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Smalland: Survive the Wilds News

FAQ Friday #18

Hey Smallfolk!

We're back to dive a little deeper into some of your questions that we've picked up from the community!

How does the season system work?

Seasons touch the game world in a number of ways. Firstly, the visuals. You can expect bright, sunny days in the summer, and gloomy, grey days in the winter. The landscape will change to reflect, with the leaves turning from fresh greens to the mellow shades of autumn and disappearing entirely in some cases in the winter.

Weather will change depending on the season too, and in gameplay terms, you'll want to prepare your armour setup accordingly when you set out into the world.

Lastly, the wildlife of Smalland will adapt to the seasons, with some creatures being more abundant in one season than another.



Will there be baby insects and animals and will we also see each stage of insects such as beetles, moths, butterflies etc?

Insects in Smalland will all appear at the same size, we don't have different stages of growth in the game, though we do currently have baby spiders (approach with caution, mum is never too far away...). There are also some unqiue variations of various insects that will require a little hunting down.



Can I play a beta?

We've been getting asked this a lot lately so a good opportunity to share the process of getting hands-on with any Smalland testing.

We have a group here at Merge Games called the MVP Group, signing up for the group requires agreeing to an NDA, and you can find the details and signup form here here.

Being a member of the group might see you get offered to join a beta test for a number of different titles, including Smalland. We'll select a segment of testers based on the answers given during signup, some tests will be quite broad and have a large number of keys available, some will be more focused and have fewer keys available.

Currently, builds are watermarked with each user's unique, numerical Steam ID, as a small number of people, unfortunately, chose not to respect the NDA and share footage of a test (which have since been taken down).

Joining the group doesn't guarantee everyone will get hands-on with a particular Smalland test, but that's the place to be if you want to throw your hat into the ring!

As always, thanks for the questions, we'll catch you next time!

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What We're Working On #3

Hey everyone!

Hot off the back of Smalland closing out the MIX Showcase at GDC with a fresh look at gameplay, we're back to show you a little more on what we've been working on lately!

Something we've been really excited to share is antennae mode. The antennae of the Smallfolk aren't just there for show, they provide a radar vision of sorts to highlight important things in the world. The system is work-in-progress currently, but as you can see in the video below, activating this mode will give allow you to pierce the darkness and see better at night, as well as highlight nearby creatures and their state (aggressive etc, and highlight harvestable resources.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The next thing to share isn't something we can show you quite yet, but our Product Manager Ross has been hard at work on the next trailer, and what we've seen so far is awesome! We cannot wait to share the finished trailer when the time is right!

Lastly, we've been continuing work on the building system and have a small, closed test underway this week via our testing group (feel free to join the group!) to get some player feedback on the system. Below is a bit of a deeper look at a build and how you can create your own little home in Smalland.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Thanks, and we'll be back with more soon!

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https://store.steampowered.com/app/768200/SMALLAND/

Gameplay at GDC 2022

Hey Smallfolk!

We just stopped by the MIX SHowcase at GDC 2022 and showed a fresh look at gameplay with Product Manager Ross, and Community Manager, Danny.

They show the closest look at building in the world of Smalland that we've shown to date, and if you missed it you can it again here!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Development is moving along nicely and we can't wait to share much more with you all this year!

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https://store.steampowered.com/app/768200/SMALLAND/

Don't miss the other awesome titles from Merge Games at GDC 2022!


Welcome to SunnySide Gameplay Trailer

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1746930/SunnySide/

Slaycation Paradise - Announcement Trailer

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1643850/Slaycation_Paradise/

Time on Frog Island - Official GDC Trailer

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1717510/Time_on_Frog_Island/

Definitely Not Fried Chicken - Trailer

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1036240/Definitely_Not_Fried_Chicken/

What We're Working On #2

Hey Smallfolk!

So as we hijacked a previous FAQ Friday post and kicked off a new series this will be our What We're Working On post #2!

You may have seen some of the latest things we've been tinkering with on social media, so here's so more information about what we've been up to!

Building


The team have been hard at work working on the building system and we've started to get the first of many customisation pieces that you'll be able to unlock and use to make your little house a home.

One of the first is an Owl effigy, a little nod to Discord, and burnt out matches that will become torches!



Here's a sneak peak at some more of the building customisations you'll be able to use!







The team have added pillars to the building options which provide another level of support for taller buildings or bigger balconies, and going in soon will be a selection of curved pieces to add another layer of customisation to building.

We'll be sharing more of the building system in Smalland with these new updates in the coming weeks, so stay tuned! I'm really excited to get my hands on this stuff and show you what you can create!

Nighttime


The other really cool thing introduced is bioluminescence! Mushrooms now have a magical glow that really makes the world pop at night. The creatures of Smalland have even been given a little touch of nighttime magic!

Currently, the team are working on feedback and adjusting the darkness at night to compensate for the new bioluminescent light sources so we can zero in on just the right feel for nighttime.



These are examples of things that we want to get into the game before early access, and I hope sharing these updates gives you a little window into what is happening behind the scenes before we start talking about exciting things like dates!

We do have another test coming, so look out for details on that!

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FAQ Friday #17

Hey everyone,

Thanks for Asher on Discord for a bunch of questions that we thought would make a nice FAQ Friday!

Here we go...

1. Are there boss fights, dungeons, and hoards?
There are indeed Boss fights but not dungeons, or what you'd call traditionally dungeons. Everything we do has an element of perspective, so we don't want dungeons to be literally dungeons, instead, you'll be navigating through a dark swamp and across broken dead trees, or trying to figure out a way to get through an overgrown maze while avoiding various hungry predators.



2. Are there caves/holes in the ground?
Yes and no, the Smallfolk have been living underground for too long, for reasons that will be explained. So your major goal is to make the land safe for your people and out of the ground. However, gameplay-wise, caves etc are usually small pockets of gameplay with risks and rewards that we have. Whether it's inside an abandoned vehicle, a hollow log, or a waste bin, we have the equivalent of caves to explore.

3. What is the gameplay like as far as combat mechanics? Are they more akin to dark souls or Skyrim?
There are attacks and combos, and also weapons that have different effects suited to different creatures and different situations. Some of these must be found and earned, others are crafted.



4. What are the devs thinking as far as pricing for early access/1.0?
We're not 100% decided on this yet, watch this space.

5. Do you level skills up like in Valheim, or is it more or less just crafting items like in Terraria?
You find items as in Terraria but some of these items can only be earned by aligning with certain factions, or by having access to certain technological advantages, and sometimes a combination of the two. These items may grant you abilities that you can mix and match, specialising in one area or having a hybrid. So the more you explore, craft, and earn via factions, the more you gain access to different skills.

6. I heard a while back the map is supposed to be procedurally generated, are they still keeping to that?
Nope, we've never mentioned that! Everything is being carefully built and crafted by hand.


Thanks for the questions, Asher! We'll be back with more in the next FAQ Friday!

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https://store.steampowered.com/app/768200/SMALLAND/