Hippodrome

Hippodromes date back all the way to the Ancient Greek isles, as stadiums where horses, or more commonly chariots, were raced for entertainment. The design has lasted, largely unchanged, even into modern times, and may in fact be responsible for NASCAR drivers taking left turns all day. Outside Locke's Labs, with great assistance from Gearwerks, the hippodrome has finally made it to Paradox! The hippodrome serves two purposes, and enjoys easy access to the nether.

For those who want to race their horses against a friend, a “go” light has been installed, with a trigger in the Emperor's box. Additional triggers will later be installed: by the finish line, and one that can be pressed from the starting line, with a random delay. Racers should line up at the right side of the track, and await the “go” light's signal. A neutral party may be needed to judge the winner.

In addition to the traditional racing of horses, the hippodrome can be used to determine the quality of your horse. Horses come in many colors and coat patterns, but sadly, none of these include a bar graph to display their speed or jump height. Fortunately, each half of the track provides one of these.

By racing down the right side, the horse's speed will be displayed. Helpful gradations tell where your horse lies, on the scale of the fastest horse in all the land, to a human taking a lazy stroll.

By jumping right before the finish line, the horse's jump strength is revealed. The number of lights (above) which light up tell you how many meters your horse can clear.

Locke's Lab is helpfully located near the center of the map, and the hippodrome has convenient and safe access to the nether nearby. While looking at Locke's main gate, turn left to see the portal to the hippodrome. Getting a horse into the Nether may be tricky, but going through the hippodrome gate is safe. A horse on lead may be led straight into it. The best way to take a saddled horse through, is to ride into the portal, then hop off. Either way, take the same gate to the Mundus once your trusty steed has made the jump.

While the technical circuitry behind the hippodrome is unsurprisingly the work of ManaLocke, the idea for the hippodrome itself came from Gaiden, and the aesthetic design was 99.9% the labor of Rigil Gearwerks.