This beta is available in the Steam Public Beta branch (see instructions below) for Windows computers only.
NOTE: Multiplayer IS compatible with the last released version, 1.0.8c, so you can play MP games with those on that version.
BETA 2 (11 January 2022)
NEW:
* Damage dealt by animals is now affected by their energy level: Prey animals with high energy can do more damage than before, but deal less damage as energy level decays,
* Dispersal and stranger wolves howl in response to player howls. Dispersals will howl during Find a Mate and Find a New Mate quests. Stranger wolves will howl anytime (though not every time the player howls). They will also howl sometimes without provocation.
IMPROVEMENTS:
* Shortened the minimum duration of long-tap (to pick up pups, meat chunks, etc.), trying to find the right breakpoint between short and long taps.
* Mate won't hunt bison or other big animals unless the player literally bites them, and even then may not if prey is excessively formidable.
* Mate will start following the player sooner, regardless of personality.
* Ravens will come a bit closer to you when eating at a carcass
* Dispersal wolves who are waiting for a fight to end will now sit down and rest while they wait.
* Elk slow down less when running through forest.
* Darkened the snowshoe hare summer coat.
BUGS FIXED:
* SC multiplayer: Players get stuck if Find New Den subquest was active when Raise Pups quest ends.
* Mate gets closer than intended when coming to player after running, and comes too close after you stop.
* Pups can slip out of den when mate leaves home site to go to hunt with player.
* Predators can attack den in the brief window between the mate leaving and the pups reaching the den.
* Mate keeps returning to carcass when sent home.
* Pups come to player over a long distance when traveling
* Mate gets stuck when returning to player or returning to den.
* Wolves kick up snow dust when on terrain that doesn't have snow. (This was a bug in an update to the terrain shader, and required a bunch of updates and tweaks to get snow accumulation rates similar to what they were before, but please report if you see snow looking like it is accumulating too fast or too slowly compared to trees.)
* Large pebbles float above ground along Hornaday Creek.
* Dispersal wolves are frozen if you start sleeping as you're just awakening while they're present.
* Terrain and water issues.
BETA 3 (12 January 2022)
IMPROVEMENTS:
* Refinements to response-howls from other wolves.
* When wolves respond to your howl, for those within 2km, a small icon appears on compass indicating their direction: white for dispersals, and color-coded for stranger wolves to match their pack color on map. (Icon is currently too small and hard to notice, will be improved in next beta.)
BUGS FIXED:
* Multiplayer: Sometimes player wolf does not despawn properly, causing problems in Newborn Pups scene.
* Small ranger cabin texture problems.
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BETA 4 (13 January 2022)
IMPROVEMENTS:
* Improved visibility of compass icons for wolves currently howling.
* Refinements to logic controlling response-howl from other wolves.
* Player can cancel secondary howl (which calls mate to their location) if they interrupt it within two seconds.
* Refinements to mate's path when running with player-wolf.
* Mate and pup nametags are enabled by default in multiplayer games, and remember their previous state (on or off) when loading a saved game.
* On World Map, pack territories remember their previous state (on or off) when loading a saved game.
* In multiplayer games, notification buttons adjust between yellow clickable buttons and keyboard-input buttons if cursor is locked or unlocked while notification is displayed.
BUGS FIXED:
* Slough Creek ranger cabin textures are a bit off.
* Dispersal mates do not howl back during Find New Mate subquest.
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BETA 5 (13 January 2022)
IMPROVEMENTS:
* On Wolf Customization, the Wolf Name input field flashes if player clicks on Save/Continue button before giving the wolf a name.
BUGS FIXED:
* Chase music keeps playing after chase ends.
* In multiplayer, pressing X key to decline to submit bug report makes wolf howl.
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BETA 6 (14 January 2022)
IMPROVEMENTS:
* Made double-tap input timing a bit more forgiving.
* Made stranger packs less eager to respond to howls in Slough Creek and Lost River.
* Made mate less likely to attack calves instead of following player's lead.
* Reduced the damage reduction multiplier on wolves (so they will do closer to max damage even when low on energy).
* Adjusted player-marker color on World Map to better contrast against red hexes.
* World Map remembers Pack Territory toggle status.
CHANGES:
* Removed the option to cancel the secondary howl quickly before mate starts coming to you. (Possible bug, will add it in next patch.)
BUGS FIXED:
* Mate struggles to bite beavers.
* Mate runs in circles with a meat chunk.
* Multiplayer achievements killing big prety can be earned even if you died during the fight.
* Mysterious creek sounds in one area of Amethyst during winter.
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BETA 7 (14 January 2022)
IMPROVEMENTS:
* Player can interrupt the Roll mote (after first 1.5 seconds of it).
* In multiplayer, the AFK timer is reduced from 5 minutes to 2.5 minutes, and now officially-AFK players do not delay quest progression.
* Refinements to distant animal ambient sounds.
BUGS FIXED:
* Chorus frogs are not calling in Slough Creek meadows in spring and summer nights.
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TO GET THE BETA BUILD
1) In the Steam app, go to your Library, then right-click on the WolfQuest: AE name in the left column and choose Properties.
2) Then go to the Betas tab and select the WQ current Beta option in the pulldown. No password is necessary. Steam should then start downloading it. Later you can switch back to the public version in that Betas tab, by selecting NONE in that pulldown.