Official Horse Phenomena > Suggestions > Post Reply
Themes From the Survey
  Samantha - see page to know who to contact directly!July 22nd, 2013 1:19:47pm 4,333 Posts |
As we were going through the survey, we noticed several common themes in the responses. So rather than trying to address everyone who left a name individually about the same thing, I wanted to post an update to talk about a few of them: 1. People want an easier way to enter private shows. We have been aware of this for awhile, but we haven't really been able to come up with a good way to improve it. Although, we do have now another idea floating around that could work. But a common suggestion is to enter the horse as soon as it's excepted, but at the same time people might request for the wrong horse and we can't remove them from the show once they're in. So doing it that way won't work. But we are working on a solution for this! 2. People also wanted a better way to click through their horses, and we think this is a good idea and we have a plan! So you can look forward to seeing something like this in our next major update :). 3. Always a common suggestion, two breed specialties per account. However, it's not something that we can add in to the game. The money that supports HP comes exclusively from upgrades (since we don't have a cash shop or advertisements) so we need as many of them as we can get to stay open (HP by itself is expensive to run and keep up, but it's also my full time job so the money I make here keeps me from getting another job giving me FAR more time for HP while I'm in school, if I had to get another job I don't know that I'd have time for HP at all since I'd have to work full time or more somewhere else instead of spending that time here improving the game and working with players). Breed specialties and the things that come with them are a major perk, if we offered more than one per account it could SERIOUSLY cut into our upgrade income which would be bad. Especially since you are still able to train other breeds without one, I really don't see it getting added. I'm sorry. 4. People also, which was surprising to me, suggested that we add mini-games to pass the time on the game. While I'm not 100% opposed to this idea (I think there are many benefits to having them on a game), many players in the past did not like when it was suggested before because they thought it would be too childish, so we tossed the idea. If enough players are interested, we could maybe re-visit it at some point. With that in mind, if you have any non-mini game ideas for things to do after you're done training on the game, please let us know, as we would love to hear them :). 5. A concern of many player was that they were having trouble with being able to train horses and dogs as high as some other players. The average "goal" on HP is to get your horses and dogs to 1,000,000 points by the time they retire. But there is no set amount of points that you're required to get your animals to, some players train them as high as they can, others stop at 1,000,000, and some have huge projects where they pour all of their resources into getting an animal with multiple millions of points. But keeping with the idea that the average goal is 1,000,000 this can easily be accomplished through public shows with no upgrade breed specialty, as we have tested several times. 6. Genetics have been mentioned several times. For a few years now, I have been planning another game, which is basically a more complex version of HP. This game will feature genetics. But I fear that putting them on HP will take away from the simplicity of the game. If it is something that lots of players want to see, then we can visit the idea and poll about it and such. But again, the idea behind HP has always been simplicity and more of an old-school style. 7. Finally people mentioned not really feeling like the "know" the staff on the game. I know that we all try pretty hard to be in the forums and also in chat, but is there something else we could be doing? Maybe an About The Staff page, as was suggested by one player? Or something else? Maybe each week we could spotlight something about us, like our pets, or something? Or both? I definitely need player suggestions here! I THINK that's it for frequent/common themes. Of course, if there's something else you would like to discuss you can always message me or make another forum topic :). But I'd love it if everyone weighed in on these specific issues here! |
| Samantha - see page to know who to contact directly! July 22nd, 2013 1:22:13pm 4,333 Posts |
By the way, sorry for the giant brick of text. Haha. |
 Farewell's Paint Horses {I'm getting there} July 22nd, 2013 1:31:57pm 1,036 Posts |
1. maybe a way to set certain animals you want to enter in shows so those are the ones that show up when you go to enter? if you know what i mean. lol2. love this (:3. aww ): Oh well.4. No little kid stuff D: We all ran away from that.5. I got a 1.7 miller on public shows so it's very easy to do. :P6. Keep the genetics to HP2. I've never liked that in games and those that had them i would lose interest in quickly.7. Both of those sound like good ideas .(:There I covered it all xD |
 adeina ❧ border collies ❦ July 22nd, 2013 1:41:44pm 1,791 Posts |
I like the idea of having an 'about the staff' page a lot! : ) |
 mouse } spare-ish, probably thoroughbreds July 22nd, 2013 1:42:08pm 16 Posts |
I just want to second Farewell on #4. :) I read that, and the first thing that popped into my head was 'oh no, here we go again'. Lol.Otherwise, everything sounds great :) I don't think I mentioned anything about having an easier way to enter private shows - maybe I did, I don't recall. If I didn't though, I should have! Lol. An idea that /might/ work, would be to have a page like the private show requests, that has private show acceptances, split into animals (like the requests page is now). Then all you would have to do, would be to go through that page, check the ones you want to enter, and hit a button? Might still not be as quick as some players would like, but I think it would help a lot. Also, having things TOO easy takes the whole point away, IMO. |
 BANNED July 22nd, 2013 1:52:55pm 35 Posts |
Yeah, no kid stuff. That's the only thing I'm apposed to. |
 Blitz -- Stellar Gypsy Vanners July 22nd, 2013 1:58:30pm 1,308 Posts |
Oh, and a lot of people wondered what happened to the contests page. Sam got rid of it, since a) no one ever told us when to take their contests down and b) now there's a forum section to post them in, where you can keep updating it yourself, so it's way easier for everyone! |
mouse } spare-ish, probably thoroughbreds July 22nd, 2013 1:59:26pm 16 Posts |
Ooo, I was also just reading the 2 breed specialties thread, and it reminded me to mention something else. Instead of having two breed specialties, etc... Perhaps there would be a way to make it possible to upgrade one account multiple times? So with the first upgrade, you have the normal upgrade perks. Then with the second, you get an extra breed specialty, an extra private horse/dog show, an extra set of horse/dog tickets, and double the paycheck, and then so on, and so forth for more upgrades? In the other thread, it seemed like the reason that most people wanted the extra breed specialty was so that they didn't have to switch accounts, so maybe working out a way to upgrade one account multiple times (instead of having multiple accounts upgraded) would work... Might be wayyyy to expensive and difficult to do though... Just a thought. ETA: oops, I didn't actually even notice the contests page was gone... so I'm good with that change! |
Envious Arctic Wolves July 22nd, 2013 2:17:55pm 92 Posts |
Please no mini games I don't want a repeat of enjoying a site and then searching for a new one. |
 misa・brandenburgers July 22nd, 2013 2:38:17pm 186 Posts |
1. The idea of making shows 'easier' to enter is a little.. ehh to me. Even when I was private training multiple horses, I would say it was more annoying to keep track of everything than difficult. I mean, how easy do people need it to be? There has to be a little challenge or what's the point of playing..? My only thought on this is we might benefit from a different way to manage requests/acceptances (other than messages) - sort of like the requests page, but maybe it could also show pending/accepted and you could enter shows from there?4. TBH, I'm neutral on the mini games. I'm not opposed to them being added or anything, though I probably wouldn't play them if they were. I DO think the effort/funds could be better spent on other things though.5. I think this concern is sort-of linked to the $$$ imbalance between players and inflation.. But I see you guys making an effort to better the economy so I'm not really sure what players want you to do on this one. As Farewell said, if you are a careful trainer your horses can easily reach 1.5m+. I trained a pair to 1.9m with no privates.I like #7! I sometimes feel, even in chat, that admins/mods are sort-of like the bosses or something, so it's harder for me to talk to them normally (for me personally, but I am very shy so!). |
| Samantha - see page to know who to contact directly! July 22nd, 2013 3:08:53pm 4,333 Posts |
This is great feedback :), keep it coming!And yeah, in regards to number 4, we will skip the mini games then. I figured as much, but it came up more than once on the survey so I thought I would put it out there! However, if there are other things you would like added to the game to pass time or make HPD please mention it and we can discuss it! :). |
adeina ❧ border collies ❦ July 22nd, 2013 3:25:51pm 1,791 Posts |
"Ooo, I was also just reading the 2 breed specialties thread, and it reminded me to mention something else. Instead of having two breed specialties, etc... Perhaps there would be a way to make it possible to upgrade one account multiple times? So with the first upgrade, you have the normal upgrade perks. Then with the second, you get an extra breed specialty, an extra private horse/dog show, an extra set of horse/dog tickets, and double the paycheck, and then so on, and so forth for more upgrades? In the other thread, it seemed like the reason that most people wanted the extra breed specialty was so that they didn't have to switch accounts, so maybe working out a way to upgrade one account multiple times (instead of having multiple accounts upgraded) would work... Might be wayyyy to expensive and difficult to do though... Just a thought.ETA: oops, I didn't actually even notice the contests page was gone... so I'm good with that change!"I like this idea! I completely agree that if you WANT a second breed speciality, you'll happily pay for it, and upgrading an upgrade so-to-speak seems like a pretty legit way to do it. Not sure what costs it would be... but maybe this is something we should consider! |
Saule Brise | Read Updates July 22nd, 2013 3:42:16pm 1 Posts |
I don't have a say for private shows, since I don't use them often. But when I did use them, I had no problems. I completely understand why we have to be limited to one breed specialty. I can imagine how impossible it would be to run the game/go to school/have a full time job all at one time. No mini-games!Being able to train a higher pointed horse is up to the player, as I see it, you have to put in the time, and often, money. I'm fine with my million pointed horses, and I'm not looking to go crazy, so it doesn't bother me. Genetics would be cool and interesting, BUT not if it becomes one of those sites where you can customize and your animals become more profitable the more customized it is. It isn't fun to people who can't afford to customize. If we do genetics, we should be able to pick the color of the store horses, but after that, like in real life, its up to chance. |
 bunny• • • {offline} July 22nd, 2013 3:48:05pm 24 Posts |
i can't contribute too much to this conversation since i really like HP how it is, but here's two things i wanted to say:1. don't do two breed specialties; it makes things too easy and as stated would take away from the game's profits.2. as far as mini-games, i think they would be awesome to have IF they were games that are not very age-specific. such as card games (solitaire, spider solitaire, black jack, etc) or maybe some variation of tetris. also don't have them be themed too much, if that makes sense... like when HL introduced their mini-games they were so childish because they were made to be so colorful and horse-themed. which... yeah, this is a horse/dog sim but it caters to mostly teenagers and adults. |
 awd ○ Mustangs [main!] July 22nd, 2013 3:49:32pm 690 Posts |
1. Maybe some sort of show events page. Where any notification, or message, would go there. I, personally, do not like how I get a message each time an animal is accepted into the show. I do appreciate the fact that there is some where I can look at my animals that have been accepted into what shows. But I think it would be A LOT easier if there was just a page I could go to and see it all. I also think this new "show events page" would be a great place to move the notifications about money earned in shows. Important information in my "events" section is lost because notifications from show earnings flood them out. 2. I'm excited for this. 3. I really like what mouse said, about upgrading 1 account multiple times. I think charging USD for a second breed specialty would be a good option. 4. I suggested this, but after more thought I don't really want mini-games, I just want something to do after I'm done training. 5. I can easily get all animals to 1 mill BEFORE retirement. It just takes dedication of training weekly. It also helps to enter association and club shows6. I do not wish to see genetics on HP. I agree they should be kept to HP27. I like all the ideas presented |
.s.chizophreni.c. .::. {{Main}} .:.That moment when you realize what day it is... and you fall apart once more.::... July 22nd, 2013 4:09:07pm 143 Posts |
Just an idea re: privates. I see alot of people forget to enter them. Maybe a little message reminder two days before to enter the show your horse/dog has been accepted into? |
 Kyliga |:| Whimsical Wolves July 22nd, 2013 4:20:59pm 77 Posts |
1. To be honest I did not think that the current set up for private shows was so bad, after all as you mentioned it covers all basis even if it does seem a bit elongated. Nobody wants to enter a show they did not actually intend to.2. I shall be waiting for this one! :D3. This is understandable, I certainly enjoy the lack of ads going on. Definitely would not want HP to go downhill. However mouse's idea could be kind of neat and very beneficial in bringing in extra funds to help out HP.4. Sooooo glad this idea has already been dismissed. Just saying, that would have been horrible.5. I agree that everything is fine on this front. Not to mention a lot of the people they are referring to having so many points on their animals have probably spent a long time making lines that consist of MANY generations to get points that high.6. I'm definitely good without the genetics, it is a cool idea and will be quite fun on HP2 I am sure, but this game was definitely intended for simplicity and I love it!7. Personally I am with several other players, I think that both ideas would be cool on getting to better familiarize ourselves with the staff members. -Carl Sagan |
Blitz -- Stellar Gypsy Vanners July 22nd, 2013 4:52:37pm 1,308 Posts |
The only thing with a staff bio page/about the staff or whatever, is that most of us are just going to put on there what's already on our page. :P So it'll all be in one spot, but it's not like you guys are getting (much) new information. I think it's something that is going to happen on HP, but don't expect anything huge.Trust me - we're just regular people and players like you guys. :P We want nothing more then to fool around and laugh in chat with you, and it's easier when we're not treated like anything awesome. lol |
 uni July 22nd, 2013 5:05:09pm 1,338 Posts |
I wouldn't mind seeing the changes to the private shows, where once it's accepted, it gets entered automatically. We already have the show requests page, so if you enter the wrong animal by mistake, you just go to the show requests page and delete it.I would rather NOT have 2 breed specialties per account, even if it costs the same as an entire upgrade.. I definitely would not use it, it honestly takes about 5 seconds to log out and log into another account (I do this several times a week with over 60 accounts...). I think HP's resources could be better spent on other areas, since we don't have an unlimited budget. I also think the fact that it was voted down by the majority the last time it was offered as a suggestion speaks for itself. Yes, there are a few people that want it, but overall it looked like most people didn't want it, unless opinions have changed since then.As for minigames, I'd rather not :P I am however happy to host weekly trivia, word searches, etc. for small prizes if it's something people would like to do?All of my horses and dogs easily get way above 1 million points. Even if your account isn't upgraded, you still get a breed specialty, you just don't get the added bonus of the enter-all button. If you take the time to enter club and association shows, as well as picking out less flooded shows, your animals can easily go way over even 1.5 million!Genetics are not something I want to see on hp.. as much as I love studying genetics in real life, I think it would make HP too complex. It also doesn't really have a place on HP in my opinion, since it's not really a very 'realistic' style game to begin with.Finally, getting to know staff, I can speak to this as a member of staff.. I feel like the people I see in chat regularly, I get to know them quite well. I try to be in chat for a while every day, as well as posting on the forums and such. I can't really get to know you if I don't see you! I believe pretty much all the mods have brief 'about me' blurbs on their pages, but an 'about the staff' page might be nice! Ps. If there's anyone out there that happens to want to get to know me, feel free to message me, I don't bite :p(Sam, I think my wall of text is almost as huge as yours.. yay...) |
Blitz -- Stellar Gypsy Vanners July 22nd, 2013 5:25:08pm 1,308 Posts |
"I wouldn't mind seeing the changes to the private shows, where once it's accepted, it gets entered automatically. "See, I still hate this. I LIKE being able to request/accept shows now that I know I won't be entering until next Sunday. I like being able to plan out ahead of time like that. If they were automatically entered, I'd lose a lot of that freedom. |
uni July 22nd, 2013 5:41:47pm 1,338 Posts |
^ ahh that's true, I didn't think of that.. hmm..If we can't come up with a way thats workable for the majority of people, I personally don't really have a problem with the current system, I find it works well enough as is. |
