Hey everyone, it’s been a while since the last update—time to share what’s new in EQUIRE! This round of progress touches everything from showjumping mechanics to customization options and some of the bigger long-term systems like training and guest schedules.
Showjumping: More Skill, More Variety
I’ve reworked the jumping gameplay to add both realism and decision-making:
Timing minigame update: The sweetspot has shifted toward the end of the bar. You can still play it safe and hit early for a solid but average jump, or risk pushing for the sweetspot with a higher chance of overshooting into the red zone.
Obstacle differentiation: Speed now influences jumps differently. Standard jumps benefit from slowing down and adjusting your stride for height, while length based jumps, like the new water jumps demand speed to cover distance. This makes canter control unique on every parcour and introduces new risk/reward trade-offs.
Together, these tweaks make each course feel more dynamic—your horse’s ability, condition, and your own decisions all matter more.
Customization & Character Updates
I also tackled some long-overdue housekeeping, updating the engine, cleaning code, and refreshing assets. But there’s more:
Character menu integration: The rider model is now part of the menu, making outfit management quick and easy.
Dual outfits: Competition and casual looks can now be set separately.
Horse equipment customization: Each horse has its own customizer for saddles, pads, and protective gear.
On top of that, I experimented with digital clothing creation and managed to put together a basic riding uniform. It’s far from professional tailoring, but it gives the characters a proper competition look.
Training & Guests: Scheduling With Depth
Both training and guest systems got important upgrades this month:
Training segments: Each now consumes energy and comfort. To keep horses healthy and successful, you’ll need to balance intense sessions and competitions with recovery periods.
Guest generation: I set up randomized guest models using the same system as the player character, so each visitor now feels unique.
Expanded guest activities: There are now more activities to slot into guest schedules, and I rebalanced them so different preferences can be satisfied without making scheduling too easy.
Looking ahead, I’d like to connect these systems more strongly with ranch building, for example, requiring a stage to host a talent show, or tying trail ride quality to the number of reserve areas you’ve unlocked.
Wrapping Up
Even though I can’t dedicate full workdays to development right now, EQUIRE is still moving forward steadily. Each of these changes makes the game feel more alive and interconnected, and I’m excited to keep building on them.
That’s all for this update—thanks for reading!