Wave 6 Release

Overmare -

Hello Stable Dwellers! This is your Overmare speaking. We are happy to announce the release of Wave 6!

We're grateful for those who played our Development Builds and gave their thoughts and feedback to help us get to where we are now.

In fact, we have a brand new trailer to show off our Wave 6 release:

You can download Ashes of Equestria Wave 6 via the link below:

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Ashes of Equestria - Wave 6 >>DOWNLOAD HERE<<

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Wave 6 Features

For those not familiar, we started development of Wave 6 with the intent of implementing and refining some of our core features such as quests and interactable NPC's, as well as improve our level design. As such, much work was done to create a preview of what Ashes of Equestria would be like.

So what new features can you expect in Wave 6? Let's break it down:

New Wave 6 Map

Wave 6 introduces a new map specifically for this wave. Designed to both show off what future Ponyville may look like in small form, but also as a testbed for much of our design work and systems that you'll be able to try out in the final release. Much of what our level designers have learned will carry over to our future map work, both in environmental storytelling and level design for our numerous quests.

Quests

We're finally introducing quests! Talk to NPC's and find out what you can do to help, or perhaps stumble upon a pony's last dying request somewhere on the map?

Need some caps? Maybe check out the bounty board, where a mysterious pony has open jobs - if you're not afraid of some danger.

Voice Acting

Our NPCs are now fully voiced, so you can get the full experience talking to the wasteland's resident ponies.

We've added over 300 lines of brand-new recorded dialogue for you to enjoy! Lip-sync has also been added. This one's been a long time coming, so put on your headphones and give it a listen.

Mines

We have added new mines to the game, which will be dotted around in the map for you to encounter, or use against your enemies.

Frag mines activate when an enemy comes within their proximity, which starts a brief countdown before the mine is launched into the air and explodes.

We've also added Plasma mines which release a cluster of small plasma explosives over a wider area.

Both sets of mines can be moved with telekinesis and knocked back with melee weapons. A well timed hit from a melee weapon can knock away a mine being flung at you, which is very hard to pull off... unless you use SATS.

S.A.T.S. System

S.A.T.S. returns to Ashes of Equestria but it has gone through several changes. Here's the summary of how SATS works now in the game:

  • Slows down time when active.
  • Drains AP over time when active.
  • Drains AP with every attack.
  • Shows AP wheel on the HUD around the crosshair when active.

With a more streamlined system, S.A.T.S. now slows down time when active. There are no more hit chances, instead you now aim manually at your target with the benefit of slow motion, giving you plenty of time to carefully line up your shot.

AI, Performance Improvements and Bugfixes

Much work has been done to improve on the AI's notable issues, such as enemies attacking you while walking backwards. While more has to be done we're happy with how they work so far. We also worked to improve the overall performance of the game, identifying troublesome items or systems that may be causing these issues. In addition, numerous bugs identified by our QA team and the community have been fixed.

Other Improvements

Here are some other features or additions we've added to Wave 6 we want to highlight:

  • Blood: We've introduced our first implementation of blood. Pony NPC's will have blood spurts when hit or shot, leaving splatters of blood onto the ground. When they die, even a blood pool is formed. We plan to expand this to other enemy types, as well as additional improvements in the future.
  • Item Randomiser: Loot doesn't stay the same in Wave 6, with item randomisers now means you're never quite sure what you'll get to survive the wasteland.
  • Magtapes: You can find these recorded tapes strewn about the map or during your quests. Read them from your Pipbuck for additional story telling or interesting conversations the wastelanders have noted down. For this release, they are text only, but we plan to expand their capabilities so audio recordings are also stored on them.
  • A new Magic strain system that lets you push your magic beyond ordinary limits. Magic now uses AP. Hold down Z to keep casting spells when out of AP at the cost of maximum AP.

We hope you enjoy Wave 6 and the work we have put into creating this slice of the Equestrian Wasteland. If you have feedback for us, or just want to tell us about your adventures in the game, you can tell us via our feedback form or on our Discord Channel.

Wave 6 Feedback Form

Going Forward - Wave 7 and Future Development Builds

So what will we be focusing on now that Wave 6 is now released? We have teased some things here and there, but with enough experience and ground work done, we're finally ready to return to where it all began.

We're already hard at work developing Stable 2 and Sweet Apple Acres, the place where Littlepip began her story and learns about the fate of what happened to the world. Work has already been done in the layout and assets needed to create our vision of what Stable 2 would look like, with much more to be done for both the Stable and Sweet Apple Acres, the first zone of our new revamped map.

Our programmers and designers will also be working to revamp how our combat and AI work in the game, making enemies more fun to fight, and more reactive to your choices. Coupled with animation and movement control overhauls Wave 7 we hope will be smoother and more enjoyable to play.

But for now, you can see a bit more of how Stable 2 is shaping up thus far. In addition, our plans to keep producing Development Builds have not changed, so stay tuned for when we're ready to release our first Wave 7 Development Build for you to play and help us create Ashes of Equestria.

Recruitment

Development of a game of our scope takes time and talent, and we are always on the lookout for new members to join our ranks at Overmare Studios. This increases the amount of time we can put into Ashes, and decreases the amount of time our community will have to wait for each Wave, and by extension, the game.

Who are we looking for? Right now, we’re looking to fill all roles. Particularly we're looking for new talent to join the following roles:

  • Programmers
  • 2D Concept Artists
  • 3D Modellers
  • 3D Animators
  • Game Designers

If your talent lies elsewhere, don't worry. Other teams are still actively looking for the following roles as well:

  • Environment Designers
  • Audio Engineers
  • Script Writers
  • Voice Actors
  • QA Testers

If you have the time, talent and desire to help us create Ashes of Equestria please apply via the link below:

Click here to Apply Now!

For more details feel free to message us via our Community Discord.. More information on specific roles can be found on the application form.

Final Notes

We hope you enjoy what we have made in Wave 6, and hope you'll continue to follow our development going forward with Wave 7. If you have feedback and thoughts on what's been discussed in this blog post, you can check out the following social media platforms:

Discord

If you still have questions in regards to applying to The Overmare Studios, about Wave 6, the project in general, or you just want to talk with like minded fans, come check out our Discord.

It has been our primary location for Ashes of Equestria. We post regular updates and announcements there, so if you want to stay informed or chat with fellow fans, please come join it!

Twitter/X

We’re also on Twitter/X. Follow us there to keep up to date on any new announcements, or sneak peaks of our development for Wave 6 and beyond.

BlueSky

Finally, we are also on BlueSky Account for those who prefer alternative social media sites. It’s still relatively new but we will keep it as updated as the rest of our social media platforms.

YouTube

Yes, we also have a YouTube Channel, in fact this might be where you saw us initially. We hope to show more of our development work on our channel, so stay tuned.

TikTok

More of a vertical viewer? We have a TikTok Channel as well.