PeaceIsland
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An end to bubbles!
🕑 Added 2022-06-21 01:09:57 +0000 UTCAs anyone who played the previous few releases knows, in order for the cats to boost their "food" or "fun" levels, they had to wander into a number of colored "bubbles" that one found scattered around the main exterior. This was, of course, never expected to be a permanent part of gameplay. They were simply placed around the island to demonstrate that the cats could "recharge", and the music/animations would dynamically change, according to the mood of a given cat.
Now that such functionality has been pretty much established, the next step was to dial back the "drain speed" so that the cats can go several days without a full recharge. The next step was to replace the bubbles with something a bit more world-appropriate, which brings me to the new, improved fireflies.
Up until now, we had a single, stationary insect swarm that really didn't display properly half of the time. In the next release, there will be three roving "swarms" that will serve not only as eye candy - but also as a way for the cats to "hunt" for food. Yes - after two years, we're FINALLY bringing that back! There will also be the occasional falling autumn leaves that the cats can catch to boost their "fun" level. Re-introducing butterflies to the highlands is a possibility, as well - but probably not until the public beta, late in the year.
Laura has been continuing her work on first-iteration interiors. I believe that once we finish one or two more structures, we'll have every place we'd need for the first act of the game roughed out, and can begin a second pass where textures, props and lighting can be double-checked & refined.
Arjuna has finished work on one of the last high-density sectors, as far as colliders go. There's a danged good chance that in the next release, cats will no longer pass through a single solid structure - as nature intended.
The sheer number of objects he has to deal with is a testament to the value and quality of his work.
Lance continues to amaze with his work on the controller. In the last update, I said that the cat was able to pass over rough terrain like an off-road 4 X 4 (again - as nature intended.) With the latest round of improvements, the cats are starting to HANDLE like a sturdy vehicle over the roughest terrain.
The integration of Richard's latest work on the soundtrack and ambient audio has been delayed, but it's a top priority.
Shipments of premiums have resumed- if you have yet to receive yours, please send us a message!
Next week's update will be a bit more lore-oriented, and will be one of our (very rare) "Patrons Only" features. See ya'll then!
