This will be a long-winded post regarding my own, and where I believe the general PT player-base's issues with the game, stem from.

I have been playing PonyTown for some years now, and while I can honestly say there is no game like it, the progress on it's mechanics, gameplay, and visuals are nowhere to the level that a nearly decade old game should have.

Do not let them fool you, while PT is an indie project and definitely not mainstream, the profit they make off of this game far exceeds what they'd like to lead you to believe. As I type this, there is over 10,000 players active on the game, and thousands more not online. The money they recieve from their supporter system is more than enough to keep the servers afloat and pay their staff a fair wage, AND the extra expense to run events promoting themselves and their friends. The taboo topic of PT's developers and staff is what leads to a decade of no change, and coddling adults profiting off of a game who's poor mechanics have barely been polished in the last 9 years.

My primary issue lies with this: The lack of report system in game.

The excuse of there not being enough moderators to impliment an in-game report system is a work-around to taking on the responsibility it is to keep PT safe. Having to go through an outside email makes reports and concerns confusing and indirect, and the lack of set usernames tied to a players account makes it even harder for action to take place. PT staff has to comb through chatlogs and players to find proof of someone's reports, rather than having a system in game to keep track of a players activity. We are all aware of what one of the biggest problems on the game are, and the lack of progress for a safety system is neglectful and irresponsible for a game of PonyTown's size. I'm sure every single one of us has a story about a toxic, dangerous player. PT should not be a place where racism, predatory behavior, or harassment seep through the cracks. (Which it so often does.)

Secondly, Visuals & Avatar Customization.

The argument and demand for more customization options for PonyTown has been one that's existed for as long as the game itself. Pixel art, animation, graphics and more are all an incredibly time-consuming and difficult job. Going through concept art, visuals tests, and theming are all major processes of creating, and on a large scale like an entire game, it taking years to perfect it is perfectly normal and to be expected. However, on a game founded on the concept of creating your own character, less than 100 manes, less than 75 tales, less than 15 horns, and less than 20 ear options is disappointing. One of the most requested features to be added is varying heights and pony sizes, and PT has outright said it is not something they wish to work on. While they have made good progress on Island items and building, the lack of base-avatar customization seems like a task that could have been long since added or worked on. Again, don't let them steer you wrong, PonyTown could one hundred percent afford to hire on additional artists and animators to work on these updates, but they have yet to acknowledge that PT is large enough to deserve the additional attention a game like this requires.

That being said, all of the customization problems take the backseat to the larger problem at hand.

There needs to be more accountability and responsibility put onto PT's staff, because they are inadvertently responsible for the safety of thousands of people. I know it's easy to excuse larger risks with the defense of it being a small community, but the reality is that there is a harassment, racism, bullying, and predatory problem all across PonyTown's servers, and it is not our job's as players to excuse it with the argument of the game being a small project with very little staff. Thousands support this game with money, and their money deserves to be used towards a game that is safe, and functions to standard.

What are your thoughts?

TLDR; Dodging responsibility.