~*~ Race Guide ~*~
Racing on SSO should be a fun and rewarding experience if you are willing to put in the effort to be competitive at it. I have seen far too much negativity surrounding it than I care to and this can be applied to anything a person wanted to learn and learn to do well.
I personally enjoy racing a lot as I have always loved it. I remember when I started playing the game and wanted to climb to the top of the scoreboards; that for me was a small personal goal I had for my game. Although I don't feel it's really that important to me anymore. When I find something I enjoy I strive to learn it and do it well, there is no half way for me. Yet I also know that certain things take time to accomplish and it would be unrealistic for me to think I can just start winning races like the seasoned players there as if I was a prodigy playing the piano for the first time.
There are so many factors involved in being successful in the races on SSO that many people I see making comments in the game chat or on their Facebook pages about it fail to realize. So before you sit there and say "I'll never win a Race!" or call someone who did win a "Cheater!" please take this all in to consideration the next time you think that.
1.) Stats
2.) Player & Horse Level / Horse Mood
3.) Your ability to control your horse
4.) Your ability to navigate the track
5.) Your computer (mainly the graphics card)
These are in no particular order of importance as they all play a part in it.
Stats ~ Stats are pretty important; the Stats of your equipment (Clothes & Tack) and also the stats of your player and your horse. This in my opinion is overlooked by a lot of people, mainly those that enter a Champ without any tack on their horses and expect to bring home a ribbon. Sorry, but unless you have some mad skills your probably not going to place very well. I'm not saying it's impossible I'm just saying it's very difficult.
Stats is the level of your ability in a certain area, such as Riding on you player or Strength in your horse. Your level of stats increase in your player as you level up and also your horse gains in stats as it levels up also. Which equipment you choose will add to those stats increasing you and your horses' ability. This is one reason to try to buy the best equipment you can for your level if your goal is to be competitive.
To get the best bang for your buck out of Clothes and Equipment for racing you want to get clothes with the highest stats in Riding and for your horse the highest stats in Swiftness you can find.
Player & Horse Level / Horse Mood ~ This is also stat related as a player at Level 6 has less stats and therefor game related ability then a player that is Level 15 and the same goes for the horses. A horse of Level 10 is not going to be as fast or turn as quick as a Level 15. The higher the level of horse or rider the better your racing performance will be. As you achieve higher levels your ability will grow as will your horse's.
Your horse's mood will also have a drastic effect on it's performance. You can see which mood your horse is in by looking at the Face Icon next to your horse's name on your screen. If it has a dark red frowny face your horse will perform quite poorly, while if it has a Green Happy face your horse will perform to the very best of it's ability. There are several different moods in between those two extremes so just remember the Green Happy face is the mood you want your horse to be in for your best chance at winning a race.
Your Ability to Control Your Horse ~ This should really go without saying as not everyone has the same abilities or learns at the same rate. We are all entering this game at different times and there are players there that have been playing since the game went live and there are people who have just begun. For me; I believe I am still learning as I still have problems with hitting jumps and predicting the point where I need to hit the jump button to clear a jump. From my experience to get the Best Times of the Day it takes a perfect run to do that, so if you hit a jump you just lost valuable seconds off of your time. Same with swinging wide for a turn if you could have made that turn quicker.
Your Ability to Navigate the Track ~ Some of the tracks take a while to learn how to run them, where the fastest route is and where to slow down if needed. Running the tracks at top speed is not always the quickest route and neither is jumping an obstacle. When you jump there is a slight delay before you hit the ground again and sometimes it is faster to go around something then to jump over it. Also there will be times when it will be quicker to slow down a bit before hand to make a turn at or after a jump. It is up to you to figure out when you should do this.
You do not have to stay on the track to get high scores. There are many short cuts in most of the races you can take to knock seconds off your times. You just have to make sure you go through the flags in the right order, this is not a form of cheating either.
It is also extremely helpful to be able to move your camera as you run the course in order to see where you are going in advance. Those who are able to do both at the same time are probably the most successful racers on SSO. It took me a while to teach myself to do this; but all the aggravation I pushed through was more then worth it in the long run.
Your Computer ~ Now not all computers are created equal, your computers' ability to run the game smoothly plays a huge factor in how well you run. If you are getting a lot of lag with your graphics then your computer is working very hard to run it. This is mainly controlled by the graphics card that is in your computer which gives it the ability to run games (especially ones with 3D graphics) and other applications. SSO's 3D graphics does put quite a load on your computer if the graphics card cannot handle it.
I actually learned this by chance while learning 3D animation and realized that was what was causing me to have so much lag while playing SSO. My horse would make sudden stops so frequently I was about to just give up playing because it reached the point of insanity and made the game no longer any fun. In turn when I was building 3D scenes the program would crash when I added a bunch of stuff to the scene. For me I was fortunate enough to be able to upgrade my computer altogether as I needed it for work anyways, but I know not everyone can do this.
Also there is internet speed to think about since Dial Up is not equal to High Speed. If your internet connection is slow your game could be running slow as well. I'm not a computer expert nor do I pretend to be I'm just shedding some light on the things I know effect a computer's ability to run a game like SSO.
I personally enjoy racing a lot as I have always loved it. I remember when I started playing the game and wanted to climb to the top of the scoreboards; that for me was a small personal goal I had for my game. Although I don't feel it's really that important to me anymore. When I find something I enjoy I strive to learn it and do it well, there is no half way for me. Yet I also know that certain things take time to accomplish and it would be unrealistic for me to think I can just start winning races like the seasoned players there as if I was a prodigy playing the piano for the first time.
There are so many factors involved in being successful in the races on SSO that many people I see making comments in the game chat or on their Facebook pages about it fail to realize. So before you sit there and say "I'll never win a Race!" or call someone who did win a "Cheater!" please take this all in to consideration the next time you think that.
1.) Stats
2.) Player & Horse Level / Horse Mood
3.) Your ability to control your horse
4.) Your ability to navigate the track
5.) Your computer (mainly the graphics card)
These are in no particular order of importance as they all play a part in it.
Stats ~ Stats are pretty important; the Stats of your equipment (Clothes & Tack) and also the stats of your player and your horse. This in my opinion is overlooked by a lot of people, mainly those that enter a Champ without any tack on their horses and expect to bring home a ribbon. Sorry, but unless you have some mad skills your probably not going to place very well. I'm not saying it's impossible I'm just saying it's very difficult.
Stats is the level of your ability in a certain area, such as Riding on you player or Strength in your horse. Your level of stats increase in your player as you level up and also your horse gains in stats as it levels up also. Which equipment you choose will add to those stats increasing you and your horses' ability. This is one reason to try to buy the best equipment you can for your level if your goal is to be competitive.
To get the best bang for your buck out of Clothes and Equipment for racing you want to get clothes with the highest stats in Riding and for your horse the highest stats in Swiftness you can find.
Player & Horse Level / Horse Mood ~ This is also stat related as a player at Level 6 has less stats and therefor game related ability then a player that is Level 15 and the same goes for the horses. A horse of Level 10 is not going to be as fast or turn as quick as a Level 15. The higher the level of horse or rider the better your racing performance will be. As you achieve higher levels your ability will grow as will your horse's.
Your horse's mood will also have a drastic effect on it's performance. You can see which mood your horse is in by looking at the Face Icon next to your horse's name on your screen. If it has a dark red frowny face your horse will perform quite poorly, while if it has a Green Happy face your horse will perform to the very best of it's ability. There are several different moods in between those two extremes so just remember the Green Happy face is the mood you want your horse to be in for your best chance at winning a race.
Your Ability to Control Your Horse ~ This should really go without saying as not everyone has the same abilities or learns at the same rate. We are all entering this game at different times and there are players there that have been playing since the game went live and there are people who have just begun. For me; I believe I am still learning as I still have problems with hitting jumps and predicting the point where I need to hit the jump button to clear a jump. From my experience to get the Best Times of the Day it takes a perfect run to do that, so if you hit a jump you just lost valuable seconds off of your time. Same with swinging wide for a turn if you could have made that turn quicker.
Your Ability to Navigate the Track ~ Some of the tracks take a while to learn how to run them, where the fastest route is and where to slow down if needed. Running the tracks at top speed is not always the quickest route and neither is jumping an obstacle. When you jump there is a slight delay before you hit the ground again and sometimes it is faster to go around something then to jump over it. Also there will be times when it will be quicker to slow down a bit before hand to make a turn at or after a jump. It is up to you to figure out when you should do this.
You do not have to stay on the track to get high scores. There are many short cuts in most of the races you can take to knock seconds off your times. You just have to make sure you go through the flags in the right order, this is not a form of cheating either.
It is also extremely helpful to be able to move your camera as you run the course in order to see where you are going in advance. Those who are able to do both at the same time are probably the most successful racers on SSO. It took me a while to teach myself to do this; but all the aggravation I pushed through was more then worth it in the long run.
Your Computer ~ Now not all computers are created equal, your computers' ability to run the game smoothly plays a huge factor in how well you run. If you are getting a lot of lag with your graphics then your computer is working very hard to run it. This is mainly controlled by the graphics card that is in your computer which gives it the ability to run games (especially ones with 3D graphics) and other applications. SSO's 3D graphics does put quite a load on your computer if the graphics card cannot handle it.
I actually learned this by chance while learning 3D animation and realized that was what was causing me to have so much lag while playing SSO. My horse would make sudden stops so frequently I was about to just give up playing because it reached the point of insanity and made the game no longer any fun. In turn when I was building 3D scenes the program would crash when I added a bunch of stuff to the scene. For me I was fortunate enough to be able to upgrade my computer altogether as I needed it for work anyways, but I know not everyone can do this.
Also there is internet speed to think about since Dial Up is not equal to High Speed. If your internet connection is slow your game could be running slow as well. I'm not a computer expert nor do I pretend to be I'm just shedding some light on the things I know effect a computer's ability to run a game like SSO.
So now you know that there are a lot of factors involved in racing on SSO then you thought and what the main ones are. With anything you strive to be good at and do well you MUST practice. Practice does make perfect, and it is necessary in order to get to the top. Racing in game has become pretty darn competitive, so if you enter to win you need to bring your A game and run that race to the very best of your abilities.
If you do not succeed DO NOT talk down to yourself and say "I'll never win a race!" because that is not true if you really put in the effort. I've been there and honestly I used to think that to myself too, but I never truly believed it. Do not limit yourself befor you know what your are really capable of. Don't let negativity trap you into a mind set that will set you up for failure. Every time we try something and do not get the results we wanted we at least learned something from it and you may have learned something you can apply to the next time. Don't bully yourself!
If you do not succeed DO NOT talk down to yourself and say "I'll never win a race!" because that is not true if you really put in the effort. I've been there and honestly I used to think that to myself too, but I never truly believed it. Do not limit yourself befor you know what your are really capable of. Don't let negativity trap you into a mind set that will set you up for failure. Every time we try something and do not get the results we wanted we at least learned something from it and you may have learned something you can apply to the next time. Don't bully yourself!
~*~ My Thoughts on Cheaters ~*~
If you have ever run a Champ Race on SSO you may have seen players calling the winners "Cheaters" or even the High Score winners. I have many times and I'm pretty sick of it which is why I'm adding this in here, as I have been accused of it by other players who haven't even got a clue.
Players who are on the High Score Boards or win the Champs a lot win for a reason: because they are good at it. They understand most of what I explained above and are applying that to their game. They are racing in the best tack they can find, are practicing the courses, know how to handle their horse well, and have done a lot of work to get to that point. Not all of these people want to win at "all costs" as some people say. These are just people that are playing the game their way. Some people enjoy being successful at running a pixel horse race, whatever their reason is doesn't even matter.
What does matter is that a lot of people have absolutely no sense of Sportsmanship what so ever. There are too many sore losers and a whole bunch of bad winners. People if you win; DO NOT rub it in everyone's face, it doesn't make you cool it just makes you a jerk. Same goes with losing if you lose; do it with honor and don't blame it on others or accuse them of something you know nothing about. If you call someone a cheater that just beat you to a ribbon you may very well just have said that to someone who just got their very first ribbon ever. How would you feel if that was you? Honestly I don't care if it was their first or their hundredth ribbon, they got that ribbon because they ran the race well enough to make it across the finish line before the rest of the other players and that is no crime. I've even seen frequent Champ winners resort to cussing people that beat them. Is winning a pixel ribbon so important to you that you have to resort to yelling at people in four letter words because they beat you fair and square? That is just sad.
As far as I know there are no ways for people to cheat at these races. One "theory" I have heard is that people are deleting the fence files from the game files. It is simply a theory without evidence to back it up. They have set up the game to where it detects those missing files in the games folder and replaces them and this game will NOT run without those fence files. Really, if there is a way I don't want to know it nor do I really care because people who have to resort to actually cheating on a online horse game in order to win are seriously low. They are winning without honor and not with effort and skills, which doesn't make them better then anyone as they are the worst kind of player this game would have to offer. I personally do not think all the work I have put into my horses or the money I have invested in the game is worth the risk of losing it all over trying to win races. So if there truly are any mythical cheaters out there I want them to know: you lack morals and that disgusts me, to call you a rat would be an insult to rats. Should these cheaters be found out and banned I have absolutely no pity for them.
I know Haters gotta Hate as it is what they do and seem to love doing but unless you have rock solid proof that the person you are calling a cheater is in fact one then you need to start thinking before you speak. Check yourself before you wreck yourself. I can't honestly speak for everyone as I have seen some really amazing times on the score boards that make me wonder how they did it that I simply cannot touch no matter how much I practice a race. But that will never stop me from trying to do my very best. But what I do know is that there are many players like myself who have worked hard for their place on those boards and to win a Champ ribbon even if it's 3rd place and they do this the honest way. When you call those people cheaters you are only showing everyone you have a serious lack of sportsmanship.
Stop the bullying people! It may be easier to do if you are sitting at a computer typing hurtful things but it does not remove the pain that your cruel words can cause someone as we never really know who we are talking to online or how it impacts that person. Please treat others as you would like to be treated, with respect.
Players who are on the High Score Boards or win the Champs a lot win for a reason: because they are good at it. They understand most of what I explained above and are applying that to their game. They are racing in the best tack they can find, are practicing the courses, know how to handle their horse well, and have done a lot of work to get to that point. Not all of these people want to win at "all costs" as some people say. These are just people that are playing the game their way. Some people enjoy being successful at running a pixel horse race, whatever their reason is doesn't even matter.
What does matter is that a lot of people have absolutely no sense of Sportsmanship what so ever. There are too many sore losers and a whole bunch of bad winners. People if you win; DO NOT rub it in everyone's face, it doesn't make you cool it just makes you a jerk. Same goes with losing if you lose; do it with honor and don't blame it on others or accuse them of something you know nothing about. If you call someone a cheater that just beat you to a ribbon you may very well just have said that to someone who just got their very first ribbon ever. How would you feel if that was you? Honestly I don't care if it was their first or their hundredth ribbon, they got that ribbon because they ran the race well enough to make it across the finish line before the rest of the other players and that is no crime. I've even seen frequent Champ winners resort to cussing people that beat them. Is winning a pixel ribbon so important to you that you have to resort to yelling at people in four letter words because they beat you fair and square? That is just sad.
As far as I know there are no ways for people to cheat at these races. One "theory" I have heard is that people are deleting the fence files from the game files. It is simply a theory without evidence to back it up. They have set up the game to where it detects those missing files in the games folder and replaces them and this game will NOT run without those fence files. Really, if there is a way I don't want to know it nor do I really care because people who have to resort to actually cheating on a online horse game in order to win are seriously low. They are winning without honor and not with effort and skills, which doesn't make them better then anyone as they are the worst kind of player this game would have to offer. I personally do not think all the work I have put into my horses or the money I have invested in the game is worth the risk of losing it all over trying to win races. So if there truly are any mythical cheaters out there I want them to know: you lack morals and that disgusts me, to call you a rat would be an insult to rats. Should these cheaters be found out and banned I have absolutely no pity for them.
I know Haters gotta Hate as it is what they do and seem to love doing but unless you have rock solid proof that the person you are calling a cheater is in fact one then you need to start thinking before you speak. Check yourself before you wreck yourself. I can't honestly speak for everyone as I have seen some really amazing times on the score boards that make me wonder how they did it that I simply cannot touch no matter how much I practice a race. But that will never stop me from trying to do my very best. But what I do know is that there are many players like myself who have worked hard for their place on those boards and to win a Champ ribbon even if it's 3rd place and they do this the honest way. When you call those people cheaters you are only showing everyone you have a serious lack of sportsmanship.
Stop the bullying people! It may be easier to do if you are sitting at a computer typing hurtful things but it does not remove the pain that your cruel words can cause someone as we never really know who we are talking to online or how it impacts that person. Please treat others as you would like to be treated, with respect.