Post by Fuzzy on Jun 15, 2016 19:36:20 GMT -5
Hey guys!
I hope this post doesn't get taken the wrong way, because that's not what I'm intending at all. I'm just hoping to share my personal thoughts with y'all - mostly as to why I've been absent for so long.
I'm going to start this out by saying I love, no adore, SS. I've been a member for over five years now, which is completely insane! I've met the best people here and have created the best memories. However, this place doesn't hold the same spark for me that it used to. For whatever reason, over about the past year or so I haven't really been able to connect with SS. Not in the way I used to. SS has, in my opinion, been lacking that certain something that kept my interest for so long. I can't quite identify what that something is, but it's definitely gone. I used to be so involved and invested in SS, and I've really tried to become that way again, but I just can't.
Looking back on the past SS, I loved how active the "Acquire a Horse" section always was. Bidding wars were exhilarating and fun, and adoptions always seemed to draw in tons of applications. I saw it as very competitive, in a way, and it kept me checking in regularly. Now, with the V2 being largely available, it's easy to get a new, shiny horse. The lust for other peoples' hexes has virtually diminished. Because of this, my urge to hex is now nonexistent. I mean, why spend hours on a single hex to receive very little interest in it once it's available? I fully understand how people are beginning to have too many horses and don't have the time to commit to any more, but it's still disheartening because of how much I used to love hexing! I honestly believe this to be a direct result of releasing the V2. I have absolutely no control about how public the V2 is made, nor am I in any place to scrutinize its release, but from what I've seen, the lack of interest in the "Acquire a Horse" section is directly related to the V2 being made public. Why spend SS on a horse when you can just hex one yourself? I know some people are going to hate me for saying this, but I truly think that some exclusivity needs to be brought back to SS. In the past, keeping the V2 exclusive is what kept interest in it and kept the "Acquire a Horse" section alive. I'm not disagreeing with the decision to make it public, I'm just stating what I've noticed from my personal experience over the many years I've been here. Obviously, since everyone has access to the V2 now, it can't be made exclusive again. But maybe, just maybe, something like a "V3" file (not to be confused with the V2 mustang often called the V3) should be created and released to those who were originally fileholders. This way, the general public would still have access to the V2, but the V3 would be exclusive and bring some life back to the "Acquire a Horse" section. I don't know if Manda would have the time to work on a new file, but possibly some of the more advanced hexers/modders could work together to produce a V3 (with Manda's permission, of course). I personally would love to help create an improved file! Just some quick ideas that I had for a new file (to differentiate it from the V2): lessen the total ball count to make hexing easier, improve the gaits to be more realistic, add eyeshines to the actual file, and overall refine the file to make it more similar to a real-life horse (more details, functioning mouth, ect.). It would be a hard job to improve the V2, since it's already a pretty realistic file, but it could be done with enough work. In my honest opinion, the "Acquire a Horse" section has become dead recently, but making a brand new file would reintroduce that competitive feel that is missing from SS.
Not only this, but many features that used to connect the community, such as the old RP section and live chat, are now gone. There isn't much interaction between users anymore, except for when it comes to showing. Honestly, because of this, SS has become monotonous to me - hex, show, champ, breed, and repeat. There's no incentive for showing/champing, except to breed that horse, and there's not really any use for SS (currency) either anymore. I currently have 125k in the bank and can buy pretty much anything! It honestly defeats the entire idea of having a monetary system in the first place. I feel like, as a whole, the SS community has been in decline. Something needs to be done to bring back the SS that was active and truly felt like a community. Whether that be by adding new interactive sections or more realism to the forum (Stud books? Registries? Breed organizations?) I really think something needs to be done. I don't know how many people will agree with me, but I can bet that many of the users who have been active on SS for past years have seen these same changes that I have.
Again, I'm not at all trying to offend anyone or "stir the pot". I just want everyone to know what I think. Honestly, I just think we need to find a way to promote SS and bring life back into the community. I would really love you hear what y'all think about things, and if you have anything to add.
I hope this post doesn't get taken the wrong way, because that's not what I'm intending at all. I'm just hoping to share my personal thoughts with y'all - mostly as to why I've been absent for so long.
I'm going to start this out by saying I love, no adore, SS. I've been a member for over five years now, which is completely insane! I've met the best people here and have created the best memories. However, this place doesn't hold the same spark for me that it used to. For whatever reason, over about the past year or so I haven't really been able to connect with SS. Not in the way I used to. SS has, in my opinion, been lacking that certain something that kept my interest for so long. I can't quite identify what that something is, but it's definitely gone. I used to be so involved and invested in SS, and I've really tried to become that way again, but I just can't.
Looking back on the past SS, I loved how active the "Acquire a Horse" section always was. Bidding wars were exhilarating and fun, and adoptions always seemed to draw in tons of applications. I saw it as very competitive, in a way, and it kept me checking in regularly. Now, with the V2 being largely available, it's easy to get a new, shiny horse. The lust for other peoples' hexes has virtually diminished. Because of this, my urge to hex is now nonexistent. I mean, why spend hours on a single hex to receive very little interest in it once it's available? I fully understand how people are beginning to have too many horses and don't have the time to commit to any more, but it's still disheartening because of how much I used to love hexing! I honestly believe this to be a direct result of releasing the V2. I have absolutely no control about how public the V2 is made, nor am I in any place to scrutinize its release, but from what I've seen, the lack of interest in the "Acquire a Horse" section is directly related to the V2 being made public. Why spend SS on a horse when you can just hex one yourself? I know some people are going to hate me for saying this, but I truly think that some exclusivity needs to be brought back to SS. In the past, keeping the V2 exclusive is what kept interest in it and kept the "Acquire a Horse" section alive. I'm not disagreeing with the decision to make it public, I'm just stating what I've noticed from my personal experience over the many years I've been here. Obviously, since everyone has access to the V2 now, it can't be made exclusive again. But maybe, just maybe, something like a "V3" file (not to be confused with the V2 mustang often called the V3) should be created and released to those who were originally fileholders. This way, the general public would still have access to the V2, but the V3 would be exclusive and bring some life back to the "Acquire a Horse" section. I don't know if Manda would have the time to work on a new file, but possibly some of the more advanced hexers/modders could work together to produce a V3 (with Manda's permission, of course). I personally would love to help create an improved file! Just some quick ideas that I had for a new file (to differentiate it from the V2): lessen the total ball count to make hexing easier, improve the gaits to be more realistic, add eyeshines to the actual file, and overall refine the file to make it more similar to a real-life horse (more details, functioning mouth, ect.). It would be a hard job to improve the V2, since it's already a pretty realistic file, but it could be done with enough work. In my honest opinion, the "Acquire a Horse" section has become dead recently, but making a brand new file would reintroduce that competitive feel that is missing from SS.
Not only this, but many features that used to connect the community, such as the old RP section and live chat, are now gone. There isn't much interaction between users anymore, except for when it comes to showing. Honestly, because of this, SS has become monotonous to me - hex, show, champ, breed, and repeat. There's no incentive for showing/champing, except to breed that horse, and there's not really any use for SS (currency) either anymore. I currently have 125k in the bank and can buy pretty much anything! It honestly defeats the entire idea of having a monetary system in the first place. I feel like, as a whole, the SS community has been in decline. Something needs to be done to bring back the SS that was active and truly felt like a community. Whether that be by adding new interactive sections or more realism to the forum (Stud books? Registries? Breed organizations?) I really think something needs to be done. I don't know how many people will agree with me, but I can bet that many of the users who have been active on SS for past years have seen these same changes that I have.
Again, I'm not at all trying to offend anyone or "stir the pot". I just want everyone to know what I think. Honestly, I just think we need to find a way to promote SS and bring life back into the community. I would really love you hear what y'all think about things, and if you have anything to add.