New member

General Waiting Area
1

Hi

I’m currently 38th on the waiting list, so some time before I get to play.

I’ve played other fantasy horse racing games, online and on the pc, and am hoping this game is the perfect one!

Being in the UK, I have to learn the race types but I have some experience of that from playing Derby Fever (anyone played that?). I’m a regular on Webrunners.

Any advice on playing this game will be welcome. How much can I expect to pay for horses in the early stages? Will the racehorses I’m allocated at the start already have race records?

The Cornishman

2

Hello, welcome to the game :slight_smile:

My advice to you is to locate your stable in the U.S., probably up north by the new york tracks somewhere. Its WAY cheaper shipping wise and you will be thankful for it in the long run.

And also read everything in the FAQ section. Its very helpful, no matter how long you’ve been playing.

The horses you start with shouldn’t have race records as they are randomly generated.

As for getting horses, they can get spendy, and they can be cheap. Colts are less money then fillies.

Claiming races are now automated to fill, so those are a great way to go when looking for your own horses, but make sure you check the location of the horse in a claiming race, because if its too far away, shipping fees will not be kind to you.

This is the best horse racing sim I’ve played by far, its worth the wait :wink:

Cheers,

Kiera, Dragonsden Stables

3

I remember you.

FF has a lot more details to which you have to pay attention.  You can choose your horse’s equipment and jockey, as well as his races.  Depending on his stats (which you don’t know, not even a GOT), he will do better or worse.  You have to plan your campaigns carefully, because there are races all over the country/world, but it costs money to ship your horse to each track.  The further away you are, the more expensive.  Hence, Kiera’s advice to locate yourself near a place with several tracks (NY), or someplace with a long season (woodbine).  Choose your location wisely.  It cannot be changed (yet).

I believe you get two starter horses.  These are usually horses with no in game ties, and are usually unraced.  I’m not sure how much latitude you get in terms of requesting gender or age.  You don’t have to get two race horses.  You could get a racehorse and a broodmare, weanling, yearling, etc.  Again, I believe it’s your call.

Read up on Natural Energy.  This is a huge difference from any other sim game. 

Horses can get injured.  Horses can break their legs.  Mares can die giving birth.  Foals can be born stillborn.  Very rarely, twins can occur.

Stud fees are more expensive than WR.  Expect to pay anywhere from $2,000-$100,000 (Cigar’s old stud fee prior to retirement).  Average is between $20,000-$50,000 for a “proven” stud, with a couple MSWers on the ground.

FYI: FF is a work in progress.  There are known bugs that we just have to deal with.  There may be more bugs that you might run into.  The key is to be patient, be courteous and be understanding.  Shanthi codes (and overhauls the code) on her own spare time.  Usually bug fixes (that aren’t known bugs) are pretty quick in coming, but it does depend on her schedule.  She’s put a lot of thought into how the game is set up, and often polls players on any big changes before they are made.  It’s a dynamic game, which mean there’s always something new and interesting, but you’ve also got to deal with the times when it doesn’t run 100% smoothly.  Bear this in mind, and you should have a great time playing. 

Welcome.

4

Thanks a lot, Kiera and Cat. Very helpful. I’m looking forward to the complexity of the game.

I don’t understand shipping - can I only enter my horses into races at my home track? Or is the shipping fee included in the race entry fee? I guess I’ll understand when I get into the game and see the screens.

Cat - are you still playing Webrunners? I sent you a PM there recently, asking about one of your unraced 3yos for a possible sale!

5

You can ship horses to wherever you want.  However, you have to pay for the price of shipping.  Cost of shipping to and from your home track is usually $100, or thereabouts.  There’s a page where you choose where you ship your horse, and choose either by road or by air (if applicable).  There are pros and cons to each method. 

No, I haven’t played since…geeze… 2006?  Anything still listed under my name should be in the newbie pool.  The horses I gave to Deb and a couple other members should be listed as under their ownership.  I’ve seen a lot of them change hands (for better or for worse), so I’m no long sure who owns what.  I’m not sure what happened to my weanlings/yearlings or foals born in that year (these would be the horses that probably interest you).  I’m not sure if the people who get them at auction, etc. realized that the mares had been bred.  So, there may be duplicate foals for that year that I quit.