Northern Lights News

[h3]Greetings Arctic Survivors! Today, we are proud to announce that the long-awaited Story Mode update is now LIVE on STEAM! [/h3]

Along with the Story Mode, this version aims to address and improve a lot of the issues and feedback reported by the community over the past weeks. The overall feel of the game and user experience was also polished in this update!

With the occasion of being part of the famous Summer Sale, Northern Lights will be on a record price: 40% OFF! If you're looking to play a survival game, or you wish to make a memorable gift to your friends, now is the time to grab the game!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1090800


[h2]Story Mode[/h2]
The long awaited Story Mode is here! Explore the island, look for clues, and find a way to escape before it's too late. Story mode does not affect existing saves, which will automatically be converted to “Survival Mode” saves.



Note: Due to changes in how the quests work, we highly recommend starting fresh with Survival Mode saves in order to avoid save game issues.

[h2]Snow Mobile[/h2]
Starting with this version, you can navigate the island with the means of a snowmobile! Find the keys, look for fuel, and get the snowmobile running!



For this update we have also added fuel gathering and transportation mechanics which can and will be extended into other systems in the future.

[h2]Hunting & Hitbox Improvements[/h2]
A big annoyance with the previous versions of the game were the hitboxes of animals. With this update, we have tweaked the hitboxes so that hunting is less frustrating and more satisfying!



We have also tweaked the spawn rates of animals to make more sense regarding their spawn region, and we have tweaked the way fishing works in terms of fish yields.

[h2]And much more![/h2]
Along with the changes above, we also improved a lot of the existing things in the game! Full changelog below:

Added story mode
Added snowmobile
Added fuel and fuel carrying mechanics (currently only for snowmobile)
Added new corpse models for Researchers
Added Mysterious Woods to map graphics
Added missing animation and sound support to collectibles and throwables
Added missing animation and sound support to quest pickups
Added feature parity between trap fishing and line/rod fishing in terms of fish yields
Improvements to Survival Mode new game initialization
Improvements to performance
Improved animal hitboxes
Improved animal spawn rates
Improved throwable and arrow hitbox detection
Improved melee animation-hit sync
Improved melee hit range
Improved mushroom hunger and energy values
Improved difficulty warmth depletion values
Improved UX of comparison bars in clothing highlight HUD
Fixed issue causing whole cutscene manager to crash if a cutscene is already playing while another is requested
Fixed issue causing tracked quest button to not work correctly in journal
Fixed issue causing animations to get stuck while aiming and switching items
Fixed issue causing fires to sometimes burn player while interacting with them
Fixed issue causing arrows to not be takeable from carcasses
Fixed issue causing arrows to never get destroyed/decayed
Fixed issue causing throwing melees to not apply decay to items
Fixed issue causing animals to spawn near player on new game
Fixed issue causing items to highlight below cupboard shelves
Fixed issue causing loot/crafts requirement to show in HUD even if set as hidden in quest
Fixed issue causing quest requirements to show in journal even when flagged as hidden
Fixed a graphics issue with impact particles
Fixed a graphics issue with intro cave lighting
Fixed various issues with localization
Fixed various issues with level design
Fixed various issues with broken loot in locations

We want to remind everyone that Northern Lights is in an Early Access state, so there might still be a lot of bugs to be ironed out and a lot of balancing to be done.

We will continue fixing reported bugs and issues for 0.8.x while working on the next feature update v0.9 as per our Development Roadmap Available HERE

Because of this, we encourage everyone to use the Report A Bug button found in the Game Menus in order to reach out to us about possible issues! Also, don't forget to join our Community and Discord Server, where we have chats dedicated to feedback and new ideas!

Thank you for reading and for all your support and understanding!

[h3]Greetings everyone! We hope everybody had a great year so far! [/h3]

[h3]We have updated the development roadmap for Northern Lights to reflect the current status of the game!

Full roadmap and details available below.[/h3]

• Improvements to character animations - Released in 0.5
• General UI and UX Improvements based on current feedback - Released in 0.5
• New quest based tutorials to get players through some of the basics of the game - Released in 0.5
• New game languages - Released in 0.5
• New and improved ambient sounds and soundtracks - Released in 0.6
• New and improved character action sounds - Released in 0.6
• Improvements to existing interaction sounds - Released in 0.6
• Improvements to sound balancing and mastering - Released in 0.6
• Controller support - Released in 0.7
• Custom difficulty settings - Released in 0.7

• Brand new Story Mode focused on exploration and lore, with re-written escape ending! - Released in 0.7
• Improvements to Character Dialogues & Voice-Overs - Released in 0.8
• Steam Achievements for both Story Mode and Survival Mode - Released in 0.8
• Brand new Side Quests for the notes collectibles system

• New drivable Snowmobile vehicle - Released in 0.8
• Improvements to animal hunting - Released in 0.8
• Improvements to animal AI - Released in 0.9 Improvements to small and filler locations
  Improvements to nature level design
  Improvements to existing locations
  Improvements to some graphics elements of the game
  Improvements to overall game performance in open world locations

• Everything else that's left for the game to be considered finished!
  
• The long awaited CO-OP Survival mode
  

We will keep this Road-Map updated with any new additions or changes! Thanks to everybody for reading and for the ongoing support!

- MadGoat Team

[h3]Hello everyone![/h3]

We have just released a new patch to address some of the issues reported in the past weeks!

[h3]Whats new?[/h3]

With with this patch, we also added a bunch of long awaited features to the game:

• Added first batch of Steam Achievements
  
• Added Partial Controller Support to game (will improve into full support in the future)
  
• Added custom difficulty mode with various difficulty settings
  
• Added inventory sort feature as per user feedback
  
• Added ability to store firewood in stick holder
  

[h3]What we fixed?[/h3]

• Improvements to farmstead location exteriors
  
• Improvements to lighter decay
  
• Improvements to stove mechanics
  
• Improvements to sanity system
  
• Improvements to game stability
  
• Improvements to warmth mechanics
  
• Fixed issue causing some clothing recipes to not unlock upon relevant pelt
  
• Fixed issue causing pickupables to sometimes break after load game
  
• Fixed issue causing UI controls to break when assigning their keys to gameplay controls
  
• Fixed issue causing character to sometimes fall under map when game is out of focus while loading
  
• Fixed issue causing some first-person items to cast shadows
  
• Fixed issue causing graphics glitches when starting fire with stone clicking
  
• Fixed issue causing cooking to not work in scene spots
  
• Fixed issue causing beds to disappear after loading saves
  
• Fixed issue causing doors to open after loading saves
  

Thanks everyone for the issue reports and feedback!
Happy playing!

[h3]Greetings Arctic Survivors! Today we are proud to announce that Update 0.7 of Northern Lights is now LIVE on STEAM! [/h3]

This version aims to address and improve a lot of the issues and feedback reported by the community over the past months. The overall feel of the game and user experience was also polished in this update!

To celebrate this update, we are also running a limited-time sale for the game! So, if you didn’t already do it, now it’s a great time to pick it up at a lower price!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1090800/Northern_Lights/


[h2]Loot Spawning Revisited[/h2]
We've received a lot of feedback regarding the loot system. Items used to spawn in the wrong places (bow in the fridge), and the looting interface was clunky. We decided it's worth taking our time and revisiting the loot spawning system. After this update, every item should have its specific place - and furniture, crates, and containers can now be opened to look for items inside!



With this change, we've also added the ability to open the trunks and doors of cars, to find and collect loot.



We consider this to be the biggest change of this update and something we will still work on polishing in future updates to perfectly balance the resources you can find in the world of Northern Lights!

P.S. We know some of you were using loot containers as a way to store your items in your base, and we are looking into ways to make that possible again for the next update. We also advise taking out any loot from containers before updating to avoid losing any progress. Sorry for any inconvenience caused!

[h2]Cooking on Fires[/h2]
Starting with this version, the cooking interface is now unified with the fire interface, which means no more switching between interactions when working with fires!



We have also gone through redesigning the perks of different kinds of fires, and now crafting better fires will result in better cooking times and more slots to put raw food on! Building recipes for fires have also been balanced to make more sense.



Another important feature we’ve added with this update is the ability to harvest burnt fires! Depending on the type of fire, harvesting a burnt fire will now yield some of the materials back as well as a certain amount of charcoal.

[h2]Shelters and Sleeping[/h2]
The shelter mechanism has also got a touch-up with this update! We have improved the way crafted shelters look, as well as the requirements to craft them.



Shelters now have a decay mechanic, and when they break, it is possible to harvest their remains and take some of the materials back.



We also added perks to the different kinds of shelters, some of them offering cold protection while others have better durability!
Take note that the kind of bed or shelter you are using now also affects how well you rest!

[h2]Traps and Baiting[/h2]
Baiting in traps now works on a per animal basis. That means that different kind of bait is required for different kind of animals! Bear in mind that some animals can be herbivorous, some omnivorous, while others will only be attracted by meat! The same applies to fish.



Carcass ravaging has also been added. Leaving carcasses into traps for too long or using bait that attracts big game will result in the trap being destroyed!



Destroyed traps can also be harvested to recover some of the initial materials.

[h2]Clothing and Pelts[/h2]
The stats for the various clothing sets available in-game have been balanced to make more sense.

Along with this, we have also added the ability to craft boots from boar pelt. The resource requirement for some of the other pelt-based crafted clothing has been tweaked, and the recipes will now unlock as new pelt kinds are discovered rather than by leveling up.



Starting gear has also been tweaked, and the appearance of some clothing items has been improved.

P.s. We are also working on a clothing repair mechanic as promised, but unfortunately it is not ready for this update and will be released with the next version!

[h2]Water Carrying[/h2]
The water bidon mechanic has been improved, and the bidon now has a decay system such that the player is no longer allowed to use a single bidon throughout the whole playthrough.

The bidon will now decay every time water is gathered, and the condition of the bidon is now visible in the inventory.



We will continue to improve this mechanic, and we will consider adding more containers and the ability to carry other liquids in the future.

[h2]Parli Italiano?[/h2]
As promised and with the help of our Italian translators, we have managed to fully translate Northern Lights to Italian!



For new players, the Italian language should now be autodetected. For existing users, the setting should be available in the gameplay settings panel.

[h2]And much more![/h2]


Along with the changes above, we also improved a lot of the existing things in the game! Full changelog below:

First aid items now display "used" notification rather than "consumed"
Loot containers are now in form of openables rather than storages
Vehicles now have openable doors and loot inside
The advanced shelters now require a blueprint to be found in order to be crafted
Built shelters now have different perks and penalties based on their kind
Built shelters now have decay. Some resources can be reclaimed from damaged shelters
Camp Fire now has 3 cooking spots instead of 4
Camp Fire and Bonfire now has cooking speed bonuses
It is now possible to extinguish fires by pouring at least half a litre of water on them
Standing next to a fire now gives a sanity bonus
Standing next to a fire now gives an energy bonus
Being over encumbered now has a sanity penalty
Harvesting objects with tools now has an energy penalty
Cooking spot mechanics and fire mechanics are now a single interaction
Baits left in traps now have decay
Baits now influence the type of animal that will be caught in trap
Traps now have decay and ravaging mechanics
Added Italian language
Added fire starting count left for fire starting items when hovering over items in inventory
Added salted status of meats when hovering over items in inventory
Added warming up effect from warm food
Added character death animation
Added decay mechanic to water bidon
Added boar pelt item and new craft for boar pelt boots
Improved inventory context menu button highlighting
Improved cooking spot UX
Improved warmth balancing in mine location
Improved water bidon logic
Improved graphics of certain clothing items
Improved balance of item requirements for built shelters
Improved balance of item requirements for fires
Improved balance of item requirements for traps
Improved balance of healing per hour of all afflictions
Improved balance of burns treatment rates
Improved balance of starting gear
Major improvements to weather system balancing
Major improvements to weather system VFX
Major improvements to warmth values for every weather condition
Major improvements to researchable books placement
Major improvements to crafted clothing and pelts usage
Major improvements to clothing stats
Major improvements to water bidon logic
Major improvements to stick bed graphics
Major improvements to sanity dialogue threshold
Fixed issue causing bow to not zoom when aiming
Fixed issue causing player to get stuck in certain places of weather station
Fixed issue causing clothing to not respawn on load
Fixed issue causing hand drill to have no decay and matches to have wrong decay
Fixed issue causing dried plants to not be accepted in infusion recipes
Fixed issue causing fire fuel status to not update while in interaction
Fixed issue causing cooking spots to be available while fire is not lit yet
Fixed issue causing fire to not get destroyed after taking cooking elements back
Fixed issue causing traps to not be interactable with bait inside
Fixed issue causing some pickables bounds to be outside container bounds
Fixed issue causing weather condition to not start correctly on new game (always clear)
Fixed issue causing fire starting items to be consumed fully from one start
Fixed issue causing lighter item being placed in wrong position
Fixed issue causing drying rack to not work correctly with cured pelts
Fixed issue causing some interactions to lose items when inputting in slots that are already populated
Fixed issue causing a certain snow buried house to be accessible
Fixed various small issues with level design

We want to remind everyone that Northern Lights is in an Early Access state so there might still be a lot of bugs to be ironed out and a lot of balancing to be done.

We will continue fixing reported bugs and issues for 0.7.x while working on the next feature update v0.8 as per our Development Roadmap Available HERE

Because of this, we encourage everyone to use the Report A Bug button found in the Game Menus in order to reach out to us about possible issues! Also, don't forget to join our Community and Discord Server where we have chats dedicated to feedback and new ideas!

Thank you for reading and for all your support and understanding!

Hello everyone! Today marks yet another milestone for Northern Lights! We are proud to announce that version 0.6 is now LIVE on STEAM!

This version aims to improve the overall audio quality and feel of the game, along with some critical fixes to issues reported in the past weeks!

With this new update, the game will also be ON SALE at -30% OFF for a limited time period! If you haven't already, now is the perfect time to grab a copy!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1090800/Northern_Lights/

[h2]What's new in v0.6?[/h2]


This update comes with a lot of improvements related to game ambience and audio and to the overall user experience. Full list of additions and improvements below!

Nature audio quality and sound balancing greatly improved
Interiors audio quality and sound balancing greatly improved
New sound effects for item related activities such as harvesting, food consumption etc. added to the game
New sound tracks added to the game
New dialogue lines for various player activities added to the game
The audio of water bodies has improved quality and better spatial accuracy
The audio of caves has improved quality and better spatial accuracy
The audio of ambience wind is now affected by the wind intensity
It is now possible to cook at fireplaces
Clothing decay values has been adjusted

[h2]What's fixed?[/h2]


Along with the changes above, we also fixed a lot of the reported issues with the existing things in the game! Full changelog below:

Fixed issue causing curtains to not be harvestable in some locations
Fixed issue causing inventory to allow for item duplication in some cases
Fixed issue causing currently equipped item to be incorrect when multiple items of same kind are equipped
Fixed issue causing inventory tool slots to break in some cases
Fixed issue causing item throwing to not remove the item from inventory in some cases and causing errors in inventory
Fixed issue causing water bidon to show wrong hydration restore value when not full

[h2]What's next?[/h2]
We want to remind everyone that Northern Lights is in an Early Access state so there might still be a lot of bugs to be ironed out and a lot of balancing to be done.

We will continue fixing reported bugs and issues for 0.6.x while working on the next feature update v0.7 as per our Development Roadmap Available HERE

Because of this, we encourage everyone to use the Report A Bug button found in the Game Menus in order to reach out to us about possible issues! Also, don't forget to join our Community and Discord Server where we have chats dedicated to feedback and new ideas!

Thank you for reading and for all your support and understanding!