In the last devlog we talked about new UI, Pre-Race scene, betting system and conditions.

Pre-Alpha Progress and Preparing for Alpha

Horse Racing Manager is currently in its pre-alpha stage. This phase has been ongoing for nearly a month and includes both internal testing and early feedback from members of our Discord community. During this time, we've focused on identifying and fixing bugs, improving stability, and refining the core systems, and the improvement has been very clear and inspiring. The game has grown noticeably since the start of pre-alpha testing, and we will talk more about significant changes in this devlog.

We are now preparing for a public alpha testing. This next phase will take place on Steam and will allow players to access the latest builds as they are released.

Advancements in the Coat DNA System

We've talked about DNA system a lot in the past, and now we've made significant progress on DNA-based coat system. Each horse now carries a genetic profile that determines its coat colour. This system plays a central role in breeding, where the genetic trait of parent horses are combined to produce an offspring with realistic and varied coat outcomes.

Several coat categories are now fully implemented. These include all cream variants, such as smoky black and palomino, as well as the full range of dun, champagne, pearl and silver coats. Each category has been carefully developed by our amazing artist to reflect real-world genetics and provide diversity in the game. Additional coat types are still in development and will be introduced in future updates.

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/44792110/df13748b4f757dc82348d498129a5426603c7959.gif"][/img]Showcase of new implemented coats

Race Environment improvement

Race tracks are set to receive an enormous visual upgrade. Our goal is to enhance the environments with more detailed assets and layered parallax backgrounds, creating a greater sense of depth and atmosphere during races. These changes are part of our broader effort to improve the aesthetic of the game.

This work is currently in progress, and implementation into the game is one of our next key steps.

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/44792110/37f576fbf92f3d4a71e1b4a07bab30ba238e3280.png"][/img]Detailed new race environment.

Theme System Enhancements

The theme system has been expanded to support a much broader range of node types. With this change, we increased flexibility in how themes are structured and applied. It lays the groundwork for enormous possibilities for everyone to express their creativity through custom themes. Our team has created multiple themes, that are implemented into the game as "Default Set', but we are excited to see themes created by the community.

Race Logic and NPC Behaviour

The system that determines which horses participate in races has been reworked to improve both fairness and realism. Previously, NPC-owned horses were selected in a way that could lead to inconsistent or unbalanced race lineups. With the new weighted ranking system, horses are now chosen based on their performance, condition and other relevant factors.

This way we ensure more competitive races and more believable racing environment, also stronger horses are more likely to appear in higher stakes events, while still leaving room for surprises and disappointments.

Simulation System Overhaul

We've made improvements to how the simulation system is presented. Previously, when the simulation was running, the interface could make it unclear how far the process was. The updated version now provides a clearer and more informative simulation view.

In addition, players now have more control over simulation process. Player can stop the simulation manually at any time, or let it pause automatically when an important event occurs - such as a race result, a message, or important decision point.

The simulation panel has also been redesigned to provide clearer information to understand what is happening in the background and what is happening next.

Interactive Mail System

The in-game mail system has been updated to support direct interaction. Message that includes subjects such as trade offers, invitations, or other decisions now come with action button, allowing player to respond immediately without need to navigate through additional menus. Current state of this system is still buggy, but we are working on polishing it to desired state.

We've also in the process of reworking parts of the mail system to improve how messages are structured.

Home Page Redesign

The home page has been redesigned to serve as central hub for all key information for player. It now includes a calendar view that displays upcoming events, such as races, training sessions and other scheduled activities. Each event is marked with a colour-coded icon, making it easy to distinguish between different types of events.

Clicking on any event in the calendar takes you directly to its details, allowing quick access for player. The home page also shows the current status of all player-owned horses, including their condition and readiness. Additionally the most recent messages are displayed, helping players stay up to date without needing to switch scenes.

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/44792110/67cd0aef20c9f63b32dc9970cde9ff2fd654788d.png"][/img]Redesigned home page

Betting System Update

The betting system has been fine-tuned to improve betting accuracy and usability. NPCs now place bets based on logical criteria, and payouts are calculated correctly based on race outcomes, creating consistent betting system. We've also improved the race front view, where betting now takes place directly. This makes it easier to place bets and follow the action without needing to navigate away from race interface.

Database & Performance

We have upgraded to SQLite version 4.5. Alongside this, several database queries have been optimised, especially those that affect performance in the later stages of the game, leading to faster load times and smoother gameplay, particularly when the game world becomes more populated and complex.

Alpha Testing

We are now in middle of internal testing of the game with help of handful of community members, who has contributed a lot to game development process, soon after it's mostly functional, we will open alpha testing to our whole community. In this version player will already own a stable, unlike in final version where you start out unemployed.

Ko-Fi Support

If you'd like to support our developers throughout the journey, we created Ko-Fi page for Horse Racing Manager. Donations are completely optional and won't grant any perks such as early-alpha, we'd like to keep testing open to everyone in our Discord. That said, any donations are appreciated! Ko-Fi link here!

Discord Server

We have member count of over 300 already. If you have suggestions, ideas or something else you want to talk about, it's a great platform and an easy way to reach us. Join the server here!

Whats next

We had originally planned to launch early access in early June. However, as development progressed, we identified more bugs than expected and saw opportunity to further improve the overall playing experience. Rather than rushing the release, we've decided to take additional time to polish the game and ensure it matches the quality we are aiming for.

A new release window will be announced in future.

Development is ongoing, and we will keep you updated on our progress. We are continuously working to enhance Horse Racing Manager, and your feedback is invaluable. Our goal is to make this franchise the most realistic horse racing simulator in the world. Don't forget to add Horse Racing Manager to your Steam wishlist! Your support is crucial for us and greatly appreciated.

Wishlist Horse Racing Manager Here!