On Monday, New Year’s Eve, we plan to release the next exciting feature, called Special Training Tools. This feature allows players to apply unique training tools (swimming pool, treadmill, turnout in paddock), which hopefully will freshen up their horse and get them to perform better in tournaments. Though this feature is free,it will only be available for horses born on or after the 28th of December 2012.
This not a magic formula. It doesn’t make horses better. It just might bring your horse back into form. In other words, if you have a horse that was performing fairly consistently and now suddenly has dropped off form, implementing one of these training routines might bring his racing form back.
Horses that are eligible will have access to the feature after a bad performance in either a General Tournament or a Blue, Green, or Red Restricted Trainer Tournament. The qualifications to access these new training tools is simple. After the tournament ends, if your horse did not make it to the Breeder’s Cup Final, or if your horse made it to final but didn’t earn any points in the final, in other words performed poorly, at the end of the tournament you will be given the option to apply one of three special training routines.
Only one of the training routines could potentially help bring the horse back into form. In other words, each horse is programmed to only respond to one routine. Your job is to identify that routine.
This Program will never hurt your horse, but in some cases won’t help your horse, either. But there will be plenty of horse that it well help and brings them right back into racing form again
When applying these special training tools, you’ll be watching a really cool Unity animation showing your horse in training, either running free in the paddock, on the tread mill, or running with the water tread mill.
Again, there is no cost for this program, but because it can potentially turn a ‘dud’ horse, a horse that has lost its form early in his career and back into a competitive horse, we can only implement this feature for new horse born on or after the 28th of December because it requires a new birth trait to be added.
On another note, the puzzle program is now in final testing. It, should be available within a week. The puzzle program offers owners the opportunity to win thousands of dollars instantly. Only horses born on or after the 28th of December are eligible for this program, as well. There are going to be a lot of puzzle winners and we’re expecting to give away more prize money through the puzzle program than any other program we have to date.
We also anticipate between the special training tools, the puzzle program, and several other programs we have in development, a substantial increase in players participating more frequently in tournaments with exciting new opportunities for not only additional bonuses, but the ability to maximize your horse’s performances based on your horse’s birth speed ratings.
I’ve seen, in real life on many occasions, trainers turn their horses out in the paddocks for a change of scenery or different trainings routines, such as swimming a horse in a pool, or jogging him on a tread mill, make dramatic changes for horses. And because it can happen in real life, we wanted to give that opportunity here as well.
I’ll be giving a more detailed update early next week, including an update on the new desktop client which is absolutely amazing. Just a little ‘teaser’, the new desktop client use an interface where everything functions off of a single screen. In other words, as you advance through a race, either Quick Start or advance mode, whatever, everything stays on a single screen and transitions very smoothly. This is a major investment, but I can already tell that it will be well worth it. The Demo I saw today was amazing!
Mike, this is definitely great news to hear. I know there a lot of trainers out there that are having problems with their 2 year olds to perform to their maximum ability. I see a lot of trainers using this program and I know I will too.
Ok so if only horses born after 12/28 can take advantage of the new training tools then are horses entered into a tournament against them -born before the 12/28 date at a disadvantage? It would seem they might be, maybe I have misunderstood. Could I get a response to this. please? Thanks
The feature helps give added value to horses that have been bred by offering new ways to potentially keep their racing form more consistent.
It does not make horses better nor can it be used by a horse that is currently having success in any type of tournament. So in my opinion it does not put old horses at a disadvantage it just gives players with new horses not performing up to their potential more opportunities to unlock some value going forward
This is a big plus for players who want to attempt to get added value from their horses.
This required a data base change so it can only work on a go forward bases.
Another step forward for promoting more tournament entries
Appreciate all the new features/improvements to the game. In regards to the bit program, is there a way within the game to denote if it was used to speed up or slow down a horse? When entering multiple horses it is sometimes hard to remember what I decided to try.
Thanks
Tranzor
Sound interesting. But the PR contains no useful information. There are alot of New and Old players that use the information contained within the DAT file.
If it is so useless i would think You would like Players using it (You would make more MONEY).
So why are you so dead set against the players using the DAT? Maybe it's not as useless as you say?
Every trainer (I have ever worked for)train their horses their way, there is no one standing behind them telling them ,"That info is useless , you can't do that".
In real life when you breed a horse,(you don't get a PR), but you can research the bloodlines of sire and dam , from that you can gleane , the surface your horse may like.
In this game the Shed throws such inconsistant,BSR's and surface directives. (In real life if you breed a Slop horse to a Slop dam, 9 times out or 10 you get a slop baby.
Please reconsider the Removal of the DAT,let the player decide what info to use and what info not to use.
let me explain to our reasonable players once again why we are eliminating the dat file
I have a lot of respect and appreciation for my players. I have a feeling most of our players get why we are doing what we are doing.
The dat files numbers are worthless without knowing the key data we keep on the server this is more true now then ever before with the new additional traits just added to horses born from today 12-28-12 forward.
We just added 12 more traits for each horse that the dat files do not have access too. yet these traits control the dat file numbers. This will further confuse dat trainers when they think they understand something and it just does not work out that way in their horses performance.
I am sick of seeing the posts in the forum about my horse had this dat number and he did not win or my horse had this number in his dat file go down for no reason and that cost me the tournament. The complaints will now triple with all these new traits we just added.
The truth of the matter is some of those dat numbers are max performance numbers controlled by traits on the server. For example if a horse runs 70% of max then what good is the numbers you see in the dat file if you do not know what percentage of that number your horse will achieve during any particular race?
Then there is the other situation where the horse has a certain dat number go down but runs 90% of max(a particular number) and the horse runs better then expected. This is the part no one wants to understand.
In addition all of this dat crap is a distraction and confusing for those who do not want to or know how to access these numbers. They actually think they are missing out by not knowing what the dat numbers are and how to use them.
For every dat. trainer you show me that has achieved a high win percentage I will show you a trainer with numbers just as good who never looks at the dat file.
There is not one person that has access to the real data on the server. The dat numbers the players see are a partial representation of a horse and those numbers can change over night even during a tournament( in other words anytime) and on top of that only a certain percentage of those numbers are achieved during a race and that percentage no one knows.
The few valuable dat numbers will be added to the performance report in a open and fair manor for everyone to see and understand, not just the hackers. Everyone should be happy because the numbers will be very easy to understand. No worries they will not be displayed in a star system but as an advanced part of the performance report in a clear articulate presentation.
Needless to say I will NOT be renewing my VIP. It is not worth $100+ to me, for a year, of you (playing god ) to tell me how i must train my horses. So what other tools are you taking away? Your Players want to know. And I really liked this game.
You must have the wrong game we keep adding features here. The dat files are going but the key dat data from those files are being added to the performance report.
Not sure what the issue is but your GOD when it comes to your money so I understand.
Thanks for playing and I really mean that.
You really need to read the Dat File Numbers thread. There are alot of Leaderboard trainers(who use the Dat),that want to keep the information that it provides in conjunction with training.
Just read it there are a 107 posts, you really might be suprised.
I also know you don't give a peanut how i / others feel on this subject.
You have already made up your mind,that is your right this is still the USA.
But I have a silly question "Are you always so Mulelike"?
I read the thread since the start and commented on it several times. We will work with trainers to make sure we include the important data that does not change based on courage and consistency. I have a feeling in the end everyone will be happy or at least not so upset.
I am not here to lose players I am here to grow a business.
Thanks
Mike
then you bring out the new PR before you get rid of the DATs and Let Us Trainers suggest what information from the Dat files should be incorporated into it.
this is a smart assed comment ( Remember mr businessman the CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT)
SHOW ME I'M FROM MIS-OR-Y
LOL
Hi Mike
Can you please respond to Tranzors question regarding the bit program. It would be helpful to have some recording as to what instructions were given for future reference and training.Also if the bit was applied to slow your horse down at the start does that mean you should also (under jockey instructions) to try and go a little slower at the start. Because we cant test the bit during training I am running them under "true running style". It would be good if all the new features could be tested on our horses during training and to see whether there is any difference prior to running in tourneys and hoping they work.These issues have probably been addressed in other threads but would appreciate some guidance.
Thanks and look forward to the updates.
Ian
Myself use the dat but only on horses with a lower bsr i dont have time to train every horse.. either they run or they dont its not that big of a deal to me.. I like almost everyone else get addicted to breeding, i mean its like christmas for adults to wait and see what bsr we got.. But having 100 plus horses at one time now down to 20 i simply didnt have time to train every horse at every distance man were talking countless hours to do that.. This is why i dropped my stable down that and having a baby (that the real reason) But to get all upset over Mike and crew taking away the dat before we know what the pr is going to be is stupid, I have been here a year and know that if players dont like something Mike addresses it and more then often fixes the situation,, I myself using the dat is not upset as i see it as if the pr is not up to par it is simply Mike and crew losing money cause people wont have huge barns, cause they simply cant have enough time to train every damn horse.
Above, Puddles said, "open and fair manor for everyone to see and understand, not just the hackers". Finally it's said, plain and simple. Using the DAT file is hacking the game, even though it's done on the player's own computer. It just shouldn't be done, nor should it be necessary to resort to such tactics in order to enjoy playing this game.
From my perspective, the performance report gives a ready, easier-to-understand synopsis of a horse's potential than the beloved DAT file hacking. Perhaps those players who have used and relied upon the DAT file are a bit tentative when faced with a future without it. My thoughts are that the awesome players we have on this game will train their new Thoroughbreds to be as victorious as were their previous horses.
Some of these new features sound awesome, but can you put into program the workouts and training exercises, without given everyone a super horse. You guys with the CPU knowledge are awesome. Keep up the fabulous work cause, The more complexed the mind: The greater the need for the simplicity of play.
Quite right! Finally, somebody had the chutzpah to come right out and say it.
Beatle fans are so freaking perspicacious. It's scary sometimes.
To be honest i could do without ' the cool unity animation' it just slows everything down and i know a lot of players have issues with unity.
ihave they been released yet i cant find them i do see the bit program but nothing else new thank you.
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