Hi ranchers, I hope your summer is going well! I’m back with a ton of progress to share about The Ranch of Rivershine! In the past month I've been focused on implementing competitions and adding more interactions with your horses! 🍎🐴
Cross Country Competitions
Overview
The cross country competitions are the main way you'll be able to progress in the game and earn money. You’ll be able to access more competitions by completing quests, unlocking new areas and training your horses to a higher skill level.
Difficulty Level
Competitions are ranked between 4 different difficulties: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Expert. You’ll need a horse with the required jump skill level to participate in higher level competitions, so make sure to keep up with their training!
There will be 6 unique maps for the competitions, each with all 4 levels of difficulty, for a total of 24 unique cross country courses.
Prizes & Ribbons
Winning competitions is pretty straightforward, as your only goal is to cross all obstacles as quickly as possible. Depending on your time, you’ll place between the 1st and 6th position and earn the corresponding prize and ribbon. Each ribbon your horse wins will be displayed in their stall and will increase their value at the auction house, so make sure to perform your best!
Earlier last month, I released a video showcasing gameplay footage of the competitions and talking more in depth about this feature. If you’re curious to know more about the cross country, be sure to check this out!
Ranch Improvement
Stable
The stable got a new look! As it’s now more spacious and with bigger windows, it’s easy to see your horses from the outside and get more natural light in. This 4 stall stable is the second upgrade you’ll be able to get for this building, as it can be upgraded from 2 to 12 stalls!
Pastures
The pasture has been expanded from having only one large fenced area, to four of them! Each area is separated by gates you can open and close to control which pastures your horses have access to, and which horses should be kept together in the same pasture. This will come in handy when breeding is added, as you might want to keep stallions and mares separate!
Arenas
Here’s an overview of the training area on your ranch, with the round pen as a new addition! While the round pen doesn’t currently offer any unique training activities, it will come in handy when I add foals later on. They will have their own training techniques, such as lunging, walking over obstacles or being introduced to equipment. These activities will mostly take place in the round pen, so keep an eye out for what I’ll add here!
Wild Forage
You can now gather items in the wild to give to your horses! As you feed hay, grains and treats to your horses daily, they will need a lot of consumable items to be kept healthy. These items can either be purchased in a shop or, if you’d rather save some money, foraged around the ranch and the town!
As I add more areas and different seasons in the game, the items you’ll find will also change depending on the weather and area you’re exploring.
Horse Treats
In addition to hay and grains, you can now also give your horse a treat every day! Treats are usually fruits or vegetables, such as carrots and apples. Compared to hay and grains, which are usually given in the morning, treats are best given in the middle of the day to increase your horse’s energy.
Energy is lost as you do activities with your horse, such as training them or participating in competitions. If your horse has lost too much energy, they won’t be able to do much, or even gallop for the rest of the day! It’s handy to carry treats with you in case your horse needs a little energy boost.
Halter Lead
Horses can now be led around with a halter! It’s useful to move your horse around in the pasture, bring them in and out of the stable, or simply to have them follow you around! Once you’ve earned a horse's trust, you’ll be able to simply whistle for them to follow you. But foals and new horses will need to be led until they get to know you better!
Finally, I wanted to share a video I just posted talking more in depth about all the new features I’ve added in July! If you’d like to see these new features in action, be sure to check it out here!
Take care everyone! ❤️
Éloïse