[✨Update v0.7 is in development, planning to release in end Dec~✨]
Greetings Researchers!
In the past 2 weeks, I've started working on the actual creatures and cave content for this upcoming v0.7 update! Here are some of the highlights:
Added 16 new researchables
Added 4 creatures, 4 plants, and 8 fish for players to discover! There will be 84 researchables in total after this update goes live.
Each of the plants and creatures were added while considering the current state of the game. I was guided by these questions:
- What creature perks would help with some of the bottlenecks of the game? A useful creature will also mean that players can strategise and set new goals.
- Similarly, what crops will be useful and give players more options in progressing the game?
As for fish, I just wanted more variety at this stage, so I added 2 new fish for each cave biome. There's also 2 new bait: Meaty Bait and Nutty Bait.
Researchable Highlights
Weedip
One of the creatures added is Weedip, a little critter that grew accustomed to the weedy areas of caves.
Bulbous beginnings
Of the 4 new crops, 3 of them are 'bulb-crops'. They are: Rawbulb, Grubulb, and Bassbulb. You might guess from their names - but they'll be an option for players to grow their own Meat, Insect, and Fish ingredients!
New Floor Types for the Mines
I've also added new floor types for the Mines to add more variety to the mining experience. The weedy area (only found in the Cave Biome) is one example. Weedips only spawn in these floors!
Improved UI for Recording Stations
With the new researchables, I further worked on our Recording Stations UI - to increase clarity about how many books there are in each shelf (tracker on top right), and also to make it look a bit prettier.
New feature: Equipment
As I added more books for players to complete in the Archive, I also had to consider the rewards players can get from the books! I wanted to go beyond the current reward types (craftables/useful items, decor, and statues) and add other meaningful rewards. That's why I added Equipment! These equipment come with minor buffs.
📝 What's Next
Working on this update has taken longer than I initially planned, due to some of the more complex and time-consuming content. I still wish to update this month as promised, but the update will be smaller in scope, with the remaining content moved to Jan/Feb 2024:
This will give me more time to work out the details, playtest, and not rush the development for the upcoming content! Thank you all for your understanding and continued support <3
Miki