Hello, Space Cowboys!
It’s been a busy few weeks for the team as we continue to shape the world of Wild Planet. No many big updates this week but game development often feels like a balancing act between fixing what’s broken, refining what works, and dreaming up new ideas to surprise our players. In this devblog, we’ll take you behind the scenes of our recent work in progress, share some thoughts on our design process, and give you a glimpse of what’s next.
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The Challenges of Co-op Design
One of the standout challenges we faced recently was ironing out co-op instancing and interaction bugs. Designing for multiplayer is no small feat. Ensuring that every player sees and interacts with the world in the same way, especially in a dynamic game like ours, is tricky. From syncing objects to handling complex player interactions, it’s a lot like piecing together an intricate puzzle.
We’re happy to report that we’ve solved the core issues, but like all puzzles, there are a few rogue pieces still to fit. A known issue with the unstuck feature and occasional terrain loading hiccups persists.
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The King Garoo and Expanding the World
We’ve also been diving deep into the Garoo content, designing an all-new Garoo Cave and bringing the King Garoo boss battle to life. Boss fights are a delicate balancing act. They need to be challenging but fair, visually impressive, and rewarding. For King Garoo, we focused on blending its character lore with unique mechanics that feel true to the Wild Planet experience.
And, of course, the King Garoo Suit! When designing rewards like this, we aim for more than just stats—we want players to feel the power and prestige of wearing it. It’s about creating a sense of accomplishment that resonates both in gameplay and in the visual storytelling of your character.
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The Art of Balancing Combat
Balancing weapons, armor, and enemies has been another major focus. Combat in Wild Planet is as much about the moment-to-moment excitement as it is about long-term strategy. Every tweak we make—whether it’s adjusting an enemy’s health or fine-tuning a weapon’s damage—has to strike a balance between challenge and fun.
One of our guiding principles here is player agency. Whether you’re taking down a Garoo or battling through a dungeon, your choices should matter. This means ensuring every piece of equipment and every encounter has a purpose, pushing you to adapt and experiment as you progress.
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The Desert: A Realm of Challenge and Discovery
The desert biome is undergoing a major transformation. While this area has always been a place of mystery and harsh survival, we’re now deepening its identity with fresh content and mechanics:
• Monster Rework: We're reworking the creatures that roam the desert to make them more distinct and thematically tied to the environment. This overhaul includes more dynamic behavior, refined loot tables, new animations, and improved spawn points that feel natural and enhance exploration.
• Resource Overhaul: Gathering resources in the desert will now require strategy and exploration. New resources are being introduced, and their placement will encourage players to engage with the environment in meaningful ways.
• Desert Bunker Dungeon: We’re hard at work on this new dungeon, which will serve as a key feature of the desert zone. The bunker is a sprawling underground complex filled with secrets, puzzles, and dangers. Designing this space has been a fascinating challenge: How do we contrast the openness of the desert with the claustrophobic, maze-like intensity of the bunker?
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The Forest: A Recycler’s Paradise
The forest biome is nearing completion, with two major features taking center stage:
• Recycler Area: This new location will be a hub for turning your scavenged junk into valuable resources. Our goal was to create a mechanic that feels both practical and satisfying, rewarding players for their ingenuity and persistence.
• Tower of the lost Monument: This larger monument serves as both a landmark and a storytelling piece. Like other monuments in Wild Planet, it combines exploration, lore, and rewards for the curious and determined.
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Building System: Creativity Unleashed
We’ve continued refining the building system to meet the expectations of our creative players. Recent updates include bug fixes and the we are working on wall skins and decorations. Whether you’re constructing a rugged desert outpost or a cozy forest hideaway, our goal is to give you the tools to make your base feel like home. Stay stuned more updates and bug fixes are to come.
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Looking Ahead
Our roadmap for the next big update is almost ready, and it’s packed with exciting features. Your feedback has been instrumental in shaping Wild Planet, and we’re grateful for every bug report, suggestion, and idea you’ve shared.
Thank you for being part of this journey. As always, see you space cowboys!
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Vlad & Yilmaz