Good News, Bad News, In Between News?

[The Steward]

Here are some ramblings on the state of the SIM:

I know I haven't been as attentive as I wish I could be - I miss the SIM dearly - but I'm still navigating the turbulent world of a brand new job, traveling for 5 weeks in an 8 week period, and having just moved and now having the brand new house have a leak and things are wet and moldy, bla bla. Once the Triple Crown is over, I should be able to go back to focussing on the SIM WAY more.

Good news: We are building some really cool stuff for next year! I'm so excited! It feels like it's been a while since we gave you cool new toys

Bad news: Re: Week 16.... I will be mostly unavailable that week, which is really inconvenient. I am planning on calling the Thursday and Friday races still, but I am toying with running the Thursday SC races at the same time as the regular Thursday post time, not at night. I will not be calling the rest of the races, nor will I be calling "every Grade 1" as I've been enjoying doing lately. This is a this-year-only issue.

In Between News: The current SIM economy is worse than normal. There's $2.7 billion in the SIM hanging around (doesn't count anything of mine) and WAY too many Game Points (meaning people aren't buying more, bad for survival). Normally I would bust out some Real-Life Horse auctions, or something like that, but I feel really skittish about doing anything with horses because then people get upset. Any ideas of some kind of Fire-Sale we could have that would get real and/or SIM money gone?

[Shannon Hunt]

Intrigued by new toys!

My first fire-sale thought was BSA/insurance sale. I don't know how much that would be used, but just came to mind. I'll click around and see if something else comes to mind.

[Andrew Chillin]

Can we gallop foal early for gp?

[Greg Czechowicz]

Just thinking outloud, what about like pay gp for breeding advice? Give some options for potential crosses...

[Carole Hanson]

Can we gallop foal early for gp?

I would 100% pay for this (not if it was only a week earlier though).

[Gigi Gofaster]

Just throwing some ides out - nothing I necessarily think is a 'good' idea so not looking to stir up trouble!

GPs or simbucks for:
a 'Jaysman Subscription' that lets you see gallops or bloodstock comments while shopping.
GP to get preferred surface of a horse (or an after five starts pay and find out thing like with jockeys and equipment)
GP to get preferred distance for a horse (or an after five starts pay and find out thing like with jockeys and equipment)
GP option for EquiArmor (this one could be a hefty GP suck maybe)
Update CAH/CAM so there's some nice stuff, like Over and Up. Especailly in any struggling divisions.
Pay GPs for a stallion syndication auction or stud fee option, where you can sell/buy like 5 breedings a year every year to a given popular stallion. That way we breeders know we can use a favorite stallion whenever we want.

Plus I like all the ideas above.

[Tammy Stawicki]

Update CAH/CAM so there's some nice stuff, like Over and Up. Especailly in any struggling divisions.

I like a lot of Gigi's ideas but particularly this one. I know it is making horses which was a squeamishness but as someone who was amongst the most drama queeny over the most recent GP mixers I think mares and race horses assuming they aren't super human freaks aren't going to be anywhere near as contentious as stallions as they just don't have the same potential to dominate and back when they were functional the CAM/CAH were great ways for new players to get a 1/2 way decent horse, or people to get into new divisions or just to get some fresh blood.

[Tammy Stawicki]

Also companion animal "head shots" admittedly no idea if there would be any interest but throwing it out there.

[Nena Olson]

I agree, I would rather see people create a decent mare compared to stallions. Mares produce one foal and still require you to hypo/pick a decent sire and random slides in order to produce a nice foal. Stallions create a hundred+ foals that just float around in the population.

[Tim Matthews]

T... nevermind.

[Shannon Hunt]

Fire sale/promotion drive on game studs? I tend to forget they exist since they're in their own corner, but they take both cash and GP out of the game and a temporary discount deal could maybe generate some fresh interest.

[Randall Allen]

I would pay a little more game points to 100% know equipment and not guess on the second piece or wait 6 weeks until the jockey tells me. Maybe make a 500gp option and a 1,000gp option (for 100 percent certainty).

As far as simbucks: the purse amounts on some of the thoroughbred races is way too high. Do we really need tons of horses earning over 5 million on the track. A one million dollar thoroughbred earner isn't really even that special anymore and nowdays even a 5 million dollar earner is super common, because the purse amounts are so high. Eventually, years down the road at the pace the Sim is going, a 10 million dollar earning thoroughbred won't even be that special, it will just be the normal. Is there really a genuine need for races like those Pegasus races or 5 million dollar purse races in Australia? An australian purse amount that is even bigger than the Steward's Cup...

[Andrew Chillin]

I would only argue the stewards cup isn’t always the end all be all in Tb racing. I think a lot of people specifically sim towards the chimbo and the ark; even the Saudi cup or sprint championship rather the SC being the main goal. There is some real feel and pride to take in a European, Asian, or South Pacific only campaign. One of those $2-5 mil races is a topper for that campaign.

[Rochelle Bos]

Maybe add bonus restrictions to create a race...like Listed stakes restricted to non-graded winners...so there can be listed stakes for DR without millionaires in them

[Dave Trainer]

Maybe add bonus restrictions to create a race...like Listed stakes restricted to non-graded winners...so there can be listed stakes for DR without millionaires in them

I don't think horses should be excluded from Stakes races but this would be good for Allowance races