Horse Racing Manager demo

1. INTRODUCTION Imagine you are an owner, a trainer, breeder, gambler or jockey in the highest circles of horseracing. In HORSE RACING MANAGER, you will be able to be all of those in a single game or focus on one specific activity. Each activity will require specific know-how that you will be able to acquire with each game. As an owner, you will have to keep an eye on your finances and optimise the working time of your staff as well as yours. As a trainer, you will have to prepare your horses according to the goals you will have set for the season, bearing in mind each horse’s characteristics and your financial constraints. Your ultimate goal as a trainer will be to improve their overall characteristics to their maximum capacity. As a breeder, you will seek and hopefully find the right matches for reproduction, you will also be in charge of the weekly report on each of your horses. As a gambler, you will be able to visit the greatest racetracks and follow the greatest races, live. You will have to use all your gambling skills to increase your initial capital and avoid bankruptcy. As a jockey, you will have to show your talents as a competitor and strategist in real time. Take into account your horse, the competitors, the racetrack, the weather conditions in order to have a chance to win. Become a solo expert and then come face the other players in a LAN or on the internet, either in the racing or in the betting mode. 1.1. Game Objectives There are as many objectives to the game as there are ways to tackle it. For example, you may wish to become the best stable in terms of fame or financial gain. You may also aim to breed the near-perfect horse... or quite simply to play for the pleasure of improving over the years. Nevertheless, we have determined a number of precise objectives in the stable mode. If you complete them, you will be able to play with new horses and new jockeys in the multiplayer mode. 1.2. Options Adjust the volume of the game with the slider Graphical options : To select one the five qualities of graphics, click on the corresponding button. If you choose CUSTOMIZE, you will be required to select in detail the options you wish to have, for the textures, the shadows and the geometry. 2. RACE MODE 1 - Choice of the type of race and meeting 2 - Information on the selected meeting 3 - Choice of your horse and jockey 2.1 Choice of the meeting Select the RACE TYPE: gallop or trot In CHOICE OF THE MEETING, select one in the proposed list. When your choice is done, the details of the competition, which includes 3 to 12 races, will appear on the right. By clicking on SELECT A HORSE, you will be able to choose the horse with which you will run all the races of the meeting. Select the one which best corresponds to your racing method, while taking into account the racing conditions you will face. By clicking on SELECT A JOCKEY, you will be able to choose the jockey with whom you will run all the races of the meeting. With a little experience, you will be able to determine which fits the character of each horse best. When you have finished your selections, click on LAUNCH THE GAME to start the meeting. 2.2 Meeting This screen gives general information concerning the meeting and details on the upcoming race. You can also visualise the track on which you are about to run. Pay attention to the location of the arrival gate as well as to the width of the turns. This can be vital information in elaborating a racing strategy. By clicking on SIMULATE, you will not see the actual race. You will have access directly to the order of arrival and the racing times. By clicking on SEE/PARTICIPATE, you will access the pre-race screens. 2.3 Pre-race Box Screen You will find here all the important information on the upcoming race. By clicking on the list of horses, you will be able to see all the competitors. For a handicapped race, you will see next the handicap each horse will sustain for the race. It is always expressed in kilograms, except for mounted trot races, where it will be expressed in metres. Presentation Ring Screen You will see the most recent information gathered by yourself, just before the race. Information concerning the weather conditions, the state of the track and a classification of all your competitors will appear and should help you refine your racing strategy. 2.4 The Race 1 - Course of the track 2 - Energy bar of the whip 3 - Whip button (Enter) 4 - Timer 5 - Information on the competitor 6 - Current ranking 7 - Distance bars 8 - Speed bar 9 - Energy bar 10 - Priority of the jockey 11 - Exposure to the wind 12 - Fault 13 - Indications on the wind 14 - Observed opponent Ready to flex your muscles on the track? The horse and jockey you control are highlighted. The screen is always centered on your horse. The view You may zoom at your convenience by using the mousewheel. Using this possibility may be vital in certain conditions as you may want to see the pack differently in order to have a view of the overall speed of the race. You may also move the camera around your jockey. To do this, right-click, hold and shift sideways with the mouse. Shifting sideways can be very useful to observe your adversaries or the racecourse. Information during the race During the race, you have access to three pieces of information: The course of the track in the upper right hand corner: the white dot indicates your current position. The flag gives you the position of the finish post. With a quick look, you can thus assess the distance before the next turn or the arrival line. The windsock on the left: it indicates the strength and direction of the wind. You should take this into account for your racing strategy. Taking the lead with a strong headwind may tire the horse in vain and ruin your chances of victory if your horse does not possess sufficient stamina. Ranking indicator and timer: they show your ranking within the pack and the time elapsed. Observation of the opponents You may observe your opponents during the race to obtain information to enable you to adjust your racing strategy. A left click on an opponent will display an arrow above the target and a window on the right containing some information. They are the following: Name of the horse Name of the jockey Current speed The appreciation of your jockey on the shape of the observed horse Next to the information given by your jockey, up to five green dots may appear. They represent the reliability of your jockey’s appreciation. The more green dots, the more reliable the information. The jockey’s most important characteristic for adequate judgement is lucidity. WARNING: the information will only stay on your screen a few seconds. It will then disappear. The start To get a good start, you need to accelerate as quick as possible. Use the button which will appear at this occasion. Click on the button (or press SPACE) for the progress bar to rise and click a second time for it to stop. The bar must be stopped as close to the right side as possible for the best start. Warning: you will have only one chance. Missing the start on a short race may jeopardise the outcome of that particular race. Steeple chase You must choose the action bar to perform your jump during a steeple chase. Use the bar in the same way as for the start. The bar will appear 100 m before the hurdle, you will therefore have only a few seconds to left-click. The performance of your jump will have a direct impact on your reception and therefore on your speed after the hurdle. The whip You will have the possibility of whipping your horse to momentarily increase its speed. The action button and the energy reserve bar for the whip are located in the bottom right of the screen. The more the green bar is full, the more efficient each whipping. Left-click to activate the whip, the horse will gain some speed by consuming its whip energy. The green energy reserve bar will decrease by approximately one third each time. At the beginning of the race, your whip energy reserve bar will not necessarily be at its maximum level, as the quantity of energy available depends on a number of characteristics of which the most important is the shape of the horse. During the race, if you use the whip, your quantity of energy will increase until it reaches its initial level. It will increase all the faster as there is a good feeling between the horse and the jockey (Cf. section choice of the jockey in meeting mode) and if you focus the attention of the jockey on the recuperation of the horse (Cf. infra). The Speed You may request a precise speed from your horse by adjusting the speed bar at the bottom centre of the screen. There are three methods to adjust the speed: Click directly on the bar: Fast method Click and hold on the white cursor and move it along the bar: Method to alternate important speed variations. Click on the arrows located at the two extremities of the bar: fine tuning If you modify the speed, the white cursor will immediately move. On the other hand, the horse will have a delayed reaction to acceleration or deceleration orders. The brown gauge inside the bar reflects the actual speed of the horse. Racing energy Racing energy is represented by the coloured bar below the speed bar. This bar is always full at the start of the race. It will decrease with the effort you are requiring from the horse. The faster you are running and the more wind you are facing (Cf. infra) the more energy you will consume. If you have no energy left at the end of the race, your horse will maintain a minimum speed to finish the race, but all your adversaries will overtake you. To help you manage this energy, you may compare your energy bar to the one just below it. This is the distance bar and it indicates the distance you have run compared to the total length of the race. By comparing the two bars, you will easily see if you are running under or over your capacity. Attention of the jockey Use the cursor in the three-colour circle in the bottom left of the screen. You may ask the jockey to focus his attention on three different elements: technique, recuperation or wind protection and thus benefit from the bonus in each of these categories. Red represents technique, blue is wind protection and green is recovery of whip energy. The more a colour is intense, the higher the bonus in this area. By moving the cursor, you will modify the breakdown of the bonus. Left-click on the cursor, hold and move to the desired place. By placing the cursor on technique, you will improve your overtaking speed in gallop or increase the fault threshhold in trot. This threshhold is visible on the bar on the far left (only in trot). The redder it is, the closer you are to making a fault. If the bar is full, your horse will fault, disqualifying you from the race and you will lose control of your horse. The evolution of this bar is therefore very important and it requires constant monitoring to ensure victory. By placing the wind protection cursor adequately, you will improve the wind penetration and save racing energy. The level of resistance to the wind can be seen on the blue bar on the left hand side. If it is full, wind protection is at its worst, if it is empty, it is at its best. By placing the cursor on whip energy recovery, you will increase the recuperation rate in whip energy. Pause and Simulation Hitting the P key will put the game into pause. Hitting the ESC key will allow you to simulate the end of the race. 2.5 Post-Race Ranking Screen You will see the results of the last race, the gains of the first six horses and the racing times. Gains and Comments Screen You will see your racing gains, your betting gains and the comments of the jockey. The jockey will first comment on the horse’s performance during the race. He will then give you an appreciation on his relation with the horse. This comment will be useful in deciding whether you will want the same jockey for this particular horse in future races. 3. BETTING MODE As soon as you show up to bet, your time is limited: you have only 3 minutes before the race is launched. 3.1 Choice of the meeting Select the RACE TYPE: gallop or trot In CHOICE OF THE MEETING, select one in the proposed list. When your choice is done, the details of the competition, which includes 3 to 12 races, will appear on the right. When you have finished your selections, click on LAUNCH THE GAME to start the meeting. 3.2 Pre-race Box Screen You will find here all the important information on the upcoming race. By clicking on the list of horses, you will be able to see all the competitors. Gamer's Hell rules, doesn't it? For a handicapped race, you will see next to each horse the handicap it will sustain during the race. It is always expressed in kilograms, except for mounted trot races, where it will be expressed in metres. Presentation Ring Screen You will see the most recent information gathered by yourself, just before the race. Information concerning the weather conditions, the state of the track and a classification of all your competitors will appear and should help you refine your racing tactic. Tip Screen You may refer to three specialised magazines and two bookmakers to help you place your bets. Only the bookmakers will charge you for their opinion. Each of the five sources base their analyses on different pieces of information to yield their forecasts. You will have to make up your own opinion based on the elements available to you. Betting Screen 1 - Different types of bet 2 - Choice of the horse 3 - Amount of the bet you wish to place 4 - Odds table 5 - Registered bets 6 - Bet validation button The different betting possibilities appear on the right side of the screen, and the evolution of the odds and the bets you have already placed appear on the left. The odds There are two odds for each horse: one for the bookmakers which usually varies slowly and one for the official betting federation / Mutual Pool, which usually varies very quickly. Each horse’s odds fluctuates for 3 minutes, the coloured arrows show the most recent trend (up or down). Registered and confirmed bets All the registered and confirmed bets are listed here. They cannot be cancelled. You may register your bets on the left side of the screen You may choose one of two betting modes. You can place your bet either with a bookmaker or with the Mutual Pool. The bets stay the same, with the exception of the odds which will be used to calculate your gains. The Mutual Pool will use the final odd after the 3 minutes, while the bookmaker will use the odd at the time you register your bet. This detail may make a difference as the odds may vary significantly during the 3 minutes. You will see the most recent information gathered by yourself, just before the race. Information concerning the weather conditions, the state of the track and a classification of all your competitors will appear and should help you refine your racing tactic. Not all types of bets yield the same leverage: a horse tipped to win will generate higher gains than a placed horse. You will find a description below each type of bet to help you decide. To place your bet, click on the button(s) and select the number of the horses you wish to bet on. Then click on the textbox to indicate the sum you wish to bet. When you are certain of your choice, click on VALIDATE THIS BET. You will then find your bet in the VALIDATED BETS box. 3.3 The Race During the race, in the betting mode, you will have the possibility of seeing the race. Two types of camera are available. The first is the TV type and the second allows to follow the horse of your choice. You may change cameras by clicking on one of the two icons. The camera is always centered on a horse, you may modify the target by clicking on the arrows located on both sides of the icons. 3.4 Results the bets After the race, you will be able to consult the betting results screen in detail.