your local sso unc

i love the swedish warmbloods and their big noggins so so much — this is the first breed that i may actually buy one of each coat option. i’m really really rooting for more releases for this breed 🤞 currently working through my second, both bird-themed names: Big Bird, the paint palimino & Bluebird, the dark bay pictured above. like, i’ll actually drop money on this SSO 👀 just saying.

on the one hand, i like that they removed collectibles like flowers from the trailblazer — this is a personal opinion, because i don’t really interact with the quests or tasks that require them. on the other hand, i wish they’d lengthened the trailblazer past 16-17 days.

some things i would appreciate added are: more horse exp jars, player exp jars, horse treats (i.e. hay, apples, etc), exclusive make-up or hairstyles, more stable care coupons, unlocking an exclusive quest or race, and exclusive stable customization (like wallpaper or stall decor). i feel like they could lean into “themes” more, and get more players excited by giving more opportunities to expand customization past outfits & tack.

i was originally withholding judgement on the new points-lock system, but after trying it for one day it was a pretty quick “no” for me. i hadn’t realized how much “grinding” i’d been doing to get trailblazer points until suddenly it wasn’t an option anymore. it’s a big hit of disappointment every time, and i almost lose motivation to keep playing after the points stop being awarded. i log on for a separate reason (quests, leveling up horses, etc), but the added bonus of trailblazer points feels like an extra sprinkle of dopamine on top — like i’m super efficient because i’m feeding two birds with one scone. now my play-time is shortened because once the points stop, i stop.

i can kind of see how this could hypothetically make it easier to log on more frequently, as a guaranteed shortened play-time might make it easier for busy people to log on “for just a few minutes” and still benefit from trailblazers. i can also see how this serves to generate a higher quantity of tenured players online when all other quests have run out, and things get monotonous. but imo it does the opposite of “get them in the door then keep them hooked”, because once the points stop there’s nothing keeping me online anymore — it doesn’t incentivize me to spend money or continue playing, because there’s nothing else novel about the game anymore. i’d have to generate my own experience by taking photos, role-playing, etc because the game itself isn’t providing opportunities to keep me online past the trailblazer.