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 Casual player question. 
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Selling plater

Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2014 10:06 am
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Post Casual player question.
I have both SO6 and SO7 but i do not have much time to play and develop a full breeding program. My question is what game is better for a casual player? i have read many posts about the difficulties people are having with SO7 so is SO6 a better game? I have also noticed a lack of mods for SO7 and the lack of being able to trade horses in both 6&7 has kind of put me off starting the game again but i would like to give it a go again.

So what version of the game would you currently recommend?

P.S sorry for the rambling lol.


Thu Dec 19, 2019 3:19 pm
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Post Re: Casual player question.
My answer was daft and Yasmin answers much better.


Last edited by dragontrainer on Sun Dec 22, 2019 3:11 am, edited 1 time in total.



Sat Dec 21, 2019 3:46 am
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Handicapper

Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:45 am
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Post Re: Casual player question.
I’d say SO6.

If you want pm me and I could send you a save with some horses in and you could try retiring to the game pool and putting them in a save of your own for SO6?

Yasmin


Sat Dec 21, 2019 11:05 am
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Selling plater

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Post Re: Casual player question.
For a casual experience probably SO6 but you are missing out on the new features and improvements of SO7 which is a much better game in terms of realism and longevity (because it's much harder to dominate).

Can the breeding in easy mode in SO7 made similar to SO6? This would give casual players more of a way in and stop the complaints that SO7 is too hard while not ruining the game for those that are more happy with the increased difficulty?


Sun Dec 22, 2019 2:21 pm
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Post Re: Casual player question.
Here's what I'd recommend for SO7, beginner:

Start easy difficulty, and until other schedules have more play testing, UK flat.

Sell every beginner horse that doesn't look like it will win graded races. (so 80%+ potential, 75% or better speed, 30-50% cruising burst and several other bars at least half, 50% jump speed if jumps). You will probably sell all of them. You get nearly half a dozen. It is fine.

In easy difficulty the base breeding barn is also much cheaper. Buy it immediately. Not the more expensive stud barn. Don't buy any other buildings, and if your barn is empty, set all feed and staff levels to minimum.

Now since breeding is more important, so are bloodlines. Start going to the races! Pick up any mares that had a nice win in claimers, won a lot of claimers, or were sent to a claimer after an odd drop in class (like three starts which are: place in a novice, win a maiden, then sent to a claimer, I love those!). If the mare looks like it can win a non-claimer, give her a shot. If not, retire these to the breeding barn immediately. Also, anytime you see a horse win something well, check out his breeding. Start deciding what sire lines, or blue hens to look for when you breed to better sires, or buy in breeding/yearling sales. I never buy two year olds.

Now, go to the sire side of the barn (all AI for now). Sort by fee, lowest to highest. Pick the cheapest group/graded winners to cross with these mares. I'm talking 4 figure, low 5 figure cheap. If you see a lightly raced stud, with no group wins, but his produce numbers are good (AEI > .75, > 50% winners, at least 10% group winners), and he is as cheap, breed to him too. Match distances within 1-2 furlongs. So if the mare was a 6f horse, breed to 5f-7f horses. Longer go up to 2f different. Look at the race record, not the breeding indicator.

If any of the foals you produce look like they would run (same criteria for keeping a starter horse) then run them and see if you get lucky. If they win some, and are a mare, retire and breed. Only keep a stud if he wins you enough all by himself to buy you that stud barn. But probably you'll sell most of your first two years worth breeding. Keep buying mares and expanding stalls as you see prospects. Get a few cheap upgrades, like horseboxes or starting gates. Don't worry about the expensive broodmares at broodmare sales the first couple of years. But if a cheap (usually older one) is for sale and she has produced 2-3 stakes winners already, grab her. Do this until you always have several million and maybe half a dozen mares that have won handicaps as homebreds to retire.

Now you have enough cash to work on buying barn facilities, and expensive broodmares. And start picking mid-tier studs to breed with. By now you'll have an idea of the lines in your game. Don't overextend your finances! If you are cautious, within about 10-15 years game time, you should have all buildings, set staff/wages/feed back to highest settings and can buy an expensive broodmare or two if you like her in the sales. You can also pinhook in this stage (buy a yearling at the sales, sell it at two). So carefully, without overspending in any year, start buying the buildings, better stock and paying slightly higher stud fees.

By the end of this stage you should be able to produce some first and second generation G1-G3 winners. So retire and breed them with the very best you can breed to or buy at sales in the game and you are well started. I never really worry about money past this point, and that is on normal. One of your homebred G1 winners will be a stud eventually, so retiring him to breed at the end of his career will save on some breeding fees. Only use him with mares he compliments. Keep using game studs as well.

I find SO7 easier to start this way, with no betting. Bet cheat method described elsewhere makes either one easier.


Sun Dec 22, 2019 8:51 pm
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Post Re: Casual player question.
Quote:
Can the breeding in easy mode in SO7 made similar to SO6? This would give casual players more of a way in and stop the complaints that SO7 is too hard while not ruining the game for those that are more happy with the increased difficulty?


This will probably be happening for the mobile game as it has a much more casual audience. Someone suggested this before (for easy mode only) and it is a possibility.


Mon Dec 23, 2019 10:37 am
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Post Re: Casual player question.
redfred wrote:
Can the breeding in easy mode in SO7 made similar to SO6? This would give casual players more of a way in and stop the complaints that SO7 is too hard while not ruining the game for those that are more happy with the increased difficulty?


The "League" mode offers a more consistent breeding model more similar to SO6, of course the cost is that the stats are hidden.


Sat Dec 28, 2019 1:33 am
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Selling plater
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Post Re: Casual player question.
Hechicera I've been employing similar tactics and have played ten seasons on easy with a measly two G3 2yo successes so I don't buy it. AI trainers only sell donkeys and even when you breed two group winners you only have about a 5% chance of progeny that win a half-decent race. I'm fed up with 80-85% potential horses that never perform, I'm fed up of the strange lack of softer going in the UK ffs? SO6 is too easy but SO7 has gone ridiculously too far. I keep checking the board in the hope that there'll be something to make this game as good as it should be but seems I wasted money on SO7. I won't buy a further version until I see consistent good reviews. In answer to the original question SO6 every time, might be too easy but SO7 is demoralsing


Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:32 pm
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Post Re: Casual player question.
Mtoto wrote:
"...AI trainers only sell donkeys..."


This hasn’t been my experience at all. I continue to find value in the auctions time and again. In fact, my best horse to date was purchased as a yearling. His sire, a GIII winner, had a 53% rate of producing stakes winners, and his dam a 40% rate of her own so I gladly scooped him up, paying a bit more than I intended, but what a bargain he turned out to be! To date he’s won 20 of 25, including 15 stakes and 6 GI’s, earning $8.7M through August of his 4 year old campaign. I was so impressed I began searching for more of his sire’s offspring, only to discover the game in its algorithmic wisdom had expired him. As luck would have it, during my young star’s stellar two year old campaign, I was perusing another yearling sale (I take the time to investigate every horse in every sale in hopes of finding good value), when I discovered a half-brother by the same sire. I purchased him for a mere $230K and discovered his ratings were every bit as good, and in some cases better than his sibling’s. Through August of his 3 year old season, the second horse has already earned $4.2M in prize money, never finishing worse than second while winning won 5 of 13, including the first two legs of the American Triple Crown, and narrowly missing a sweep when he finished second by two lengths in the Belmont. In yet another auction, this one for broodmares, I was able to procure the first horse’s dam. A seemingly nondescript, lightly raced mare, with only three non-graded victories in nine outings, who throws excellent speed to her offspring. Paired with my G1 stayer, she produced a promising yearling with good prospects for a very successful middle distance career. IMHO, if you’re passing on the sales or giving them short shrift, you’re missing an opportunity the game provides to improve your racing and breeding operations.


Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:04 pm
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Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:42 pm
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Location: Lincolnshire, England
Post Re: Casual player question.
Sorry marklater, but I don't recognise anything at all in your post. Just starting season 28 in a combined UK game, on Steam in easy mode. I may have had a couple of good purchases in early seasons but never anything like yours, after many hundreds of attempts. I no longer buy any horses because as Mtoto says they are all donkeys. I no longer sell horses because the AI turns my donkeys into better horses than I keep. I no longer breed from AI stallions because the results are dreadful. I only keep going as I have made my own challenges - most of the ones in the game are simply not achievable.

It may be that the US game works differently. Or the game bought from the developer direct works differently to the Steam version. Or maybe neither version works beyond a few seasons. I am not having a go at what you have posted - just saying that out of the two descriptions, it is Mtoto's that I identify with.

I am fast running out of interest in the game, and plan just a couple more seasons before dropping it altogether, unless there are some serious tweaks to make it both playable and fun. I did think about having a go at League racing, but reading their forum suggests there are almost as many frustrations with that as there are in the vanilla game.


Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:36 pm
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Post Re: Casual player question.
Long Haul Harry wrote:
Sorry marklater, but I don't recognise anything at all in your post. Just starting season 28 in a combined UK game, on Steam in easy mode. I may have had a couple of good purchases in early seasons but never anything like yours, after many hundreds of attempts. I no longer buy any horses because as Mtoto says they are all donkeys. I no longer sell horses because the AI turns my donkeys into better horses than I keep. I no longer breed from AI stallions because the results are dreadful. I only keep going as I have made my own challenges - most of the ones in the game are simply not achievable.

It may be that the US game works differently. Or the game bought from the developer direct works differently to the Steam version. Or maybe neither version works beyond a few seasons. I am not having a go at what you have posted - just saying that out of the two descriptions, it is Mtoto's that I identify with.

I am fast running out of interest in the game, and plan just a couple more seasons before dropping it altogether, unless there are some serious tweaks to make it both playable and fun. I did think about having a go at League racing, but reading their forum suggests there are almost as many frustrations with that as there are in the vanilla game.


It's both fascinating and puzzling to see how vastly different the player experiences are for the same simulation. I've followed your posts and I find your experiences as foreign as you find mine. Aside from the fact I play a strictly US flats game, you wouldn't think our results would be so far removed from each other. I do make use of the START IT mod and I believe you play with the stock schedule, which would account for some of our disparities. With more races available, I may have greater opportunities to place my horses in events that more closely suit their respective talents, but that wouldn't account for differences in stock quality at the auctions, nor do I think there's any difference in the STEAM and buy direct versions. I post far less often than I might otherwise, because my experience is so different from others as to suggest I'm spinning yarns or embellishing my successes. It's certainly odd to say the least and most unfortunate that some of us are enjoying this game - I'm so fond of it, I've stopped playing my other sims so I can devote what little time I have - while others are ready to abandon and move on.


Sun Apr 11, 2021 8:48 pm
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Location: Lincolnshire, England
Post Re: Casual player question.
I'm fond of it too marklater, despite, as I am sure you can appreciate, some very huge frustrations. Perhaps the US flat game has retained the SO6 breeding format. Or am I being stupid even suggesting that lol. But it might be the answer to our conundrum if true. I guess I ought to start a second save on the US flat to give me some respite. Good to talk as always.


Sun Apr 11, 2021 10:03 pm
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Post Re: Casual player question.
I was responding to the original question and I stand by it that SO6 is better for a casual player. I use 'Start It' marklaker and I'm totally with Long Haul Harry even down to the mugs I sell suddenly becoming stars with an AI trainer. I even renamed a particularly weak looking 2yo filly 'Sackofcack' and sold her after the best she managed from three runs was a 5th and a mark of 49. Lo and behold she reappears and pips my star 2yo filly by a head in the Firth of Clyde having won three times and rocketed up to a rating of 105. Sorry that's just rubbing player 1's nose in it


Sun May 02, 2021 9:36 pm
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Post Re: Casual player question.
I should add that said filly's full potential was a lowly 55, it makes no sense at all. There's all this focus on realism and there'd be zillions of 'steward's' on abnormal improvers!


Sun May 02, 2021 9:39 pm
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Post Re: Casual player question.
Just for clarity on what I described, I usually play UK flat or UK combo stock schedules despite being from the US. I'm older and miss the longer races and had exposure to US timber fence racing. Nostalgia.

But if the thought was my method was useful only in US flat ... I wouldn't know about that at all.

Just started another UK combo barn that way, doing fine. Have some homebred black type winners on the flat, one G1 and a handful of multiple G2 & G3 winners. The fences group is just starting to win specialty races. And my breeding barn is now solid enough I always have enough cash on hand. No stud to retire yet, but one multiple G3 winning 4 yr old racing now will probably be my first. He's a distance horse and still improving. I am quick to geld anything once recommended, so might have had a prospect earlier if I'd been willing to deal with that.


Mon May 03, 2021 8:47 pm
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