Yes, you can finally raise pups with old or new friends online. Can you believe it? We would not have gotten here without the diligent playtesting by our private and public beta testers, so thanks to all of you!
When creating a multiplayer game in Slough Creek, you can choose Story mode (establish a territory and raise pups in multiplayer, just as in single-player) or Pack Life or Territory Quest, which are the same as in other maps. In Story mode, all gameplay is generally the same as in singleplayer, with some new multiplayer-only options:
* Two decision-making options: Host Decides (when choosing den and rendezvous site, and deciding when to move to a new den or rendezvous site) and Majority Rules (all players vote on homesites and when to move).
* Two time-speed options: Normal (same as single-player) and Accelerated (pups grow faster, resulting in game duration of roughly two hours, give or take).
There's a special new feature -- Pup Favorites -- just for Slough Creek Story mode. Each pup has a favorite adult wolf (initially the player who named them), whom they will socialize with more often, and follow when traveling to a new den or rendezvous site. Feed and socialize with this pup to maintain your status (but the more pups who consider you their favorite, the harder it will be to maintain that status.).
This update, v1.0.8, also features several other improvements:
* Carcass Markers: Carcasses often provide more food than you can eat in one sitting. When at a carcass, howl to mark its location on the compass and World Map until it has been consumed. (In multiplayer, this will also share the carcass's location with all current members of your pack.) Also, the carcass icon (in airborne scents and on map and compass) is now an X.
* Pup health and hunger: Late summer is a challenging time because prey are healthier and pups are growing faster, so pups are now a bit hungrier in May and June, and noticeably hungrier later in the summer. Pups also lose health when very hungry, raising the threat of death from malnutrition if players don't keep them well-fed -- this is also greater for the summer pups, who also have a somewhat larger appetite.
* Ten new multiplayer achievements, featuring more beautiful icons by Jessie Clarey (Loach on Discord and Steam).
So rally the pack! Those pups aren't going to raise themselves!
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Complete Patch Notes for v1.0.8
NEW: SLOUGH CREEK MULTIPLAYER!
In Story mode, establish a territory, choose a den, and raise pups in multiplayer, just as in single-player! All gameplay is the same, with some new multiplayer-only features:
* Two decision-making options: Host Decides (when choosing den and rendezvous site, and deciding when to move to a new den or rendezvous site) and Majority Rules (all players vote on homesites and when to move).
* Two time-speed options: Normal (same as single-player) and Accelerated (pups grow faster, resulting in game duration of roughly two hours, give or take).
* Pup Favorites: Each pup has a favorite adult wolf (initially the player who named them), whom they will socialize with more often, and follow when traveling to a new den or rendezvous site. Feed and socialize with this pup to maintain your status (but the more pups who consider you their favorite, the harder it will be to maintain that status.).
ALSO NEW IN MULTIPLAYER:
* Two other Slough Creek Multiplayer modes: Pack Life (live and hunt in an area which stranger wolves cannot claim) and Territory Acquisition (compete with stranger wolves for territory).
* Four territory configurations to choose from in each mode.
* Ten new achievements to earn, mainly in Slough Creek Story mode.
IMPROVEMENTS:
* Carcass markers: Carcasses often provide more food than you can eat in one sitting. When at a carcass, howl to mark its location on the compass and World Map until it has been consumed. (In multiplayer, this will also share the carcass's location with all current members of your pack.) Also, the carcass icon (in airborne scents and on map and compass) is now an X.
* Pup health and hunger: Late summer is a challenging time because prey are healthier and pups are growing faster, so pups are now a bit hungrier in May and June, and noticeably hungrier later in the summer. Pups also lose health when very hungry, raising the threat of death from malnutrition if players don't keep them well-fed -- this is also greater for the summer pups. Summer pups also have a somewhat larger appetite.
* Eagle attacks at the den are more exciting now.
* Pup AI: Pups will often take a nap after filling their tummies, and they will always move away from the carcass so other pups can reach it.
* Pup sickness: Pups won't get sick until a few game-hours into Raise Pups quest. Reduced the duration of sickness, and minor tweaks to make kk pups more likely to get sick compared to Kk pups. Reduced odds of dying some. Reduced the chances of a pup getting sick for a second time.
* Lost pups: Reduced the period of time that pups can be lost before dying in the wilderness.
* Increased pup eating speed (somewhat faster in spring, more in summer).
* When pups are clustered around a carcass, it can be hard for player to target the carcass, so now you can target it more easily if you walk up close to it.
* Mate: Reduced the distance from the den that the mate will feed pups at.
* Age Perks: Reduced Youthful Prowess effects on competitors.
* Made grizzlies and cougars a bit more persistent during den raids.
* Multiplayer: Now you can rename game when loading a save (and if there is already an active MP game with that name, you are prompted to change the name of your game).
* Multiplayer: Players joining a game are invulnerable to damage for 20 seconds (so they can get away from dangerous NPCs if they happen to spawn right by one).
* Multiplayer: Players do not lose control of their wolf now when notifications appear onscreen, and can use X key (or Enter key) to close the notification, instead of using mouse. Notifications now show key input to continue or make selection. (X and Enter also work in singleplayer games, but these other change to notifications do not affect singleplayer.)
We do not announce specific release dates. We will release them when they are ready.