WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition News

Back in 2019 when we were preparing to release WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition into Early Access, we had to create some title graphics for the Steam store. We had plenty going on that month, so we whipped up a simple image of a wolf howling at sunrise. We always intended to be temporary, but it's taken us awhile to get back to this. But at last, it's ready! Created by longtime WQ player Rolin, we're just thrilled with it. (Rolin also created the "Welcome to Lost River" town sign in Lost River DLC map.) So don't be surprised when you see this new artwork on the Steam store. It is the same game!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We're also putting "WolfQuest Pastoral", as we are calling it, on various merch options on Redbubble. So, if you love it as much as I do, check that out!

We have plenty else in the works now, so stay tuned for game updates!
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The WolfQuest saga will continue! Stay tuned for more news in upcoming devblogs about it and other new features!

Once the game is completed on PC/Mac, we will turn our attention to other platforms.

We do not announce specific release dates. We will release them when they are ready.

We've got a new animal joining the WolfQuest gang: pronghorn!

Pronghorn, sometimes called American antelope (though they’re not actually antelope) are fairly common animals in the northern range of Yellowstone. We’ve seen them many times in our trips there. But for WolfQuest, they’ve been lower priority for one simple reason: wolves don't eat them very much. Why not? Because they're very hard to catch! Pronghorns evolved in the very different world of the Pleistocene, when they had to outrun much faster predators, like the American Cheetah. Those predators went extinct long ago — but the pronghorn keeps on going, sprinting as fast at 55 mph (90 km/h).

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

But we’ve finally gotten to it, and this week’s devblog gives you a first look at our pronghorn. Created by a new artist on our team, Lise from Sweden, these pronghorn will be found in the Lamer Valley and lower-elevation grasslands. Like mule deer and elk, pronghorns form herds of different sizes and compositions over the course of a year. In the winter, they head to lower elevations and you won't find many around in the game map — which isn’t much of a problem, since wolves don't generally bother hunting adults. It's the fawns that are a more tempting target, both as newborns hiding in the grass, and later in the summer when they are ambulatory — not easy
to catch, but possible.

Other interesting things about pronghorn:

* They are distantly related to deer, and much more closely related to giraffes and okapi.
* Bucks have a pronged horn, while does have just a little stubby horn, if any at all. Generally, animals with horns keep them year-round, but pronghorns shed their horns each winter and then grow it back in the spring.
* The fastest land animal in the western hemisphere, pronghorns can sprint 55 mph (90 km/h) for half a mile (800m), and they can run 42 mph (68 km/h) for a mile (1.5km), and can sustain 35 mph (56 km/h)) for four miles (6.5km). In contrast wolves (and elk) usually run about 35 mph (56 km/h), with somewhat faster sprints for short durations.
* When detecting danger, pronghorns raise the hair on their rumps, making it a larger white area that alerts the herd of the threat.

Pronghorns will be in the next game update, but that won’t be for awhile. We have much still to do on them, along with many other things currently in-progress. But it won’t be too long before you too, can watch that white rump recede into the distance as it flees from your wolf.

Recommended videos:
* Wolf chasing a pronghorn fawn (and check out other great Yellowstone wildlife videos on the "Yellowstone Twins" YouTube channel).
* Pronghorns: Experts in Speed and Sight from American Prairie.

_________________________

The WolfQuest saga will continue! Stay tuned for more news in upcoming devblogs about it and other new features!

Once the game is completed on PC/Mac, we will turn our attention to other platforms.

We do not announce specific release dates. We will release them when they are ready.

It's time for another chance to win a free copy of WolfQuest! Lucky winners will receive a free copy of WolfQuest 2.7 (and PC/Mac users will also get WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition Early Access for PC and Mac)! Winners can choose to get any version of the game (Mac/Windows, Android, iOS, Kindle).

If you prefer, you can one of the choose DLC:

• Lost River DLC (map)
  
• Building Character DLC
  
• Yellowstone Wolf Coat DLC

Note: the above three DLC are only for WolfQuest: AE for PC/Mac

Or choose:

• WolfQuest Soundtrack and Music Extras
  

[h3]How to Enter[/h3]
Email your username, preferred email address, and your answer to the question: "What are three interesting facts about wolves?" to [email protected]. Winners are selected randomly from complete entries. Please enter only once in each contest.

[h3]Deadline[/h3]
All entries must be received before midnight (Eastern Daylight Time) on Monday, February 27, 2023.

[h3]Random Drawing[/h3]
Each complete entry will be assigned a number. We will then use a random-number generator to generate four numbers. The entries bearing those numbers will each win a free copy of the game.

With Lost River released, we've been working on multiple fronts. Tommi and Andrei are converting all the animals to the new, improved Saga AI. Raul has been rewriting a core animal control system that had gotten overly complicated. Mikko is working on other improvements. We’ll share more about all of these things in the coming months.

I've been busy tackling the many things required to play the full quest arc on the Amethyst Mountain map. This involves creating the other seasons of the year, new den sites, new rendezvous sites, and many other things. While working on several new rock dens, I realized that I had never quite gotten a handle on the types of rocks in this area of Yellowstone. So this past week, while recovering from an unexpected (and I suppose long overdue) bout of Covid, I again dug into the geology of Amethyst Mountain and Specimen Ridge. This area has a complicated geologic history, with many geologic events over the millennia, so very different types of rocks are visible in different spots, Primarily, the ridge and mountain are made of conglomerate -- which is basically pebbles stuck in dried mud. formed by lahars (mudflows) from two ancient volcanoes.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

So today's devblog looks at the process of reworking the rock textures on the cliffs and other outcrops. I know that everyone really wants updates on the Saga -- and those are coming! But this one is for the handful of players out there who like geology. Enjoy!

_________________________

The WolfQuest saga will continue! Stay tuned for more news in upcoming devblogs about it and other new features!

Once the game is completed on PC/Mac, we will turn our attention to other platforms.

We do not announce specific release dates. We will release them when they are ready.

[h2]1.0.9h - Released 25 January 2023[/h2]

[h3]IMPROVEMENTS:[/h3]
* Many improvements to memory management, making the game more rigorous about clearing out excessive memory usage, especially when returning to main menu and then starting or loading another game, and during longer sessions, especially in Lost River. Players with good GPUs and 8 to 16 GB of RAM may see general performance improvements as well. Also greatly reduces chance of crashing on Steam Deck.
* During Raise Pups quest, icons on the World Map for abandoned dens are now darker.
* In Account: Friends panel, Unfriend button changed to Modify, with options to unfriend or block that player.
* Improved colliders at base of cliffs by BCE facility in Lost River.

[h3]BUGS FIXED:[/h3]
* Mate sometimes clips through cattle ranch fence.
* NPC wolves can get into trouble in silver mine.
* Multiplayer: Occasional the Whisper /w command fails.
* Multiplayer: In certain circumstances, when joining a game when players are at the Lost River cattle ranch, player-wolf is stuck in auto-run.
* If player-wolf is turned around at game world border and runs into a boulder while auto-running, they are stuck there, cannot move around it.
* In Lost River, at several dens the den scent glow is barely visible, or not at all visible.
* Player-wolf can get into cliffs around Baer Bluffs den. (Possible fix.)
* Tweaked color balance on 10M and Aidan coats.
* Controller: Can't choose Lost River in Saved Game filter list.
* When loading a save inside the silver mine, the mine interior model is still loading and so visibly pops into view.
* Player-wolf can get stuck in closed-off room in Merriweather house. (Possibly fixed.)
* On Basic Sky & Vegetation mode, lighting brightens when going into Photo Mode when indoors.
* Many minor water and terrain issues.