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.