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Starter Guide to Equiverse

So you decided to join Equiverse! now you're stuck in here with us hehehe Things might be a little overwhelming when you start out here, but here's a guide to help you get going!


Important Info/Read First!
EV has not been receiving updates since October of 2023. This was done purposefully and it’s the best way for EV to keep itself running.
So what does that mean for the game? Right now EV is in pretty good condition and will not going down any time soon, nor will it be taken down without warning. But unfortunately any future suggestions are highly likely to not be implemented and any new bugs may not be fixed.
This doesn’t mean the game will become unplayable over time, while some minor bugs may pop up here and there *shakes fist at the accursed dropdown list glitch*, EV’s coding is very strong. As of writing this guide I have personally not come across or heard of any major bugs showing up.

I would heavily encourage new players to read the following articles and threads to understand the current state of the game:
Initial Announcement of Halted Development
Explanation of EV’s Financial Situation + More
Suggestions Board Notice
How to Contact Mods

So basically, the Bug Zapper and Suggestions Board are mostly unusable now and the game is going to stay in it’s current state forever (maybe).

What is Equiverse Like
With that out of the way, let’s talk about the game itself!
EV’s a pretty quiet game with a lot of regulars who come in and out of hiatus frequently. The playstyle is pretty relaxed and doesn’t force you to keep playing if you don’t want to. It’s rather slow paced and takes a while to reach a comfortable spot where you’re not worried about money or items, but there’s many people ready to help if you are willing to ask.
Compared to a lot of the other horse simulation games out there, EV doesn’t have a lot of shiny bells and whistles attached and is more focused on showing and breeding. Though of course, there are seasonal events that still run every year and quite a few “cosmetic” items you can play around with. I know I’m not the only one who’s spent hours dressing up my ponies… <.<

If you’re wondering what your goal is supposed to be when playing EV, you’d probably get a ton of answers. EV has a few different things you can aim for, many of us have tried out various aspects of the game and eventually settled into our own unique playstyle over the years. Here are all the various things you can do while playing EV + some guides and tools for each one:


EXP
When you’re starting out, EXP is the biggest priority you have next to money. EV’s level up and expansion system is designed to prevent new players from buying up and breeding too many horses, only to get overwhelmed after a few days and quit. The tradeoff is that it’s very slow to level up and can discourage people from playing due to impatience. But if you’re willing to make your way up the levels, this guide can make your options a lot more clear. Level 6 is generally considered to be when you have the game fully unlocked.
    Sab’s Guide to Leveling Up


Money
Equiverse Dollars (EVD) are our primary currency while Equiverse Credits (EVC, or just "credits") are a special currency used to buy rare items and to upgrade to a deluxe account.
There are many ways to earn EVD in game, but don’t expect any guaranteed “get rich quick” methods. Generally you earn your daily income through showing/schooling and do not earn much from selling horses or listing them for stud. The reason being that what one person considers a good horse may not be considered good by another, most players are looking for a specific horse and not just any horse that’s for sale will do. Plus there’s really not enough people playing the game for the horse market to work as well as before.


Specialties
There are 6 specialties (sometimes called "disciplines") on EV: Dressage, Driving, Endurance, Racing, Show Jumping, and Western. Horses cannot be cross-discipline but are able to have their discipline changed at a cost. There is also a significant foal stat bonus when breeding two horses of the same specialty together.


Showing
In order to show your horse will need to have a specialty set and be boarded. Shows are weighted by many things, Speciality Stats are the main factor considered but other things are: tack, tack grade, training level, low NSS, conformation, daily care, and luck. Bear in mind, your horse’s condition at the time of entry is what is taken into consideration when shows are being calculated. So if you enter your horse in a show then treat and care, your horse will count as not being cared for. Same goes for tack, your horse will count as being untacked if nothing was equipped upon entry.


Riding Schools
Schooling is EV’s low risk/low reward system, unlike showing there are much less requirements for your horse to be able to school. Your horse will need to be in a division and boarded at a stable before they can be schooled.


NSS
NSS stands for Non-Specialty Stats, the stats that are not used by your horse’s discipline when showing. These are different from Specialty Stats, which are the two main stats for your horse’s discipline. A general rule is to keep NSS under a total of 60 for each horse.
If kept low enough then NSS will not affect your horse’s performance, but having too many will cause your horse to struggle in shows. NSS is a little tricky to get the hang of since it involves a bit of math and planning if you’re trying to breed those numbers down. But the payoff is often worth it as your horses will do well in shows and if treated correctly during their lifetime, will likely have even better statted foals down the line.

    UlyssesBlue’s Foal Stat Calculator
    Why NSS is important: Breeding strategies +more *horses can lose more than 3NSS up to 6 now


Stats
On EV, total stats are a little more complex than “bigger is better”. A horse with 4000 stats isn’t guaranteed to bring in tons of cash, but just has the potential to earn more than a lower grade. So with proper care, even your freshly pulled Equine Center horse can become a champion. Some players just like to increase stats without it being for the purpose of showing though, either way is valid!


Conformation
Probably the most tricky goal to breed for. Conformation is much more RNG based and unlike NSS, you can breed foals with worse confo than their parents. Generally speaking, confo breeders are likely to breed many foals so that there’s a better chance of getting a foal with greater confo than its parents.


Colors and Genetics
EV’s color genetics system is fairly thorough and complex, with only a few breeds having incorrect/missing genes that didn’t get updated before development stopped. While it’s a pretty realistic system please keep in mind that EV’s genetics do not fully reflect real life.
You can gene test any horse at the vet for $1000 EVD each and use that information to decide how to pair up your horses. If you want to breed for color it’s highly recommended to learn how EV’s genetics work, though I’ve seen a player or two breed for color without learning genetics just for the challenge!

vos’s Genetics Guide (up to date except for a few images)
UlyssesBlue’s Foal Genotype Calculator
Game Stats (clicking on the breed names will show allowed genetics)


Grade Horses
You’re able to cross any horse in the game with each other! Unfortunately grade horses are a bit limited, there is only one artwork for all grades (sized up or down depending on height), and you cannot breed grades back to pure breed art. You also won't be able to tell what kind of cross a grade horse is if any horses in their pedigree have been deleted ("Deceased" horses). Additionally, the game cannot recognize any actual crossbreeds such as Morabs or Drum Horses, these will always be referred to as a Grade Horse.
Grades horses were one of the last major changes to the game, so while there may have been consideration towards expanding the grade horse system, it’s likely they will stay as they currently are.


Art
While not as big as before, there's still an art side to EV. Before you sell art you must make note of the rules, EV is very strict about credits and stolen art.