Hello Everyone,
It was quite a lot of unexpected work to get past issues arising from a neccessary Unity update, but finally, we can present another huge update for Snow Scout. You've probably noticed already that the game uses a stylized low-poly look, but that doesn't mean the graphics have to be simple. So we quadrupled all texture sizes and added bump maps and other effects to a lot of surfaces. Also, there is real-time lighting now, the water system has completely been replaced and there are much more life-like skiing particles.
If you've played the game before, it's really important to know that we have overhauled the entire saving system too, in order to make it more reliable. That means previous saves will not be compatible with the current version. In case you want to finish an old game you started, you can switch to the beta branch of the game and continue with the previous build there. Trying the new version will not touch your old saves though, they exist in parallel, so it doesn't hurt to give the new version a try and start with a fresh game.
In terms of game content, we have once again fixed a lot of issues, and polished all the mechanics - in some cases to the point of completely re-doing them. Still, the complex overhaul of the Unity version could have unforeseen consequences in the form of new bugs we have not found yet. As we have learned the hard way, the game has really become too complex for our small team to handle thorough testing, so once again, it would really be a huge help if you'd report any issues you come across. You can use the discussion forum here on Steam, or visit our Discord. There, we also offer keys to other SteamVR games to people who help us out with bug reports, so have a look if you're interested!
https://discord.gg/qwpkpeAdXu
As far as we're concerned, this update delivers Snow Scout Version 1.00 - So aside from possible service updates that will fix any found issues, the development of the game is now complete. Finally, all features are implemented and working the way they should, at least to our knowledge ;-)
If you glance over some of those past news posts, the process wasn't easy and we were a bit blindsided because the Early Access phase of the game didn't work in the way we had expected at all. As a result, the game ended up being a huge financial disaster for us, with development costs of about $200,000 on one side, and a payout from Steam of about $2,000 on the other. Well, indie game development isn't easy, and making games in the VR niche is even harder - but that's life. Still, we hope that some of you can appreciate the unusual (and hopefully unique) game we have created here. If some people really like it at least, I guess it has been worth making!
So that's it for today... oh, and Vreni said to give her regards!
All the Best,
Kalle from Tunermaxx
