Whiskerwood News

[h3]Thank you for playing our game![/h3][p][/p][p]Today has been an incredible rush of feedback, questions, and above all: players playing our game! I am so thankful to everyone. The volume of feedback has been overwhelming, but I appreciate everyone's patience. [/p][p][/p][p]Based on feedback from everyone we've worked through the night and early morning to prepare this patch. It includes a few fixes and features we could not land in time for the EA launch build, plus a bunch of changes and fixes requested by players on the Steam forum, Steam Reviews, and Discord.[/p][p][/p][p]It is incredible seeing so many players enjoy our game for the design we worked towards! I know some players find the difficulty challenging, so I've made the Cozy difficulty preset better accommodate their play style. Namely the tax ship now only comes once a season on average in the Cozy difficulty. As before Cozy has no Pirates, lower taxes, more resources in the ground, and faster research. I strongly encourage anyone who feels Normal mode is too punishing to give Cozy a try! We made Cozy exactly for players who want a more relaxing, aka cozy, experience![/p][p][/p][p]I should also call out we found a bug in the Educated whisker spawning logic which made them oddly rare for certain play throughs. This patch should bring their spawn rate closer to our intended rate. [/p][p] [/p][p]As well, if you do not mind I want to mention Steam reviews. I read every Steam review and try to find ways to improve the game. Positive or negative, we consider all feedback equally. I want to say thank you to the players who've reported bugs and even crashes in positive reviews. I understand it takes trust in us as developers to give such important feedback in a positive review. Thank you.[/p][h3][/h3][p]Now onto the changelog!
[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Changelog[/h2][p]v0.6.157 Launch Patch #1 [/p][p]Features[/p]

• [p]Add setting to disable edge scrolling[/p]
• [p]Add mouse locking toggle to settings[/p]
• [p]Add setting to disable dock camera view movement[/p]
• [p]Add range indicator to earthworks camp[/p]

[p]Gameplay[/p]

• [p]Make range of the earthworks camp match mining camp[/p]
• [p]Make time between Cozy difficulty tax ships and average of once per season instead of once per half season[/p]
• [p]Increase brightness of path decoration lighting[/p]
• [p]Increase chances for receiving the first educated & craftsmaster Whiskers[/p]
• [p]Make partially terraformed rock gray to match terraformed rock color[/p]
• [p]Boost tax credit reward for Respect and Statues quest[/p]

[p]UI[/p]

• [p]Support more rows when tracking extra resources on HUD[/p]
• [p]Stop workplace overview from hiding worker list when too many buildings exist[/p]
• [p]Fix photo mode ui hide binding conflicting with unpause binding[/p]
• [p]Improve margin between traits and expectations on the landing ui[/p]

[p]Bugs[/p]

• [p]Fix overly long idle animation causing whisker to appear stuck[/p]
• [p]Fix explorer guild whiskers slowing down on open dirt[/p]
• [p]Fix invalid field state where farmers don’t till & sow after reloading a save where all field crops have rotten[/p]
• [p]Fix water surface at map border sometimes visible in slice view[/p]
• [p]Fix mine walls not properly blocking sunlight propagation[/p]
• [p]Fix whiskers getting ejected from luxury supplier, bouncing, then repeating[/p]
• [p]Fix bathhouses sometimes disappearing after finishing construction[/p]
• [p]Fix learning duration being too long when learning Apprentice before Craftsmaster[/p]
• [p]Fix clothing consumption not being reported correctly[/p]

[p]Acknowledgements[/p]

• [p]Thank you to zewtastic on Discord for reporting the bouncing luxury supplier bug[/p]
• [p]Thank you to DonutBeAlarmed on Discord for reporting the Tea Leaves and worker assignment overflow bugs[/p]
• [p]Thank you to r4v4g3 for reporting the Fishing Dock disappearance bug[/p]
• [p]Thank you to RonEmpire on Twitch for reproducing the ui bug where the topbar would grow double tall when too many resources were marked for tracking[/p]
• [p]Thank you to doomleika on Discord for reporting the school learning progress bug[/p]
• [p]Thank you to Scotty on Discord for suggesting we increase the brightness of path decoration lights[/p]
• [p]Thank you to RonEmpire on Twitch for suggesting edge scroll, mouse lock, and trade dock camera settings[/p]
• [p]And thank you to anyone else who I’ve forgotten to credit. Thank you for playing our game and suggesting improvements or reporting bugs :)[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Steam Reviews[/h3][hr][/hr][p]We'd really appreciate it if you could take a moment to share your thoughts about Whiskerwood in a Steam review. Each review helps us understand what you enjoy, what you'd like to see changed, and what you'd like to see added next. It's a powerful way for you to not only share feedback with us directly but also influence what comes next in a patch. We're carefully reading through all feedback, and your opinion matters![/p][p][/p][h3]Official Wiki and Beginner's Guide[/h3][hr][/hr][p]We have some fantastic resources to help get you started on your colony building in Whiskerwood. Check out our beginner's guide and our official community wiki page to help get you the answers you need.

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[/p][h3]Join the Whiskerwood Community[/h3][hr][/hr][p]Become part of the Whiskerwood community. Join us on Discord to chat with other players, share your villages, and see what others are creating. You can also follow updates and discussions on Reddit, stay informed through BlueSky and Twitter.

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I'm about an hour into Whiskerwood, the new city builder from Minakata Dynamics and publishers Hooded Horse, and I've already made an absolute mess of my coastline. A clever and charismatic hybrid of Against The Storm, Robin Jarvis novels and the settlement of North America, Whiskerwood puts you in charge of some mice building colonies on cuboid islands. The islands are lovely so far, their Minecrafty nooks and crannies crying out to be decked with gardens and windmills and cobblestone paths. But you've got taxes to pay, so the first thing you do is sink a bunch of mineshafts at random, scooping out coal and copper for the literal fat cats back at court.

Read more

Whiskerwood is now available in Early Access at a 20% discount. Establish a home for your industrious mice under the oppressive paw of your cat overlords in this city builder featuring complex simulations, intricate production chains, and the age-old rivalry between cat and mouse.

[h3]Steam Reviews Matter![/h3][hr][/hr]Every review helps the team understand how players experience the game. They show what feels good, what needs polish, and what stands out most.

If you’ve been exploring Whiskerwood, leaving a Steam review is one of the best ways to help. Honest impressions make a big difference as development continues.

You can also watch the launch trailer to see more of what’s ahead.

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[h3]From Demo to Early Access: What’s New[/h3][hr][/hr]If you played the Whiskerwood demo, there’s a lot waiting for you in Early Access. The world has grown in every direction! More buildings, crops, systems, and ways to play.

• Expanded from 23 to over 100 unique buildables
  
• Tech tree now includes 82 researchable unlocks
  
• All 7 crops are available: Berries, Flax, Wheat, Cotton, Mushrooms, Spices, and Tea
  
• Added Tree Farm, which functions like a crop field but produces long-term wood instead of food
  
• 7 mineable ores now present: Copper, Tin, Iron, Coal, Rock Salt, Potash, and Gold
  
• Over 70 item types in total, combining crops, ores, and other resources
  
• 42 Whisker Mood Modifiers active
  
• More than 15 quests available
  
• Achievements added
  
• All map sizes unlocked: Normal maps include about 5 islands, Large maps expand to around 13 islands, and Giant maps can feature up to 45 interconnected islands, offering room for sprawling colonies and longer play sessions.

[h3]Official Wiki and Beginner's Guide[/h3][hr][/hr]We have some fantastic resources to help get you started on your colony building in Whiskerwood. Check out our beginner's guide and our official community wiki page to help get you the answers you need.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3595726980
[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.

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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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