Welcome to an in-depth look at the enhanced breeding system in Rival Stars Horse Racing. This guide is designed to help both new and experienced players optimize their horse breeding strategies, leading to a more successful and enjoyable experience in building a top-tier stable. We will explore the intricacies of crossbreeding, trait inheritance, and essential foal care to maximize your chances of success.
Understanding Horse Breeds and Crossbreeding
In Rival Stars Horse Racing, every horse belongs to a specific breed, adding a rich layer of diversity to your virtual stable. The game features several distinct breeds, each with its own characteristics.
The primary breeds available in Rival Stars Horse Racing include:
- (TB) Thoroughbred
- (SF) Selle Français
- (AH) Arabian
- (QH) Quarter Horse
Crossbreeding allows you to combine these breeds, creating foals with a unique genetic blend. The rules for crossbreeding are as follows:
- A horse is considered a crossbreed if it possesses less than 90% of any single breed.
- Conversely, if a crossbreed is bred to have more than 90% of one specific breed, it will be recognized as a purebred.
- Foals inherit an equal distribution of their parents’ genetic makeup. Breeding two purebreds will result in a 50-50 crossbreed.
- A foal’s genetic makeup can comprise a maximum of four different breeds.
The precise breed composition of a foal is clearly displayed on the Breeding Screen under ‘Definite Breed Makeup’. Understanding these proportions is key to achieving specific breed outcomes.
The Exciting World of Traits
The Traits system introduces a dynamic element to Rival Stars Horse Racing, significantly impacting how you approach breeding and competition. By strategically pairing horses and providing dedicated care, you can blend traits and breeds in novel ways that align with your unique goals and playstyle. This system enables you to cultivate a diverse and competitive stable by exploring various traits that can enhance performance, conserve energy, or offer distinct breeding advantages.
Types of Traits
Traits are categorized into several types, each with its own implications:
- Standard Traits: These are the most commonly encountered traits and are widely available throughout the game.
- Breed Traits: These traits are intrinsically linked to specific breeds. For example, Thoroughbreds are renowned for their exceptional speed over short to medium distances.
- Breed Pro Traits: This is an advanced version of a Breed Trait, activated when a horse’s dominant breed percentage exceeds 80%. This occurs under two conditions:
- Your foal’s breed composition is 80% or more of a particular breed.
- Your foal inherits a trait associated with its dominant breed.
- Star Club Traits: These exclusive traits can only be found on horses belonging to Star Club studs.
- Exotic Traits: These rare traits appear only during special Exotic Traits events and have the unique ability to combine effects from multiple race types.
Beyond their type, each Trait is visually represented by a shape indicating the game modes it influences, such as Flat Racing or Steeplechase. Some traits may even affect multiple modes or fall under a ‘Misc’ category. For more detailed information on any specific Trait, you can access Horse Details or tap on the Trait icon.
Trait Inheritance Explained
When a foal is born, its trait inheritance follows specific patterns:
- A foal will inherit the majority of its traits from its parents.
- Unless the parents lack sufficient traits to fill the foal’s available trait slots, the foal will inherit at least one trait from the Random Trait Pool.
- If the parents do not possess enough traits to fulfill the foal’s trait slots, the foal will draw more from the genetic variance pool.
- The likelihood of a foal inheriting a specific trait increases if both parents share that same trait.
- Crucially, a foal will never possess two identical traits.
Essential Foal Care
Once your mare has given birth, you’ll be introduced to your newborn foal. This is a critical stage where you can examine its stats, genes, and traits to decide whether to nurture it, sell it, or age it up. It’s important to note that the mother horse remains in the Foaling Stall until the foal is born, rendering her unable to compete during this period. She becomes available for racing and competing again once the foal has arrived. Keep this in mind when planning to breed your most valuable horses.
Maximizing Foal Potential with Regular Care
Consistent care and feeding of your foal are essential for developing its extra bonus stats. Regular check-ins and feeding will help your foal achieve the maximum available bonus points, significantly contributing to its overall performance and competitiveness.
The Role of Caretakers
To ensure your foal reaches its full potential without constant supervision, consider hiring a Caretaker. A Caretaker offers several advantages:
- Trait Change: If you wish to alter a specific trait, a Caretaker can assist. The replacement trait will be randomly chosen from traits your foal has not inherited from its parents or, if necessary, from the general Random Trait Pool.
- Max Stat Bonus: With a Caretaker, your foal will automatically receive the maximum possible bonus points for its grade, eliminating the need for frequent check-ins and boosting its performance potential.
Subscriber Benefits
For Star Club subscribers, a Caretaker is automatically hired upon the birth of your foal. This provides guaranteed stat point bonuses and the option to change a trait if desired.
Understanding Bonus Stat Point Distribution
The bonus stats acquired through Foal Care are randomly allocated across your horse’s various stats. These bonuses are not inheritable by the horse’s future offspring but provide a valuable competitive edge in races. If your foal doesn’t require additional care, or if you have already secured bonus stats via a Caretaker, you can use the ‘skip to mare/stud’ option at any time to instantly make your foal race-ready.
