Daniel - That is a good post and a great idea for some locked 'how to' posts pinned to the top of the forums.
Jango has done a great job with a post he made that is pinned to the top now.
To outsiders the (League) Hunt is confusing - at times it doesn't make sense and other times it's just frustrating.
There is no explanation anywhere to how it works.
It probably highlights a wider shortfall of SO6 - no prominent link explaining the machinations. It's a niche game that is played by the persistent.
The single player Hunt game plays much different to the League.
The game does everything for you - maybe if you're English or Irish you already know how Hunt racing works.
We still have jumps racing in Australia (just) never had novices or juveniles - you have low rated jumps races and horses come through the ranks. Just like flat racing.
If you come from a Country with no jumps racing...it makes even less sense.
Because this is an online niche game and not being a Brit or Irish etc the League (not the game) is very UK exclusive. Gray has done a great job to opening up the Flat to be more (world wide) inclusive (I think from my suggestions) I also think there is more room for improvement - nothing major...more tweaking.
And that is where i, personally am coming from in regards to the Hunt in the League.
Now compared to the Flat there really isn't much Internationally to add more jumps races. I know Japan have an invitation steeplechase which i believe Gray would like to include at some point. Maybe an Australian chase race or two but by and large the Hunt in the league will ALWAYS BE UK CENTRED!
BUT - It is not Internationally inclusive from a non UK player point of view!
And this needs to change if you want the League to grow!
Now i will address the silliness of claims of double standards by me.
Rubbish!
Standing up for Australian G1 races to be shown the respect they deserve was 100% the correct thing for me to do and I will/would take the same stand if someone wanted to down grade an English G1 or a G1 from anywhere else in the world!
To say i am trying to change (and disrespecting) the Hunt League by defining Novice from Open by suggesting moving open grade to 6yo+ is no more (to me) than a soccer player rolling around on the ground holding his face when all he did was trip over his own feet when you all are willing and accepting of NOT running the greatest and most famous jumps race in the world at the correct age limit!
So from my view point - if you have no trouble with running 5yo's in the GN* then I have put forward a suggestion to make the Hunt more open and easier to understand to International trainers to make it more inclusive.
Now I am not the only one suggesting change - Darren 'Johnny Rotten' Howells
came through with punk ethos with his solution to the game - and i will not hide from it - i agree with him.
Others also acknowledge that there needs to be some tweaks.
Maybe you fellas can't see the 'outsider' point of view because this is all in your DNA or you have been involved in the game for so long that the Hunt is all second nature to you - but i can tell you now as an outside, the Hunt is not user friendly and as Daniel pointed out - there is nothing to explain how it works.
This is suppose to be a debate - if my suggestions go through, great - if not, no worries!
But we all understand that there needs to be other issues addressed as well.
The fact some have arc'd up - they have to step back and rein it in - this isn't life or death - have a weekend off then get back into it.
Some of the threats in here have been...well i wont say how i feel but it is unwarranted and disappointing!
I will warn you all - while i play in the League i will always have opinions and thoughts and suggestions.