Happy Next Fest everyone!
Hive Quest has featured in Next Fest this week and the support from Steam players has been very strong. I'm so grateful - thank you everyone. There has been a lot happening behind the scenes here with coding & development, trying to create a smooth gameplay experience and jus
Hive Quest has featured in Next Fest this week and the support from Steam players has been very strong. I'm so grateful - thank you everyone.
There has been a lot happening behind the scenes here with coding & development, trying to create a smooth gameplay experience and just keep on top of things. Sometimes the going isn't smooth but with the support of fans, and knowing that people like what I'm creating here, it really keeps the energy and inspiration flowing!
Lately I've been working on how the hives grow with the number of drones growing by a big chunk for both player and enemy hives. You can see the results below:
Naturally this has caused some frame rate issues so I'm toiling away to get a solution so stay with me!
:)
Also players can now see enemy drone expeditions far off in the woods when you take control of one of your own drones (you have to switch to bug vision for this - see below)
Hive Quest really needs your support, please help by spreading the word on social media and consider contributing a dollar on my Patreon account.
Have a wonderful week everyone!
Rod
Original post
Naturally this has caused some frame rate issues so I'm toiling away to get a solution so stay with me!
:)
Also players can now see enemy drone expeditions far off in the woods when you take control of one of your own drones (you have to switch to bug vision for this - see below)
Hive Quest really needs your support, please help by spreading the word on social media and consider contributing a dollar on my Patreon account.
Have a wonderful week everyone!
Rod
Currently I'm working on the next Hive Quest demo, which involves lots of voice acting, cut scenes and refinement of the controls as well as a bunch of bug fixing.
This demo has many improvements over the previous one released last year - better graphics, streamlined game play and more options/ features during play.
Further news about that coming soon.
Find out more about the game:
Drone swarms face-off
OTHER NEWS
Also, Hive Quest will be hitting Kickstarter again so I am working on the new page right now. Please support the game & 
User interface in Hive Quest is subtle so as not to interfere with the nice view :)
Some angry yellow drones
Um...teething problems...all fixed now
Hi everyone,
While working on Hive Quest I've recently been creating basic RTS mechanics that will promote sustained player enthusiasm and provide tension during the game play cycle. I wanted to share a few thoughts.
So here's my current and personal bullet list of three RTS toolkit 'concepts' -
Info hub - the book of Hive Lore
This turned out to be a bad idea, as the opposing drones would fight now & then, creating a 'low level' of drawn out attrition that was quietly sapping each player's hive of drones rather than an exciting big confrontation that could be planned & set in motion.
This gave birth to the idea of swarms, which, to my mind, are the opposite of attrition.
The point is, what at first appears to be a great strategic mechanism may not be after closer scrutiny.
Building the mechanism in first to see what happens seems necessary though, and then being prepared to alter it if it's not contributing something cool. Also (no brainer ahead) I've found the way other RTS games handle resources to be a great inspiration & experience when it comes to new ideas. :)
I'm not going to keep going on here - as you're short on time & the RTS game dev journey for Hive Quest is still very much moving forward - there are many things still to consider.
Thanks for looking. I'll get more info out soon :)
Rod
Hive Quest is a real time strategy game, among other things, so recently I've been working like crazy on providing the player the tools they need to micromanage their teeny empire.
Lots of new user interface features are being introduced that fit smoothly into the flow of the game and provide lots of options for players to interact with their environment.
The book of Hive Lore is the single biggest addition, providing a central place to go for lots of info on your hive and even individual drones!
The big book of Hive Lore
Capture the gloop shrooms!
Resources are an important feature in the game too. Food, gloop and other things are gathered at sites across the map. New UI features have been introduced here as well, at each site, to enable the player to manage who works there. You have to make sure you own it first though, as other hives can sneak in and claim the site for themselves!
Blue, sticky gloop comes from gloop shrooms
That rotten apple won't hang around for long!
Eggy Goodness
And lastly, news on the Hive interior! The Queen's chamber is a place to obtain info & organise new eggs. The Queen, with the help of her hand maidens, will keep laying eggs for your consideration, but only if you look after her. Below are some shots of work on the inner Hive & user interface for the player's eggs that provide useful options for fine tuning your tribe's population.
It gets busy in there!
Eggy interface things
Annnd finally...
I'll have some news on the combat system & how two hives go to war soon, so look out for more special news here on Steam.
Also, if you like the look of the game, 
Hi Everyone,
After I nervously released the pre alpha Demo a few months ago players have provided lots & lots of feedback about the look, feel and content of Hive Quest.
So I've been taking all the comments on board and have been busy making adjustments and improvements that include:
- better models for trees and bushes
- snappier game play
- better lighting
One of the biggest gains here has been the switch from Gamma to Linear lighting, taking things from a cartoony appearance to a softer more realistic look.
New strategy elements are also being included that weren't really there in the demo version, along with options to micromanage your hive more.
Choosing which eggs to hatch is a new micromanage feature - after the Queen lays them, you can scope each egg's individual traits to make sure you only hatch the best drones for your hive. If you find yourself in a pinch however, you might just have to make do...
At this very moment I am working on making the sites where resources are obtained as strong sources of conflict between Hives. This is a core piece of gameplay that guarantees the need to strategize and prioritize how you grow your Hive and use your drones.
You can get involved & meet new fans of the game on the 
Hi Everyone,
It's been a while since the Steam page was updated so here's a look at what's been going on.
The Hive Quest demo has been undergoing extensive play testing among the twitter community which has really helped iron out bugs and improve game play. Things are at the stage where I feel ok about announcing the demo here on steam so feel free to grab the download right here on gamejolt.
Here's a short vid showing texture painting on one of the fairy models.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jx4fzmfI-s
New puzzles too!
Fun places to explore!
As well as intriguing new ways to take over enemy hives - like using spies to sabotage their allegiance.
or magic beacons to make them think you're really cool!
There's lots & lots more additions to Hive Quest planned so stay in touch and follow what's going on here on steam and also in these other places -
Hi Everyone,
Things have been super hectic around here of late (normally things idle at just 'hectic') .
And what, I hear you ask, has been the cause of this manic flapping, keyboard tapping, late night coffee chugging lunacy?
The new Hive Quest DEMO! Woohoooo!
Yep - very soon there will be a free version, a sort of Beta edition, available for folk to download and try out for themselves. When it goes live I'll post about it here, and all over other Hive Quest social media channels, so keep a good look out for when that happens :)
On top of that, there has been a whopping great big load of voice acting going on, to bring the many characters in the game to life. All this has rendered my voice, and the voices of several others, raw and croaking with all the effort. Which is great because now we can go on to do the bad guy's voices, as they always sound better with a gravelly throat.
Meanwhile, here are a few more screenshots from recent game dev ;)
Bloop!
Hi Everyone! So lots has been happening to Hive Quest the past couple of months, and yours truly has been working like an overly caffeinated chimpanzee to get everything done in a timely manner.
There's so much been going on it's difficult to know exactly where to start.
New areas have been added to the Wild Woods for players to explore along with fun things to muck around with and intriguing puzzles to solve.
Gameplay has been tightened up and the pet creature AI has had a huge update which makes them a lot more interactive (and downright helpful). They do need to be looked after though, otherwise bad things start to happen and they'll get ill. There's nothing sadder than a Shrublet wandering about with a dose of the Fungal Glumps.
Here he is again, looking happy & talking to a sapling. Definitely no Glumps.
Personally, I don't get it, but I don't speak 'plant'.
Also, the first ever Hive Quest game dev VLOG is now live on YT so if you're interested in finding out a little more about the game then check it out right here:
Anyone bring the marshmallows?
Pond life
Exploring the Old Orchard
Mm..chilling at sunset...
A teeny, tiny stone henge
Building stuff....at night
Dawn and the Hive is starting to wake
Fun places to explore!
More news & updates on the way soon :)
Hi Everyone, Quick update on how the world of Hive Quest and the characters within it are coming together. The game is really taking shape to be a special mix of exploration, discovery, story telling, puzzle solving and real time strategy. Mixing all those elements together might sound a little crazy but the ultimate goal is to create a unique, memorable and pleasing experience.
Here's a few screenshots featuring some of the latest developments in the game :)
First off, Nora the Hedgewitch, a horrid old lady who spends her days combing the hedgerows for strange creatures and faeries that she can capture and add to her grim collection.
And there's also the Snail Rider clan - I wonder what mischief this lot will get up to?
And new enemy Hives to do battle with!
Relaxing places to explore -
New friends to be made -
Challenges to be overcome -
Resources to gather -
And a Hive to manage!
This is just a slice of what's new in the game - I'll post some more developments soon. In the meantime a Huge 'Thank You' to all Hive Quest supporters who have wish listed the game! ːsteamhappyː