I've played Starters Orders for a long time now - in SO.4 I ended up with a few Group winners and a successful breeding barn.

However, in SO5 I can barely win a race. I know the game inside out and play it all the time but literally every single strategy I have used fails. I play it on 'normal' but it just seems ridiculously difficult.

Any suggestions? I'm honestly on the verge of simply giving up!

I play on harder, but i did import 3 horses from the exchange thread. I sold them all and made 6m to get started and went from there

Cheers Bazdev - I've tried to use horses from the exchange thread, but can't seem to get it work.

Any chance you could explain to me, in the simplest possible terms, how the heck I can get my hands on those horses?!

Cheers!

once downloaded, u put the files into My Documents > StartersOrders5 > saves folder. if u have saved games already in SO 5, u have to change the numbers to a spare slot (ie if the 4 files start with 2 and u have 2 saved games, rename them so they start with 3 not 2)

Then load the saved game, skip a day and the horses will be in ur transfer pool for when u load the game u want to play

Cheers Baz - you're a legend!

My final question, I promise, is how to avoid 'General Import Error' which keeps coming up now that I'm trying to import some of the exchange horses in to my new games?

It didn't happen initially, but suddenly I am unable to import them

you can only import 6 horses per season bud

Thanks mate - it actually stopped me importing any horses whatsoever! I've decided to start it all again and see if the same problem occurs.

Thanks for your help - it's much appreciated!

From the very first Starters Orders I've played on hard level and manual training. Took me a little longer this time to get an operation going but now it's going smoothly and the Grade 1's are coming at a good clip. Just finished a year with a 40 percent win rate after starting the year 0 for 20.

my first game was easy, i now use normal.

I always play on Normal... and Simple training mode... I also take on an apprentice and give him/her all the rides, Have never 'downloaded' any horses, Also i leave it upto the jockey to decide how to race! Fairly lazy i know but 50 + G1 wins a season is the norm for me! Started of with 15 million after landing some coupls and now have over 50 million thats prizemoney and sales.

Good post this one, I was wondering what everyone plays on.

I play on harder which makes it a much more enjoyable game I
feel. Altho once the breeding shed starts to take off it becomes
alot easier.

wondered does anyone play on hard on owners game?
Not played the game thoroughly yet been away and waited for the bugs to be iron'd out. hohwever i still dont seem to be attracting new owners or horses.