Hey again, everypony!
 
It's been a pretty big few days for us; we just announced our Open Access Release, starting September 10, 2017; that doesn't mean we can rest, though! We've still got a lot of work to do before we reach that day - and beyond.
 
We thought you all deserved a little more information about the Open Access Release (or OAR for short; aren't acronyms great?), so this post will hopefully give you all the details we can share right now!
 
First off, what do we mean by 'Open Access Release'? Well, put simply, we see this as the next logical step after our Limited Access Release (LAR), which kicked off in December 2016; since then, we've had our game servers permanently online, and available for a select group of players that we hand-picked to help us iron out all the bugs they could find, and provide feedback on the game. What we're basically going to do is open up access to the servers for everyone - so, as long as you have a computer that can run LoE, and an internet connection, you'll be able to make an account and play!
 
Speaking of being able to run LoE, our system requirements are fairly low; we're looking at 2GB of RAM, a 2GHz Dual-Core processor, a graphics card with 256mb VRAM and support for DirectX9.0c/OpenGL2.0, and around 3.5GB of storage space. Basically, if your computer was bought around 2010 or later, it shouldn't have a problem running the game. We're developing LoE for Windows (Vista or later), MacOS (10.9 'Mavericks' or later), and Linux computers, and will be releasing the game via the 'downloads' page of our website; other operating systems or platforms aren't currently being considered, but it's possible that in the future, it might be an option we look into.
 
These requirements are subject to change, though; it's important to remember that this isn't the 'final release' version of LoE. We still have an awful lot of stuff planned for the game; a boatload of new quests, zones, abilities, Talent Marks, characters, and more, is all planned. That's not to say that the September OAR version of the game will be empty; there'll still be plenty for everypony to do and enjoy - but we have so much more planned. We're calling this an 'Open Access' release for a very good reason; LoE isn't finished, but we're in a position where we've got enough ready that we're ready to make it available. Think along the lines of some of those 'early access' projects you might've seen in recent years, where the developer makes the game available while still actively working on it!
 
To give you a rough idea: we have three 'story arcs' planned for the main storyline of LoE. We're aiming to have the first arc implemented by September; that means we have all the material in mind for another two-thirds worth of game.
 
So, what will you be able to expect in September? Well, you'll be able to start off your life in Equestria as a filly or colt from one of the three pony races (Earth, Pegasus, or Unicorn), and learn how to experience the world we've built, alongside a rich and varied cast of main and supporting characters.
 

Through exploration and questing, you'll be able to acquire your Talent Mark, from six distinct branches of expertise: Animal Care, Healing, Partying, Magic, Combat, and Flying. You will be able to guide your character to adulthood (or stay as a foal, if you prefer!).
 

You'll then get to explore seven distinct 'zones' full of adventure and experiences. You'll be able to do all of this alone, or with friends - ones you started playing with, or ones that you make along the way - and form a Party or join a Herd with them to face numerous challenges together, such as Dungeons.
 

And everything you do, you will do it in a living online world, full of not only characters we've designed, with unique conversations, backstories, and tasks for you to complete - but also full of other players just like you, experiencing Equestria together. Our moderation team will be working hard to make sure it's a safe and enjoyable world for everyone, and we really hope you enjoy playing in it!
 
We can't thank you all enough for all the patience and support you've shown us over the 5 years we've been developing Legends of Equestria, and we can't wait to take this next step forward with you all. We plan to keep releasing more information on everything that'll be available in the OAR in September, so please keep an eye out over the next few weeks!

Hey there, everypony! We've got some big news to share with you today!

We've been working on Legends of Equestria for over five years now, trying to build the best world we can for you all to explore, socialise and adventure in, and most importantly, enjoy. It's been a long road, and an awful lot of work - but we're ready to take our next step.

In December 2016, we launched our Limited Access Release, granting full and permanent game access to a small number of players hand-picked to help us test the game, give us feedback, and weed out those pesky bugs. Their help has been massive to us, and they deserve thanks for every single report they made. But the next step forward for us is to take that Limited Access Release... and turn it into an Open Access Release!

What does that mean? Well, put simply, it means that the game will be fully available for everyone to play, permanently. The game launcher will be made available to download, the servers will be online, and the doors will be wide open to let every pony in!

An important thing to note, though, is that this will not be the end of development for Legends of Equestria. We still have a huge amount of stuff we want to include in the game, from zones to storylines, and we intend to keep working on the project for a long time to come! Think of this release in the same vein as other 'open access' projects, where a substantial amount of the game is available to play, but the team behind it is still working on loads of stuff to add!

We'll be able to discuss in a little while exactly what you can expect from our Open Access Release, but for now, here's a quick trailer for you, featuring the date that our Open Access Release will begin!



So, a quick recap: Legends of Equestria will be available to play, permanently and free for everyone, starting with our Open Access Release on August 19, 2017.

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We're really proud of everyone who has contributed to this project, and that we've managed to reach this incredible milestone; as an entirely volunteer team, donating our time and energy for free, creating an MMO like this is a gargantuan task. We've still got a lot we want to do, though, so we thank you for your patience so far, and we hope to see you in Equestria soon!

It takes a lot of people with a whole bunch of diverse skills to build something as huge as the world of Equestria, and we're always on the lookout for talent in various teams - but one area we're particularly interested in at the moment is visual effects, for our VFX team!

What do we mean by that? Well, visual effects are the little things that really make the world of Equestria feel real. When a player or enemy uses an ability and you see it happen; when there's a little effect to accompany an event in the game; that's what the VFX team creates.

We're interested in hearing from anyone who has experience creating visual effects in Unity; for example, particle effects. If you also have experience working in a cartoonish style similar to the art style of LoE, then that's a major plus, but it isn't essential.

VFX Artists would be in charge of creating and implementing spritesheet elements to be used in all areas of the game; the little visual flairs that will really make the world of Equestria come to life.

If you're interested in game development, want to contribute to the project, or are simply looking for a hobby that will put your talents to use, then we want to hear from you! As a member of the VFX team, not only would you be helping to bring Legends of Equestria to life, but you'd also get training and support from long-time team members with years of experience. Oh, and you'd become part of a pretty cool group of friends from around the world!

If that sounds like the kind of thing you're interested in making, and you want to help us make the best horse game ever*, then please email [email protected] with links to examples of your work.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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Please remember, we do require that applicants be at least 16 years of age before joining the team. Legends of Equestria is a volunteer project, being developed by a large team of dedicated fans from around the world, giving their time, and energy, to bring an entire world together. Every member of every team is working purely out of passion for the project; this is not a paid position, and we cannot offer any financial incentive for your contributions. All we can guarantee is the warm fuzzy feeling from helping to create the world of Equestria, for all fans of ponies to enjoy.

And lots of socks.

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*according to a poll of 107 LoE team members

 
The long-awaited sock-based sidescrolling pony game is finally here! That's right, the one and only Legends of SOCKquestria is ready for everyone to enjoy!

Well, everyone who can run a .exe file, anyway!

Click here to download your copy of Legends of SOCKquestria!

Once it's downloaded, you just need to unzip the executable using any program able to unpack .zip archives; for example, WinRAR. After that, Legends of SOCKquestria is yours to enjoy! Our team has worked very hard getting this ready for today, and I think you'll all agree that the effort has really paid off!


Please note: as usual, some web browsers, operating systems, and even antivirus systems may be sceptical of files from us; we're not really big enough for companies like that to recognise us! Just remember that so long as you're getting it directly from the link we provided, you'll know it's safe; it's the official download for Legends of SOCKquestria, after all! So, if you see a warning like that, but you still want to experience this amazing game, remember to mark it as safe!

Hey, everypony!

We hope you all had a great holiday, and are looking forward to 2017! We sure are; it'll mark 5 years since Legends of Equestria officially began development, and it's a great opportunity for us to look back at just how far we've come since then - and how much more we have to look forward to!

To kick off this year, we're super excited to announce our first convention appearance of 2017 at NYC Ponycon, January 27-29! Our team members Natfoth and SavanaPope will be present with a demonstration table for Legends of Equestria. Anyone who's interested in the LoE, in what we're currently doing with it and where we're going with it, or just in game development in general, this is a great opportunity for you! Whether you want to come and see how far we've come with the game, or just to have a chat with a couple of key team members, we'll be happy to see you!

We'll have plenty more to discuss and announce in the coming months, so stay tuned for more!