Horse Racing Manager News

Known issues
- Some audio is currently disabled due to problems with an add-on

Added
- Logs button to main menu, this opens the logs folder
- Race horse pin (similar to breeidng pin) in horse detail, hides non-racing horses to own table in stables

Improved
- Changed labels of large and mammoth world, that they are unstable
- The potential and ability stars are now of different opacity, to indicate how reliable the potential and ability is that you see. The clearer it is the better you see them.
- In visual breeding, if you use a sire, when there is a succesful breeding, keep the sire selected if possible (there are mares)

Fixed
- Fixed grade column sorting where DG1 was incorrectly sorted before G1 (now sorts properly: G1, G2, G3, DG1, DG2, DG3, Not Graded)
- Making leaving races a bit safer
- Made CPU race registering a bit safer, was in rare cases causing crashes

[p]Known issues[/p]

• [p]Some audio is currently disabled due to problems with an add-on[/p]

[p][/p][p]Added[/p]

• [p]Seasonal Halloween effect to stables[/p]

[p][/p][p]Improved[/p]

• [p]Changed cheat console shortcut to CTRL + SHIFT + C / Command + SHIFT + C[/p]
• [p]Head trainer can now be horse trainer[/p]

[p][/p][p]Fixed[/p]

• [p]Loading an autosave failed if there wasn't a manual save for that game[/p]
• [p]Multiple potentially critical issues in simulation logic[/p]
• [p]Rare crash when generating game[/p]
• [p]Made tables a bit safer[/p]
• [p]DNA mutation for coat color, was overproducing gray horses, this has been fixed now[/p]
• [p]Selecting a horse in the breeding table view no longer crashes the game[/p]

[p]In the last devlog we talked about Alpha, new visuals, sponsorships and other new systems.[/p][p] [/p][p]After months of community playtesting, we are excited to finally announce that Horse Racing Manager has entered Early Access![/p][p]During the playtest period, we released over sixty builds, fixed hundreds of issues and refined systems across the game. We resulted in more stable and strong foundation, that is ready for future growth and expansion.[/p][p]This moment marks a major milestone for our project. After two years of development, we are ready for our next phase where we get to share HRM with wider audience.[/p][p] [/p][p]For past couple of weeks harness racing has been online and available for testing. It brings new way to approach training, breeding and race strategy. As we move forward with this system, we want to improve the animations and expand it with new mechanics, including harness and gallop skill paths for horses, adding a choice for player to make with horses "path" to pursue.[/p][p] Preview of harness racing[/p][p] [/p][p]To achieve our goal making first steps into the game more clear and welcoming, we have added first wave of tutorial system covering key areas such as stable, races, breeding, staff, market, medical area, scouting, company and facilities. [/p][p]We've designed tutorials to guide new players through the basics without limiting exploration. The onboarding system has been updated with a rewritten welcome mail and a follow up tutorial.[/p][p]As a whole, system will see improvement, it is work in progress and we will utilise feedback to create as clear tutorial as possible. [/p][p] [/p][h2]Facilities[/h2][p]Facilities has been reworked visually since implementation. The horse detail backgrounds now change based on stables financial status, adding more sense of prestige and progression. We also added first set of facility graphics, it establishes new framework for more visual representation of facilities related assets added during Early Access.[/p][p]Preview of facility graphics[/p][p] [/p][h2]Quality of Life Improvements [/h2][p]Some improvements has been added since last devlog to both playability and interface. We added quick register be available from home screen to instantly register horses for races. Date system has seen minor change, from showing dates of next events, we changed it to relative date system, so instead of date, it shows days until event. [/p][p]We added locked out areas to sidebar, showcasing facilities that haven't yet been built. To make quick actions more accessible, we added feature page to Market highlighting buyable horses and upcoming auctions. Inbox feedback was heard, so we added "Read All" button as well![/p][p]Preview of Featured tab in Market and Locked out areas in side bar[/p][p] [/p][h2]Audio and Visuals[/h2][p]Game's presentation has seen a lot of improvements since last devlog, both audio and visuals.[/p][p]On audio side, we have added first version of game's main music. We've added sound effects when purchasing horses, hiring staff, signing sponsorships or constructing facilities. (Some audios is temporarily disabled as we resolve the issue with add-on)[/p][p]On the visual side, we have optimised race scene performance and refined animations, also improved lightning and transitions. We have fixed the hair and hats to render correctly across models, and we added visualisations for both auction tiers and player characters backstory.[/p][p]Player's character backstory choices[/p][p] [/p][h2]Simulation and Systems[/h2][p]We added the first version of Racetrack Generator, which allows importing racetracks created by community! At the same time we continued developing custom World Options, where is possible to define CPU stable budgets, prize money multiplier and staff wage multiplier, the number of days simulated before your start, and even toggle illness, injury, staff poaching and career-ending injuries on and off. [/p][p]Performance and optimisation has seen updates as well, such as training, economy tracking, and race registration now run on weekly or monthly cycles instead of daily, massively improving sim speed. [/p][p]We also added new layers to breeding and genetics, once DNA data is unlocked, it is possible to research coat colour probabilities to better understand breeding outcomes. [/p][p]And with the upgrade to Godot 4.5, with new libraries and rendering systems, game now runs smoother, loads faster and performs better in long-term sessions, but of course it is not all positives that comes with upgrade, we also now face few issues with music and sounds, we are actively working on fixing it.[/p][p] [/p][h2]Fixes and Stability[/h2][p]Throughout the playtest period, we've fixed hundreds of issues, many thanks to player reports and testing feedback![/p][p]CPU stables behave more reliably when bidding, hiring and reacting to player actions. On the technical side, startup times have been improved, memory usage reduces and several background processes now include better diagnostic tracking to help us identify problems faster. Also older saves now migrate correctly between versions. [/p][p] [/p][p]We have member count of over 500 already. If you have suggestions, ideas or something else you want to talk about, it's a great platform and an easy way to reach us. Join the server here!

 [/p][p]We have planned for Early Access phase to last around six months, but as game development often goes, things tend to take longer than expected. We will share more details and confirm the final game's release date once we've made more progress during Early Access. [/p][p]During this time we will bring new features and systems, polish what we currently have, improve both audio and visual aspects and expand on making game feel more lively, with social system and history feature.[/p][p] [/p][p]Development is ongoing, and we will keep you updated on our progress. We are continuously working to enhance Horse Racing Manager, and your feedback is invaluable. Our goal is to make this franchise the most realistic horse racing simulator in the world. Your support is crucial for us and greatly appreciated. [/p][p]Follow Horse Racing Manager Here![/p]

[p]Hello everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]We've had to postpone the Early Access release by two weeks due to Steam's review process taking longer than expected. We understand that the recent DDoS attack on Steam and upcoming Next Fest may be contributing to these delays.[/p][p][/p][p]The good news is that the playtest will remain open and continue to receive updates, so this delay won't directly affect players. You will still remain to have access to the latest improvements as we keep polishing the game. [/p][p][/p][p]Horse Racing Manager is now planned to launch in Early Access on October 24th. [/p][p][/p][p]Thank you for ongoing support and understanding, we are almost there![/p][p][/p][p]- The HRM Dev Team[/p]

[p]In the last devlog we talked about Pre-Alpha, coat DNA system, race and npc logic and more.[/p][p] [/p][p]For the past four months, we have been in Alpha testing phase, and during it we made over 50 builds! It has been incredibly valuable for our team, our community has been more than helpful, big thanks to everyone! [/p][p]This stage has been focused on fixing bugs, improving stability, and polishing core systems, but also on testing how new features feel in real players hands. [/p][p]Alpha testing has been a nice reminder that this project is not just about building a game based only on our vision, but about building it with the community. [/p][p] [/p][p]Economic side has grown since last devlog. One of systems we've working on is sponsorship, your horses now can land sponsor deals, which will provide you with extra income, we are still working on names and logos and polishing the system, but we have the core system and we are excited to expand on it.[/p][p]Auction has seen major and minor updates. We've added first version of auction announcer audio, which we feel like adds authentic atmosphere to the scene. We added autobid option, where player can let CPU automatically bid up to set amount, and also we added quick bid buttons.[/p][p]We've reworked Market and Auction UI with better filtering, visuals and skill displays. [/p][p] [/p][p]We've added a new social system that brings descriptions to horse and staff profiles, showing their closest friends and enemies.[/p][p]System is still in its early stages, but it already makes profiles feel more personalised and adds a sense of connection between individuals. Now when player looks at a horse or staff member, player can also see the bonds and rivalries that define them. [/p][p] [/p][p]Horses can now be fitted with gear, such as blinkers, facemasks, halters and legwarps. These can be equipped in horse option menu, some of the colours are still being polished, and more options are on their way.Turnout coat preview [/p][p] Facegear preview[/p][p] [/p][h2]New Visual and Sound Improvements [/h2][p]We have taken large steps in atmosphere during summer and been improving both visuals and audio. On the visual side, we have improved shadows, polished animations such as gallop starts and idle horse movements, and in latest update we added water to race scenes. Stable backgrounds have also been added to horse detail views, instead of just plain background. [/p][p]On the audio side, we've expanded ambient effects, did balancing on race day crowd sounds, and introduced prerace music to set the tone before event begins.[/p][p]Stable background[/p][p] [/p][h2]Horse Traits and Genetics [/h2][p]We expanded breeding and horse individuality, bringing few of new features. DNA profile unlocking gives deeper and better insight into breeding potential, you can purchase this unlock each time you plan to breed, or build a Genetic Lab as a bigger one time investment to unlock DNA information in future for free. [/p][p]Base temperament and intelligence stats have been added to horses, which can be trained but within the limits. No horse can change completely, but personality and habits can be influenced.[/p][p]We have also added automatic foal naming that comes with notifications, makes new generations easier to track, and as usual, we have expanded coat colours and markings to bring more variety.
Preview of breedings DNA profile[/p][p] [/p][h2]Stable Life and Management [/h2][p]We've added features to make the world feel more alive. End of year awards will highlight the top horses, jockeys, trainers and managers. Inheritance system now ensures that if NPC owner dies, their stable is passed down instead of vanishing. [/p][p]Since last devlog, we added sanctuary and retirement options, where player can now send horses to sanctuaries or put them down, depending on circumstances.[/p][p] [/p][h2]UI and Quality of Life Improvements[/h2][p]We've added more features to make stable managing feel more intuitive. Stable tab on the home screen to make managing multiple horses and staff faster. Horse navigation has been improved with arrow keys and dropdown menus. Inbox shortcuts, giving you possibility to respond quickly with W/S/Y/N keys. Trade history now appears in horse trade and market pages, and for players who wants to take a deeper look at data, we have added stats page and SQL editor. [/p][p] [/p][h2]Simulation & Systems[/h2][p]We've changed stable capacity system, stables are no longer unlimited, but now each one has a defined horse capacity, which creates realistic management pressure and of course stops hoarding. Additionally, horses now receive experience from participating in races, experience improves performance over time. [/p][p]Reworked CPU race registration, the way npc stables register for races now has been improved to make races fill out more naturally and ensure variety across events. [/p][p]Added failsafes for NPC stables, to avoid situations where too many stables collapse financially, support systems were added that inject stability in the economy when needed.[/p][p]Autobalancers have been added, it is a new balancing logic that automatically adjusts race frequency and horse populations, keeping the world competitive. [/p][p] [/p][p]If you'd like to support our developers throughout the journey, we created Ko-Fi page for Horse Racing Manager. Donations are completely optional and won't grant any perks. That said, any donations are appreciated! Ko-Fi link here! [/p][p] [/p][p]We have member count of over 500 already. If you have suggestions, ideas or something else you want to talk about, it's a great platform and an easy way to reach us. Join the server here!

 [/p][p]The next milestone for Horse Racing Manager is Early Access, which we are aiming to launch mid-October. This will be first time a wider audience gets to experience the game, and we are thrilled to share everything we have been building. [/p][p]Until then, we will continue working, polishing existing features, improving balance, and fixing remaining rough edges that we uncovered during Alpha. Early Access is just a beginning, and we are so excited to see where it leads us.[/p][p] [/p][p]Development is ongoing, and we will keep you updated on our progress. We are continuously working to enhance Horse Racing Manager, and your feedback is invaluable. Our goal is to make this franchise the most realistic horse racing simulator in the world. Don't forget to add Horse Racing Manager to your Steam wishlist! Your support is crucial for us and greatly appreciated. [/p][p]Wishlist Horse Racing Manager Here![/p]