Open letter to the players of SimHorseRacing.com

[The Steward]

First of all, as always, thank you all for your participation, interest and support of SimHorseRacing.com (the SIM). As many of you know, this game was created back in 1998. It has been influenced and shaped by the vision of the founder and the enjoyment of the players. The SIM has evolved into a very complex virtual world.

To new players, we offer a special welcome. You have embarked on an adventure that has entertained some individuals for over 12 years (real years, not SIM years) of game play. We have a great group of players who love the game and are willing to help you. The complexity of the SIM can be pretty overwhelming at first, but that complexity is what keeps players engaged.

If you’ve been reading the forum lately, you may have noticed some threads where a few players have expressed discontent with the SIM. (If you haven’t noticed that, forget I said anything). I want to take this opportunity to address some of the concerns and reiterate what you can and cannot expect from the SIM.

You can expect that the management’s primary focus is to be sure that we provide an enjoyable, entertaining and realistic horse racing simulation game. That goal outweighs any financial goals. The purchase of Game Points is greatly appreciated and covers expenses with enough to spare to pay the workers – these include the artists and outside hire programmers, with part of the leftovers going to the administration team. The few people who manage the SIM all have “day jobs”. You could say that the SIM is a hugely time-consuming sideline that is rewarding.

Over the years we have added many enhancements and features to the game play. You, the players, inspired most of those innovations either directly or indirectly. During those same years, we’ve had to create and clarify rules to enhance game play. Those rules were also inspired by the players. We hope that players will respect the rules and comply using the honor system. When that doesn’t work, some of the rules are enforced though additional computer programming. And other rules, such as proper etiquette in the forum and chat room, can only be enforced by humans. The SIM does not have it’s own judicial system to pass judgment on infractions and hand out punishments. Therefore, it is solely up to the management to do its best to respond to alleged infractions. It is also solely up to the management to determine what actions should be taken to reduce infractions as much as possible. You can expect the management to do their best to maintain an enjoyable environment.

You cannot expect the SIM management to publically disclose details about alleged infractions nor about actions taken. Some games do, but this game does not.
This is to protect the privacy of individuals and to keep the game as positive as possible.

Many companies on the Internet are huge, faceless entities. When was the last time you were able to discuss your Facebook or Google grievances or suggestions with the founder of those companies? The SIM is different. You can expect the management to listen to your ideas and concerns but you cannot expect that all of your ideas will be implemented. We keep a running log of all suggestions and sometimes find time months or years later to implement something we thought was a great idea. We are a small team and we prioritize using our best judgment.

Participation in the SIM is entirely voluntary. You can enjoy the game for free. You don’t have to enter your horses and you don’t have to participate in the forum or chat room. Every key you press while at the SIM site is an optional decision you make. If a forum thread makes you feel uncomfortable, try to ignore it. If ever you find that your frustration outweighs the enjoyment you get from the game, then we have failed and you should walk away. If we have truly missed the mark for you in providing an enjoyable horse racing simulation, then we don’t deserve to keep you as a player. We are disappointed when a player stops playing, but we realize that in the big scheme of things, we are just a web-based game trying to provide entertainment.

All we ask of you is to enjoy the game and to aid the enjoyment of the other players. Be thoughtful and polite. Remember that there are human beings on the other side of your computer screen when you are posting on the forum or talking in the chat room. The SIM community is like a family - not just a bunch of anonymous screen names and avatars. That is something that makes us special and unique. Please respect your fellow players at least as much as you care for your virtual horses.

Your enjoyment, engagement and enthusiasm are what motivate us. Thank you for your support of SimHorseRacing.com!

Emily Shields - Steward
Chris Hufford - Acting Steward