Howrse is changing the diamonds, to "avoid multiplying of the different game currencies and to improve the value of the divine horses that offer diamonds", and to, it seems, complicate the non-pass buyer's world further.
Soon, the following will occur:
- Competition Bonuses (spurs, lunge, bell boots, etc) will be sold for Equus (we can only hope for a reasonable price)
- The gifts for the Grand Prix will go from diamonds for 2nd and 3rd and a pass for 1st to passes for all three places
- Diamonds will be removed from all rewards. (HoPs, Objectives... etc) Howrse assures us the prizes will be replaced
- Partner Offers (when you buy passes) will win you free passes instead of free diamonds
- It will NOT be possible any longer to change passes into diamonds
- You will still be able to spend diamonds in the Black Market for 1 pass items
From now on the only way to get diamonds is if you own a divine that gifts them to you.
My opinion? I'll be happy to give it:
The only nice thing I see here is that those who don't have a diamond rewarding divine (the gemstone divines are the only ones) will, if they have less than ten diamonds, will be given enough so that they have 10. Because the only thing you can do with them now is boost the Solar System divine's skills or use ten as a pass in the black market. Nice of them isn't it?
But I don't think Howrse thought this through. First of all, what about the Solar System Divines? They come with with useless skills. The only way to raise them to a competition level is with, guess what, diamonds! But unless you have an amazing wealth of Gemstone Divines (because they stop giving you diamonds at 3500 years old which comes pretty fast) of different ages, that's virtually impossible.
Now don't get me wrong. I am not a quieter and I don't side with those who complain because stuff isn't easy peasy and handed to them on a silver platter. But I do think it shouldn't be next to impossible for us to something.
I think less new divines released will help the value of the divines and the return of the Sleipner's invoking would help too. Not the removal of most access to diamonds.
It seems to me that this is another slight jab at non pass buyers, who unless they have lots of divines, can't get items from the black market by using diamonds.
I'm far from thrilled with the change but as with all the changes, I will adapt. ;)