Sim exchange

[Louise Bayou]

Just my take on this, this game been out for many many years. There are players here now from the beginning or close to the start anyway. They have 150mil or more in thier bank account. If you are new it will take you 20 real years or more without help to get there. You can't hate on new players buying things when the vets already have the game on lock down

Let's just keep things fair here

This is coming from someone who doesn't have alot of money nor have I been playing for awhile

It's not about "keeping the game on lockdown" at ALL. And I can promise you that besides maybe 1 or 2 players nobody has 150 million. It's about players who have no desire to put in any real work and just clicky on the Exchange. I have no problem with people using the Exchange for help but when you want to use it to bypass actually learning the game, building a barn at the expense of others that have it is annoying. I know plenty who use it but they have a barn of horses they actually race, learned how/where horses are placed to get the best out of them.

The biggest reason I've not said anything till now is because I knew that some would want to make it "oh the veteran players don't want newer players to do well". Because that is the easy way to divert from the real issue. I'm saying that if it annoys me (someone that has IMO a high mid barn) I hate to see what players with smaller barns who have worked their butts off to get their barn in a better spot only to have someone do no real work and throw money at horses with no care as far as how long it will take them to recoup the money. For some players IF they can afford a SB for instance it takes 2-3 Sim years to get that money back!

[Anthony Zappulla]

I'm not saying the vets want or desire to keep the game on lock down, but clearly that just goes with it. It's non of anyone business how players play the game, if they don't know the game and spend money of dumb things that's on them, how does that make you upset?

I feel more then 2 players have a bank roll of 150mil, hence no body shows bank roll

When horses go for a cool 20mil what is expected?

[Kelly Haggerty]

I can definitely see both sides of this. If enough people "buy" wins, then it isn't a game anymore. But, if too many players don't need to spend USD, then the SIM will struggle financially and there won't be a game then, either. It has to be a balance.

Now I am going to step in it. None of my business at all, but if a player has a win % in the low teens and an OTB percentage of like 20%, why on earth spend money for a good horse? That OTB literally says you put the horse in the wrong place like 8 out of 10 times, and improving the quality won't help if you don't take the time to learn what the heck to do with a horse once you have it?!?

In the end big auctions make Em happy and keep the SIM going. I haven't grabbed a SB yet because the prices are a bit much for me. Maybe I get one in the last auction, but probably not, and I am fine either way. With most of this stuff I think everything comes out in the wash. The best vets don't need a SB to kick tail, and the worst players won't know what to do with one if they get it.

[Gavin Guile]

Again, this is a market place, there’s another side to the transaction…unless the player putting in real money bought the GP auction horses. A quick look at those players (Gigi, Kris Bobby, Lethal Prodigy, Lucas, Mr Rich, Mr Derby, Nick Gilmore, and Xander) and all of them are established players…if those established players used the exchange to funnel cash to a newer player (as in the new player exchanged GP for a lot of sim cash)…what’s the problem? It was a deal that was agreed to and anyone can make those transactions…maybe the issues is having a GP auction? I’m not sure that it is, but I don’t want to go off on too many tangents/what if’s. On the other hand, maybe the established trainers do not want to contribute real cash for whatever reason but they do want to buy simperior and hypo their mares..the exchange allows that to happen…

I like the exchange since it helps players that want to fund the game a way to do so and receive a benefit for doing it. A player can use GP for many different advantages that help with winning (hypos, equiarmour, simperior, etc) a player still has to spend their resources intelligently to be successful. I have seen stewardbreds go for 10m+ be allowance etc.

The limit on stewardbreds have made some nice pedigree horses go for big amounts and some ones that are “less than desirable” still go for moderate sums in my opinion for a stewardbred in your barn. I usually spend 80% of my bankroll on a stewardbred and then see what happens. I may have to sell it to build money back up and try again. (Owl show you, night must fall, etc) I have no problem with people using the sim cash they acquire via the exchange to buy horses…I don’t see this as a game where paying to win is a problem. I put in a moderate amount of real cash each year to help pay for simperior and if I have some GP left over I buy equip. Etc.. I don’t think people are upset when someone that bought equip via the horse trainer, or via equi armor wins a race against a trainer that had to use the workouts and got it wrong…

Not sure if I articulated my points well at all but people use funds in so many ways in this game and stewardbreds are not guaranteed freaks (ask Craig McGee [sorry Craig]). I think people can play this game many different ways and the point is to have fun…i also don’t want to go down the rabbit hole again of getting rid of stewardbreds as they create a lot of enjoyment in this game for me personally.

Finally, this is a business and when other people contribute real money it increases the likelihood of the game continuing and evolving…I don’t know what i would do if the game had to stop due to not being profitable etc.

[Anthony Zappulla]

I know game point horses look like people are spending tons of money but if you break down math 20mil if you had to pay for it real money is around $1,300 US dollars

Which blows any game point horse away in recent auctions

[Randall Allen]

This post feels like it is in the incorrect category. Nothing is being sold and nothing is being auctioned here. Is there any way a moderator can move this hot garbage somewhere else, so I can see if any new thoroughbreds are being sold.

[Dave Trainer]

I'm not saying the vets want or desire to keep the game on lock down, but clearly that just goes with it. It's non of anyone business how players play the game, if they don't know the game and spend money of dumb things that's on them, how does that make you upset?

I feel more then 2 players have a bank roll of 150mil, hence no body shows bank roll

When horses go for a cool 20mil what is expected?

3 players have a bank of over 150m. Laura Ferguson is the only non private one on 158m.

[Anthony Zappulla]

I'm not saying the vets want or desire to keep the game on lock down, but clearly that just goes with it. It's non of anyone business how players play the game, if they don't know the game and spend money of dumb things that's on them, how does that make you upset?

I feel more then 2 players have a bank roll of 150mil, hence no body shows bank roll

When horses go for a cool 20mil what is expected?

3 players have a bank of over 150m. Laura Ferguson is the only non private one on 158m.

Which is roughly 10k US dollars per person

[Anthony Zappulla]

The great thing about this game is the unknown, so the 20mil dollar horse probably won't be worth the 20mil and the 250k horse might be worth a hell of alot more

That is what matters and this game offers that

[Tammy Stawicki]

I personally love the exchange. I built up my stable the old fashion way, but I don't begrudge those that want to use real-life money to get good horses right away, to each their own. And lets be honest plenty of established players had help along the way to jump start their success, in only my 2nd year the Steward did a special sale and I picked up a horse for $150,000 who went on to win over $1 million and produced 3 millionaires. Having people have good horses early helps get them hooked and makes them stay. It would be one thing if those using the exchange to get sim money were buying all the horses and no one else had a shot at any, but I don't get the feeling that is the case. And the stewardbred limits mean any one person is only getting 2 horses max anyway no matter how much money they get off the exchange. Also the fact that getting game points on the exchange are getting more and more expensive suggests more people are interested in getting the game points than the sim money off it. The game needs real-life money to stay operational, but not everyone has real-life money to commit to the game, so I really appreciate the exchange as a way for those of us that can't buy a lot of game points to still be able to get them and take advantage of the benefits they provide.

[Jo Ferris]

I love the exchange, it's an easy way to get GPs for those who cannot afford them instead of having to find a "GP dealer" like we had to back in the day. Regardless for as long as I've been here players have sold GPs for SIM $, this didn't start with the exchange, the exchange is just far more accessible and easier which is great for those like me who cannot afford to buy GPs, not everyone has extra cash laying around. As far as newer players building their bankroll through the exchange, good for them, it's a win-win. The SIM gets some money to support the game and the newer player can build a bankroll in the SIM. A big bankroll doesn't immediately equal success, it opens up opportunities, that's it, and that's a positive thing for a newer player who is willing to commit real life money to the game, they should be rewarded with opportunities. For anyone who gets upset that newer players can bid large amounts of money in steward auctions, since when has there been a minimum amount of time played required for someone to by and expensive steward bred? There is no minimum requirement for time played to buy and expensive horse, just because they were able to fast track a bigger bankroll by spending real life money on the game doesn't make a difference in how they play the game, they still have to establish their stable just like every established player had to. Like I said, a big bankroll doesn't equal immediate success.

[Gavin Guile]

Nice points by Tammy and Jo. I agree with them.

[Joseph Depaulo]

Im usually very unproblematic but this is ridiculous! People can spend their money on anything they want, yeah they get ahead so what that's what money has done since its inception. a lot of players have used the Sim Exchange for Game points because they didn't want to spend real life dollars and then turn around and are mad at the players buying the Sim dollars its hypocritical. We also Have Gp Sales which if you have a problem with people spending real money to get ahead then that's a direct line ( i don't ) People here think that this site should be 100 % fair but nothing is ever 100% fair its the way the world is. this situation problem helps Em and the game finically immensely and i think are number 1 priority is keeping this site alive, we have a few players that are just way above everyone else like Laura Danny Pete Xander Glenn getting there who cares if some new player spend 10k and get a 100M that wont turn them into any of these players they get a head start and Em get a pile of money sound fine to me !

[Joseph Depaulo]

gavin articulated my point much better then me.

[John Smith]

My personal opinion as someone who has worked really hard to build my barn from nothing the last few seasons and has never used the exchange, it does make me angry when I see other newish players who I have way out earned bid huge amounts in SB auctions. That is all I'll say.

Congrats on building up your barn, I’ve been here, what feels like, awhile, and am still very much a work in progress.

Obviously I have no idea which individual(s) you are referring to, but what do you mean by out earn, is this in relation to pure earnings? Obviously there are costs associated, so perhaps these other owners were able to not incur as much cost and netted out some decent profit? Additionally, there are plenty of ways to get some Sim$, perhaps these owners sold a very good horse for a nice chunk of change or leased out a few horses/mares to be able to afford these bids? Perhaps they spent some of their hard earned “real-life” money and bought some GP to purchase Simperior and exchanged what was left for some sim$? However they did it, it shouldn’t be criticized as they are working hard to build up their barn, even if it’s in a slightly different, but just as legitimate, manner as you and/or anyone else.

I wasn't going to say anymore about this subject..but let's light this candle. And bless your heart Durzo I know you are trying to put a pretty spin on it and that is probably because you are more diplomatic than I am.lol But its pretty obvious that there are those who have no interest in taking the time and building a barn they want to buy it. I'll start by saying I have NO issue with the Exchange in itself. Its a great place to get some GP/cash help if you need it but now its really leaving a bad taste in my mouth. And its because it is very obvious that people are using it to bypass actually building a barn, learning how to play the game and building up a real bankroll. Then those same people are bidding crazy (relative)amounts at auctions because hey it took them all of 2 seconds to click that button and exchange some real money for the Sim cash so they don't have to worry about how long it takes to replenish that bankroll. Meanwhile the rest of us have had to work for real years to build up a barn to get to where we can buy nicer horses. It annoys the CR@P out of me and I'm better off that most I get that so I can only imagine how smaller barns feel about this kind of stuff. Because you can look at people's stats and see they have no way other than buying their money to bid the way they are. Will this come off as rude or mean to some? Maybe. It's not meant that way and I want to see everyone have nice horses. But its just how I feel about it and I know that I'm not alone. Maybe its the "I had to walk up hill in the snow both ways to go to school" but yea I feel like you should have to put in work to get ahead in the game.

I just think this is all based on the wrong notion of who is actually inflating the prices, that's all. I wouldn't say it (newbies and exchange) isn't a factor,it's not the primary one. But even if it was, isn't the point to get money out of the top's hands? I consider the SB auction a "charity ball," or a fundraising dinner for your favorite politician, are you really getting your money's worth? Without some way to recycle the currency, and left to its' own devices, you would have 5-10 people with 1,000s or so of severely inbred horses. Newbies have to pay real money to compete..the top have to come off their sim cash, it's a reality. I am guilty of dropping more than I wanted to breed this past season, so it limits my SB bids. But I wouldn't be above bidding from the exchange if I thought that was a better way.

The real test should be if you are bidding on a horse, lets say a couple of million, and say I or Nick or some other relative new barn appears, would you be as anxious as if it was a more established determined player? I'd say that would be a no for anyone who is honest about it.

I think Kelly Haggerty has provided us with some stats at least, interpreted however we may. In the end the older player is just going, and has the means to overbid the relative new player no matter how well heeled, maybe a better sniper wins as a new player is all.