I would be interestyed in seeing your posts on similar games where you feel they have been released in a much better state of readiness?

Given the fact that most games published by big houses are sent to Gold and then have breathing space of a couple of weeks where they continue to patch I think Mark has done a remarkable job on the turn round in patches but I would be interested where the people moaning consider they had better service and a less buggy game on release.

Championship Manager was barely playable on release but has been resolved after a month or two

Similar with Footbal Manager (all versions).

International Cricket Captain is not too bad but then you get very little patch support when you do get a problem and it is essentially the same engine.

Cricket Coach was pretty similar to this in that the developers were on resolving problems.

Any EA game well patching is few and far between.

Microsoft, well we are all still patching our evrsions of windows and Office

Company of heroes is not too bad (CDV)

I am curious as to what the critics are comparing the release to when they call it poor?

I can't speak for all developers as obviously I've not played all games, but Mark is one of the best for patching games along with Sports Interactive (Football Manager series) and Infinity Ward (alternate Call of Duty games). Everybody else I have experienced are someway behind.

Well, I've seen some of the dissenting posts on here and, although I do think theyare a bit harsh, I'm amazed at the reaction to some of them. Everyone is entitled to an opinion! The game is fun to play and has lots going for it, but to mention football manager and compare is just unfair. Yes, football manager has bugs but not to the degree of some of the issues we've seen on here. And after a short time they are sorted out and that's it. I've not even played SO4, having bought it two weeks ago, after reading some of the posts on here, and my SO3 game still crashes sometimes!

And I don't put in bids for players in football manager, lose my money and then find that they have not turned up in my squad, amongst other things. Not to mention the issues about sellers, claimers and most horses who come from the back of the field, with jockeys who seem to be comatose. It's a fun game to while away the hours, but comparisons with football manager are ridiculous, quite frankly.

Yes your right, comparing such games is ludicrous! The creators of FM have a huge budget behind them and yet there game still requires patches...that for me is very poor when you pay...£40 quid? SO runs on peanuts compared to such games and the price of the game is half the cost.

Can i just add konami's Pro Evolution to the list of barely playable games a game that cost 39.99 that needs about six patches to be playable just shows how well mark does.

Add away daveyboy! Anyone else got any games which fall into that category?

Why what would you consider yourself as FatPunx, happy or the opposite to that, so far you have written so much yet I see your walking the tight rope, scared that someone in here might just lose their work boots up your empty hole of yours, as you can see the game is being patched and it's starting to play well, isn't that all that matters, or do we have to keep reading posts in here of that manner, I say buy the game you won't regret it.

Like I said, everyone is entitled to an opinion and to ask a question. My starters orders 3 still has some issues that you do not see in FM after such a long time.

The price is an issue and starters orders is half the price, but issues, such as entries disappearing from races when there are less than 30 in the race, and then you miss the race or have to pay a late declaration penalty, need to be sorted out. The poor AI of hold up jockeys needs to be resolved as well. As well as the poor distance flexibility of horses. And the use of sellers and claimers. Half the price does not excuse or explain everything. The game is a great diversion, but I would pay double the price to have some of the issues resolved and have a completely accurate racing simulation. The game has so much going for it, it would be truly amazing if these things could be sorted.

you Aussies make me laugh, everyone else that posted seemed to get the jist of my post but I guess from the land of crims you need it a bit simpler.

"This game is going to be excellent given Mark's previous level of support I am sure things will work out fine. My how I impressed with the level of support Mark gives us, please can those who are criticising the game give an example game that receives better or similar support, then I go on to liost a number of similar games and support"

I trust that makes it a little easier for you to understand, as for your rudeness well what can I say, you come from a land down under, where the country stops for a handicap that's the quality of your horses

I would rather not be as personal as you, well I would but I'll get banned

A small misunderstanding, I think. I do it all the time, misread someone's post and then reply to what I think they said, rather than what they did say! I'm a bit surprised at some of the McCarthy-esque reactions whenever someone has a comment that some people think is critical. It's like the communist witch hunts again! This cannot be compared to Football Manager, and nor should it be. Football Manager had issues, but they do all tend to be ironed out, whilst SO3 still has some. I understand the price difference and the resources but, ultimately, every product has to stand or fall on it's quality. I would pay double the price for another person to be employed to deal with issues that are unrealistic. As I've said many times, the jockey AI, the use of seller's claimers, declaration rules, novice rules in the jump game, handicap ratings, the inability to buy a decent horse till the game allows it, the way that the game seems to cheat you out of prize money at times, the feeling that the game is playing you and it is not as interactive as it seems, the going turning against your horse more often than not, names of races being wrong, horses that turn out to be no good at any distance that has decent races etc, etc. Sorting out these things would turn a fun and time consuming diversion into an utterly engrossing game. And I would double what I pay for the privilege to play it. Hopefully, SO4, when I get started on that, will manage that. Otherwise, the next one. But twenty quid extra would not be too much to pay to have these avoidable issues ironed out. The main issue, I believe, is simply having someone to sit and check through the good work that has been done already. When the game is being tested, the person needs to be thinking like a gamer and have a very keen knowledge of racing.

I've been playing an Australian game on SO3, as well as a U.S and U.K game, and it seems to get soft ground, more often than not. So, when I buy fast ground horses thinking Perth is likely to be dry, more often than not, I am surprised to find, that, in my game, Ascot (Australia) is soft most of the time. Not real life, surely?

The melbourne Cup is a group one FatPunx, i really didn't know that we where criminals lol but if you think we are well ok

aggree with all the above well written gab

What you mention are unrealistic problems you dont like about SO3 not bugs. Correct me if I am wrong but SO3 had no outstanding issues?

I still get horses that are taken out after I've entered them in SO3, meaning that I have to pay the decleration fee again. That has to be a bug, as opposed to the issue of bad AI jockeys with hold up horses or the use of selling hurdles to prepare Derby winners. I bought starters orders 3 not long before starters orders 4 was announced. So i would imagine that if there were a patch for it, my version would have included the changes. I'm still waiting to play starters orders 4 until i see a patch which resolves all the outstanding problems that i see people mention on this forum, when that happens i will play so4 instead of 3.

Fair enough mate. Horses being pulled is something I have never had a problem with nor have I seen this problem mention on the forums. Maybe it has and I have missed it. Have you emailed Mark?