Hello everyone,
So before I get into this post, I wanted to point out maybe one or two things.
I'm in alot of pain right now. I was rushed to hospital last night due to a painful IBS flare up (if you know, you know) and as such, english just doesn't wanna work with me tonight. So if something doesn't make sense, please, just ask and I'll try to explain.
This post is for PC PLAYERS only. As it concerns us, I want to give everyone (mobile users included) some insight to how the PC player base has been feeling. This is largely based on a poll done both on Discord and through other avenues to get feedback. This feedback is currently being beta read by a good friend of mine and we'll be popping that feedback to RSHR in the coming days.
Comments like "play on mobile" will be ignored. I can not afford a phone that can load this game, nor should I be expected to go out and waste money on a fancy new phone just for the sole purpose of playing a game. As such, such comments will be ignored because at this point, I feel I've repeated myself so much on this, that I feel like a broken record. Understand: Not everyone can afford a new phone nor should we be expected to do so, just to play a game.
Yes. I may be all over the place, and I apologise in advance. Again. I'm in pain so wording isn't on my list of things to do tonight.
Okay so, as you may have read, I spent the night in ICU. I'm still in alot of pain but thankfully, I'm home now and on the mend (sorta). It gave me time to go through the group, reading all the posts, comments, etc. And I saw something that many people, namely mobile players, seem to shrug off; the ignoring of PC players.
Now I'm NOT calling anyone out. Rather, I'm pointing the finger at a much larger problem; the company. Yes, you read that correctly. I'm blaming the company for the discourse that seems to go down, whenever a PC player says anything that may be negative.
As I've said to so many people; not everyone can afford a new cell phone that can load this game, nevermind download it, without the cell phone overheating and or crashing entirely. Cell phones, even ZTE Androids are NOT cheap. My old one costed me nearly $200 at Walmart. So understand, these things aren't cheap and many older models can't run this game anyways, and there's no way to really tell which model will be able too, versus which ones won't be able too. So, in theory, you could buy a whole new cell phone, even a brand new iPhone, and that phone literally not be able to download and or run this game. Please understand; if us PC players could download this game to our cell phones, we happily would, but many of us can't.
But here is where the company has fallen short. They advertise themselves as a strictly mobile game only. A good percentage of their adverts both here in this group, on their IG and elsewhere, including Youtube ads, show them advertising themselves as a mobile game only, but yet - they aren't. They're also a PC GAME. While yes, they sell their game through Steam's platform, the fact remains; this is a MULTIPLATFORM GAME. And the discourse between PC players versus Mobile players, can be laid directly at RSHR's feet.
Now. Before anyone comes gunning for me, understand, I actually love this game. I use it (ALOT) for my HARPGs especially for my OCs that I use in these HARPGs. My own OC, Hitomi Sapphire Corvinus Celeste is my jockey. Alot of the horses I own, are Arabians (my dominant herd choice in HARPG). But that said, there comes a point where I do geninuely feel ignored. Not just by the community but by the company itself.
Whenever the company asks for feedback - it's dominantly for the mobile players. This is, largely, unfair to the PC players, simply because, we do share and play the same game as Mobile users. We may not all share the same game per say (such as the create a horse feature being pc only and live events seem to be mobile base only) but at the end of the day; we all play the same storyline, same quests (to a degree) and as such, we, as a PC base, should be allowed to have our voices heard, without hateful comments, nearly almost always, being thrown at us.
As a former UBISOFT employee and later, a UBISOFT Twitch chat moderator, now, happily retired from both due to my health being crap, I can honestly say; this isn't how you treat your player base. If you know, you know (and yes, I'm referring the crap show that involved a certain AC game that was so badly hyped up and the player base was ultimately, let down). I now work for another SIM based company as a moderator and dear lord, the complaints we deal with in a singular day, is mind boggling, but, we try. And I'm NOT saying RSHR isn't, but there is a huge difference between certain gaming companies, and RSHR.
Let's first talk about the ETA of game updates. Not just for mobile but also for PC. For many weeks after the Show Jumping was added to PC, I was under the impression, it hadn't been added yet and wouldn't be added to PC, till sometime next year. In a now deleted IG post by RSHR - I was informed by a member of staff, that the show jumping wasn't expected to drop to PC, till sometime next year. Okay, that's fine! It gives them time to finese it. Or so I thought. When another member of the community asked when show jumping would be added - this being a few days later, I cited what I'd been told, only to be told by another member of the community, that show jumping had been added to the game.
Now. Of course, I went to see if my game needed an update. Nope. Nadda. A major coding update like that, should of triggered an update screen, but it didn't. As I was live streaming, my partner also saw that this didn't occur and baffled, I asked another member where exactly, was the show jumping added too and was informed "check free roam unless they moved it". Sure enough, there it was. In free roam. No update code wise, no nothing. And there was absolutely ZERO announcement that it had been added to the PC game.
As a person who plays many other games that give weekly updates including announcements of when new things will be in these games and their ETAs for arrivial, I was left feeling very disappointed in RSHR. This is 100% not how I was taught, by UBISOFT, to do things. Heck, if I had done this, I would of been given 3 warnings before having disciplinary actions taken and or, I would of been let go aka fired.
But. I brushed it off until I realized something even more upsetting; the Mustang announcement. PC players haven't even gotten the promised Knabbstruppers yet and already, we're scrambling to figure out how to add another new breed to our already full stables and or nearly full pastures.
Now. Before y'all start coming at me over the Mustangs, hear me out. I get it. Only a few mobile users have em as they are a 'buy only' feature apparently. But. BUT. Y'all have had access to the Knabs for a hot minute and to this day, they have still not been added to the PC and we're expecting, not just a new area to drop, but a new breed? In less than a few months apart?
This is, needless to say, far too much. I have repeatedly asked the company why PC players are, largely overlooked or ignored and I get the excuse "it's a smaller team!" but yet, I know of many other games, both mobile and non-mobile, who are dealing with a much smaller team than this, and they still manage to get updates to both platforms, done in a timely basis. If it's the lack of man power, then the logical solution would be, to hire on a PC specific team - but this hasn't, to my knowledge, happened.
And then we have the VR announcement. Largely, VR players are NOT mobile players. They're PC which means, RSHR may have just inadvertedly, shoved their own foot in their mouth. Many mobiles can not handle VR. Those that can, are far too expensive for a regular person working a 9 - 5 job, paying rent/mortgage, paying bills, buying food, etc. These are $1k plus cell phones and honestly? If you can afford it, then kudos to you! But not many can. I can't. My brothers who are active duty military can't, and my uncle who drives big rig, can't. Unless you're doing private sector work, or a dangerous job type of work (such as crab fishing maybe), then you might be able to afford those phones that can handle and run VR.
But as it stands, largely, the playerbase can't, which means, ultimately, in the end, VR will be on PC, which means, in the end, the "it's a smaller pc update team" excuse, will no longer fly and is, as of right now, no longer flying as is, with alot of us.
I've seen people say that we're complaining when we vent our frustrations about the lack of PC updates. No. No we're not. We're frustrated at having next to no content in our games. Live events? We don't have the same access mobile players do. Gene events, coat events, etc, simply do not happen on the PC game. And. a good percentage of the genes, such as the Gruggy Sabino, have been in the game for a hot minute (I know as I've bred quite a few last month).
But I've noticed that many PC players don't say a lick on how they're feeling. Why? Because we get talked down too, we get told off, have our posts/comments removed, or, we're just left feeling like it's not worth the hassle of having to deal with the mobile playerbase attacking us (something I've been a victim of, on IG).
Understand, we get it, RSHR began life as a mobile only game but...BUT...the second they sold it on Steam for PC, they made a knowing obligation to another diverse community of players - this being PC Players. And aprt of that obligation is keeping us informed of when updates are going to happen, letting us have a voice, and hearing our feedback, whether it's good, bad, or in between.
A company lives or dies by what they choose to do with their community. You can make an amazing game, filled with outstanding content, but the second you begin causing division among your players, or overwhelming them with updates, especially after a major update has already happened, you begin to go south very, very quickly.
And, I understand I don't speak for the PC players in the group. I could only poll and get feedback from those not in the group and via other sites and chat platforms, but the vast majority whom I did poll and get feedback from, felt they weren't being heard, felt harassed, belittled and or attacked, just for their chosen preference of gaming platform.
A good example of how to explain the above, is this; when I was a kid, I never had access to fancy video gaming consoles. So for the longest time, I hadn't the foggiest idea what the heck a Ninetendo was. My grandmother couldn't afford it. So. In leu of me having that, she'd kick my arse outside. "Go play outside, you're driving me nuts" was a common phrase when I was growing up. "STAY IN THE DANG YARD!" was another (I never did stay in the yard fyi x'D) But the fact remains; my first gaming console, was given to me, second hand, by my uncle. My first game? Was Super Mario Bros on Ninetendo via cartridge alongside Duck Hunt. And I didn't get these till I was around 15 years of age! And even after that, I never had an "official" gaming console, till I met my ex and we bought the then brand new PS4 console at nearly $600 a go at Walmart.
And when he and I split? He took the console with him and I, to this very day, still don't have a gaming console. I use my Laptop to game, go to school, watch movies, chat, etc.
But, I didn't really get into gaming, like I am now, till 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when I bought RSHR on Steam. And here is where I feel, it needs to be said; I too, paid for this game. I paid for it and covered RSHR's cost, Steams fees, the exchange fees, etc. So just as I've heard nearly every mobile user say, so too, will I say it now; I'm just as entitled to have my voice heard, and not feel like I have to be silent, just because of my chosen platform and just because x,y,z doesn't agree with me, or thinks I should do x,y,z just to play a game.
I really can't put any more nicely than that. I truly can't. First of all, I'm in far too much pain to do so and secondly, I'm exhausted. I shouldn't have to fight to have my voice heard. I shouldn't have to feel like I'm being forced into silence because heaven forbid, my viewpoint may not align with everyone else's. Or worse, I may not be able to play it on the platform, people think the game should be played on.
And again, I lay the blame for the discourse, directly at RSHR feet.
You can't sit there and tell me, they've not seen the fighting, the bickering, the name calling, the belittling, etc. It's impossible. But what they haven't seen, is the countless messages, that flood my IG daily. Messages filled with such vile comments, that if it were me saying them, I'd be more than likely, sitting in a jail cell. And yes, RSHR Community; some of the player base, namely the mobile players, do take it too far. But the reality is, I have thick skin. I can't be bothered to go around, telling people who tell me to go 'off' myself, that I'm gonna call the police on them. I recongize they may be voicing an...opinion...somehow??? Not entirely sure how but whatever. But I recongize they're entitled to their opinion, however vile it may be.
But just as they're entitled to their opinion, so too, am I. So here I am tonight. Laying in bed, with pillows propped about my aching body, informing Rival Stars to do better. To be better. I don't care what vision you had or have for this game. All I care about is that you recongize that there is a line in the sand between mobile users and PC users, but yet, you clearly favor your mobile users more and this, as I'm sure every many child household can attest too, never ends well. There is always going to be that favorite child who can do no wrong, say no wrong, etc. But the reality is, favortisim, gets us no where.
I was recently asked by a mobile player "what can RSHR do, that would maybe make PC players happier? Genuine question!" And I have to say, it was i nfact, refreshing to see someone who wasn't out for blood, if you will. And I think the following can answer that question;
Give us better ETAs on when updates should happen. "Coming Soon!" implies in a few months time, not days or weeks. "The Canyon update will be set to drop x day on x month of x year" is a far better ETA then simply saying "Coming Soon!" Its' not as misleading and it gives players, all across the board, a better chance to prepare and it gives us all, a chance to voice an opinion and send in possible feedback.
Be more receptive to your PC player base. Stop zoning us out whenever we voice a complaint, a vent, a frustration etc. Stop allowing people to bully us into feeling less of an RSHR member of this community, because we can't play on mobile. Comments such as "go download it on mobile then if you want access to x,y,z" should in effect, be removed. They are not polite comments and are said to belittle your player base, regardless of where a person plays RSHR.
Synconizing your mobile game with the pc version would be far better because then, regardless of when updates drop, you can get feedback from both fronts. Just because a race works on the mobile, doesn't always mean it's going to work on the PC version, and vice versa. You need this feedback in order to make a more stable game anyways, so why not sync the two versions up. In the end, with the VR version coming out, it makes more logical sense, and it gives your entire team, a better chance to work together, as a united unit versus a divided one.
I honestly, can't think of anything other than the above. I do genuinely wish, I could of put this in the group itself as a post, but alas, Facebook has a word limit and this, well and truly exceeds it. I do hope people will read what's being said and understand, I'm not gunning for anyone. I don't care what platform you've chosen to play RSHR on. What I care about, is the platform, I've chosen to play on, and feeling ignored by that game's company.
I'm personally frustrated and this is a valid feeling and it shouldn't be gaslit into me being forced into silence as is so often the case.
Anywho, I'm off to bed. I'm in too much pain and right now, I'd rather be asleep versus dealing with near constant pain.
Remember to be nice to each other.
An example of what's often said to PC players. This was taken directly from RSHR's official IG in reply to a comment I'd made. Please note; I do NOT consider what they've added to the game (the jumping arena) to be considered "show jumping". Show Jumping is a timed event. And while I understand the arena is not completed, the fact that they added something that's not completed to the game, is worrying.
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