What changed
0 fixes2 additions5 changes0 removals
- Gameplay
- Balance
- UI and audio
- Performance
- Events
addedListening to the horse game communityAfter listening to the community, I started to see a hunger for a different kind of horse game. One with infinitely replayable fun gameplay. Such as allowing expression of skill and progressive learning. Also, I saw content creators struggling with creating new original content with current horse games that are often repetitive and grindy. Nothing against that. I have a lot of friends who appreciate games like that. I just saw a big want for something else.
changedI play a lot of different games, and I like actionI play a lot of different games, and I like action and speed in my games. One old game I played as a kid was Tony Hawk. You ride a skateboard and do different tricks while traversing outdoor areas with ramps, rails, and other typical skateboarding features. The whole gameplay is about chaining combos and pushing your score as high as possible while completing different challenges.
changedExpression of skillI saw horse games use checkpoints that you pick up, similar to coins in mobile games. I wanted to do something different. After a long thought, I decided to combine classic disciplines, racing, dressage, and showjumping with archery using a combo system similar to the Tony Hawk game. Every checkpoint, jump, and target is an objective to express your skill - timing, accuracy, and speed.
addedExpression of skillI wanted the player to aim for challenging 100% accuracy on each of these. At the same time, there should be potential for strategy and balancing of speed and accuracy. Then it needs to be intuitive and straightforward to learn for new players without the need for a long tutorial. It took a long time to figure out - visual and audio effects helped a lot.
changedSlow down time mechanic to unlock cool and fun gameplayThe key to the whole gameplay was the introduction of focus state - slow time while aiming. The inspiration came from many games with this mechanic, but my favorite is TimeShift. A fun old FPS game that opened my eyes, how cool it can be. In Equitania, it's automatic. It needs to feel natural and good. I am excited about how the system turned out and expect to fine-tune it with broader user feedback.
changedHorse in the horse gameRegarding the horse itself, I had to be smart about this. I can't create too many complex systems, especially when I have a core gameplay loop that is very specific and requires dynamic and smooth gameplay overall. Too complicated bonding mechanics could kill the pace of the game. I decided to approach it in two ways that combine.
Equitania changes
addedAfter listening to the community, I started to see a hunger for a different kind of horse game. One with infinitely replayable fun gameplay. Such as allowing expression of skill and progressive learning. Also, I saw content creators struggling with creating new original content with current horse games that are often repetitive and grindy. Nothing against that. I have a lot of friends who appreciate games like that. I just saw a big want for something else.
changedI play a lot of different games, and I like action and speed in my games. One old game I played as a kid was Tony Hawk. You ride a skateboard and do different tricks while traversing outdoor areas with ramps, rails, and other typical skateboarding features. The whole gameplay is about chaining combos and pushing your score as high as possible while completing different challenges.
changedI saw horse games use checkpoints that you pick up, similar to coins in mobile games. I wanted to do something different. After a long thought, I decided to combine classic disciplines, racing, dressage, and showjumping with archery using a combo system similar to the Tony Hawk game. Every checkpoint, jump, and target is an objective to express your skill - timing, accuracy, and speed.
addedI wanted the player to aim for challenging 100% accuracy on each of these. At the same time, there should be potential for strategy and balancing of speed and accuracy. Then it needs to be intuitive and straightforward to learn for new players without the need for a long tutorial. It took a long time to figure out - visual and audio effects helped a lot.
changedThe key to the whole gameplay was the introduction of focus state - slow time while aiming. The inspiration came from many games with this mechanic, but my favorite is TimeShift. A fun old FPS game that opened my eyes, how cool it can be. In Equitania, it's automatic. It needs to feel natural and good. I am excited about how the system turned out and expect to fine-tune it with broader user feedback.
After two long years of working as a solo developer on Equitania, I am finally ready to announce it to the world. Let me take you on a journey. Where did the idea come from?
My relationship with horses
I have a close relationship with horses. In the past, when I had more time, I did a lot of trail riding and even had a couple of horses of my own and a small farm. Then life happened… fast forward. I made a couple of smaller VR games and was ready for my first Steam game.
I found a horse game community, and I saw that there are a lot of games, but most of them focus on breeding, realistic simulation, or simple arcade racing. That's great and tells me a lot about what players want, but I felt it's not the whole story.
After listening to the community, I started to see a hunger for a different kind of horse game. One with infinitely replayable fun gameplay. Such as allowing expression of skill and progressive learning. Also, I saw content creators struggling with creating new original content with current horse games that are often repetitive and grindy. Nothing against that. I have a lot of friends who appreciate games like that. I just saw a big want for something else.
I play a lot of different games, and I like action
I play a lot of different games, and I like action and speed in my games. One old game I played as a kid was Tony Hawk. You ride a skateboard and do different tricks while traversing outdoor areas with ramps, rails, and other typical skateboarding features. The whole gameplay is about chaining combos and pushing your score as high as possible while completing different challenges.
Expression of skill
I saw horse games use checkpoints that you pick up, similar to coins in mobile games. I wanted to do something different. After a long thought, I decided to combine classic disciplines, racing, dressage, and showjumping with archery using a combo system similar to the Tony Hawk game. Every checkpoint, jump, and target is an objective to express your skill - timing, accuracy, and speed.
I wanted the player to aim for challenging 100% accuracy on each of these. At the same time, there should be potential for strategy and balancing of speed and accuracy. Then it needs to be intuitive and straightforward to learn for new players without the need for a long tutorial. It took a long time to figure out - visual and audio effects helped a lot.
Slow down time mechanic to unlock cool and fun gameplay
The key to the whole gameplay was the introduction of focus state - slow time while aiming. The inspiration came from many games with this mechanic, but my favorite is TimeShift. A fun old FPS game that opened my eyes, how cool it can be. In Equitania, it's automatic. It needs to feel natural and good. I am excited about how the system turned out and expect to fine-tune it with broader user feedback.
Horse in the horse game
Regarding the horse itself, I had to be smart about this. I can't create too many complex systems, especially when I have a core gameplay loop that is very specific and requires dynamic and smooth gameplay overall. Too complicated bonding mechanics could kill the pace of the game. I decided to approach it in two ways that combine.
Bonding
First, there is a bonding system that rewards resting, feeding,
