Hi, folks. Welcome to another week's developer's diary.
As mentioned last week, I started our content updates with penguins this week!
A new addition to the wildlife in our vast in-game world. You can also turn them into pets. Female penguins can also generate eggs periodically if they are in your group. Before anyone asks, male penguins cannot get pregnant. This is simply science and basic biology, while a certain Dr. Nisha Verma seems unable to understand. :P
Alright, what's more important is, why are we suddenly getting penguins?
It's all about the story behind it.
You can unlock lore in the Guide to Monster Hunting.
But let's just get a quick version.
In a haunting clip from Werner Herzog’s 2007 documentary Encounters at the End of the World, a lone penguin is seen walking inland, away from his colony and the ocean, toward the vast, empty mountains of Antarctica. In 2026, just last week, the video was rediscovered.
But, why? The question remains unanswered.
But everyone already has their own answers. And each answer reflects the very life and experience of every single person.
Some would mock that there are no penguins in Greenland. They totally missed the point. With their ignorance, they become part of the story's meaning.
The penguin does not concern himself with the opinions of those who cannot comprehend.
Just like other penguins cannot understand why the penguin goes to The Mountain. It makes no sense to many others. But, to this penguin, it is his choice of life. A life that he alone decides how to spend. Not the society, not the others, not some leftist activists.
This is Schopenhauer! In modern life, when you go to social media, you can receive millions of opinions from others. Most of the time, you can see that some people cannot understand you or even oppose you. But all those are just noise; they mean nothing. Because, in the end, it's you who will go to that Mountain, not those who cannot understand.
The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.
And yes, it's possible the penguin will not reach the mountain because of cold or starvation. But, I know of no better life purpose than to perish in attempting the great and the impossible.
This is Nietzsche! He said, "God is dead!" Not in a form of sacrilege, but to blame people in the modern age often use God as an excuse to stay weak, to apologize, to remain in a slave morality of safety, to be conformist, to avoid all confrontation. Yet, the Bible clearly states, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.”
The Übermensch is just another way to say "To the one who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life."
There is so much more you can see from this penguin.
He will keep moving to the mountain, each step seems meaningless and absurd in the eyes of others. But he made his decision, and he is happy. This is Camus!
The Penguin may be destroyed, but he cannot be defeated! This is Hemingway!
Until death, the Penguin will keep going; all defeat is psychological! This is Jocko Willink
Over the course of your life, you will find that things are not always fair. You will find that things happen to you that you do not deserve and that are not always warranted. But you have to put your head down and fight, fight, fight. Never, ever, ever give up. Adversity makes you stronger. Don’t give in. Don’t back down. And never stop doing what you know is right. Nothing worth doing ever, ever, ever came easy. And the more righteous you are, the more opposition you will face!
And this is President Donald Trump!
The Penguin can be all of them. You can also have your own interpretation. And deep down, you will see a mirror of yourself in it. At least, I do. I have been developing this game for over 21 years. I am on my way to The Mountain.
As such, the Penguin now has a place in the Grand Library, on the Floor of Philosophy.
All the decorations here can also be purchased from furniture vendors in case you want to use those statues and that post in your pocket dimension.
Certainly, we also got a Penguin coat that lets you transform into a penguin. Fun fact: right after the Penguin Coat update, some Russian soldiers disguised as penguins appeared in Ukraine. Unfortunately, that didn't go quite well for them. :D
The Penguin is certainly an inspiration for many of this week's updates, for sure!
Or, "Foh Shure" if you have a French accent.
So, how about this? I can also make a song for this just to merge those two memes.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Rather than making it just something funny, I hope it can be more inspiring, Foh Shure.
Because the Penguin is the hero of the story, Foh Shure. :D
Alright, enough for the Penguin. Let's go back to the main story.
The entire second floor of the North Peak is now completed. There are more stories about the struggles between the faithful and Beelzebub's corruption.
For example, to avoid the demon and his followers from turning the fallen into zombies, the faithful have to burn all the corpses. A commander in his trembling hand and broken heart has to issue this order while he knows all those crusaders deserve something better. But he also has faith in God and believes "In the end, we will win." Historically speaking, something similar happened when Mongol raiders invaded Eastern Europe hundreds of years ago. The Mongols used catapults to throw infectious media such as rats and corpses over city walls as bioweapons. The defenders had to burn down everything, including their own fallen soldiers.
The puzzles in this area have been greatly reduced or made optional compared to the old design in the SAPC++ era. Ideally, it should make things more fun with fewer roadblocks. Technically, you can speed run it with some time-stop crystals to pass all enemies without even needing to stop for anything else.
One last thing: the weather is becoming cold. Just as there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Winter is a time for ICE!
Fun fact: You may find those animations very different than previous ones. I am testing some new AI-based animation generation. I have family in US law enforcement. I'd like to pay them some respect by testing this new technology.
Meanwhile, it's funny how woke weather reporters keep avoiding mentioning the word ICE.
I wonder what it would be like if President Trump renamed it from "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement" to "National Immigration and Customs Enforcement," which would be NICE! Then, I guess many people will no longer be able to be nice. :D
Anyway, we now have an ICE agent as a new playable male character appearance in the game, free for everyone to customize their main characters or customized teammates. I hope the winter is enjoyable. People can participate in all kinds of interesting winter-only activities.
OK, this is not what I meant. But, anyway, take care and have fun. :D
That's for this week. The update on Feb. 1st may be skipped due to a family reunion and, potentially, a discussion about world domination among siblings. But I will make sure to bring back some good mood. Hint: Some preparation has been done in the Boombox. :)
The full update log of this week:
20260124
English
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[Animal/Pet] A new creature hath been added unto the earth: the Penguin; and thou mayest take them unto thyself as pets.
[Passive Resource Generate] The female penguins shall, in the passing of days, bring forth eggs as a passive blessing.
[Meat] A new meat is given: Penguin meat.
[Loot] An item drop list hath been appointed unto the penguins.
[Guide to Monster Hunting] The entry of the Penguin hath been inscribed within the Guide to Monster Hunting, and it is unlocked from the beginning.
[Wiki] The pet page hath been renewed.
[The Grand Library, Floor of Philosophy] The floor hath been enlarged, and a new chamber added; it is marked as a work yet in progress, for more penguin mysteries shall be revealed therein.
[The Grand Library, Floor of Philosophy] Penguins have been set within this new chamber.
[The Grand Library, Floor of Philosophy] And because a body of water now dwelleth in this place, fishing data hath been added.
[Penguin] Sound effects for penguins have been bestowed; they shall be heard when thou encounterest them, or when thou layest a gentle hand upon them.
简体中文
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【动物/宠物】 新生之物：企鹅，已被加入；你可以将它们收为宠物。
【被动资源生产】 雌性企鹅将随时日流转而下蛋，成为你的被动资源。
【肉】 新肉类：企鹅肉。
【掉落物】 企鹅如今拥有其掉落物列表。
【怪兽狩猎指南】 《怪兽狩猎指南》中已刻下企鹅之条目（默认解锁）。
【维基】 宠物页面已被更新。
【大图书馆，哲学层】 此层已扩展，并增添一间新室；其上标记为施工中，因将来尚有更多与企鹅相关之启示。
【大图书馆，哲学层】 此新室中已放置企鹅。
【大图书馆，哲学层】 因此处已有水体，故加入了钓鱼数据。
【企鹅】 企鹅之音效已被加入；当你遇见它们，或轻抚它们时，必能听见其声。
20260125
English
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[Furniture] New Furniture: The Penguin Post hath been added.
[Dust of History] The first time thou readest the Penguin Post, a measure of Dust of History shall be granted unto thee.
[The Grand Library, Floor of Philosophy] A Penguin Post hath been set within the new chamber.
[Shopping] Generic Furniture Vendors, and the steward of No. 181 River Road, now offer The Penguin Post for purchase.
[Clothes] The price and defense of Generic Winter Jackets have been diminished, that they may be more easily obtained by all.
[Clothes] New Clothes: the Penguin Coat, whereby thou mayest disguise thyself in the likeness of a penguin.
[Shopping] Generic Clothes Vendors, the clothier of the Bazaar, and the clothier of the Northern Star Tavern now sell Penguin Coats.
[Furniture] Two penguin statues have been added.
[Shopping] Generic Furniture Vendors and the steward of No. 181 River Road now sell these penguin statues.
[The Grand Library, Floor of Philosophy] More adornments have been placed within the new chamber; behold, the room is now complete.
简体中文
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【家具】 新家具：企鹅海报已被加入。
【历史的尘埃】 你首次阅读企鹅海报之时，必得一些历史的尘埃。
【大图书馆，哲学层】 在新添之房间内，已置下一张企鹅海报。
【购物】 随机家具商人，以及清河路181号之经理，皆已开始贩卖企鹅海报。
【衣服】 普通冬季夹克之价格与防御皆被降低，使众人更易取得。
【衣服】 新服装：企鹅外套；穿之者可伪装成企鹅之形。
【购物】 随机服装商人、巴扎之服装商人、以及北极星旅店之服装商人，现皆贩卖企鹅外套。
【家具】 加入了两座企鹅雕像。
【购物】 随机家具商人与清河路181号之经理，皆可向你出售这些企鹅雕像。
【大图书馆，哲学层】 新房间内已添置更多装饰；看哪，此室如今已然完备。
20260126
English
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[Airport] In the airport thou mayest now answer Mephisto with greater firmness; and this shall call Faust to his remembrance, whereby thy standing with him shall be increased.
[Boombox] Thou art now able to change the skin of the Boombox.
[Config] The Boombox’s skin setting is now kept within the global config file, and it shall be synchronized with thy Steam cloud.
##########System#################
[Window] A function hath been added to map the names of skins unto their proper files.
简体中文
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【机场】 在机场，你如今可以更为坚定地回应梅菲斯特；此举将使他忆起浮士德之事，从而使他对你的关系度得以提升。
【音乐播放器】 你现在可以更改音乐播放器之窗口皮肤。
【配置文件】 音乐播放器之窗口皮肤将被存于全局设置文件之中，并将自动与 Steam 云端同步。
##########System#################
【窗口】 已加入一项功能，可将本地化文本中的窗口皮肤名称映射至其对应之文件。
20260127
English
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[Music] A new song hath been wrought: Foh Shure!—and lo, the AI sang it with a French accent.
[Boombox] Thou mayest now hearken unto Foh Shure! within thy Boombox.
[The Grand Library, Floor of Philosophy] When thou enterest the Penguin Room, the song Foh Shure! shall arise of its own accord; and when thou departest, the music of the outer halls shall return unto thee.
[The Grand Library, Floor of Philosophy] The book of Albert Camus hath been placed within the Penguin Room.
[The Grand Library, Floor of Philosophy] A false Boombox hath been set therein as well.
[The Grand Library, Floor of Philosophy] If battle should befall within the Penguin Room, the song Foh Shure! shall not be silenced.
##########System#################
[Audio] A system hath been forged to grant Room‑Based BGM; it upholdeth save and load, that the flow of music be never broken.
简体中文
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【音乐】 新歌：Foh Shure! 已然诞生；且看，AI以法兰西之口音吟唱之。
【音乐播放器】 你如今可在音乐播放器中聆听【Foh Shure!】。
【大图书馆，哲学层】 当你踏入企鹅房间之时，【Foh Shure!】必自动奏起；而当你离开此室，外厅之乐声将复归原状。
【大图书馆，哲学层】 阿尔伯特·加缪之书已被移置于企鹅房间。
【大图书馆，哲学层】 此室中亦加入了一台虚假的音乐播放器。
【大图书馆，哲学层】 若在企鹅房间内爆发战斗，【Foh Shure!】之乐声亦不致中断。
##########System#################
【音效】 已加入基于房间之BGM系统；其支持存档与读档，使音乐之流永不被破坏。
20260128
English
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[The North Peak 2F] Behold, we stand now at the gate that leadeth unto the third floor. A puzzle once dwelt here, yet it was cut away, for it brought no joy unto those who tested it. Therefore, thou mayest pass directly through a teleport circle to reach this place.
[The North Peak 2F] The final region before the third floor is a sanctuary of rest, save only when thou thyself dost summon enemies to arise therein.
[The North Peak 2F] The land touched by the corruption of Beelzebub is now covered with biomess upon the ground, and cocoons lie scattered throughout.
[The North Peak 2F] Another optional region hath been opened unto thee; within it thou shalt find burned corpses and a field order, which is a new document.
[The North Peak 2F] Only one portion of this place remaineth yet unfinished.
[Tileset] The cave tileset used upon The North Peak 2F hath been expanded.
简体中文
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【北方之顶2F】 我们如今已至通往第三层之门。此处原有一谜题，然因试之无趣，遂被撤去；故你可径由传送阵抵达此地。
【北方之顶2F】 在进入第三层之前之最后区域，乃一处安息之所；除非你亲自于此召唤敌人，否则此地必为安全。
【北方之顶2F】 被别西卜侵蚀之地，如今地面覆以生物质，且散布茧状之物。
【北方之顶2F】 又有一处可选区域向你开启；其内可见被焚毁之尸体，亦可拾得新文档【战地指令】。
【北方之顶2F】 此地仅余一隅仍在施工之中。
【图块】 北方之顶2F 所用之洞窟图块已得扩展。
20260129
English
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[The North Peak 2F] Anti‑demon seals have been set in many places; and if demons or the undead walk among thy company, they too shall suffer harm.
[The North Peak 2F] The final portion is now completed. Here thou shalt find a smiter once used to burn the dead, and behold—more of Beelzebub’s corruption, with hell mosquitos and his own cultists turned into zombies.
[The North Peak 2F] This floor is no longer marked as a work in progress.
##########Development###########
The programming IDE software hath been upgraded unto the latest version, and the project file regenerated.
简体中文
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【北方之顶2F】 多处已设下反恶魔之印记；若你队伍中有恶魔或不死之物，它们亦必受伤。
【北方之顶2F】 最后一部分已然完工。此处你将见到焚尸之熔炉；并有更多别西卜之腐化、地狱蚊，以及由其恶魔崇拜者所化之瘟疫僵尸。
【北方之顶2F】 此楼层不再被标记为施工中。
##########Development###########
编程开发软件已更新至最新版本，并重新生成了项目文件。
20260130
English
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[Character Customization] A new playable male appearance hath been unveiled: the ICE Agent.
简体中文
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【角色自定义】 新的可用男性角色外观已然显现：ICE特工。
Latest news from Ukraine/乌克兰小剧场
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