So I’ve been putting off writing new things for FF because I’d rather just write them once in the rewrite. But the rewrite is going very slowly, so there are a few things I’d really like to get done in the next few weeks/months.
There’s no thread about automating handicapping , but it would either just automate the current system (so you wouldn’t have to post on the forum every race day and wait forever for me to manually give you money), or I’d add in genuine betting (or at least, some close representation of it, as I’m far from a gambling expert).
If there’s something else people would really like to see, that’s fine, but those are the 3 big things I can think of that would make an impact on the game.
Definitely the FF-owned boarding stables. It is sometimes difficult to find another stable willing to board one of your horses far from home (e.g. in Australia or England), especially this time of the year when everybody is posting about new Foals or breeding bookings. No sooner do you post that you are looking for somebody to take one of your horses for a few weeks then a ton more posts come in and your request disappears from the “Recent Posts” list. Then, when you are ready to bring your horse back from it’s “vacation”, it can take a few days before you can contact the boarding stable to terminate the lease.
At least, with this new feature, it would make things so much easier and quicker, and, while it wouldn’t be free, it would still work out cheaper than shipping your horse back to your stable.
Just a note that, unless something else comes up (major bug or something), all of these will get worked next anyway, it’s just a question of what order I do them in. It doesn’t really matter to me (they all sound semi-complex and challenging), so you guys may as well have a say in what will make a big difference for your game experience.
I think the order you have them listed is cool, or whichever is easiest first. It just depends on your time schedule, for me I’m waiting for the Sc workouts so horses I can’t figure out I can try over fences. In Workouts to see if they prefer that to the flat! It would have saved me a huge headache with one horse last yr, I changed him over after the new yr and he likes it. Go figure, I could have been racing him last season but I didnt dare to switch, but finally gave I. When he refused to run on the flat.
Automated betting is a great idea. I do this not only to make money (although it’s the main reason ) but also to follow what other stables are doing. It’s like getting a better idea about what is going on in the whole game, not only my stable. So if it was easier to post weekly picks, people would become more engaged in other horses than their own.
In real life, there are a few top long distance flat races in England every year, e.g. Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup, Doncaster Cup & the Cesarewitch H’cap, which tend to attract Hurdlers every year. These tend to be switches made only for these particular races, however, and, apart from these races, the instances of Hurdlers switching back and forth from Flat to Hurdling on a regular basis is very rare. And horses switching from Chasing to Flat are almost unheard of.
the switch i think is just in workouts, so you can see if your horse would prefer jumps before you actually changed them over, so if you have a late maturing horse, and he doesnt like either surface at first you could try jumps for a few workouts , and if they like it switch them over.
I dont think it means to take a chaser and change them back to the flat after racing.
Over here I know we have quite a few chasers who will prep in flat races before the chasing season and some also run on the flat during the off season if they don’t go foxhunting. Seen quite a few do this at Monmouth last year.
I had planned on setting up flat/SC swapping as the thread outlines, which would allow you to switch your horse to/from flat and jump racing, not just try your horses over jumps in workouts.
If people are cool with the trial workout plan, though, that makes that task much easier (and is likely more realistic anyway).
That’s what I’m envisioning the trial workouts to be. You set up a trial workout over jumps, and afterwards the jockey says “your horse loved it” or “your horse tripped over his own feet” or whatever.
Lol poor horse! That’s cool and exactly what I’m looking for! The jockey comments would help you decide , because you can’t actually see how they do like in a race by every couple of furlongs.
would truly love to see the boarding stables and asking other people to help me out makes me feel bad as I can’t return the favour unless they want to race in England. I’d like to rest them more often but it’s not very practical ATM
I agree with Gwen. Right now, Boarding Stables, would be most practical, i feel. That way we could free up forum space from all the asking of favors, not to mention stables being able to be independent.
Though switching to steeplechasing back and fourth would be “neat”. I dont think it’s necessary right now. It seems more of a luxury function than boarding stables. I usually dont switch a horse unless they have shown no preference for dirt or turf or is getting older and seems to have liked turf, etc.
I feel the same for handicapping. It would be a super neat function, but would be more of an extra function of the game rather than enhancing FF the way it stands.
To conclude, i also feel that boarding stables would provide better competition over seas, be it Australia or New England, the less financially stable farms may be able to afford sending some horses if they dont have to ship them back in a few months. And those who like to race over seas will be able to keep their horses NE up better without having to ask a favor of the competition. In turn potentially staying on the same level as the local competition.
I see your point ,but I don’t send my ponies out, I can’t ever afford the shipping, I ended up claiming one in austrailia, and will end up leaving him there if he doesn’t pick up a little more. So the boarding thing doesn’t do much for me, I do on the other hand like the switching thing, it would have saved a whole yrs frustration on a horse that used to run dirt.
, but it would either just automate the current system (so you wouldn’t have to post on the forum every race day and wait forever for me to manually give you money), or I’d add in genuine betting (or at least, some close representation of it, as I’m far from a gambling expert).
It doesn’t really matter to me (they all sound semi-complex and challenging), so you guys may as well have a say in what will make a big difference for your game experience.