Nature And Life - Drunk On Nectar News

Dear Players,

This update brings key Steam features that have been requested for by the game's wonderful players for long now!

Steam Achievements, Cards, Stats and Cloud Save have all been added!

Along with these comes several key improvements to the game itself, to help make your experience of enjoying these Steam features much better!


Complete all 16 achievements today!

[h3]The Life Of a Monarch" Achievement![/h3]

Complete the Monarch Butterfly Male & Female Lifecycles (both of which are different!),

[h3]"Mantis Metamorphosis" Achievement![/h3]



The game has been vastly improved to make it easier for players to complete these achievements.

Above: Chemical Vision reworked to make completing the Praying Mantis Lifecycle easier for this!

[h2]Full list of Achievements[/h2]
To view all achievements, launch the game and open the Steam overlay (Shift-Tab)


Trading Cards have been added at last!

Monarch Butterfly, Jumping Spider, Praying Mantis, Ladybug and Grasshopper are the five cards that can be collected (along with their foil card equivalents).

Badges that can be crafted include "Wee Sapling" (Level 1), "Swift Climber" (Level 2), "Verdant Riser" (Level 3), "Ready To Bloom" (Level 4), "The Glorious Sun" (Level 5) and "One With Nature" (Foil Badge).

Several Emotions have been made available including:
Monarch Butterfly, Viceroy Butterfly, Blue Mud Dauber, Dragonfly, Ladybird Beetle, Leafhopper and
Ant.




Several interesting Stats have been added to Nature & Life - Drunk On Nectar!
These include:

• Nectar Drunk (in milliliters!)
  
• Num Hunts
  
• Num Escapes (from Predator)
  
• Number of Random Maps Generated
  
• Num Lifecycles Completed
  
• Num Moults
  
• Num Spring Survival Completion
  
• Num Items Planted
  
• Num Nature Items consumed (Pollen Grains, Beltian Bodies)
  
• Time spent Painting!
  

Future updates will make it easier for players to track their curious statistics!


[h3]"Nectar Drunk in milliliters"[/h3]
Above: Nectar trails seen using the new "High Contrast" Chemical Vision!


Cloud save has now been enabled for DoN!
All your save files will be automatically synced across your computers using Steam's Cloud Save feature. ~
As a reminder, save files are located in the following location:
%localappdata%\DoN\Saved



[h2]Random Map Generator Improvements[/h2]
Lifecycles now has a new "World Generation" menu allowing players to enter Random Map Seeds.



Tooltips with detailed information are now provided to help players not familiar with the concepts of Random map generation and Random Seeds,

As a reminder, players can no longer change the "Ecology Preset" for Lifecycles.

You can still use Custom Ecology Presets for all other modes like Survival Sim / Create & Design - Nature (formerly Nature Sandbox) / Face Off / Free Explore.

[h2]"Regenerate Map" menu for all Game Modes[/h2]
The Pause Menu now includes a new "Regnerate Map" menu which provides players with complete control over how you restart a new game.



Players can now choose to either Restart using the same World Seed (effectively regenerating exactly the same map again)
or they can set a new "World Seed" which will produce a completely new map altogether!

If you like a particular random map (eg: something with lakes, rolling meadows, etc) then you can remember that seed and reuse it again in any game mode!
Future updates will make it easier for players to Bookmark and manage your Favorite World Seeds!

[h2]Chem Vision Improved[/h2]
To help players complete your Achievements more easily, Chem Vision has been dramatically improved!

It is now actually helpful in visually tracking prey that you would otherwise have missed.

Particularly indispensable for the Praying Mantis Lifecycle, where you are scouring the vast "Mantis Tree World" for extremely tiny prey.

Unlike the previous chem trails which were hard to see against the game's bright and colorful foreground, the new Chem Vision emphasizes the chem trails by isolating them visually, thus making it easier to find prey!



[h2]Blue Mud Dauber Survival[/h2]
Spiders are now always tracked so long as they are in range, making it much easier to complete the "Three Nests Three Eggs" quest for the "Sweet Nectar Drinker" achievement!

Blue Mud Dauber Survival Quest, for Sweet Nectar Drinker Achievement is now much easier to complete and more fun to play!

[h2]Jumping Spider Locomotion & Camera[/h2]
[h3]Achievement Alert! "Only the Agile This Path Can Take"[/h3]

Adult Jumping Spiders now use exactly the same camera system as the tiny instars!

Previously the adults used a very different system that was originally designed for the "Lady Love" Creature Quests.

This in turn means that the "Lady Love" Creature Quest is a lot more fun to play and easier to control.
I managed to beat my all time score (now 38 seconds!) and secured #2 position on the game's leaderboard in just a simple casual run!

Why don't you try out the improved "Lady Love" Creature Quest for yourself, right now! :)

[h2]Ladybug Creature Quest[/h2]
[h3]Achievement Alert! "The Plants Say Thank You"[/h3]

The Ladybug Creature Quest is now so much more fun to play and easier to complete!

Stamina requirements have been greatly relaxed, allowing players to complete the "Plants Say Thank You" Achievement more easily, for which you need to complete the challenge in under 4 minutes!

Personally I managed to beat my all time best and reach #2 spot on the Leaderboard, just in a quick casual test.

Why don't you try bettering you Leaderboard score right now! :)

[h2]Engine-level CPU performance improvements for a smoother overall experience[/h2]
This update features core CPU improvements to the underlying engine that should provide a smoother experience for all players across the board.

[h2]HUD[/h2]
This update also features a cleaner HUD and improved fauna icons as well.

Importantly - It is now actually possible to understand the gameplay mechanics - such as how a prey saw/felt/smelt you / etc, simply by keeping your eye on the HUD's new Fauna Icons!

[h2]Bugfixes[/h2]
The following bugfixes were made, among several other minor improvements as well

• Random map seeds fixed (was broken in previous build)
  
• Fixes to Benchmark tool
  
• Pause menu duplicate entries fixed (for Praying Mantis Lifecycle "Skip Tutorial")
  

Thanks as always to the game's wonderful players for your support and enthusiasm through all these yerars.

It is deeply appreciated!

I sincerely hope that you enjoy this update of the game. Good LucK!

With Love,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
Developer of Nature & Life - Drunk On Nectar

Four are the Rivulets of DoN,
Manifold are their forms within!
To Play Survival / Casual / Fantasy / Design is Fun,
Come now, give these a quick spin!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Dear Players, this is the biggest Presentation Update for Nature & Life - Drunk On Nectar yet!

Featuring a new 3D Menu World at the centre, this update brings DoN's various game modes under a single cloud (or four of them to be precise!), with clear guidance for new players.

Survival, Casual, Fantasy and Design are the Four Quadrants of DoN's new 3D Menu World.

New players will now find it much easier to gain a quick overview of what the game has to offer,
while experienced players will find themselves getting much more out of the game than ever before.

Read on to learn more!



Lifecycles, Survival Simulation & Face Off are the game modes under the Survival Quadrant.

The "Menu World" plays a visual skit for each mode as you hover your mouse over the button,
giving players a hint of what to expect within!



Important changes here include:

1) Separate rosters for each mode.
For example, "Face Off" roster features combinations that more likely to be interesting and fun for players.
Similarly, "Survival Sim" features fauna in a specific order based on the likely enjoyment of players!
Lifecycles order is unchanged.

2) Random Map / Preset selection is no longer available for Lifecycles.
This allows the Lifecycles experience to be strictly designed to ensure a more uniform experience.
Note that all Lifecycles maps are still randomly generated; players just can't modify the internal preset anymore.



Create & Design - Nature (formerly Nature Sandbox) & Planetary Ecology are the game modes under the SANDBOX Quadrant.

"Create & Design - Nature" is envisioned as an overhauled version of the previous Nature Sandbox.

Better User Interface, Tutorials (presented as "Sandbox Quests") & Editing Workflows are the improvements planned in this space.



"Creature Quests is the sole game mode currently featured in Fantasy quadrant.

Fantasy Quadrant is envisioned as a collection of experiences that are not intended to be realistic or educational.

This provides a formal leeway for the game to provide players with more traditional gameplay experiences, deriving inspiring from the vast assortment of classic gaming experiences that are already proven to work and well-loved by players.

Story, Adventure, Platforming are the potential elements that this Quadrant could encompass in the future.



Free Exploration is the sole game mode currently featured in this quadrant.
Zero Hunger & Infinite Stamina allow players to try out different creatures at their own pace.

While DoN's current Free Exploration is a very simple experience, when combined with random map generation (as well as procedural generation of world flora), interesting emergent experiences often unexpectedly arise, so do give this mode a try some time!

In the future Free Exploration will attempt to provide much larger play areas, greater flora and ultimately - biome diversity. Mini-games to encourage exploration and enrich the overall experience are also being considered.





That's it for this Presentation oriented update!

I hope the new 3D Menu World inspires both new and experienced players to get the most of this game!

Thank you so much for supporting Nature & Life - Drunk On Nectar!

With Love,
- Venugopalan Sreedharan
(Developer of Nature & Life - Drunk On Nectar)

A major graphics update has been released for Nature & Life - Drunk On Nectar!

Significantly improved visuals for all game modes and species come with this update, so be sure to give it a try!

Aside from graphics, various gameplay improvements have been made as well, read on for complete details!


Be sure to watch this short 1 minute video for the improved visuals :)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



[h2]Lighting & Colors[/h2]
Overall lighting has been improved to make longer playtimes more comfortable for your eyes. The new lighting is more consistent and should significantly improve player experience across the game.



[h2]Camera Focus Effect[/h2]
Since much of DoN's gamplay takes place in the foreground and the game's current creatures are so tiny, keeping the player's visual attention focused on the gameplay elements (flora like leaves and flowers) was considered very important. To help with this, background elements are now taken out of focus.



As game's older players will remember, this was already part of the game before, however the effect was somewhat inconsistent and could not cope with the game's complex requirements of modes like Lifecycles. The effect was eventually removed in 2023 for this reason.



This update however, has finally answered the gargantuan task of configuring the lens effect for every game mode, for every lifecycle and for every creature's instar! After rigorous playtesting. the graphical feature has now been restored again!



[h2]Atmosphere & Fog Effects[/h2]
Draping the entire game world in two layers of fog, this graphical effect brings an additional layer of immersion and realism for the game.

Note: This scene was created using the Nature Sandbox mode

Currently this effect is somewhat intense and some players may indeed prefer a clearer air for their favorite creatures. However for now this was deemed necessary to minimize the visual influence of the background environment. In the future this will probably be reivsited, depending on how much progress is made on the game's background environment visuals.






[h2]Improved Perspectives[/h2]
Camera perspectives have been improved for nearly all creatures in the game! The new perspectives complement the graphical improvements and should greatly enrich the experience of players across all fauna species.



[h2]Flight Experience[/h2]
Flight experience has been improved, particularly noticeable for species such as Monarch Butterfly, Dragonfly, Bee and Blue Mud Dauber



[h2]Faster Lifecycles! Consumption Rates Increased[/h2]
Completing a lifecycles is now faster than ever before! Consumption speed has been significantly increased across all species, doubled in some cases.

The goal is to help players focus on their gameplay and complete the lifecycles as quickly as possible. With multi-gen lifecycles around the corner (Gen2/Gen3/etc), it was deemed critical to make it as easy as possible for players to complete each Generation and move on to the next.

Note: This update changes only the speed of the consumption visuals - i.e. how fast you eat a given prey. The amount of food provided by a prey remains the same as before! Therefore, this does not affect difficulty level in any way whatsoever, only the speed with which you progress.

[h2]Performance Improvements[/h2]
The Ladybug Lifecycle now has various performance improvements, particularly for the later instars. This should make it easier for players to complete the entire Ladybug lifecycle.



[h2]Various Bugfixes[/h2]
This update also includes an entire range of bugfixes across the game.

Some of the notable bugfixes include Praying Mantis and  Ladybug Lifecycle quest related bugs, Monarch Lifecycle Racing (Courtship Mini Games)  related bugfixes.

Also improved is AI Flight Landing for Pollinator Insects (like Bees, Butterflies, etc) onto Orange Lily and Knapweed Flowers!




The game's current focus is on polishing and improving the existing product to ensure that the full potential of all the existing game modes and species is fully realized.

While this update focused on important graphical improvements, the next set of updates will focus entirely on gameplay and overall quality. Before adding any new features or content to the game it is now considered essential that the existing product is properly polished, optimized and uplifted to a point where players can truly enjoy hundreds of hours of solid gameplay from the existing roster.

Once that goal is achieved the game will look towards building on this foundation :)




Thanks to everyone for your interest in this game!

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy the improved visuals of this update. There is a lot of potential for more great things and the game will keep striving to improve with each day.

I want this game to reach a point where it is the most fun and most enjoyable game to play in their game library for all players who come by this way.

With your support, enthusiasm and feedback, this goal will be realized one day!

Thank you!

With Love,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
(Developer of Nature & Life - Drunk On Nectar)

Good news for DoN's Linux players!

The Linux build has been updated with the game's latest spectacles and now also runs on a new graphics renderer - Vulkan Graphics API.

It's a lot faster, smoother and more fun now to play!


This is a request for Steam Deck owners to try out DoN's new Linux build and provide your feedback!

The game's previous Steam Deck build was based on OpenGL, while this new "Vulkan" version should be a much better experience graphically.

Presently I am not able to test with a Steam Deck myself, so I'd be very grateful for your feedback to learn about its current state :)

Note: Official Steam Deck support is highly desired and will hopefully come soon!

"Mantis Tree World" rendered using the new Vulkan Graphics API (on Ubuntu 24)


This update brings the Linux build on par with Windows after gap of several years.

The game's long absence on Linux was due to a combination of technical issues as well as a lack of dev resources to address those.

Resolving these issues proved challenging and required many late hours, but now that it's finally done, regular updates on Linux platform will now resume again!

Jumping Spider Lifecycle rendered with Vulkan (on Ubuntu 24)


Personally I'm finding the latest Linux update to be the most enjoyable version of the game in terms of smoothness and fun.

Playtesting on Ubuntu 24 was an amazing experience for me and I highly encourage all Windows players to give the Linux version a try too.

Dragonfly Survival screenshot from the latest Linux build :)


Thanks to all the game's players as always!

Additionally, a special thanks to the game's Linux players for putting up with the lack of updates all these years.

I hope you will find this latest update to be fun and rewarding!

As a reminder, if you have a Steam Deck please give this new Linux update a try on your device :)


With Love,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
Developer of Nature & Life - Drunk On Nectar

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Dear players,

The 2024 video trailer for DoN is now out!

This video summarizes the key offerings of Nature & Life - Drunk On Nectar as of today.

The Monarch Butterfly Lifecycle, Praying Mantis Lifecycle and Jumping Spider Lifecycle are the key highlights.

While DoN's lesser known game modes like "Face Off", "Free Exploration" are not featured in this particular trailer, they will be emphasized in upcoming videos along with game updates that will focus on helping players to get the most of out of these modes.

For now, I hope you enjoy the trailer! :)


October has been a quiet month for several reasons, including inability to finance the game's full-scale development this month.

Hopefully this situation will improve in the coming days. As a reminder, the game's soundtrack is available for purchase on Steam for interested players to support the game's ongoing development. Much thanks to the game's fans across the world for your support and enthusiasm!

At the earliest opportunity the game's next set of major updates will recommence.


Thanks to everyone for your kindness and support all these years :) It is deeply appreciated!



With Love,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
(Developer of Nature & Life - Drunk On Nectar)