A Cybergaming History

More than a decade has passed since I began cybergaming, but I continually find myself returning to the same fun (and strangely enough, often the same people) that originally attracted me to these games.

Spring River Caballo Farm was built in Dream Horse Club on Prodigy in 1993.  During this time the internet was not the power-house that it is regarded as today.  Prodigy was a growing internet provider and DHC was a SIM game that took place entirely on message boards.  Shows were small but interaction was huge.  Before long I built up a considerably large collection of horses.  However, this was not to last forever as I was disconnected from the internet and had to wait to return to DHC.  In the meantime I took Spring River and simmed through snail mail.  It was a long, drawn-out process that involved little showing, and a ton of breeding.  Before long I had over two hundred horses who now resided at SCRF and it's companion barn, Summer Meadows Thoroughbred Acres.  

After a while I was able to rejoin the electronic world and joined a few clubs here and there, Equus Forever being one of them, but most of the games were small and insignificant, turning out to be forgettable flights of fancy.  In the meantime though I had built Cloud Nine Show Jumpers, Autumn Rare Breeds Farm, Summer's Past Breeding Farm.  With all this property though I became quite overwhelmed.  I soon moved to Horse Country and joined MANE.  There I scrapped my different facilities and instead built Five Farm Acres.  For a while I took pleasure in owning hundreds of horses.  I knew each one's parentage and discipline and felt that the more I owned, the better.  But I had much to learn, and I did.  I came to enjoy certain horses more than others and felt an urge to change my game play, but was unsure on what exactly needed changing.

About two years passed and Five Farm Acres was excelling but I wasn't happy with the progress.  I went on a rampant brainstorm.  By the end of my intense creation sessions MANE had closed its doors.  So I packed up, and moved to PONY.  This time I was determined to change.

And so, Vintage Integrity Providence was born.  To this day, that name has been my absolute favorite of all my barns.  I took this new barn and built it up to a point where it held quite a renowned reputation.  With champion horses such as Suerte, Nebelhorn, Gixibar, and Danced Maverick, VIP became known as a top competition barn.  I still owned over one hundred horses, but was happy with my more manageable number that fell below two-hundred.  I took this vision and went further.  I launched an eventing breeding program.

Vintage Integrity Nemesis Eventers sizzled and broke out into the eventing scene with fierce determination.  Buyers sought out VINE bred horses, especially ones sired by the flagship stallion, MXCA Danced Maverick (MECS).  A titled and elite stallion stood his ground and competed with alarming precision and spirit.  He continued to win championship after championship and became the most valued horse on VIP's property.  To this day, there is still talk of reinstating VINE and bringing back that champion Morgan.

But after about a year and a half PONY showed signs of slowing, even though VINE had brought VIP into a state of great notoriety.  So I moved yet again.  This time, I packed everything.  Every single horse, every single previous barn, was packed away.  I moved back to Horse Country which had opened a new HOCK and took a new name as well, Ophelia Hyatt.  This time I was really determined to find a more clear focus.  I closed all my packing boxes, except for one.  That one box belonged to Phar Black Foot.  I can't say exactly what led me to keep him.  All I can say is that he called for me to take him with me, I listened, and I haven't been sorry since.  In light of my new gaming name I built The Hamlet Estate.  

The Hamlet Estate was built slowly and surely.  Never at any time did the ranks of horses surge over thirty head.  I concentrated on only English disciplines, with a few dabbles in Western that all ended unsuccessfully.  It took two years for me and THE to return to the state that I had been in during previous games.  THE bred horses were being lightly sought after.  Only a few foals were born each year and I kept most of them, so a THE bred foal became a rare sight off the property.  During its two year commitment to HOCK The Hamlet Estate had the privilege of owning such champions as Calypso Gold (HWR Grade II Stallion, HSJA Lifetime Breeder), Lettergram A (HWR Grade II Stallion, HSJA Lifetime Breeder, and Second Best German Bred in HWR), L'Accord (HSJA Reserve Champion Grand Prix Jumper and winner of over 140 ribbons), Skip N Disaster, and Titan's Quiet Miracle.  In addition to the horses, I was doing well on the HEqA circuit as well as the equitation classes in the HHSA Hacking circuit.  I was building up a staff of recognizable virtual riders who were also earning ribbons of their own.  

One rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch, and I think this becomes especially relevant in cybergaming.  The new HOCK ran its course.  Members dropped off one by one, some members were simply never heard from.  A handful of players became the main source of activity.  More and more players left, sick of holding up everyone else.  I soon started looking for a new place to relocate.  That's when I stumbled upon Hay Land (which was run by "Shakes" from DHC on Prodigy).

Determined to engage in even more realistic game play with a focus on quality not quantity, I chose only my four best-loved equines from The Hamlet Estate, packed up the rest as I had done before, and moved.  Phar Black Foot was again a horse that came with me.  I can't explain the draw I felt toward him.  There are certain creations that everybody has that they'll never be able to let go or explain why this is their top horse...that is the way between Phar Black Foot and me.  The others: Macaria, Cerynean, and Mesmerism were the same, but maybe not as special as Phar.  The magnetism that made me choose them for the move is unexplainable.

was conceived for Hay!Land.  Approved on August 12, 2002, the goal then was to specialize in a much smaller facility for Thoroughbreds and Hanoverians.  My mission was to have compassion for all players (equine and human), to exhibit perseverance after almost ten years of gaming, and to continually pursue excellence.  And I even chose a mottow: Quality of Care, not Quantity of Champions.  Hay!Land became a pretty permanent presence in my life; I engaged in game play from July 2002 to April 2004 (twenty-one months!).  I concentrated on realistic gameplay via a calendar, constant vet checkups, a detailed account for all tack, and appropriate sale prices.  I soon tired of many younger players though.  Maybe I was getting too old for these games? 

I decided it was time for me to leave, but I wanted to truly leave and wipe the slate clean.  I started buying up any stock that NEM had bred, especially Phar Black Foot progeny.  In a selfish move I created a massive fire at NEM that destroyed nearly all my stock, including my beloved Phar Black Foot.  The goal was to have as few of my own creative ideas floating around out there as possible.  Fellow gameplayers abhored my move and asked me politely to leave.  I stayed a couple more months only to sell off the last bit of stock I had left over then I parted ways with the game.

During the same time I was playing in H!L I was also playing Caballus, a place that suited my personality more.  Created by former Horse Country players this was a place where I could be myself among others who were closer in age.  I kept the same barn name, nearly the same at least, and from February 2003 to March 2004 Nymeria Manor grew with sixteen solid horses, most notably my two eventers: ArC. Real Folk Blues and ArC. Apple of Discord.  I pledged to keep everything in this game new.  I created horses from scratch, nothing from any previous game I have played, and bought a few off other players. 

While there I also created Crimson Advocate Park, a top-line racing facility created with the goal of building a more reputable and varied racing scene in the game. There owners could board horses using a simple form where they would still have all control over their horse. Purses were created from these boarding fees with the goal that bigger awards would attract more players. A few other similar facilities were constructed by other players and an international circuit started to emerge.

Real life got pretty busy though and I gradually exited Caballus.  In the meantime my career as an educator took up most of my time.  Not only that, but my husband and I also became pregnant after more than a year of trying and we had a son! 

Now I'm looking for a daily activity that I can do to "relax."  I scrapbook in my spare time, but that's not really something I can do for just thirty minutes or so, consider myself done, and then walk away to do something else.  So I've returned (AGAIN!) to cybergaming, this time to Riata, a place also created by former HC players, and with many of the same people that I played with in MANE, HOCK, and Caballus.  At first I had no intention of opening a barn, rather I wanted to simply enjoy gameplay with no more than five horses.  However, an original idea started burrowing in my mind and I couldn't let go.  So now, with a Japanese theme, I present Kataki Orchard, a place where champions blossom.

Last Updated December 22, 2005
This page is part of a game: Riata