Hello team, we have updated a bunch in the last two weeks leading up to the release of ReleaseCandidate-1 this week. Below is a breakdown of what we have accomplished in the last two weeks.
What is Release-Candidate?
We’re in the final stretch of updates before release, so ahead of our official 1.0, we’ll be releasing a new Release-Candidate build every two weeks, alongside some patch notes to help identify what’s changed since you might have last played.
What have we done in this release?
First and foremost, we knocked out a ton of improvements and bugs from before and after PAX, as well as some features leading up to our demo build. These ranged from fixing the missing desks on floor 4, to improving the look and lighting of grabby, a bunch of compatibility issues, VO additions and tweaks, as well as the ongoing effort of visual polish tasks being knocked out of that seemingly never-ending epic on our Jira board. But along with the steady knocking out of various tasks, we had three big updates that we tackled these past two weeks in reaching RC1.
Headline Updates
Obbo Rework
Obbo had always had some apt comparisons when showing him off online and at conventions. After much deliberation, we made the team decision to change his design once and for all. And the art team knocked the new Obbo look out of the park! The new Obbo is somehow even more endearing. This has a huge lift, and it’s a testament to our team that this was pulled off expertly
This led to a need to rework and add a ton of stuff, including:
2D assets relating to Obbo, from avatars to capsule art,
Updating the animation rig, and
Adding color to their antennae to reflect Obbo’s emotion.
Day Job Core Experience
A common theme of feedback from playtesters has been that our Day Job is great, but a bit shallow. We agree, because it’s not done! RC1 is the first of several pushes we have planned to improve the Day Job experience by completing features, improving the quality of life aspects of the Lobby, and expanding on the content.
This release’s improvements and fixes include:
Introducing: Day Job Streak!
The more days you consecutively complete your day job tasks, the more DOXBux you get. Don’t slack off and break that streak, or you’ll never afford that Catio room!
Router can now be upgraded twice, up to Level 3. This is a visual upgrade, but it will soon include bonus rewards.
You can now pause during day job tasks.
The Cat now has straining animations and VFX when doing the Vending Machine task.
You can now gain morale by being petted by NPCs in the lobby. Once per day per employee, so make sure you meow to get your pats from everyone!
Thermostat now completes half a day instead of incorrectly completing a full day.
The Coffee Machine task has improved Camera behavior.
Cat Movement and Polish
A big push ahead of PAX was improving our Cat’s look and feel, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive! We kept the good changes going, but wrapping up our biggest tasks regarding Cat look and feel ahead of release (though we’ll keep making little polishes here and there!). These include:
Cat Secretary now looks at focused interactables in the world, along with NPCs during cinematics.
We’ve improved how the cat walks up and down stairs to look more natural.
The landing animation for a “big fall” has been shortened to give control back to the player faster
Animation improvements when making 180' turns.
Oh, also, our Lobby and Business floors now have dark hardwood flooring. Please tell us what you think of our dark wooden floors!