Hey there, everypony! It's that time again: time for another belated update to Legends of Equestria! And oh boy, this one's a doozy. In fact, it's the largest update we've ever released. It might have been a while since we released V2018.03.02, but we haven't been spending that time idly!

This update's packed with so much stuff that it barely fit onto a single changelog, but you can find the full list here; if you just want to know about the big changes, though, here's a quick summary!

The first thing you'll notice is to do with how experience is dealt with in-game. In short, we identified an issue with our XP curve, and resolving that issue involved making a pretty big change to existing characters. You can find a full post we made detailing the effects of this change over here!

On a brighter note, this update brings with it our crafting system. Now you can make your own unique armor, and upgrade it with special harmonies to make it even stronger, through artisanry; or, you could cook up a fantastic feast for everypony to enjoy! There's more possibilities than ever before.



To go along with this new system, we of course have two new Talents available for foals to choose: Artisanry, and Cooking. The quest to earn a Talent Mark in either of these can be started by speaking to your racial teacher, assuming you haven't already grown up to the adult stage!



That's not all, though! We've also implemented two more Talents, and these ones have been long-awaited: Combat and Flying are now available to all foal characters. Once again, you'll need to speak to your racial teacher to earn these Talents - and of course, Flying is available only to pegasi, much like how Magic is exclusive to unicorns!



A new exterior location has also been added to the Heartlands. Archaeologists have been excavating the ruins of Ancient Athamanes, a pony civilisation lost to time, and their digsite can be seen in the large (and formerly empty) crater towards the Eastern end of the area. This location will soon be excavated more thoroughly, granting access to a new dungeon area, with its own unique lore, quests, and traps to navigate!



Is all that not enough for you? Well, it's a good thing there's a new seasonal event happening, too! Ponydale is celebrating the Festival of Lights during these long summer(ish) days, and Taffy Treat in Sugarcane Corner wants to do it in style! She's already hung the lanterns and worked on the dance floor, but she wants something extra special to liven things up - and she needs your help to do it! Meanwhile, creatures all over Equestria have suddenly started collecting the mysterious Prismatic Crystal Shards, and everypony's favourite fashion designer, Ensemble, is eager to see you collect them all, to help him create something truly enlightening!



There's a whole host of other new features and changes, including the new auto-loot option, a background blur for dialogue focus, more bank locations, a new sleep emote, and so much more - including, of course, a raft of bug fixes. As mentioned earlier, the changelog has all the details, so check it out if you're interested in reading about everything we've been working on!

If you're using our Windows launcher, Legends of Equestria should update automatically when you next run the program. For everypony else, you'll need to download the newest client, available from our downloads page! Remember to get the right version for your operating system!



We really hope that you enjoy everything we've poured into this update. As always, though, if you have any issues or bugs to report, please do so using the Phabricator system, as explained here, to ensure that the right people on the team know about the issue and can get to work on fixing it.

Thanks for all your support, everypony! There's a lot more still to come, so we'll see you in Equestria!

Hey, everypony! We hope you're as eager to see our next update as we are to let you at it; we're just putting the final touches in, and soon everypony will be able to enjoy what we've cooked up. Speaking of cooking, though, we'd like to take this opportunity to give you a quick taste of how crafting will work!





With this release, there will be two avenues for crafting: Artisanry and Cooking. Both of these paths have their own Talent tree, and Talent Mark quest, available for foals to choose by speaking to their tutors. It's important to note, however, that this isn't all the crafting system will support; we still have a plethora of Talents that we're working on which will also incorporate crafting, such as the Fashion Talent.





Another thing to bear in mind is that crafting will not be exclusive to ponies who choose a Talent that focuses on it; everypony will have access to the crafting system. However, much like with how other Talents' combat abilities work, ponies who specialise in a crafting-focused Talent will be able to learn abilities in this field much easier, and may be more effective when crafting items.





So, how exactly will crafting work? Well, whether you're forging a pair of Alicium Front Legs or baking some Chocolate Chip Cookies, the system has some broad similarities.

The first thing you'll need to do is acquire the knowledge of how to create the thing you want. For that, you'll need a recipe (for Cooking) or manual (for Artisanry)! These might be given to you as a reward for a quest, or dropped by enemies, or even traded for with NPCs and other players. Once you own a recipe or manual, you'll be able to learn it by right-clicking in your inventory.





Then, you'll need to head over to a crafting station. Each crafting branch has its own stations; Cooking requires an oven and a counter, and Artisanry utilises a forge, workbench, and harmony table. These stations allow you to create different articles, which can then be combined into your masterpiece. For example, when manufacturing armor, an Artisan will need to create cloth padding and straps using a workbench, and forge the metal ore they're using into ingots, before being able to combine them into usable armor. Then, using the harmony table, Artisans can create enchanted gems that can be added separately, and can further improve and customise crafted armor. Again, these articles are something you'll have to gather from around Equestria - through quests, from critters, or through trade.







There's lots of different recipes and manuals to learn, and so many different possible combinations! The quality of the item you craft can also be affected by your Talents, and you may find some items come out better than others!






We can't wait to see what you come up with, and we really hope you enjoy Legends of Equestria's crafting system when we release it to you soon! Thanks again for your patience, and keep an eye out for the upcoming release!

Hey again, everypony!

It's been a little while since we've had some big news to share, but we haven't been spending that time idly! We've been super duper busy, working on one of the biggest updates to Legends of Equestria that we've ever made!

The good news is that the update is almost ready to go; within days, version 2018.07.01 (the most likely version number, though as with everything, this is subject to change!) will be released for everypony to enjoy. You might notice that that's quite a few iterations along from our last public build, V2018.03.02; that should give you some idea of how much work we've been doing to get all the new stuff added and functional!

This update is going to add a lot of new stuff for you to enjoy, from the crafting system and new Talents, to new quests and a somewhat-delayed seasonal event, to improved targeting and new animations. There's honestly so much coming in this update that we don't have time to go over all of it just now; you'll have to wait to see the changelog for all the details!

There's a few things, however, that we really feel like we should let you know about in advance, so they don't come as an unpleasant surprise to you when the update is released. First things first: if you haven't finished Ponydale's Winter Warm Up yet, time is running out! Ponydale's always a little late warming up winter, but August might be pushing things a bit. When the update is released, the snow 'phase' of Ponydale will be removed, and you'll no longer have the option to finish the quest "Tomorrow, Spring is Here", meaning you won't earn a team vest!

Now, for the couple of new things that are coming out of this update, that we feel you should know about in advance. The most important one of those is to do with experience.

For a while now, Legends of Equestria's experience system has been pretty far away from what was intended. For context, the areas currently available in the Open Access Release, in their intended final state, is expected to be enough to guide the player through the first 20 or so levels of their character's progression, when compared to the full scope of the game. However, this hasn't been reflected in how experience has been given out, leading to much faster levelling than we anticipated. It's taken us a good bit of investigating to work out why that was the case, but we finally nailed it down to an issue with the XP curve as it was implemented, and this is something addressed by V2018.07.01.

What that means for everypony playing right now is two things. Firstly, levelling will take longer under the system as it was intended; and secondly, the fixes being implemented will not only rebalance how experience is accrued, but also the experience that characters already have earned. This means that players currently at level 50, upon the release of the update, will find their characters to be around level 23. You'll still have the same amount of XP; for example, a character who has earned 50,000 experience and is currently level 13 will still have 50,000 total xp after the update, but might be level 7 instead. Importantly, you'll still have the same abilities that you've purchased using Talent Points (as well as all of those that were awarded through your Talent Mark quest for free), and you won't lose any items. This isn't a reset, but a rebalancing!



We know that this might feel like a 'nerf', or that something is being taken away from your characters, but this is essentially us addressing a flaw that has been present for a long time and that we finally were able to work out a fix for. If you feel like you've already seen everything LoE has to offer and don't want to repeat stuff to get back to level 50, we're working on plenty more content that has all been designed around filling out that intended XP curve, so there's still lots to look forward to!

Another brief change to touch on is to do with the options. Under 'gameplay' in LoE's menu, there are two new checkboxes. One is to do with the changes we've made to the jumping animation; the jump can now be executed either when you press the jump key, or when you release it. The second relates to how loot is picked up; loot is now, by default, automatically added to your inventory when your character runs over it, rather than having to manually click to loot. Both of these can be changed at any time in the options menu, as mentioned earlier.



One more minor thing we want to let you know about is some changes that will be coming to existing armor sets. These changes will effect the armor's requirements, to be more in line with both the new XP curve and with what's coming from the crafting update.

Remember, as always, that LoE is still a game in development, with a lot more work to be done on it before it's ready to be called a finished product. That means changes like this are things that should be expected, and that there may well be more in the future, so we can ensure that the game works as intended and is as enjoyable as possible!

Keep an eye out for more news about the cool new additions coming in this update, as well as the update itself, in the next few days! See you soon!

Hey there, everypony!

Legends of Equestria's Open Access Release is still going strong, and the feedback you're giving - through messages, emails, and our bug report system - is helping us create new content updates for you to enjoy! It's a lot of work bringing a world like Equestria to life, though; we need your help to do it! That's why the Legends of Equestria team is recruiting!

If you're interested in game development, passionate about ponies, or simply need a hobby that will put your talents to use, we'd like to hear from you! We have a pretty extensive list of teams with different roles and skills, so even if you're not super-technical but still want to help us out, there might be something for you here!










If you're interested in helping us bring Equestria to life, please find below a little bit of info from each team's leader on what they're looking for, and how to contact them! Good luck, and we hope to see you on the team soon!

(Note: Due to the nature of the project, you may only receive a response if your application is successful. If you don't receive a response, but want to double-check that your application has been reviewed, please contact [email protected]!)

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To apply for the 2D Art team, please read the following requirements thoroughly, and then send your application to [email protected]. Here's what we're currently looking for in the 2D Art department:

>Texture & Concept Artists:

Requirements:

• Understand the basics of color theory and principles of design


• Ability to mimic the art style of environments, buildings, characters, and items in Legends of Equestria


• Experience in Photoshop, GIMP, Krita, or other raster graphics software


• Experience in Illustrator, Inkscape, or other vector graphics software (optional)


• Ability to create or edit vector graphics is a bonus, but not required

Your portfolio should include:

• Three to five pieces of artwork that display good use of colour, an ability to mimic our existing art styles, and good design sense. This can include item icons, skill icons, environment concept art, architectural concepts, user interface sprites, particle effect animation sheets, and object textures


• If possible, include any work involving textured models/texture sheets.


• At least one piece showing the artistic process, from the sketch layer to the final render


• Any additional works that you wish to include.

Art should be close to, or of similar quality to, the following works:
a.) Textures and textured models:
i.) http://i.imgur.com/wnaDU9t.png
ii.) http://i.imgur.com/dEbzLoK.png
iii.) http://i.imgur.com/Y4DWrvf.png

b.) Architecture and environments:
i.) http://i.imgur.com/kPkqqwk.png
ii.) http://i.imgur.com/D3cilk7.png
iii.) http://i.imgur.com/G17VywQ.png

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3D Modelers build the assets you see in-game, from trees and buildings to armour and hairstyles. Applicants interested in joining the 3D team should have working knowledge of 3D modeling and/or animating and be willing to learn, design critically, and give and take critique. It is preferred, but not required, that applicants have a specialty in organic modeling, 3D animation and rigging, terraforming, or any combination thereof. To apply for the 3D team, email [email protected] with links to examples of your skills. Please include how much time you are able to devote to Legends of Equestria, as well as a list of programs that you're familiar with. Examples of any additional unrelated, high quality designs you have done help too!

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The Audio department is responsible for creating and choosing all of the things you hear in Equestria, from attack sound-effects to background music (except the PVFM radio in Sugarcane Corner, of course!). Here's what we're currently looking for in the Audio department:

>SFX Designers:

By joining the Audio team as an SFX Designer, you will expect to be making UI sounds and various animal sounds. Some experience with a DAW is required; general experience with SFX is recommended, but not required. If you apply, be prepared to present a demo of a given sound effect. Applicants can register their interest by emailing [email protected].

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The Design team plans out the levels and systems for Legends of Equestria, and covers a few different specialities. If you think you fit into any of the following areas, we want to hear from you!

>Level Designers:

Level Designers should have drawn work (hand or digital) of macro or micro scale level designs which factor in standard gaming conventions such as pathing, points of interest, mob spawns, elevation, framing, terrain features, quest potential, etc. Previous experience in a 3D engine (Unity, Unreal) is highly sought after. Map/level designers should expect to be trained in Unity to allow the implementation and editing of their designs. Please email [email protected] with examples of your work.

>VFX Artists:

VFX Artists will primarily be in charge of creating and implementing spritesheet animations to be used for various player abilities and ambient world effects. This role will require a blending of traditional toon styled art creation and design with technical implementation in Unity (Shuriken knowledge is a HUGE plus!). If you enjoy creating particle based effects to add an extra kick of visual stimulation, this position is for you! Please email [email protected] with links to examples of your work.

>Systems Designers:

Systems Designers should have the ability to form clear, concise, to-the-point written work which quickly and efficiently describes a complex system to programmers, writers, or other relevant team members. Applicants should be able to design the technical formulation behind conventional experience, leveling, crafting, and ability systems. Experience with Google Sheets for tables is a must; experience with graphs and formulas is a huge plus, as is basic knowledge in economics. Please email [email protected] with links to examples of your work.

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Implementation makes sure that everything made for the project makes it into the game, and works as intended! There are two areas of concern for implementers:

>Script Implementers:

Script Implementers are responsible for transitioning written content into technical scripts readable by the servers, placing NPCs and mobs, and adding items. Applicants for this position should have a basic understanding of scripting or coding logic and an ability to debug errors. Potential implementers should be able to devote several hours each week to the project. If interested, please send applications to [email protected].

>Unity Implementers:

Unity Implementers are responsible for implementing objects, terrain, and functions into the game via the Unity system. Applicants for Unity Implementation should be familiar with both Unity and Sourcetree. C# experience is preferred, but not required. Familiarity with Blender or Maya is also useful, but not required. Potential implementers should be able to devote several hours each week to the project. If interested, please send applications to [email protected].

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We're currently looking for enthusiastic programmers to help build LoE. A minimum of basic experience programming in C# and Unity is required for any applications to be considered, and you should also provide samples of your previous work so we can see just how awesome you are. We aren't expecting you to be a professional developer (though we won't say no if you are!); so long as you can demonstrate your knowledge and willingness to learn, we want to hear from you! An obsession with tiny colourful horses is not required, but will be taken into consideration and may improve your chances. Due to the nature of the team, we're looking for reliable people that can be trusted to work semi-independently; if you think you can help us out, email [email protected]!

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Please remember that Legends of Equestria is a volunteer project being developed by a team of dedicated fans from around the world. These are not paid positions, and we cannot offer any financial incentive for your contributions to the project. All we can guarantee is the warm, fuzzy feeling from helping to bring an entire world of horses to life.

And lots of socks.

Hey again, everypony! Bet you didn't expect to hear from me again so soon, eh?

Since we released the Winter Warm-Up (V.2018.03.01) update, we've been working hard on a few issues that cropped up, as well as continuing to work on some older ones. We actually managed to get them sorted faster than we expected - I know, hard to believe, right? - so we're releasing a new, minor update! If you're using our Windows launcher, the game should update automatically; everyone else will need to grab the latest game files from our downloads page!

Now, because this is a minor update, you shouldn't expect any big content additions or new costumes; most of it is bug fixes. Some of those fixes are pretty big, though, like the friends list! The revamping we did for the Winter Warm-Up release caused some unexpected issues, but this new release should resolve those.






We also fixed a few issues with our newer quests, 'Tomorrow, Spring is Here' and 'Are You A Princess Too?', as well as some problems causing issues with the bank and trade systems; we also addressed a couple of exploits that were causing trouble. As always, if you want the full details of what's been done since the last version, you should check out our changelog!

While we're here, though, we should probably clear up something we've had a few questions about: the release version numbering system. Some people thought it was date-based, meaning that the Winter Warm-Up release had been build-ready since March 1st; however, this isn't how the numbering system works. It goes as follows: year.major.minor. That's why the previous build was 2018.03.01, and this is 2018.03.02! What happened to 2018.01.X & 2018.02.X, you may ask? Well, those were team-internal test builds that we ended up not releasing due to either not being ready for public consumption, or having added more since the build that it was more sensible to just make a newer build and include all the previous changes there too!

Finally, we've also gone through our rules system, and updated them to hopefully be clearer, while also providing all the protections that you're hopefully used to by now! There are three separate rule posts - one for our in-game rules, one for our forum rules, and one for our Discord server rules - so we'd recommend you reading through the rules for any of those platforms that you use. If you have any questions or issues regarding the rules, please contact our moderation team via email, or through our Discord server!

Hopefully that all clears things up for you! Remember to grab the latest files from our downloads page; and if you have any issues or suggestions, as always, please submit them using our reporting system, as explained here!

That's all for now; see you in Equestria!