Sim horse game
Encyclopedia
Sim horse games also called cyberbarn games, horse sims, or virtual horse games, are online browser-based games. Sim horse game generally fall into one of two categories: traditional (classic-forum)or automated / semi-automated. Closely lined are All-Sim and equine RPGs.
s. These games initially were run via email and throughout the course of the 1990s a divergence occurred. Racing gave way to showing and email communication was revolutionized as chat forums began to overtake the sim community. Members were then able to track data in a public place, campaign and breed their horses with one another, and the games became less of a simulation and more of a community. Many sites encourage members to build their own stables to display horse information including show results, photographs, and etc. Most classic sims emphasize realism in gameplay. Today classic sim games still utilize forum style game-play. Many forums are ingenious in their integration of realistic information and statistics right down to BBcode ingenuity.
The middle ground of classic and fully automated sim began in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Hybrid sims utilize classic stylings of forum gameplay but often integrate dynamic pages to simplify record keeping. For example a hybrid sim may have ebanking available for members so checks do not have to be manually collected or tallied. Other hybrid games choose to utilize a discipline specific randomizer for show results and utilize PHP technologies to immediately place results in a community database accessible to all. The most significant factor which defines a sim horse game as a hybrid is the integration of forum style game-play with some automated conveniences. Hybrid sims retain the emphasis of authenticity or realism in gameplay but integrate dynamic conveniences to simplify game-play and expedite in-game processes.
Fully automated sim games often provide a communication option between members but the community feeling is minimized in exchange for greater convenience. Fully automated games often have drawings or graphical representations of horses. Automated sites generally go to greater depth in calculating hunger or energy levels and often utilize some form of automated showing which tends to shift the focus from realism towards a more user-friendly middle ground. Automated sim games are browser-based games which utilize web programming languages such as PHP to automate many of the tasks of traditional sim games, most notably showing. Automated sims do not rely as heavily upon the interaction of their members and as such, though most offer forums, forum participation is not a required part of game play.
Early 1990s gameplay through roughly 1995 exhibited a boom in forum style gameplay. A number of small games emerged and many sites took on horse showing as opposed to simply racing. At this point two clear divisions amongst the SIM community arose: racers vs showers.
Sometime between approximately 1997-2003 independing simming emerged. Many of the small privately owned classic sims failed and owners were left with stables full of online horses that had no place to show. As a result, independent simming and show-only forums emerged to help keep members active and engaged between games.
The late 1990s and early 2000s marked a new era for horse sim games. With increasing html and php skills in the communities, automated features soon arose and sites began to shift from fully manual to incorporating dynamic pages which allowed members to focus on their horses rather than keeping track of money or data.
From 2000-2010 the market for sim games went corporate with a number of large full-automated games emerging including Horseland
which was make in to a short running children's television program. Similar fully automated sites emerged and the privately owned sector made major shifts from email based to forum with many embracing at least partial automation.
Classic vs Automated sim games
Classic or traditional sim horse games emerged in the 1980s as an opportunity for racing enthusiasts to own race horses online and are a branch of life simulation gameLife simulation game
Life simulation games is a sub-genre of simulation video games in which the player lives or controls one or more virtual lifeforms...
s. These games initially were run via email and throughout the course of the 1990s a divergence occurred. Racing gave way to showing and email communication was revolutionized as chat forums began to overtake the sim community. Members were then able to track data in a public place, campaign and breed their horses with one another, and the games became less of a simulation and more of a community. Many sites encourage members to build their own stables to display horse information including show results, photographs, and etc. Most classic sims emphasize realism in gameplay. Today classic sim games still utilize forum style game-play. Many forums are ingenious in their integration of realistic information and statistics right down to BBcode ingenuity.
The middle ground of classic and fully automated sim began in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Hybrid sims utilize classic stylings of forum gameplay but often integrate dynamic pages to simplify record keeping. For example a hybrid sim may have ebanking available for members so checks do not have to be manually collected or tallied. Other hybrid games choose to utilize a discipline specific randomizer for show results and utilize PHP technologies to immediately place results in a community database accessible to all. The most significant factor which defines a sim horse game as a hybrid is the integration of forum style game-play with some automated conveniences. Hybrid sims retain the emphasis of authenticity or realism in gameplay but integrate dynamic conveniences to simplify game-play and expedite in-game processes.
Fully automated sim games often provide a communication option between members but the community feeling is minimized in exchange for greater convenience. Fully automated games often have drawings or graphical representations of horses. Automated sites generally go to greater depth in calculating hunger or energy levels and often utilize some form of automated showing which tends to shift the focus from realism towards a more user-friendly middle ground. Automated sim games are browser-based games which utilize web programming languages such as PHP to automate many of the tasks of traditional sim games, most notably showing. Automated sims do not rely as heavily upon the interaction of their members and as such, though most offer forums, forum participation is not a required part of game play.
Role playing games
This distinctly separate, but related, branch of game-play for equine enthusiasts emphasizes creative writing and players often take on characters they portray in game. Frequently RPGs allow members to be horses rather than own them. Role-playing sim games are usually forum-based with some allowing the member to role-play as an owner, trainer, or rider of one or more horses, or the member may role-play as a horse themselves. Some role-playing games only allow for members to play humans while others only allow members to be horses, and still others allow members to do both.History
In the 1980s sim horse ownership emerged in small email based racing communities. One program, Stretch Drive, was used to great success in these early games in randomizing race results.Early 1990s gameplay through roughly 1995 exhibited a boom in forum style gameplay. A number of small games emerged and many sites took on horse showing as opposed to simply racing. At this point two clear divisions amongst the SIM community arose: racers vs showers.
Sometime between approximately 1997-2003 independing simming emerged. Many of the small privately owned classic sims failed and owners were left with stables full of online horses that had no place to show. As a result, independent simming and show-only forums emerged to help keep members active and engaged between games.
The late 1990s and early 2000s marked a new era for horse sim games. With increasing html and php skills in the communities, automated features soon arose and sites began to shift from fully manual to incorporating dynamic pages which allowed members to focus on their horses rather than keeping track of money or data.
From 2000-2010 the market for sim games went corporate with a number of large full-automated games emerging including Horseland
Horseland
Horseland is an online community that simulates the breeding and raising of horses and dogs. Begun in 1994 in the United States, Horseland has now grown to have more than 7 million users who play from all over the world. Most of the players are girls from age 10 to 22, although a number of adults...
which was make in to a short running children's television program. Similar fully automated sites emerged and the privately owned sector made major shifts from email based to forum with many embracing at least partial automation.
See also
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