The Ranch of Rivershine News

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Join the Rivershine Discord to share your feedback and chat with other players!

The Ranch of Rivershine Demo

Please note that the demo is limited to the first in-game season (the spring season) and you won't be able to continue playing once the season ends. The save file for the demo will not be compatible with further game versions such as Early Access. I expect the demo to take about 3-5 hours to complete but it can be played for a bit longer until the end of the spring season, for about 10-15 hours total depending on your playstyle.

Here is more information about what you'll find in the demo!

World Map
Move to Rivershine Ranch to raise your horses, meet your fellow villagers in Rivershine Town and explore the trails in Lupine Meadow!

Horse Caring
Care for your horses by feeding them hay, grains & treats! Keep them clean by brushing them and mucking their stall. Move your horses between the stable and pasture based on their needs. Collect equipment and change up your horse’s tack.

Horse Training
Ride your horse around the trails or in the riding arena to improve their skills. Maximise their potential and train your horses in multiple disciplines such as speed, endurance, flexibility & jump. Increase your horse’s trust in you and form a bond with them.

Riding Arenas
Build different obstacle courses in your riding arenas, both indoors and outdoors! Add cross country courses in Lupine Meadow to practice for competitions.

Cross Country Competitions
Participate in beginner and intermediate cross country competitions to win prizes and help Rivershine Town become famous again!

Auction House
Sell and buy horses at the auction house to grow your herd or make a bit of extra money!

Villager Shops
Purchase goods from the villager’s shops or sell extra items you’ve gathered. Unlock upgrades such as improving the auction house or building new obstacle courses.

Farming
Build crop fields to grow your own feed for your horses, and sell your additional harvest in town!

Read more about The Ranch of Rivershine roadmap here!

Thank you everyone for your patience and I hope you'll enjoy the demo!!

Hi ranchers!! 🐴✨ I hope you’re all having a great start to 2023 ❤️ I have some really exciting news to share for The Ranch of Rivershine!


[h2]Upcoming Demo[/h2]
It’s finally time for The Ranch of Rivershine demo to go public… Well, almost! The demo will be available on January 20th, and will stay until the game is released. The demo contains the first season of the game and over a dozen quests to complete. If you’d like to read in more detail what the demo will include, I’ve posted a roadmap of The Ranch of Rivershine here!


[h2]Horse Statue[/h2]
You’ll now find a mysterious horse statue in the middle of the town square…While I won’t say much about it for now, make sure to keep a close eye on this as it will help you uncover the story of Rivershine!


[h2]Town Travelers[/h2]
In addition to the villagers who reside permanently in Rivershine, you’ll now encounter travelers as they pass through town! These travelers are vital to the town as they come to visit stores, participate in the auction house and watch competitions. As you improve the town’s fame, more and more travelers will come to visit!


[h2]Chicken Flock[/h2]
You’ll now find a flock of chickens in town! While not exactly friendly, as they’ll run away if you chase them, you’ll be able to see them clucking and wandering around town!


[h2]House Furniture[/h2]
I spent quite a bit of time this month modeling furniture and decorating the villager’s houses! I plan on adding more variety to the furniture and unique elements to each villager’s house as I continue polishing the game. But you’ll already be able to visit their cozy houses and shops!


[h2]Villager Advice[/h2]
As you’ll have a lot to learn in Rivershine, I’ve updated the villager dialogues to include different advice to help you as you settle on your ranch. Each villager, depending on their role in town, will give you personalized advice. For example, the trainer will give you pointers to train your horse while the auctioneer will better explain the auction house to you. Make sure to chat with them whenever you're in town to learn everything!


[h2]Competition Spectators[/h2]
To make the competitions feel more special, I’ve added decorations and small crowds of spectators along the cross country obstacles. They’ll even cheer you on as you pass by!


[h2]General Improvement[/h2]
In preparation for the public demo and with the help of beta testers, I’ve also started improving the game based on player feedback. For example, I’ve improved the controls to be more intuitive and updated the map so it’s easier to find your way around. I’ll be continuing to improve the demo until it goes public to make sure it’s as polished as possible for everyone!

Thank you so much for reading this devlog and I can’t wait to share the demo with everyone later this month! ❤️

Hi ranchers!❄️☃️ Here is our last devlog of 2022... Time flew by! Though I'm happy to say I've made good progress with The Ranch of Rivershine and will have great news to share very early in 2023!


[h2]Crop Farm[/h2]
Time to grow some crops! You’ll now be able to grow a variety of seeds into orchard grass, alfalfa hay, carrots, oats, milo and more! In addition to planting seeds, you’ll be able to use different fertilizers to help your crops along. For example, you can use fertilizer to increase your crop yield, make them grow faster or grow crops out of season by protecting them from the harsh weather.

While being a farmer is not the main job you’ll have on your ranch, it’s always handy (and cheaper!) to grow feed for your horses yourself. Not to worry, farming is quite simple in Rivershine and won’t take too much of your time. No need to water your plants everyday, just plant your seeds during the correct season and they’ll happily grow on their own!


[h2]The Farmer[/h2]
Here’s our first new villager, Aisha! She’ll introduce you to farming and supply everything you might need, from fertilizer to seeds… or even the crops, in case your harvest didn't turn out well!

She lives in the Lupine Meadow, so you won’t be able to visit her until you gain access to the trail leading there. Luckily, the villagers who live outside of town still visit the town’s marketplace from time to time, so you might be able to catch her there!


[h2]The Carpenter[/h2]
Meet our second new villager, Liam! He’ll help you build various additions and upgrades to your ranch, such as expanding your stables or building a new arena. For now, he can help you set up your farm by building plots where you can grow crops.

He also lives outside of town, in the Pine Forest… I’ll be sharing more about that area in our next devlog!


[h2]Townsfolk Trade[/h2]
While you’ll need most of the crops you grow to feed your own horses, you’ll probably end up with a bit of extra to sell in town! The villagers can now purchase produce from you. This will help you make a bit of extra money on the side, along with participating in competitions and trading horses in the auction house!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]Rivershine Town Music[/h2]
Since you’ll be spending more time around town, you'll be able to hear a new track as the night settles in town... Or listen to it here for a sneak peek of the Rivershine soundtrack!


[h2]Mail Delivery[/h2]
You’ve got mail! Upon waking up, you’ll now receive mail from your fellow townsfolk who might want to have a chat with you, announce good news, invite you to a competition or ask for your help… And if you have to lend them a hand, there’s usually a reward involved!


[h2]Quest Tracker[/h2]
As I’ve recently been working on the quest system, I added a new tab to keep track of the quests you currently have. This gives you information on what to do and the rewards you’ll gain for it. Additionally, you can keep a mini quest visible in your HUD or hide it from here.


[h2]Settings & Controls[/h2]
Finally, I've also been working on improving the quality of life of the game as we approach a playable version! I added a controls rebind menu and a settings menu that includes different graphics quality to run the game smoothly on more computers. This will require more testing though and will most likely be improved once I get player feedback on the game’s performance!

Thank you everyone for your support and I wish you all happy holidays! ☃️❄️

Hi ranchers!!🐑🍀 I’m back with a new devlog for The Ranch of Rivershine, featuring riding trails, sheep, a new villager and a sneak peek at Rivershine's original soundtrack! ❤️


[h2]Lupine Meadow[/h2]
The main addition to Rivershine this month is the first trail riding area, the Lupine Meadow! This vast, open field features a large maze to explore on horseback, a flock of sheep to chase around and a farm where you’ll be able to buy hay and grain for your horses!

The Lupine Meadow also has its own original music, which you can already listen to here!


[h2]Friendly Sheep[/h2]
To add a bit of life to these new environments, I’ve started adding other animals you can encounter in addition to horses! You’ll now find sheep you can chase and herd together. Later on, I think it would be fun to add a minigame where you can lead them back to their enclosure every day for a bit of money… But for now, they’re free to roam the meadow!


[h2]New Competitions[/h2]
Since we now have access to a new area, I’ve also added four cross country courses you can unlock in the Lupine Meadow! These competitions are all a bit harder than the town competitions already in the game, but the prizes for winning are also higher!


[h2]New Character[/h2]
I’m very happy to introduce the fourth character I've added to Rivershine… Jai Maji! You’ll encounter this villager early on in the game as he lives in town. As a ranger, his job is to run the park office and help you access and upgrade the trail riding areas… He might even have a few tips about wild horses he’s seen while exploring the trails!


[h2]Meadow Upgrades[/h2]
After unlocking access to the Lupine Meadow, you’ll be able to further upgrade the trails by adding obstacles of different difficulties around the map. This will allow you to practice cross country and add a little bit of challenge as you’re riding around the meadow!


[h2]World Map[/h2]
As the world got bigger, it became obvious the player would need a little help to find their way around! I’ve added a map for each zone currently in the game, which is the ranch, the town and the meadow. Each map contains information about the main interest points in that area, such as the trails to neighboring areas, the shops and where the villagers are.


[h2]New Logo[/h2]
Finally, as you might have already noticed, we have adorable new cover art for the game, drawn by the amazing Kyu!

Thank you everyone for following my progress with The Ranch of Rivershine! Feel free to comment about what you’d like to see next in the game, or if you have any questions about what I’ve shared in this devlog!

Hi ranchers! I’m back with a new devlog for my progress on The Ranch of Rivershine this summer! 🌼🌼


[h2]Tutorial & Quests[/h2]
The main feature I've worked on this month is the first day tutorial. The tutorial includes multiple events to introduce all of the core features in the game, such as purchasing your first horse at the auction house, participating in a riding lesson, meeting fellow villagers, exploring your ranch and taking care of your new horse.

Along with the tutorial, there are also going to be quests you’ll receive as you progress in the game. These quests can include, for example, collecting certain items, training a horse to a specific skill level, winning a competition or exploring a new area. The main rewards earned from completing quests will be unlocking new cross country competitions to participate in, or some money to spend in town!

I also posted a new video going more in depth on what the tutorial contains if you're curious to see how it looks in game! ✨

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


[h2]Villagers & Shops[/h2]
Now that you’ll be earning money from quests and competitions, you’ll also be able to spend money! Of course, you’ll be able to spend money on horses in the auction house, but there’ll be more things to purchase such as equipment, tools and treats to care for your horses.

For now there are only three stores open in town, but I’ll be adding more specialty shops as I add new villagers to Rivershine!


[h2]Arena Courses[/h2]
In addition to tools and items, you’ll be able to purchase upgrades for your ranch, such as new obstacle courses! These can be used both in your outdoor and indoor arenas to train your horses whenever you want. The courses are sold by the trainer, who offers a variety of obstacle styles and difficulty levels.


[h2]Improved Controls[/h2]
After getting feedback from a few playtesters this month, I worked on improving the controls both while riding a horse and on foot. You’ll now be able to spin your horse on itself to change your direction and run around with 8-directional movement, which is really useful when you’re leading your horse!


[h2]Rider Animations[/h2]
I’ve added more interactions for the rider to create synergy between the player and rider. For example, the rider now squeezes its leg when going up in speed, and will lean forward or backward when going up and down hills.

In addition, you might also catch the rider petting the horse’s neck, looking around or stretching their feet out of the stirrups when you stay idle for a bit!


[h2]Character Creation[/h2]
Finally, I’ve implemented a character creation system! There aren't a ton of options for now but I’ll be adding more clothes, hairstyles and other details along development. You’ll be able to customize your character at the very start of the game, and then change it again whenever you want from the wardrobe in your house.

Thank you everyone for following the development of The Ranch of Rivershine and I wish you all a cozy fall! ❤️