The Big Picture (Devblog)
Today we’re taking a look at our master plan for WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition, from what’s already available in the Amethyst Mountain episode, to what’s currently in development in Slough Creek episode, to our future expansion plans with the Tower Fall episode.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
WolfQuest follows the life of a dispersal wolf in Yellowstone National Park, so we start at age two. You’ve just left your family pack and find yourself alone for the first time, so your first task is to learn to hunt on your own. Then, once you’ve killed a few elk, other dispersal wolves will consider you as a potential mate. This episode takes place in the fall and early winter, which lasts about three months in your wolf's life.
Coming up next is the Slough Creek episode, which runs from winter to summer, as your wolf and their mate establish a territory and then find a den. We’re going to have a lot more dens out there to choose from — over two dozen — and one will become the home for your pups. Those pups take a lot of attention in their early months, especially if you have a large litter (up to seven pups are possible!). Pup personalities will make family life richer and challenging.
Then when they're two months old, the pups have outgrown the den and it's time to choose a good place to spend the summer. This is called the rendezvous site, and it’s basically an open-air densite, where the pups frolic and continue to grow. That's where the Slough Creek episode ends -- or at least, that's where it's always ended in the past.
After that, we have a third episode planned, called Tower Fall, which will begin halfway through the summer. In our storyline, the pack has been squeezed out of Slough Creek by rival packs and forced to make another journey. Wolves actually do often move every few weeks during the summer, so this is not unusual. In our case, the pack travels to the Tower Fall area, about 10 kilometers southwest of Slough Creek. This episode will continue into the fall, which is when pups begin to join their parents on hunting trips, initially just observing, but increasing taking part — at great risk to life and limb. Those that survive are on their way to adulthood! We have some ideas about how to continue the story in Tower Fall, but it's still early in the design phase so we'll see how that evolves. Tower Fall will be an expansion available as DLC.
But right now we're focused on Slough Creek, and we have a question for you all. As I said, in the past, Slough Creek ended when you reached the rendezvous site. We did this because...well, games should have an ending, right? And also, the pups are growing and it would be inaccurate to keep playing at the rendezvous site with these tiny pups.
But over the years, we've gotten a fair number of comments saying that the ending is too abrupt -- boom you're done -- and it would be nice to have some time at the rendezvous site with your pups. So we're wondering what players today would like: A proper ending like in the old game, or ongoing play for awhile at least with your pups at the rendezvous site. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
______________
We have released the first episode of WolfQuest 3: Anniversary Edition (Amethyst Mountain) for PC/Mac on Steam and itch.io, as Early Access. While in Early Access, we are updating the game frequently with more features, multiplayer, and ultimately the Slough Creek episode with pups. The mobile version will come after the game is completed on PC/Mac platforms. We’ll then resume development of the next episode, Tower Fall (DLC).
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
WolfQuest follows the life of a dispersal wolf in Yellowstone National Park, so we start at age two. You’ve just left your family pack and find yourself alone for the first time, so your first task is to learn to hunt on your own. Then, once you’ve killed a few elk, other dispersal wolves will consider you as a potential mate. This episode takes place in the fall and early winter, which lasts about three months in your wolf's life.
Coming up next is the Slough Creek episode, which runs from winter to summer, as your wolf and their mate establish a territory and then find a den. We’re going to have a lot more dens out there to choose from — over two dozen — and one will become the home for your pups. Those pups take a lot of attention in their early months, especially if you have a large litter (up to seven pups are possible!). Pup personalities will make family life richer and challenging.
Then when they're two months old, the pups have outgrown the den and it's time to choose a good place to spend the summer. This is called the rendezvous site, and it’s basically an open-air densite, where the pups frolic and continue to grow. That's where the Slough Creek episode ends -- or at least, that's where it's always ended in the past.
After that, we have a third episode planned, called Tower Fall, which will begin halfway through the summer. In our storyline, the pack has been squeezed out of Slough Creek by rival packs and forced to make another journey. Wolves actually do often move every few weeks during the summer, so this is not unusual. In our case, the pack travels to the Tower Fall area, about 10 kilometers southwest of Slough Creek. This episode will continue into the fall, which is when pups begin to join their parents on hunting trips, initially just observing, but increasing taking part — at great risk to life and limb. Those that survive are on their way to adulthood! We have some ideas about how to continue the story in Tower Fall, but it's still early in the design phase so we'll see how that evolves. Tower Fall will be an expansion available as DLC.
But right now we're focused on Slough Creek, and we have a question for you all. As I said, in the past, Slough Creek ended when you reached the rendezvous site. We did this because...well, games should have an ending, right? And also, the pups are growing and it would be inaccurate to keep playing at the rendezvous site with these tiny pups.
But over the years, we've gotten a fair number of comments saying that the ending is too abrupt -- boom you're done -- and it would be nice to have some time at the rendezvous site with your pups. So we're wondering what players today would like: A proper ending like in the old game, or ongoing play for awhile at least with your pups at the rendezvous site. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
______________
We have released the first episode of WolfQuest 3: Anniversary Edition (Amethyst Mountain) for PC/Mac on Steam and itch.io, as Early Access. While in Early Access, we are updating the game frequently with more features, multiplayer, and ultimately the Slough Creek episode with pups. The mobile version will come after the game is completed on PC/Mac platforms. We’ll then resume development of the next episode, Tower Fall (DLC).