The reason why Starters Orders is so Good - United States Racing Association - SOPL International Season I - Starters Orders - Online Racing League World - Message Board - Yuku

The reason why Starters Orders is so Good

Add Reply New Topic New Poll

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Author	Comment
dcdean	The reason why Starters Orders is so Good	Lead	[-]
Posts: 192 (04/26/08 7:13 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None Potential US players, I know you may be familiar with G1 Jockey and Gallop racer which are great at what they do, but imagine this, I personaly belive, having played all these games, that Starters Orders is the best, just imagine this scenario - You have bred the horse impeccably, youve trained it to its maximum potential, you galloped it hard, you gave it a rest, You entrusted your best jockey with it, you backed it at big prices, know you sweat. You have no control, you watch, helpless - that is the immense beauty of the SOPL, will it win or get beat beat by a short head - will you join us?
fort78		#1	[-]
Posts: 88 (06/08/08 9:00 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I want to buy this game, as I enjoyed SO2, but I have the same concerns about this entry as I did with the last: it isn't a very accurate representation of US racing. The scheduling, the finishing times (which really is killing me), the betting, the training, etc. Can someone talk me out of passing on this game or am I right that SO3 still doesn't accurately represent US racing?
colmodea		#2	[-]
Posts: 1891 (06/08/08 12:46 PM) President SOPL International Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I can understand anyone's concerns for US racing. Especially since the US players tend to favour the Gallop racer series with it's fantastic graphics, but as for real world horse racing sim model, it's one of the most accurate. Answering your questions: Finishing times improve as bloodlines improve Why do you find the training as inaccurate rep of US racing? One of our US players is putting together a more accurate model of the US schedule and he should be releasing that soon. I don't know much about the US betting format, so can't respond to that one. Hope that answers your queries or gives you a little more encouragement to go for it. Colm
beau1935		#3	[-]
Posts: 1105 (06/08/08 2:13 PM) President League of Champions Gallop Racer 2006 USRA President SOPL International Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	The betting does not fully represent US style betting. The "E/W" bet threw me off at first, but it is essentially a "Show" bet. You can bet to "Win", "Show" and you can bet "Exactas". There are no "Daily Doubles", "Trifectas", "Superfectas" or other exotic betting. Having said that I must now state that the betting is not central to the focus of the game. It's only a way to get your nest egg going. The selling races detailed in the game are not representative of US style claiming races. All horses entered in claiming races are available to be purchased BEFORE the race. Auctioning off the winner of a selling race is a novel concept to us colonials. It's not worse, it's just different. This is also not central to the focus of the game. The main focus of this game is buildiing up your stable and breeding operation with the goal of owning the best string of stakes winning thoroughbreds ever. There isn't another feeling like taking 5 runners to Dubai and coming away with 4 wins and $20,000,000! You will be so proud the first time one of your homebred runners wins that Breeder's Cup race or the Derby, Preakness and the Belmont! This game has a tremendous amount of entertainment to offer and is well worth the price. I am currently waiting on my first foal from my top stakes winning mare, Reason To Jett, to begin competition! Now I have lots of homebreds, but Reason To Jett was the best of them and I can't wait to see what her babies do! This game will have you on the edge of your seat, screaming for your horse to get up and nip them at the wire!! Beau ps - My showcase schedule as currently edited includes all of the NEW Breeder's Cup races (except for the Turf Mile). I especially like the new Breeder's Cup Marathon, 1m4 over dirt. I will be glad to send it to anyone who wants it. I am also expanding the schedule to add back some G3 and G2 races. When I get it done, I will make it available as well.
beau1935		#4	[-]
Posts: 1107 (06/08/08 4:36 PM) President League of Champions Gallop Racer 2006 USRA President SOPL International Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Here's some of that excitement I was talking about. My first homebred breeding stallion is named Vimy Ridge. He was competetive in his racing career, but only won 5 races. Of the 5 wins, 2 were Breeder's Cup Classic wins. That's ok, but really nothing to write home about. Where he's making a mark is in the breeding shed. My current season is very exciting because 2 daughters of Vimy Ridge have each won one jewel of the Triple Crown. French Maid (Vimy Ridge X La Belle Fleur) has won all 5 races so far this year. Her first 2 were 0-100 Handicaps. She then proceeded to reel off wins in the 1m Gotham Stakes (G3), the 1m1 Fantasy Stakes (G3) and the 1m1 Preakness Stakes (G1). Unbeaten this season, I have high hopes for her. Scarlet Tango (Vimy Ridge X Fortissima) has won 3 of 4 races so far. Her first race was a win in a 0-90 Handicap. Her second race was a win in a non-featured Grade 3 stakes race. For her third race I reached a bit. I entered her in the Dubai World Cup. I would have entered her in the 1m1 UAE Derby (G1), but her half brother Riva Ridge was already entered. Surprisingly, she came in second place beaten by a head. Pretty impressive considering she was running against older horses, stallions and mares both. Her latest race was a victory in the 1m2 Kentucky Derby (G1). She's entered in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and I hope she can get the distance. See? Oodles of fun! Beau
JimCougar		#5	[-]
Posts: 14174 (06/08/08 9:08 PM) ORLWorld Founder Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	fort78 wrote: I want to buy this game, as I enjoyed SO2, but I have the same concerns about this entry as I did with the last: it isn't a very accurate representation of US racing. The scheduling, the finishing times (which really is killing me), the betting, the training, etc. Can someone talk me out of passing on this game or am I right that SO3 still doesn't accurately represent US racing? You know fort78, when Mark presented Starters Orders I to me 5 years ago, I wasn't impressed with it at all. There was no breeding feature in the game, no multiplayer feature and it was also all UK racing which I knew nothing about. I could have just passed on the game, but I didn't. The reason that I didn't was because the creator of the game was so accessible. He was willing to take suggestions on how to improve the game. Tecmo Japan certainly wasn't. I asked Mark if he would be willing to add breeding into the game because ORLWorld members were spoiled when it came to creating homebreds. He put it in which floored me. Can you remember a time in six years when Tecmo Games Japan has ever listened to any of us once on our suggestions for the Gallop Racer series? When I found out he was building breeding into Starters Orders Pro I then asked him if he would create a feature that would accommodate a multiplayer league with his game engine. I told him about the multiplayer feature in the Gallop Racer series and how unfriendly it was for league competition. Mark then built EXACTLY what I had asked for in the league-only Race Construction Kit. He then went on to modify it when DodgyDave created the Trainers Office Manager (TOM) so that the manual labor of managing the operations of the league were reduced dramatically. After Starters Orders 2 was released I asked Mark if he would create a US Add On Pack for the game. He was unfamiliar with US racing so I was in charge of the compilation project and asked the help of a couple other ORLWorld members. I added 10,000 US thoroughbred names to the pack, 100 US trainers and a countless number of US jockeys. I spent weeks creating a US schedule and did the best that I could. It was released and has now been included in SO3. Frankly, I was just too busy to update the US side for SO3, but that doesn't mean that it can be done by other US gamers with more knowlege of US racing than me. Beau and mtk76 have already created more workable racing schedules that can be added to the US mode right now. Anything else that you or anyone else can improve on the US side will be eagerly received by me and the rest of the US fans of the game. This is how the AUS mode came into being also. And someday there will be a AUS Racing Association in the SOPL International as well. That is the beauty of the Starters Orders series and its creator Mark Loveday. Improving the game is only limited to our imaginations because Mark is willing and able. So jump in and make it the game that YOU would like to play and it surely will be. Last Edited By: JimCougar 06/08/08 9:14 PM. Edited 4 times.
beau1935		#6	[-]
Posts: 1115 (06/10/08 4:24 PM) President League of Champions Gallop Racer 2006 USRA President SOPL International Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Scarlet Tango couldn't get the distance. Too bad. She faded in the final furlong and finished a disappointing 8th. Her next outing she finished 4th, 1/2 length out of first. Her last race was a winner so she's back on track. Good news! French Maid, on the other hand, has now won 8 races in a row (6 of them graded stakes) and is still rolling strong! Her last race was the Grade 1 Diana Stakes and she cruised home by 3 lengths. I love watching Jerry Bailey ride her. He settles her in about midpack and then sits chilly, just moving along and keeping her out of trouble. When she gets to the head of the stretch, he turns her loose and she leaps forward and blows by the competition. What a wonderful filly! Big time fun! Beau

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Quick Reply