Research Story News

v1.0.1
- Fixed stretching in ultrawide (5120 x 1440).
- Game is less zoomed in for 3440x1440 and 2560x1080 resolutions.
- [Simplified Chinese] The localisation for the 'Puzzle Hint' for the first puzzle in the woods cave is improved.

***

Other bug reports we've received (submitted from in-game) that we'll need more information on - hopefully the players will be reading this:
1) A player shared that their previous save cannot be found/their progress restarted. To look into this, could you please reach out to us via email at [email protected] ? You can send your Research Story folder to us and I'll look into it, to see if your save file is somewhere in there. I've implemented both cloud and local backups, so hopefully we can retrieve it.

2) A player reported a crash when fishing early-game. This is a rare bug, and we can't replicate it at this time. If anyone has experienced this and has more information on how it happened, please let us know!

Thank you for the amazing support for launch day! I was taking a break yesterday, and now I'm back and will start looking into the feedback and any reports that come our way. 💗

- Miki

[h3]Developer stream[/h3]
Hello everyone! Miki here, here's a video where I played Research Story 1.0 for the first 3 days, to celebrate our launch!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Become a researcher today![/h3]
✨ Play Research Story 1.0 on Steam! We have a 20% launch discount that lasts for a week.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1629830/view/515216044012339899?l=english

[h2]Research Story 1.0 is Out Now![/h2]
Hi Researchers! After about 2.5 years in Early Access, I'm so happy to share that the game is now complete and ready for full release! Thank you to everyone who has helped during the 1.0 public beta, and played during EA! 💗

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Completed Story and 1.0 Update Summary[/h2]
Here are the key things added in this 1.0 update:
[h3]📖Epilogue, conclusion, and end-credits[/h3]
The game now has a 'proper' ending that includes a better conclusion to tie up the story and lead to the end-credits. But don't worry, you can still play after that and there's even end-game content to discover!
[h3]💍Proposal and Marriage[/h3]
You'll be able to marry one of the 10 marriage candidates! Prior to marriage, each NPC has either a Proposal (player-initiated) or Reverse-Proposal (NPC-initiated) Event specific and unique to each NPC.
[h3]🔍Legendary Research[/h3]
This is part of the end-game content, where unique researchables can be found and researched.
[h3]✨Lots of QOL adjustments[/h3]
Added UI elements such as a Collections tab, improved Sesame's Fishing Map, move-able and replaceable chests, festival/hangout reminders and more.

Full Update Notes found here.

[h2]Guides and Resources[/h2]
We have a community wiki and a several guides on Steam. You can also always reach out on the Steam forums or our lovely Discord and we're always happy to help!

[h2]Launch Discount and Pricing Update[/h2]
We're launching with a 20% launch discount that will last for 1 week! 30 days after the discount ends, we plan to raise the base price of the game slightly to USD14.99, which will be the full price of the 1.0.

Our Research Story Soundtrack is also updated with all 40 OSTs made for the game.

[h2]Some charts/data[/h2]
Lots of content and features have been added to the game over the 2.5 years in Early Access! Many of these were based on player feedback and suggestions. We've come a long way :)


Word count - I thought it would be interesting to share that we have ~90,000 words in Research Story 1.0! Menu, item descriptions, letters, and narrative strings etc. take up about 30,000 words while the other 60,000 words are NPC dialogues. That's a lot of words... NPC cutscenes and events always take longer than I expect to write and add, and now I know why haha. I wonder which NPC has the most to say?


[h2]What's next for Research Story[/h2]
Phew! It's been over 5 years since I started working full-time on this game, and how time flies. This project is my darling and I want the best for it! While it's story-complete with all major features included, I know that more can always be added to a game like Research Story.

I plan to start looking into mac and linux ports, and possibly console ports - these are all new to me so it's hard to estimate how long they'd take. At the same time, I'll look into some of the suggestions from players I didn't manage to include for the 1.0, and think about what more we can add to the game. So if you have any wishes, let me know since your requests tell me what players want! :)

Now, go have fun researching! 💗
- Miki

[h2]Key Features & Content[/h2]
[h3]Proposals/Reverse-proposals[/h3]
- All 10 romanceables have either a proposal or reverse-proposal event.
- Added 10 unique Keepsakes that can be obtained during the proposal events.
- Added Ruby Ring
Wedding
- Added Wedding Day scheduling (Choose Date and Decor)
- Added Wedding Day cutscene
- Added 3 Wedding Dresses and 3 Wedding Suits
[h3]Marriage[/h3]
- Spouse moves in after the Wedding, and their daily routines will be adjusted.
- Added Family Chest (Gold contribution from spouse).
- Added Show Affection option for spouses
- Added kissing sprite between player and romanceables.
- Added NPC dialogues for reacting to the player's marriage.
- Added mini cutscenes for player’s birthday and wedding anniversary after marriage.

[h3]Completion of Main Story[/h3]
- Added final Main Story Quest - Epilogue: Knowledge Prevails, along with the conclusion to the story in Shimmerbrook.
- Added Ending scene with closing credits, as well as post-credits dialogue and scenes.

[h3]End-game content (Major story and content spoilers!)[/h3]
These are unlocked after the Main Story is complete.
- Added statues that can give players instant/semi-permanent buffs.
- Added new teleport location: Site of Repose.
- Added 4 Legendary Research: Mana Flower, Geminix, Gold Fish, and Gem Fish
- Added Magic Fertiliser
- Added a new shop that will replace the reserved residential building after the Main Story is complete.
- New Vendor NPC: Hueon, who sells end-game decor (gold decor sets etc.) after Main Story is complete.
-- Note: Vendor NPCs do not have Heart Event Cutscenes, but their dialogues will change based on Heart Level.

[h2]Other content[/h2]
[h3]NPCs[/h3]
- All NPCs now have a 'Favourite' creature (added for Lisa, Zuri, Niamh, Yun Xi, Zi, Greydohr, Alfie, and Layla).
- Added several NPC dialogue about others' loved gifts.
- Added Gnoel portrait, along with portraits of other supporting NPCs in cutscenes.
- Asking Kipp to tidy your porch now does something.
- Kyr's routines updated.
- Added different poems for the Spring Poems Event in even years.
[h3]Locations[/h3]
- Added a kitchen in the back of the General Store.
- Added a room in the back of the Violet Archive.
[h3]Collections Tab[/h3]
- Added Collections Tab under 'Profile' that records Pristine Parchments, Cooking Recipes, Research Samples, and several other item types.
- In the Collections Tab, an icon indicates whether an item has been submitted to the Exhibition Area before.
-- Note: Cooking Recipes show if recipes have been cooked before. However, the number of times cooked has all been reset to 1 (even if it's cooked more than once during Early Access).
Secrets
- Added 5 Pristine Parchments and corresponding secrets
[h3]Items[/h3]
- Added Sky Beetle
- Added Birch decor set
- Added Gold decor set
Achievements
- Added 4 new Steam Achievements

[h2]Balancing Changes[/h2]
General
- Increased item magnetism speed.
- Increased placeable range before it's considered 'too far'.
- Reduced Shoulder Bag price (5500G -> 3500G).
- Adjusted some spawn bounding boxes in the Mines to prevent overlapping debris and plants.
- Adjusted some blocking bounding boxes to prevent building near the map entrances.
- Added a spring mushroom foraging spot at Luke's foraging spot.
Plants/Trees
- Caffodil can now spawn in Town.
- Tapper produce time reduced: Birch (7 -> 6 days), Fir (4 -> 3 days)
Mining
- Balancing rework for ore/gem spawn rates in the Mines, especially from floor 41 onwards.
Fishing
- Researchable Fish now only bites if its research is in progress or completed. This prevents catching a fish while not in research and thus not progressing in the research task.
- From the Copper tier onwards, the player gains more control over the fishing minigame: right click to turn the fishing handle in the other direction.
Crafting
- Reduced crafting cost of Iron Chest (5 iron bar -> 3 iron bars)
- Insects are now considered a "small material" in the Magic Forge.
- Adjusted crafting recipe for Porter Chest (Hard Stone Brick now required for crafting).
- Increased selling price for Hard Stone Brick (50G -> 160G).
- Reduced selling price for Porter Chests (2000G -> 550G).
NPCs
- Increased "Daily Chat" Relationship Points from 30 to 35.
- Mail about Butterfly Brooch can now be gotten earlier, on 13 Summer instead of 20 Summer.
Puzzles
- [Applies to new saves only] The Light Puzzle in the Woods Caves has one changed pedestal requirement: Blue Crayfish instead of Crayfish Claw.

[h2]Audio[/h2]
- Added 4 new OSTs: In Sickness and In Health, Dancing in the Rain, Uncovering History, and A Fresh Start
- Increased the volume of some existing soundtracks.
- Adjusted volume of some sound effects.
- Some ambient sounds (such as bird calls) are now correctly part of SFX volume instead of BGM volume settings.
- Added more SFX for Wardrobe UI.
Audio Options
- Added Master Volume option
- Added Ambient Volume option

[h2]Controller adjustments and improvements[/h2]
General
- Improved detection for chopping trees/stumps and refilling watering can.
- Adjusted some interactable detection: Paths, Fences, and Crafting Stations now must be in the player's facing grid to be interacted with.
- Added better support for fisher map UI in Sesame's home (you can now look through the fish).
Toolwheel
- Adjusted and improved toolwheel interaction.
-- Tool wheel loops back when selecting with RT/LT
-- Adjustment to feel of the toolwheel.
-- Added Arrange Tools using controller.
-- Press B to unequip tool, which helps with some clunkiness where trying to unequip using Right Stick made it look like the tool could not be selected.

[h2]Other QOL adjustments and improvements[/h2]
General
- Don't auto-hold items if picking one up with an empty slot.
- Improved placing Auto-tappers: hold and place multiple Auto-tappers smoothly.
- Reminders for key events such as Hangout Event/Festival/Tool upgrades now have a more obvious notification icon. Also added a SFX for them.
- If your tool upgrade is ready but Remus is not open that day (Wed/Sun), the "tool is ready reminder" will no longer show at the start of the day.
Chests
- Equal- or higher- tiered chests can now replace existing placed chests. (Iron Chests/Powered Chests can replace placed Wood Chests; Powered chest can replace Iron Chests.)
- Move filled chests from one spot to another (in the same room) with the Move button in the Chest UI.
- The ‘Colours of Nature’ mail now gives you a Paintbrush (Pink), to introduce players to painting for chests (only applies if you have not received the mail yet).
Tutorials
- Added Friendship Tutorial
- Added a hint for where to submit fish research during the "Unidentified Fish Part" Quest.
- Tutorial for Crafting will now still show up even if you pressed the crafting tab before obtaining a crafting recipe.
NPCs
- Shortened Rhea's introduction dialogue and made it more concise.
- Disable giving Butterfly Brooch to another NPC if on a hangout event with an NPC.
- Added a hangout event notification reminder 1 hour before hangout.
Shops
- Click and hold to sell multiple items to the General Store.
- Theo's Wood Station now sells Food Cabinet.
- Stoneworks now sells Cooking Stove.
Fishing
- Added Seasonality: "Any season while in the caves" icon in the Aquatic Creatures Journal.
- Equipped fishing bait type is now also visible on the bauble when fishing.
- Certain Fish Parts that require fishing in 2 different locations will only appear after the second location is unlocked.
- Improved Fishing Map in the Fisher's Hut:
-- Fish Map now shows more information about non-researchable fish: whether fish has been caught before and number caught.
-- Added seasonal hints about certain researchable fish.
General UI
- [Visual] Mail and Noticeboard icons now bob a little.
- Added scrollable area for Mail UI.
- Updated letter sprites.
- Main Quests are now divided into Introductory/Regular. Introductory Main Quests are indicated with an icon.
- Daily Summary page will still show even if there is no specific progress for the day.
- Adjusted Note-type item use while in chest inventory: to be sorted like a regular item instead of being used.
- Show 'Added to Wardrobe' notification when adding equipment to wardrobe
- Adjusted watering can grid indicator visuals.
- Made Tabs in Creature Info UI more slightly obvious (selected tab is higher).
- Magnifying glass in the Inventory now shows a clear indication when hovering over a researchable item that has not been researched yet.
- Changed the term "Research Rank" to "Research Level".
Misc
- Added a way for players to submit bug reports and their affected files more easily from the Start Menu.
- Added Petal Cat Games logo on startup

[h2]Localisation[/h2]
- Added all localised text for Simplified Chinese.
- Fixed NPC names sometimes showing up as English (hangout-related popups).

[h2]Fixes[/h2]
[h3]Minor fixes:[/h3]
- Fixed interact collision box for (single) Bed extends beyond sprite slightly.
- Vallee's 'Practice Tunes' Mail will only be sent after her Tavern Hangout Event is completed.
- Fixed a freeze when trying to talk to Ming after skipping his Orange Heart Cutscene (Part 1).
- Fixed a visual bug where sleeve of the 'Violet Archive Set' outfit does not show for certain hairstyles.
- Fixed map information saying the Mason closes on Saturday when it doesn't.
- Fixed Lemon Paintbrush from Ming's letter has infinite durability.
- Fixed player sitting position during Theo's Tavern Hangout Event (Meal Activity).
- Fixed wrong pathing for some NPCs when skipping a Hangout Event at 5pm sometimes (Rhea, Teagan).
- Fixed visual bugs when saving/loading while in a bathtub.
- Fixed unstuck button sometimes causing the player to move into a collidable object and get stuck.
- Fixed typo in Fatigued Tutorial (Space -> right click)
- Clicking close to the right border of the selling shop menu (General Store) or farm buildings menu (Theo's Shop) but still within the UI boundary will no longer close the UI.
- Fixed barrel in Winter Festival showing interaction prompt even though it can't be interacted with.
- Festival Reminder icon (next to time) no longer shows up on the festival date at 1-3AM.
- The Karst Cave exit now shows grass of the correct season/time.
- [SFX] Hitting a log with a hammer will play a log sound instead of a rock sound.
- Fixed Crackerfish not showing in Sesame's Fish Map.
- Other minor visual fixes.
- Fixed some typos.
[h3]Regular fixes:[/h3]
- Fixed being unable to schedule a hangout if reached Blue Hearts while in the same room as the NPC (before re-entering the location).
- Fixed keybinds menu showing "-4" on keys when opening the options after reloading a save a second time.
- Transplanted soil now properly shows the soil type (e.g. sandy) and fertilisers/acidifiers.
- The soil left behind after transplanting will be reset to a neutral state.
- Fixed Hangout Events getting silently cancelled if sleeping past 12AM with the hangout event happening the next day.
- Fixed being able to remove Crafting Stations/Preserver that have items added to them with an Axe.
- Fixed a bug relating to file playtimes (not recording playtimes properly).
- Fixed weird Eira pathing on Wednesday nights.
- Fixed creatures floating away/acting on their own a few seconds after being removed from their Dormancy Barn.
- Fixed a rare bug causing a crash when leaving casual hangouts.
[3440x1440 resolutions]
- Fixed wrong scaling for startup logo and start screen.
- Fixed game freezing while playing Darts.
[h3]Major fixes:[/h3]
- Fixed some researchable fish also appearing in the day when they should only appear at night, and vice versa. Affected fish: Blue Crayfish, Sapphire Diver, Snow Serpent, Spookfish, Sand Serpent, and Hailfish
- [Controller] Fixed game freezing when pressing the d-pad after scrolling in the Hairstyles/Accessories customisation page.
- Attempted to fix Preserver bug where preserver could give duplicated preserved items (x3) when linked to a Powered Chest.

- [Simplified Chinese] Fixed a bug causing game to crash when switching language for smaller resolutions.

Thank you for your report! 🙏
Miki