Whiskerwood News

Dear Whiskers,

I am the Duke of North Castle and it is my great pleasure to write to you little ones about how our Great Kingdom works. Ours is a Kingdom of peace. Ours is a Kingdom of fairness. And above all, ours is a Kingdom of duty.


Under the King’s Graceful Guidance, we have lived in peace between our races for all of known history. Our Kingdom provides Whiskers with protection, jobs, and purpose. In exchange we ask only that you contribute your loyalty, honesty, and fealty. You demonstrate this honesty by earnestly paying your taxes on time and without complaint, as do all working class members of our Kingdom.

[h3]The Benefits of Taxation[/h3]
When you pay your taxes, the resources collected by our Tax Collecting ships are brought back to the Kingdom mainland where they are sold to the operators of Royal Factories. These factories employ Whiskers who would otherwise be aimless. The factories in turn produce the goods which supply the greater part of the Kingdom’s consumption.


The Gold revenue generated from the sale of your island resources to our factories is called the Colony Contribution. This Colony Contribution is distributed in turn as stipends to the nobility of the Kingdom, and the Kingdom’s own Departments. For example: Nobility who, through no fault of their own, might have lost the majority of their Whisker labourers due to weather or disease, may receive a stipend from the state to support their estate’s needs. Meanwhile, Departments which do not have the capacity for direct revenue generation (either through factory operations or labourer taxation), receive a majority of their Staff Stipends from the Colony Contribution.

Revenues from the Colony Contribution are never stockpiled, and historically have not made up the majority of the revenue required to support even the Nobility stipend. In recent years – thanks to the wisdom of our King, the expansion of the Royal Factories, and the establishment of new Colonies – we have been able to support a majority of the Kingdom’s financial needs through the Colony and Labourer taxes.


[h3]A Warning for Tax Cheaters[/h3]
In the past, certain Whisker colonies saw fit to cheat on their tax obligation. They made up excuses on why their contributions were underpaid. We saw these excuses for what they truly were: greed. When Whiskers get greedy, they start prioritizing their own personal desires over the needs of the Kingdom. They build homes instead of mines. They run bathhouses instead of cotton fields.

The gall of these greedy Whiskers, relaxing in a bath when they could be generating value.

The most egregious of these tax cheaters have even resorted to establishing their own factories and smuggling the high tier goods they produce to other colonies and nations. This is a travesty of the highest order – one that robs the Royal Factories of their King-given right to be the exclusive suppliers for all colonies. An independent, self-sustaining Whisker colony is a violation of the Kingdom’s values and undermines the balance by which our Kingdom has thrived for so long.

Let me make the warning clear: these tax cheaters have paid the ultimate price for their greed and their transgression. Our vast Naval fleet made sure they are no longer with us in this mortal realm.


You would be wise to learn the lessons their folly teaches: Pay your taxes on time and in full.

Do not cheat the King.

Under the King’s Graceful Rule,
The Duke of North Castle


[h3]More Whiskerwood Dev Diaries[/h3][hr][/hr]In case you missed them, be sure to check out our other dev diaries for Whiskerwood:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2489330/view/658207707628569427
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2489330/view/515221043692962197
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2489330/view/523104697900335294
[h3]Join, Discuss, and Keep Informed About Whiskerwood[/h3][hr][/hr]You can find us on Discord, BlueSky, Twitter, and Reddit for discussions, updates, and feedback. You can also visit our website for more information.

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Our earliest design goal with Whiskerwood was to explore vertical construction. This is why every gameplay mechanic in Whiskerwood interacts with verticality in some way -- be that terrain, pollution, terraforming, heating, or logistics.

[h3]Verticality as Design Challenge[/h3]
Our prior game, Railgrade, was an early exploration of vertical gameplay, but limited to logistics. As we developed the game further, we found that logistics alone was not enough. We felt verticality deserved more mechanics and simulations.

Now, with Whiskerwood, we're crafting an entire game around verticality, with mechanics for pollution, heating, sunlight, and (of course) logistics. There are trade-offs for building vertically vs horizontally, and there should be a constant push and pull between density and expansion. Building upward might help reduce logistical distances, create more compact heating areas, and centralize your storage. But it can also leave your Whiskers depressed from the lack of sunlight or choking on pollution. More thoughtful construction patterns can allow in more light, or let wind push out the pollution -- but you will also be contending with dense, puzzle-like construction restraints.


[h3]Terrain Pushing Up and Down[/h3]
As you play Whiskerwood, you'll find yourself chasing forests and berries upwards on mountain islands. We wanted players to start on the shorelines, and over time chase their way to a more challenging, vertical situation. By mid-game, you should find yourself nearing the mountain peak or tunneling underground to connect new islands.


Of course, not all islands are the same, and each type of island brings its own challenges and rewards. There are a few rare islands with flatter terrain. These may seem easier to optimize, but may prove too small or too barren to mine for resources. I suggest most players start on the more flush volcanic islands, which are rich in resources. Though they may lack enough arable land to farm effectively, this can be resolved with terraforming. More on that later.

No matter what your starting island, moving up (or down) presents a number of logistical challenges.

Housing & Services
With Whiskers roaming farther from their homes, you must decide whether to build houses and places to eat near the mountaintop, or to build slides that can take them down the slope quickly. Both are decent approaches with different costs.

Other services will become less centralized as you move up the mountain. This means more places that need to be heated, and more resources spent on keeping Whiskers warm during the winter.

For anything involving pipes, you will have to expand your network both vertically and horizontally, which can get quite expensive. For example, if you want to avoid Whisker travel time for bathing and hygiene, you'll need to build showers near the mountain top, and provide the necessary infrastructure.

Logistics of Goods
If you go up the mountain to pursue wood and other materials, those resources must come back down the mountain eventually. You will need to decide how you distribute these resources to your down. Will you put whiskers in charge to carry them all the way down, or use belts to move everything to a central location?

Elevators, slides, conveyor belts, and every flavor of stairs will help create an effective path up your mountain island. Toward the late game, trains can help alleviate the challenges of vertical and horizontal travel as well. If you reach the end of your tech tree, you can even use steam jump pads to effectively launch your Whiskers up the mountain.


For a deeper look at this type of logistics optimization, check out this dev diary about the Machines of Industry.

[h3]Mastery Over the Terrain[/h3]
As your Whisker colony grows, you will be able to dedicate a work force to terraforming. Digging is the first type of terraforming you'll be able to do. Whiskers are good at digging, and mines carry the bonus of rich Ores. Intentionally mined areas can help you expand your town, smooth out logistics, or even expand your farmland. (Watch out though, because mined cells will be low fertility at first.)


If you've unlocked the requisite Schematic, you can even start building new land. This type of terraforming is a byproduct of Stone disposal. Your mining operations will generate large amounts of Stone, which is a useless resource gained from non-Ore mine cells. Stone cannot be traded or sold, and at best can be used to construct cold and damp housing. If left unchecked, it will clog up your storage infrastructure and you'll find your warehouses overflowing with stone.

When this happens consider disposing of the excess in the Stone Droppit. This special building allows Whiskers to dump stone and accumulate it into new terrain cells. These terrain cells can be used to construct new land, build bridges, create more farmable areas, or even build land into the ocean,


Our Dutch readers will recognize this as a powerful technique when combined with Steam Pumps.


Thanks for reading!
Daniel Dressler
Lead Programmer on Whiskerwood

[h3]More Whiskerwood Dev Diaries[/h3]
In case you missed them, be sure to check out our other dev diaries for Whiskerwood:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2489330/view/658207707628569427
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2489330/view/515221043692962197
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2489330/view/523104697900335294

[h3]Join, Discuss, and Keep Informed About Whiskerwood[/h3][hr][/hr]You can find us on Discord, BlueSky, Twitter, and Reddit for discussions, updates, and feedback. You can also visit our website for more information.

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What happens when the Claws arrive demanding payment, and all your Gold is sitting idle in in the mining camp? You need it in your Central Warehouse to make your tax bill. You spent the time finding the Gold Ore vein, and your Whiskers put the work into mining it, yet poor logistics risks turning an easy tax ship into ruin.

[h3]Resource Flow[/h3]
In Whiskerwood, goods start as basic resources. In the early game you’ll see Wood, Flax, Berries, and standard Ores. Over time you’ll unlock crops and find rarer Ores.

At the start of an island, these resources might be close to your town. But as you mine, harvest, and chop your way through these easily accessible sources, you’ll find yourself going further and further afield.

Even when distance does not challenge your logistics, timing will. Several times in playtesting, I have experienced the agony of knowing I have the Gold Ore to pay off the Claws, yet finding it sitting in the Mining Camp. For times like these, we added an emergency early delivery action for all buildings. Tax ships and Pirates will give you several hours of in-world time to collect the payment -- so when you find yourself short, consider forcing an early delivery.


As your game progresses, you'll want to optimize your logistics with automation so you can avoid emergency deliveries entirely. More on that later.

[h3]Production Chains[/h3]
Any good more complex than a base resource requires processing. This might be straightforward, like the Sawmill making Planks from Wood. Or it might be more involved, like the Shipyard which consumes a vast array of goods that also require multiple steps of processing themselves.


Each production stage consumes not only work time and resources, but also space and a slot within your logistics design. So you want to be intentional in how you set these chains up to avoid headaches later. In special cases, additional considerations might need to be made. A certain industry might be highly polluting, and thus need to be kept away from Housing, Services, and Farms.


With careful design, your town can flow resources through your production chains smoothly.

[h3]Automation[/h3]
When complexity grows beyond what clever design can manage -- when the forests have been chased up the mountain, or the mines are dug far into the earth -- you'll need to turn to automation to serve your needs. Automation allows you to optimize logistics to avoid consuming work time. The work time of your Whiskers is limited, and as path logistics expand, their walking time will consume a greater and greater portion of potential work.

As in life, automation doesn't necessarily mean total elimination of work effort. Even with Paths, there are chances to optimize. Slides allow Whiskers to travel downhill fast, and powered elevators do the inverse for climbs.


When path optimization is not enough, you can turn to conveyor belts and railroads.

Conveyor belts connect Adder Boxes to warehouses and only carry Goods. By default, Whiskers will bring resources to any nearby Warehouse, Shed, or Adder Box. In the early game, they will deliver everything to the central Warehouse directly, as it happens to be the only storage option that's close to all outputs. But that won't be sustainable for long.


As you grow your automations, you may need to further optimize them by designating specific destinations for your outputs. To designate a specific designation for any output, open the details panel of any building. This is a handy trick if, for example, you want to keep certain resources more local, or split up conveyor traffic.


In the late game, railroads will connect stations and carry both your Whiskers and the Goods they happen to carry. These railroads function both above ground and underground, and Whiskerwood's pathing algorithm is smart enough to identify when taking a railroad can save time over walking.


When in Mines, railroads can quickly cover distance deep underground, getting your Whiskers back to work. When above ground, they allow you to connect islands effectively without building a full town -- useful for mining or farming islands.

Thanks for reading!
Daniel Dressler
Lead Programmer on Whiskerwood


[h3]More Whiskerwood Dev Diaries[/h3]
In case you missed them, be sure to check out our other dev diaries for Whiskerwood:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2489330/announcements/detail/658207707628569428
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2489330/view/515221043692962197

[h3]Join, Discuss, and Keep Informed About Whiskerwood[/h3][hr][/hr]You can find us on Discord, BlueSky, Twitter, and Reddit for discussions, updates, and feedback. You can also visit our website for more information.

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[h3]Hey Everyone![/h3][p][/p][p]My name is Daniel. You might know me from the forums or discord. My main job on Whiskerwood is as a programmer, but I also act as the game director. This means it is my honour and pleasure to say thank you for playing our game![/p][p][/p][p]So many players have checked out our demo -- It has been an incredible half week, far beyond our wildest expectations.[/p][p][/p][p]The volume of feedback has been overwhelming but I’m trying to reply to everyone and make tickets for every improvement we can find as a team. Of course any change we make is about making the game better and more special. Everything needs to work towards our vision for Whiskerwood.[/p][p][/p][p]I have a couple of big changes I want to call out for this Patch. These are the features players have requested the most and we were able to land in this Update:[/p]

1. [p]Added VSync setting.[/p]
2. [p]Nerfed Admin tax. It now increases at 20% of the prior speed. Aka: it is 80% lower over time.[/p]
3. [p]You can now pan by holding the middle mouse and dragging.[/p]
4. [p]We are in the process of adding a right mouse click and hold to rotate, but for now due to bugs in menus we have mapped this feature to holding Ctrl. Thus holding CTRL and moving the mouse will rotate the camera.[/p]
5. [p]Rewritten whisker path finding. This might have its own bugs, but overall should bring more stability and fewer pathfinding misses.[/p]
6. [p]Fixed farm grown trees disappearing once deposited in the farm building.[/p]
7. [p]Fixed Whiskers not collecting new clothing when Threadborn.  [/p]

[p][/p][p]The full change log will be below, but I want to also mention a few important changes we wish to make but which did not finish in time for this patch:[/p]

1. [p]Moving stone dumps still delete any whisker inside.[/p]
2. [p]The terraforming will become an inverted mining tool with zoning and a work camp, replacing the stone dump.[/p]
3. [p]Over capacity Cafes still win in preference over the warehouses. So once you build a single cafe please make sure you build more once it gets full.[/p]

[p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Changelog[/h2][p]v0.6.149.0 Demo Patch #1[/p][p]Features[/p]

• [p]Make shift + R rotate in opposite direction[/p]
• [p]Make Middle Mouse hold pan camera[/p]
• [p]Make Ctrl + mouse orbit camera when held[/p]
• [p]Update DLSS to latest version[/p]

[p]Gameplay[/p]

• [p]Reduce increase speed of admin tax by 80%[/p]
• [p]Make whiskers eat food at non-central warehouses[/p]
• [p]Make logging, forage, mining, farms give full refunds[/p]
• [p]Reduce how frequently statues drain happiness[/p]
• [p]Make line must go up quest trigger on a non-pirate day[/p]
• [p]Replace low-tier with high-tier clothing for high-tier supplies[/p]
• [p]Make starting pirate cannon ball count 8 not 10[/p]
• [p]Make high seas only pirate setting disabling in-island pirates and disable the related quests [/p]

[p]UI[/p]

• [p]Fix whisker background behind icon not having uniform radius[/p]
• [p]Add Lucas Riccoiotti to credits for the OST[/p]
• [p]Make all panels display the total available amount of Royal Wax Seals next to reroll buttons[/p]
• [p]Fix end of season reporting "Ends Tonight" instead of "Ends Tomorrow" [/p]

[p]Bugs[/p]

• [p]Fix crash when moving camp[/p]
• [p]Fix save/load forgetting to allocate gift reward[/p]
• [p]Fix Tree farm logs disappear when reaching farmbuilding[/p]
• [p]Fix Whisker stuck at top of stairs[/p]
• [p]Fix embark dock line flickering 1 frame on 1 frame off during dlss frame generation[/p]
• [p]Remove obsolete tools from supplies[/p]
• [p]Fix manual assignment of whiskers fails to handle occupied houses[/p]
• [p]Fix crash in height visualizer[/p]
• [p]Fix incorrect colony name may be displayed upon loading a save[/p]
• [p]Fix flashing and pulsing white dots on ocean under certain upscalers[/p]
• [p]Fix DLSS FG labels not displaying[/p]
• [p]Attempt fix for DLSS-FG stuck enabled (untested due to no dlss fg on dev machine)[/p]
• [p]Fix crash when exiting to main menu[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Join, Discuss, and Keep Informed About Whiskerwood[/h3][hr][/hr][p]You can find us on Discord, BlueSky, Twitter, and Reddit for discussions, updates, and feedback. You can also visit our website for more information.

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

Whenever possible, I like to sucker-punch everybody's weekend plans by blogging the release of a huge 4X strategy game, factory sim or other managerial timesink last thing on Friday. In this case, I'm ambushing you with the avid rodent carpentry of Whiskerwood, the new city builder from Railgrade developers Minakata Dynamics and Manor Lords publishers Hooded Horse. It's got 40 different commodities, an elaborate weather simulation, and a demo out now on Steam. Haha, yes! You are welcome.

In Whiskerwood, you are a mouse mayor setting up island colonies on behalf of some bastard fat cats. Yes, this one's a straight-shooting allegory, but going by the release date trailer, any transferable learnings about the plight of the mouse proletariat come a distinct second to the joy of plaiting conveyor belts.

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