone has said as far as the working/not having as much time for HP, I know that for sure is the case with me.
I would also add that I think that the majority of the players on here are older now. Tons of us came over from HL and those that didn't started back when Hp was newer (2008/2009) so if they/we were young then we have all grown up and matured. 
I don't think this is a bad thing at all,but I don't put up with drama and bullshit anymore. So when I see new players come in that are obviously very young and immature, I don't interact much with them due to having nothing in common and it driving me crazy how they chat or push other games onto people. Of course I am kind to them and will help them, but I don't go out of my way to message them and talk to them, therefore they don't seem to stick around much. 
I think that the general "public" of HP are mature, and thus to find older mature players to join this online horse game, it's hard. I personally have never told my adult friends about this game, and my husband thinks I am crazy for playing it and does not get it at all. He thinks it's a major waste of time. 

Having new players is great and I am absolutely all for it! And no I don't hate younger people or kids(I volunteer for 4H and have been teaching kids how to ride for the past 4 years!) I just don't have much in common and wouldn't go out of my way to spend time with someone half my age (or possibly less than half! -Moorf is old 🤣)

Nyt - Message Binny about that idea! 

Moorf - Agreed! I don't usually go out of my way to tell my adult friends because if they weren't around for it originally.. they won't get the nostalgia. I try my best to make all new players feel welcome and give them safe spaces to chat. But I do agree - I have more of the family type bond with the older, mature players here. At 27... I'm getting old lol My wife also doesn't get it! She knows this as my "horse game friends" and doesn't ask much else about it. She knows that I post about mental health and occassionaly hop on to "play games"