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Review: Princess Civilization

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Some reviews take little to no time out of my day. Others take forever, because I get hooked and spend more time than I care to admit beating the game in its entirety. Princess Civilization falls into the latter category.

Playing as Twilight Sparkle, it's up to you to send your scouts across Equestria, spreading peace and harmony as you go! The land is threatened with more than its share of grave danger, but the situation is salvageable with some old-fashioned 4X strategy.

Review below the break!


The game begins with an urgent message from Princess Celestia. Luna has gone missing, and Twilight Sparkle is left to control the expansion of harmony across the land of Equestria. Starting from Ponyville, the player must earn bits, collect elements, and sway local governments tile by tile.

Fortunately, the game contains a full tutorial and plenty of hints for those of you unfamiliar with Civilization or other 4X games. However, while Spike's assistance is helpful, but you'll probably want to mute your volume: the voice acting is more than a little grating.

The game hearkens back to developer Oracion's previous My Little Game Dev entry Everwinter, but unlike Everwinter, the game is fully functional and contains plenty of features to keep gameplay lively. Quests pop up every few turns, and the friendship levels of different towns must be regulated with constant gifts of elements from their more well-supplied neighbors. Internal building and foraging for elements in the wilderness also help to regulate element levels.

Every last tile! Equestria is mine!

Of course, as the exalted arbiter of friendship, you're required to settle disputes between ponies from time to time - answer correctly and you receive various rewards. Your power level as princess increases over time based on a combination of factors, gradually giving you access to prestige-related feats to improve Equestria's infrastructure.

Princess Civilization benefits from a clear, intuitive infrastructure and the addition of all the little things that keep a game running smoothly (for instance, notices keeping track of idle ponies, towns and build queues.) The game's shortcomings are mostly aesthetic: to be frank, it needs an experienced spriter or two to gussy up the landscape.

In addition to the spriting, if the cutscenes and dialogue were strengthened (polish on top of an already solid engine) Princess Civilization could be a very impressive game. In the turn-based strategy genre, however, function always trumps form. For this reason, Princess Civilization deserves an 8/10.



    Legends of Equestria Open Server Weekend

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    Those of you who participated in the LoE stress test weekend a while back know what to expect from the game - but the rest of you are in for a treat! The Legends of Equestria team has just announced an open server weekend from July 5th-7th, during Everfree NW 2013. Find the official release past the break!



    The Legends of Equestria Development Team is excited to announce the second open server weekend!  

    During the weekend of Everfree Northwest 2013, July 5-7th, Legends of Equestria will be opening its servers to the public! Jump online and explore an expansive world while hanging out with friends and fans alike. The game will be publicly available to download from the official Legends of Equestria website. Attending Everfree Northwest? Legends of Equestria will be available via flash drive at Everfree Northwest's gaming table in conference room Columbia A.  All Legends of Equestria accounts are made through the Legends of Equestria forum, so be sure to register before attending! Afterwards, check to see if your computer meets our system requirements at this page: http://forum.legendsofequestria.com/index.php?topic=2189.0

    MLP: Roleplaying is Magic Season 3 Edition

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    Earlier this morning, the MLP: Roleplaying is Magic team released Season 3 of their popular pony tabletop game - the meatiest and most expansive version yet! 

    For those of you intimidated by the thought of adding numbers and rolling dice, I recommend at least skimming through the 170-page, full color rulebook: the bestiary section alone is worth a read. Find the press release below the break!



    Hey, everypony!
    Tall Tail here, with an exciting announcement! /)^3^(\

    At long, long last, after a year of development and plenty of hard work, we're finally ready to release the Season Three Edition of My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic!

    With much more streamlined mechanics and a player-friendly d6-based system, greatly expanded content, more playable races, new pre-made adventures, a plethora of original artwork, and the same firm commitment to staying true to canon, S3E is our best edition yet, and we couldn't be prouder to present it for your enjoyment!

    Head over to our website at www.MLPRiM.com to download the S3E release packet, which includes the 170+ page full-color rulebook .pdf, the stand-alone universal character sheet, and even a unique S3E GM screen you can print and assemble--a little extra something for you brave GM's out there!

    Thanks, everypony! We hope you enjoy playing S3E as much as we enjoyed making it, and remember to tell us what you think by emailing me at TallTailTellsTales@gmail.com !

    Your faithful game development friends,
    - The Roleplaying is Magic Team

    Lyra's List #14

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    It's time again for Lyra's List, and this month's edition has several really cool games - you should definitely check them out. For those who don't know what Lyra's List is about, check this page out. The deadline for submissions for Lyra's List #15 is June 30, 2013. Read all about this months submissions after the break...


    GDDs

    Zethariel
    Equestrianeers
    MMO Turn Based Economy/Strategy
    Medium Term
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1573raZE96WEkZIL-DrcZHe3vXVfQ4sTsEevS_kJObOE/edit

    Scoterr
    Rise of Equestria
    MMORPG
    Long Term
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iiMZC_BOSs0hx1rFp7TUBlA1ocJvFrYkIMWgXmCApp0/edit

    Budding Friendships Devteam
    Budding Friendships
    Simulation/RPG
    Long Term
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KsB1v7irvsZP30tNENYOoTVNb4DNo5gg-WMd69iyKlw/edit

    CeresBane
    Day of Coronation/Final Magical Duel
    RPG Battle
    Short Term
    https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4sGAg1WtO6TMlZnTW93SW9qZnc/edit

    Team Everfree
    MLP: Myth Wars
    Fantasy RPG
    Long Term
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XYZxZOzY4_JaqtZ1PwXbsUgVAAfMyWY-epcqcfmu-r4/edit

    Nactyle
    Rainbow Factory Unchained
    2D Platformer
    Long Term
    https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BznPDvu_8X8eaUpESWFVLVJ1aUk/edit


    Beefy Hooves, Chili Pepper
    Pony Project #1
    2D Platformer
    Long Term
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1plmRr8wHLGd_CRq6r65GvOZG71ZvVrkqi944TCHW050/edit

    SuperSonicFan91
    MLP:FIM RPG
    RPG
    Long Term
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1564E1u5-gcp1mIivrXTxp-dlBzsZdL_FlZ0Nl-Jy3UM/edit

    If you have any cool ideas for an MLP fangame, write up a quick GDD and send it in to Lyra's List. Submission details can be found here.

    Yet Another Nightfall Gameplay Video

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    Nightfall

     Silly Mare Games continues to make excellent progress in their upcoming Nightfall game, and managed to release an update video a mere week after the last one. This video showcases the mane six, who are now in a somewhat playable state and have their own special abilities. There's also a main menu now, although that is mainly just for the extra polish.

     Coming up later today: the results from the last My Little Game Dev marathon if Wishdream's internet is up to the task. Apparently there are some pretty impressive games in there...

    Puzzle Games: Pony Mahjong / Pony Jigsaw

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    Play Pony Mahjong | Play Pony Jigsaw

    Anyone in the mood for some low-key puzzling? I could do worse. Several of you sent these two in over the last couple of days. This jigsaw puzzler and cutie mark-inspired mahjong game come from team Darkkyshadow, creators of MLP RPG: Fighting the Unknown. 

    Pros include several tile layouts and a seemingly infinite number of puzzles to skim through. While playing, I noticed a couple of minor bugs, but certainly nothing game-breaking. Enjoy!

    My Little Game Dev Marathon Compilation

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     Our affiliates over at the My Little Game Dev forums recently held a marathon event, and the results just came in. 11 games in total were completed, along with 6 unfinished projects and 6 additional games just thrown in for the heck of it. That brings us to a total of 23 new games, most of which we will be reviewing in the nearby future.

     The entire compilation can be downloaded here, but below the break we have a list of the games along with descriptions, screenshots and whatnot.



    Completed Projects

    Cannonista
    Platform: Flash/Windows
    Creator: l3gionnaire
    Description: You play as pinkie. getting shot out of a cannon, collecting cake.

    Equestria War Skirmish
    Platform: Windows
    Creator: Dark_X
    Description: A demo for a simple RPG with only a Skirmish mode.

    Help Snowdrop
    Platform: Windows
    Creator: Vanni
    Description: You are blind and need to do various things. Multiple endings. There's not much else to say.

    Luna Wander
    Platform: Windows (Blender Game Engine)
    Creator: jach-marsdonpony
    Description: A 3d sandbox game where you play as Luna as she spends her 1000 years on the moon. 
    Nothing but rocks, stars and a ball, but the moon isn't as empty as you first thought...

    My Little Pony Adventure (unnamed game)
    Platform: Flash
    Creator: SonicFFVII
    Description: Ponyville has been hit by a spell casted by an unknown character causing everypony to vanish through portals scattered in ponyville going to weird areas of candy, fabric and more to save all the ponies who are captured in a stone prison and find who has been capturing all the ponies. Twilight and her friends were saved by twilight's protection bubble spell and didn't vanish and turn to stone but as they go through the ghost town of ponyville they find that the portals have been created by ponyville landmarks such as town hall or sugar cube corner.

    Pinkie or Not Pinkie
    Platform: HTML5
    Creator: shieldgenerator7
    Description: Play as Twilight as you try to destroy all the fake Pinkies and save the real one.

    Pink Pone Action
    Platform: Windows
    Creator: Anna
    Description: Oh no! Alligator has been kidnapped! Pinkpone must travel across the land to rescue friend!

    PONISU
    Platform: Windows
    Creator: Vanni
    Description: It's NASU from Yume Nikki. With pony. If you have played it already, there's nothing to explain. If you don't, you jump and collect stuff. Simple. To understand everything else, you need to play Yume Nikki.

    Primaeval Threat
    Platform: HTML
    Creator: Oracions
    Description: An HTML gamebook with about 120 pages. Walk the World Custodian Techna through the Ancient Pyramid, fighting traps and ultimately the big bad (unless you get him over to the good side, of course, as is common in MLP)

    Rare Adventures
    Platform: Windows
    Creator: manfartwish
    Description: A exploring shooter, a parody and homage to old atari games like adventure.

    Shh (joke game)
    Platform: Flash (Stencyl)
    Creator: Vanni
    Description: Just read the title.

    The Moon
    Platform: Windows (although builds for other platforms are possible via the Source Code)
    Creator: JunkerKun
    Description: A short visual novel about Luna's time on the Moon. First episode (this one) has "Escape the room" game type elements.

    Unfinished Projects

    Apple Party
    Platform: Windows
    Creator: Wishdream
    Description: None provided, and I get errors when I try opening this in Wine so...yeah. Also, I'm not 100% sure if this screenshot is from this game or not. :/

    Mega Mare (cancelled by team)

    Platform: Windows
    Creator: Unknown
    Description: Probably has something to do with Megaman.

    My Little 1-Up

    Platform: Probably Windows
    Creator: Most likely Wishdream
    Description: Could be anything.

    Pipsqueak's Thunder Plunder - The Pretend Game - The Game

    Platform: Yup, Windows again
    Creator: >Wishdream
    Description: Some game with Pipsqueak and pirates. Looks really promising, but still a work in progress. Also, have more gameplay footage.

    Rainbow the Dash - Cupcake Pickup

    Platform: A commonly-used Microsoft operating system.
    Creator: Chances are, it's probably Wishdream.
    Description: Sweet Celestia I'm so bored...

    Winter Make-Up

    Platform: Windows. What else would it be? AmigaOS?
    Creator: Somebody.
    Description: This game most likely involves Rarity.

    Special Additives

    AttorneyOnline: My Little Mercs Full Build
    Platform: Windows?
    Creator: Not sure.
    Description: Folks on the Cloudsdale group tell me that it's basically an online version of Phoenix Wright with ponies, so I'll have to take their word for it.

    Princess Civilization
    Platform: Windows again.
    Creator: I forgot his name 3:
    Description: Some 4X strategy game that we reviewed earlier.

    Equestrian Crisis
    Platform: I'm getting kind of sick of writing "Windows" all the time.
    Creator: Dark_X
    Description: A 2D platform adventure/sandbox using various MLP:FiM characters. Use Shift+C then type in 'mylittlegamedev.com' to unlock some things. Recommended to play with a friend!

    The Unknown
    Platform: Windows (Blender Game Engine)
    Creator: jach-marsdonpony
    Description: You wake up in a dark forest. This can't end well...

    Rainbow Dash in Sonic 2's Emerald Hill

    Platform: You should know by now.
    Creator: Some Sonic fanboy
    Description: Ew, Sonic.

    ...And it's over. Finally.

    Rise of the Clockwork Stallions Needs an Animator

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    Rise of the Clockwork Stallions

     No, Darkera Studios has not abandoned development of Rise of the Clockwork Stallions or anything nasty like that. As you can see in the above trailer they've continued to make good progress in their game (even if that Spike sprite is horribly ugly), but given how big the game has gotten lately it appears that they desperately need a sprite animator. I still think that 44 playable characters is a bit too much, but ah well. As long as they manage to finish the game eventually, I'm happy.

    Interested in applying as an animator? You can contact ChurchCrusade on Skype or Twitter (preferably Skype), and maybe send him some sample sprites and whatnot.



    What is this I don't even.
    <.<
    >.>
    No, we totally aren't fishing for pageviews or anything stupid like that.

    My Little Game Dev Marathon Reviews: Pinkie or Not Pinkie / Primaeval Threat / The Moon

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    After playing several games from the recent My Little Game Dev Marathon, I realized that I couldn't review them in our standard format. For one thing, it would be unfair to hold a game created in two weeks to the standards I'd expect from a larger project. For another, it would be impossible to do them all justice!

    Instead, I tackled three of my favorites at once and graded them against their peers. Find Pinkie or Not Pinkie, Primaeval Threat, and The Moon below the break!



    I know I'm not the only one who wondered if Twilight accidentally left the wrong Pinkie Pie standing after the chaos of s3e03. Now, you can relive the sinking feeling that you've just blasted one of your friends into oblivion... over and over and over again.

    The premise of the game is simple enough - playing as Twilight Sparkle, blast away at a horde of Pinkie Pies until there's only one left. At the end of the game, you'll be informed whether you made the right clicks along the way. Fortunately, the player has a "distraction button" to help weed out the fakes - the Pinkies who succumb to the diversion can be safely eliminated.

    I ended up playing through the game several times, coming irritatingly close to victory. It may be simple, but Pinkie or Not Pinkie gets points for originality and fun.

    Grade: 6/10


    Set in a space-age version of the ponyverse, Primaeval Threat is a step up from your average choose-your-own adventure game. Techna is a World Custodian, a member of a dwindling organization tasked with protecting ponykind. As such, when a pony ventures into the prison of an ancient evil, it is Techna's duty to track her down and bring her back.

    With 118 slides and multiple endings, Primaeval Threat has perhaps more content and gameplay time than any other game entered in the Marathon. The game avoids railroading smoothly - at every juncture, the player is presented with a several options based on the chosen skills of their character. 

    Primaeval Threat's engaging storyline and decent replay value certainly don't hurt its appeal. Bonus points for adding to my headcanon!

    Grade: 8/10



    Best princess on the moon? (Almost) always a recipe for success. I'm not sure I've ever played a ponified escape the room game before, but this one was certainly a treat.

    The version of The Moon submitted to the My Little Game Dev Marathon is only the first chapter of what will hopefully blossom into a much larger project. However, in its current form, the game already hints at a complex storyline, stylish character portraits, and frustrating puzzles to come. Trapped in a mysterious throne room, Princess Luna interacts with two separate, conflicting manifestations of Nightmare Moon - thus setting up a unique take on her backstory.

    I'm notoriously bad at escape the room games, but I was able to solve the throne room puzzle (despite, at several points, being convinced that it was impossible.) Hopefully, we'll see more content soon in the form of a second installment!
    Grade: 8/10

    Waiting is Magic Goes Mobile

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    Download on the App Store

     You read the title right, Waiting is Magic has arrived on the app store! After almost two months of extensive testing this highly addictive Flash game has been deemed ready, so if you happen to own an iPhone or iPod Touch I would highly recommend that you give it a spin. Shame that all those iPad and Android users won't be able to enjoy it yet...ah well, hopefully Penta Studios will consider giving them a chance to play the game as well in the nearby future. The Arcade version was also updated, although I have no idea as to what it contains...

     Speaking of Flash games, it's been a while since we've added anything to that Arcade. I'm still in the process of porting it to Rails, which enables us to more easily add new features such as a rating system, improved organization and Cloudsdale integration (among other such things).

    Lights in the Sky: A Brony Fan Fair Visual Novel

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    Lights in the Sky: A Brony Fan Fair Visual Novel
     Texas' very own Brony Fan Fair might be over two months away, but in a surprise move the organizers have decided to release a promotional visual novel starring Rising Star and Heartland, two of the convention's mascots. The first portion of the game will be released on the 25th of June, so you can expect our review of it sometime around then. Thankfully the team avoids the mistake that Filly Gamez made with Welcome to Ponyville and utilizes the Ren'Py engine, which means that it have Mac/Linux support for those of us who refuse to use Microsoft's abominable operating system.

     Below the break you can find the original press release, which has some more detailed info on the game's story and a good word put in for it by one of Deus Ex's writers.


     Hey everypony! We've got a treat for you. An upcoming fan-made visual novel is in the works starring the pony mascots Rising Star and Heartland. Both characters are representatives of Brony Fan Fair, an upcoming convention in Austin, TX on September 13th-15th at the Holiday Inn Austin Midtown.

    Lights in the Sky is the story of Rising Star’s journey to find her cutie mark. As a farm filly, Rising Star tries hard to fulfill the responsibilities given to her by her older sister, Heartland. But an opportunity arises where she finds that her heart’s desire may rest outside the boundaries of the Star Fields family farm. Rising Star will be put to the test as she is forced to decide between adherence to her sister’s wishes or the yearning to follow her own dreams.

     The first part of the novel will be available on June 25th, 2013 on the Brony Fan Fair website. Players will be able to play Rising Star’s exploration of the Manehatten Astronomical Society building, the first leg of her journey.

     Lights in the Sky is a short-and-sweet creation of Peter Jiang, Chairman for Brony Fan Fair. The visual novel was a final project for the "Writing and Narration for Video Games" spring semester class at the University of Texas at Austin taught by Sheldon Pacotti (writer on Deus Ex) and is being developed for younger audiences. Pacotti comments: "...[A]s a work of interactive fiction -- from what I've seen -- it succeeds on every level. There is conflict, exploration, a sense of adventure, and the writing always stays safely in the established My Little Pony universe."

    My Little Game Dev Marathon Reviews: Pink Pone Action / The Unknown / Luna Wander

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    Time for another dive into the My Little Game Dev Marathon submissions! Again, they've been reviewed and graded relative to the other games in the competition.

    Find Pink Pone Action, The Unknown, and Luna Wander below the break!




    This one's a bit of a head-scratcher. Playing as the long-nosed, unintelligible Pinkepone, the player must traverse a candy-coated level that looks like Super Mario meets Sugar Rush.

    However, things are not as they seem. A la Cat Mario (perhaps its closest relative) and other unfair platformers, the world of Pinke Pone Action will kill you by any means necessary. As you fall before inexplicably exploding turtles, collapsing ceilings, and invisible blocks, your amount of lives remaining dips into the negative numbers.

    Like many of its counterparts, Pink Pone Action appears to be a demo for a full-length game - and worlds of frustration - to come. I'll look forward to it.
    Grade: 7/10



    Download The Unknown

    I'm not sure exactly what to make of this creepy little survival-horror game. The player awakens in the middle of a darkened, snowy, evergreen forest with nothing but his wits and a few flares for protection. Unfortunately, you're quickly surrounded by strange stone ponies with glowing red eyes.

    The Unknown takes advantage of the first person medium to add creepiness to your mysterious assailants - they only advance when the player turns away, freezing  the instant you sweep your view back to them. Luckily, they're vulnerable to your dwindling supply of flares.

    The object of the game appears to be to survive for as long as possible, limited to the resources you can scavenge from the ground. Until it gets a plot, The Unknown is certainly good for a scare, but not much else.
    Grade: 5/10




    Among the submissions, Luna Wander takes the cake for world size and perhaps also hours of gameplay (although the latter is tricky to measure). While neither of these can guarantee a game's success, those of you into open-world sandbox games will find a lot to love here.

    Playing as the recently exiled Princess Luna, the player must traverse the vast three-dimensional surface of the moon and find enough food and water to survive. These demands are met easily enough (especially if one plays in creative mode,) so what's left to do? Check out the mysterious objects scattered far and wide, that's what.

    Located sparsely across the moon's surface are power-ups to help your exploration, materials with which to build crude shelters, and many other strange objects (which I won't spoil.) Even if you cheat using the included map, exploration will take a very long time - so play if you're ready to submerge yourself in the meditative world of the game for a while.

    This one's a little hard to grade. At times, I felt lost in the wasteland with little sense of direction and few to no reference points - but I get the feeling that was part of the intended experience. It's not the right game for everyone, but what Luna Wander attempted, it confidently achieves.
    Grade: 8/10

    Update: seems like we've overtaxed MLGD's Dropbox. Here are alternate download links for Luna Wander and The Unknown - Thanks, Jach Marsdonpone!

    Review: Lights in the Sky

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     The Brony Fan Fair's decision to release a promotional visual novel is rather unusual, but we don't really mind since the Brony fandom doesn't have enough VNs aside from the upcoming Starswirl Academy and that other one which should not to be named. Still, it is a relatively low-risk decision on their part, as the number of guests is unlikely to be affected negatively by the game's quality unless it turns out to be grossly offensive. Even then it would probably still attract folks looking for a cheap laugh, but the game isn't that bad...right?
     
    Our review can be found after the break, as usual.


     As is to be expected from this type of fangame, Lights in the Sky is fairly short when compared to commercial visual novels or its bloated sibling (most of you should be familiar with the game I'm referring to here). This is probably for the better, as the plot is relatively simple and would have felt stretched out had it been much longer. As for the story itself, it is told from the perspective of the convention's mascot, Rising Star, as her elder sister takes her to an astronomy museum to deliver some starfruit to a loyal customer, and various somewhat unexpected events ensue. According to the press release the game was developed with a younger audience in mind, so you won't find any Story of the Blanks references in here. Sorry, creepypasta fans!

     Of course, the most important element of any visual novel is the quality of the writing, and Lights in the Sky performs quite well in this regard (especially since it was made as a final project for a "Writing and Narration for Video Games" course at the University of Texas). As the course's teacher puts it, "...[A]s a work of interactive fiction -- from what I've seen -- it succeeds on every level. There is conflict, exploration, a sense of adventure, and the writing always stays safely in the established My Little Pony universe". I would have to agree with him for the most part, although the designated antagonist is surprisingly unintelligent for a colt reading books on astrophysics due to the requirements of the plot. There was also little time to flesh out the main characters: hopefully future installments in the series will correct this flaw.

    >Racism
     Contrary to what some rabid Filly Gamez fanboys have claimed, graphics are fairly important to a games of this genre; after all, it is a visual novel, not a choose your adventure fanfic. In this area Lights in the Sky is decent for a fan project, aside from some tacky gradients and odd character colourations. The use of Pony Creator for some side characters was also rather jarring when placed alongside more traditional ponies. If only that tool hadn't gained so much attention, then perhaps the internet would have been spared the abominations that it generated... Anyhow, this is supposed to be a Lights in the Sky review, not a rant about how much I dislike Pony Creator. On a more positive note, that planetarium looked pretty cool. Take a hint, aspiring fangame developers and artists: if you want your game to look good, please don't use that gradient tool. It may be convenient, but it doesn't look very good in My Little Pony's art style.

     As for the music...it's taken from RPG Maker, but it does the job well enough when it comes to setting the mood. I would have complained about the lack of an original soundtrack, but stock music and sound effects aren't nearly as big of an offense as only using sample sprites. Musicians are harder to come by than artists, after all.


     To be honest with you, I don't think I should really put a score on this. For one I'm not really a visual novel critic (as the above review made clear), and this is more of a promotional game then anything. It's not really great or anything, so it's still worth your time: just don't expect to get much replayability out of it.
     
     
     
    Have any feedback of your own? Post them in the comments, or send them directly to the creator at @PeterCJiang. In the meantime, I'll be setting up my new Windows 8 box (and playing Lego Racers at 1080p).

    TODAY:Legends of Equestria's Open Server Weekend

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      As announced last month, the Legends of Equestria Open Server Weekend begins today after their Everfree Northwest panel ends at 6:30PM PST, although it looks like their server isn't able to handle the excitement and thus their website is down right now. Not all is lost though, as we were able to grab some download links and information about the game's current state to make things a bit easier for you. Hopefully the game's servers will be able to handle the huge amount of traffic that this will generate...

     Even if the event isn't live just yet, you can download the game client in the meantime so you can be ready the moment it's live. Downloads and copypasta after the break!



    Downloads:
    Windows
    Mac
    Linux (I know, right?)


    Here are some things you can do in the game!
    Customize your pony with our new mare and stallion models, new hair styles, and eyelashes
    Buttercup and Bluebell the Wearable Items mares are ready to get you all dressed up!
    Explore Ponyville
    Explore Sweet Apple Acres
    Explore the inside of Golden Oaks Library, Sugarcube Corner, and Carousel Boutique
    Explore the Everfree Forest and go face to face with the Timberwolves! Look out for Zecora's Hut and the Moon Castle Ruins!
    Visit majestic Canterlot! Have you talked to Astral Charm lately? I hear she's looking for you!
    Dance your heart out!
    Earth Ponies can do the "Ground Pound" attack
    Unicorns can do the "Firebolt" attack and teleport
    Pegasi can do a barrel roll in mid-air by pressing Q or E and a loop-de-loop by pressing R

    Here's a helpful list of commands!
    /listfriendsLists all your friends. 
    /logoutLogs out of the game.
    /playersLists all the players in the room. 
    /helpLists all the commands. 
    /report <player name>Lets you report a player to the moderators. You can also click on a pony to report them. 
    /playervisible <true/false>Toggles your player invisible for you only, everyone else can still see you. 
    /cinemacamera <true/false>Your player will disappear and the camera turns into a camera-fly mode. 
    /time <##>Sets the game time. 0-24. 
    /standMakes your pony stand. 
    /sitMakes your pony sit. 
    /danceMakes your pony dance. 
    /unwearallRemoves all items from your pony. 
    /facehoofMakes your pony facehoof. 
    /inventoryOpens your inventory. 

    Esc opens up the main menu
    W, A, S, D to run
    Shift + W, A, S, D to walk
    Double tap W to sprint or fly faster
    Double tap Spacebar to fly
    Q, E to do a barrel roll
    R to do a loop-de-loop
    Arrow keys or holding down and dragging middle mouse button moves the camera
    Scroll wheel zooms in and out 
    Visit Maplesweet in Ponyville to get the elusive Dandelion Bracelet!
    Do the "High Time for Pie Time" quest from Geizhufe in Canterlot to get the fancy pie tin hat!

    Game: Quickspell

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    Download it Here!
    Note: You'll need 7zip or similar extraction software to play on Windows, plus additional software to play on Mac or Linux. 
    If you were at Everfree NW this past weekend (it was an absolute blast, by the way), you may have noticed this game being played extensively in the Gaming Room. It's called Quickspell, and it was created in 48 hours by Sind and Amadiro for the Crystal Games Challenge. It was programmed using the LÖVE Framework, and features sprites from Urimas and music from RoccoW.

    The game is a simple two-player game where the object is to knock your opponent off their pillar using magic. During each players' offensive turn, they cast up to four different spells using either the arrow keys or WASD. The other player must cast defensive spells that correspond to the color of the spell being cast. If the defensive spells are correct and are timed well, very little damage will be taken.

    Quickspell is a very fun and quick multiplayer game, and it's still in development. I'll definitely be watching for the revamped version of this game. Edit: Download link updated to newer version.

    Super Smash Ponies AI Showcase

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    Zilven Sparkle, the developer of Super Smash Ponies, has released another video of the work in progress, showing off the AI this time around in a good ol' fashioned man vs. machine Twilight Sparkle showdown. Super Smash Ponies is making some great headway, and the little glimpse of Rarity at the end provides a hint  towards future development. Enjoy!

    Legends of Equestria is Hiring

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     Looks like the Legends of Equestria team has decided that it could use a couple more developers, so they decided to send out a press release to various pony fansites. We weren't included in that list for some reason, but ah well. Might as well post it anyways...

     Interested in working on the fandom's largest MMO? Then head on below the break for more details on submitting an application.




    Texture Artists - 2D team

    To apply for the 2D team, please email kit@legendsofequestria.com and vector@legendsofequestria.com with a link to an online portfolio containing examples of your skills. The 2D team leads would like to see plenty of examples of environmental art or textured 3D art, rather than 2D character work or fan art. Applicants must understand the basics of color theory, be able to mimic the art style of the environments and buildings in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and be able to create vector graphics. Please state how much time you are able to devote to Legends of Equestria, and remember that you will be expected to complete at least one texture per week. Access to programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Flash is not necessary but would be very beneficial.


    3D Modelers and Animators - 3D team 

    To apply for the 3D team, please email savanapope@legendsofequestria.com with links to examples of your skills. Any additional unrelated, high quality designs you have done helps too. Applicants must have working knowledge of 3D modeling and/or animating and be willing to learn, design critically, and give and take critique. It is preferred that applicants have a specialty in organic modeling, 3D animation and rigging, terraforming, or any combination thereof. Please include how much time you are able to devote to Legends of Equestria, as well as a list of programs that you use.


    Concept Artists 

    To apply for the concept art team, please email anyasmash@legendsofequestria.com with a link to an online portfolio containing examples of your drawing skill. Although the team is looking for individuals who are comfortable with drawing characters, creatures, and architecture in the style of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, we would like for your portfolio to contain something other than My Little Pony fanart. Your email should also include your Skype username, the amount of time you are able to devote to the project, and your strengths and weaknesses that are relevant to the position. Please keep in mind that the concept art team is hiring on a rolling basis, so you can apply at any time.


    Writers

    Applicants for the writing department must submit one or more examples of their writing to bloomberg@legendsofequestria.com. Creative prose is preferred, but not completely necessary.
    All applications must be submitted via email with a link to a Google Document in the application. Your name must also be included. Any applicants who are copying from an outside source such as Microsoft Word must paste the text directly into Google Docs rather than uploading a file. They must also be visible to the parties which will judge entries. Submissions which require a download or do not have proper permissions will be ignored. Examples must be at least one page in length and cannot have been edited by any outside party. Experience is not necessary, but any applicants capable of listing qualifications should do so. After applicants have been reviewed, the most favorable will receive a prompt, at which point they will have one week to submit a story that falls within the guidelines of this prompt. After these have been judged, the new writers will be announced.


    Designers

    To apply for the design team, please email savanapope@legendsofequestria.com with examples of design materials, as well as how much time you are able to devote to the project. Prefered examples are design documents which focus on gameplay mechanics, systems, and the equations and numbers which make those systems tick. Potential design team members should be able to contribute to discussions about ability trees, as well as independently write complex design documents which focus on attribute balance and gameplay integration. Potential design team members with large scale map layout abilities will also be considered.


    Programmers

    Potential programmers should be proficient in C# and the use of code to design working mechanics applicable to a 3D MMO environment. Experience and integration in Unity 3D is extremely helpful. To apply please send relevant examples of creative code design and a list of software you use/know to cerebrate@legendsofequestria.com. Only the applicants that the respective team leader is interested in will receive response emails.

    Lyra's List #15

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    A bit later than usual yes, but once again it's time for Lyra's List! Everything you need to know about Lyra's List, if you're unfamiliar, can be found here. Submissions for Lyra's List #16 should be in by July 31, 2013. You can check out the submissions for the month of June after the break...


    GDDs

    Blue Chaos
    Equus Online
    MMORPG
    Long Term
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CuBk6pserDFrPufaG-DHmAaplW7a7YivvulAEJv8IBM/edit

    Qilby
    Tricky Troubles in Chain Isles
    RPG
    Long Term
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hqq-I8sbAuJpSPRnC65NhiKYNSYjaf45oMqBpGKjAOU/edit

    King Blank
    Pony Rhythm Game (Working Title)
    Rhythm
    Unknown
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M8O2Gl288e2iK8pW3di59YlUDNcgUGwu_0R8t7Obx8o/edit

    Obsessive Rarity
    Battle: Equestria
    Lane Strategy/RTS
    Long Term
    https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B89UvH5-COi4el9KTnpNeDFsQmc/edit?pli=1

    MirtoRande
    The Celestial Domain
    Platform RPG
    Long Term
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1azOun32WNKsr_NhZ5Z-eAbgxN_v_YJmLqNayx7CcspA/edit

    Metaphor
    Fight for Harmony
    Card Game
    Medium Term
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w6Qg9J-PlX5eb_dvrgFM_iMMeyfkWctKUbAgvs5PRhY/pub

    That wraps up this edition of Lyra's List. If any changes need to be made, just let me know in the comments. And if you have a great idea for an MLP fangame, or are looking to help with one, consider submitting to Lyra's List!

    My Little Karaoke Released

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     It's been quite a while since we've posted anything related to My Little Karaoke, so you'll be pleased to hear that a new version of the game was released on Saturday. It features a whopping 150 songs from both the show and our fandom's talented musicians, support for up to 6 players on 2 screens, and high quality audio and video.

    Well, what are you waiting for? Download it over at http://www.mylittlekaraoke.com/index.php?pages/Game-download and tell us what you think about it in the comments.

    Super Lesbian Horse RPG Trailer

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    Super Lesbian Horse RPG

     Much progress has been made on Super Lesbian Horse RPG since we last posted about their demo, even if the game missed its planned release date in June. At least good old Bobby was nice enough to release a trailer showing off the latest additions to his upcoming fangame, mainly showing off his fancy tilesets and the fairly impressive original soundtrack, along with another small sampling of the game's bizarre trademark humour. It also reveals several of the game's enemies for the first time, and for some reason they feel a tad underwhelming. I'm not entirely sure why though...maybe it has something to do with the fact that the art styles used for the foes are somewhat inconsistent with the rest of the game.

      
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