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Blunt Advice for Newbies... Playing Wisely....

Original article written by Ashley Gibson posted 14 years 2 weeks ago

When a new player starts the SIM, it's not difficult to find advice on how to make yourself a decent young stable. There's the forum, where you can ask questions, while you wait on a response, you can read, and then when you think you've read enough, read more. There's also the option of getting real time answers by joining the chat. Usually there's someone in there all the time... although admittedly I do fall asleep and work while logged into the chat... but if you've got some time, log in... it never fails, someone else will pop in. I personally keep Popup Notify activated myself, so that as soon as someone speaks I can pop back in and chat if I'm there. In the chat, you can typically find the answer to nearly every question you could possibly have... usually people in there will help you out if you post a horse asking for an opinion on a purchase, entry, etc...

When you're looking at buying horses... don't send an owner a message offering to buy a super super nice horse that's won a lot of money for $50k. Buy within your means... there's a lot of nice claimers (don't overlook them, they can be quite the cash cows), maidens and even decent allowance horses that are affordable to you... don't mess with the really nice ones.

The next order of business, and something that tends to excite most newbies, yes, you can breed at 6 weeks, but DON'T. If you're going to breed, you'd better plan on keeping them. Don't breed it thinking "Oh I'll just sell it" because the only thing you'll accomplish is scamming another newbie out of money... so just don't do it... Those mistakes aren't wanted in Greener Pastures either... If it's not a horse that you yourself would buy (WITHOUT having to ask on the forum or the chat) don’t breed it... Instead of breeding, you should save that money to upgrade your racing stable. If your name isn't The Steward, chances are great you won't make a name for yourself in the breeding shed enough to be able to fully sustain yourself on breeding and sales... You want to have the best broodmares possible when you start to breed. When you reach that 6 week point, chances are good that the only broodmares you can afford are the ones no one else wanted... hate to be so blunt about it, but it's true. There's a reason you got that "blue blooded mare" off the sales page for $1. No one else wanted her. That goes back to my previous advice of read read read... go back and read the article on the true cost of breeding your mare. Then put that money for those mares you were going to breed, and buy you a better horse... take the earnings from it, and buy a better horse... only when you're able to sustain your stable and not go broke breeding and know quite a bit about breeding... repeat after me... Cheaper is not always better... Cheaper is not always better. $10,000 in your bank account doesn't mean you’re financially stable enough for it. Remember that $1 mare... you breed her to a $500 stallion and chances are, you have a horse that you paid $501 for, that isn't worth $5. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes breeding cheap is good, but breeding SMART is better.

Perhaps the WORST advice, which can be given to a new player: WRITE AN ARTICLE. I am here to beg of you, if you feel you MUST do it anyway... follow a few simple suggestions. 1: Use Spell Check. 2: Ask yourself "Did I use the English language in a way that my reader can understand?" English is probably your first language... don't make us question that. 3. Keep in mind that your reader is probably not in 3rd grade; please don't treat them like they are. If you're writing a race review or Preview, give us some kind of information that we can't get just by looking at the race entries page. Don't just tell us The Kentucky Crown Ladies Mile is a tough race, or Helen Keller is a good horse she has run 8 times and has 6 wins and 2 seconds and earnings of $737,500... We can see that just by clicking at the race information. Look into each horse in the field evaluate each horse for what it is. Tell us something that would require more than one click for us to find out ourselves... the goal of articles is to INFORM. Do so. Don't just tell us "Helen Keller is a good horse." Duh. Tell us what MAKES her a good horse. If you wouldn't read it why would you expect us to? Most importantly check your facts. Of all that the things you should've gathered were check your facts, and don't write like a ten year old. The goal is not to play a game called "Let's see how many times we can make the Steward want to claw her eyeballs out after reading an article." She has a job, and it requires the use of both eyes. Plus if she claws out her eyes, she couldn't see to give you your money anyway. So, if you really must write, write smart. Write about something that other people want to read.

Finally, in wrapping my little advice soapbox up today. Of course I saved the most important part for last. So clean the wax out of your ears and listen up... you are not smarter and better than the veteran players in the game. Some of them had dinosaurs at neighboring farms when they started. They've been around forever... don't doubt them. One day, you may be better... but that day isn't TODAY. Respect them, they respect you. Don't come in the chat insulting them, it's a losing battle... They will stop helping you, and when you're starting out, trust me, you want help! Don't lie to them, I'll let you in on a secret... shhh... in the chat we talk (that’s our little secret)... we know when you come in every day and tell a different player it's your birthday and ask for Game Points.

In closing, the SIM is a great game; use the tools WISELY and you'll be okay. Create your forum account... pitch a tent in the chat, and ask questions... and READ.


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