The horses in the game

[Drewgc]

A few questions on the horses and some other random things about the game,
1.If the horses aren't eating due to some problem with their mouth or teeth will the horse begin to get thinner and lose weight?
2. When a horse is ill will its performance drop until it is well again?
3. If there are too many horses to a pasture will the grass begin to run out and the horses will have to be moved to another field or given hay?
4. Will some horses fight to show who is strongest, if they are in the same area.
5. Depending on the horses age will its temperament and performance change.
6. Do the foals/horses have to be broken in and if so will some be harder to break in than others?
7. Can horses be given shoes to improve its performance on certain terrain?

Sorry for so many questions but can't wait for the game to be playable!!!
Thank you.

[larissar]

1. Yes, if a horse is ill or injured it can effect how much they eat. Either due to mouth problems, or even in some cases simply because the horse isn't feeling well. Already we have it possible for horses to get thin or fat from eating too much or not enough. So we are one step there.

2. Yes, again same as above when a horse is ill or injured it will affect his health and soundness which effect his competition potential. The effects from this are already programmed in, however as there are illness or injuries added yet, all horses will be healthy and sound for now

3. Yes, each pasture has a limit to how many horses you can keep there and each has a grass type and quality. Some grass types are better suited for different horses, and quality determines how much grass there is. In a lush pasture horses will happily eat to their hearts content (and probably get fat!). The horses can easily eat the pasture bare if they eat it faster than it grows back (and it grows back slowly, but daily). So players will need to keep a close watch on your pasture quality, and move some horses out as necessary. This is partly programmed in already. The part that is missing is the grass regrowth. So during this early part of development all pastures are considered very good quality (lots of grass). Eventually I may even add in seasons which alters the rate of growth (slow or no growth in fall and winter, faster growth in spring and summer).

4. Once ailments and injuries are added to the game then yes there can be quarrels in pastures depending on a horses temperament. This is not added to the game yet and will probably be an addition down the road.

5. Probably, but this is a section which is still in testing right now so I can't answer for sure yet.

6. Again this is one aspect which needs to be further tested. There will be some basic training before specialization yes, but horse temperaments don't have an effect during training just yet. They will eventually, however they do have an effect during competition already.

7. Yes, regular hoof care will be important. Horses with shoes will need their feet trimmed more often, and horses without shoes will not be able to do as much strenuous work as their hooves may wear too fast. It's up to the player to determine if a horse needs shoes or not depending what the horses use is, and yes shoes will have an effect on performance. Some can be good and some can be poor. Players will even be able to learn to craft their own types of shoes.

[Drewgc]

Thank you!
I really can't wait to play the game!