Development Update, Nov 16th 2022
Greeting Seedlings!
This is the first formally published edition of Game Development Updates, what we intend to be an ongoing series to better inform you, the player, and those who are exploring the gaming space. Expect these articles to come out at the middle of the month and at the end of the month.
With that being said, it’s been a little over a year we’ve been building Evolving Forest with our partners at Humble Sage Games. It’s been a long road thus far but it feels like were just getting started. Now, were excited to show off some of the features and gameplay we’ve been developing in the past few weeks.
We have a heap of update’s we’ve integrated into the game but were going to categorize them into 5 main topics to make it easier to digest, so let’s begin!
1. Gameplay & UX/UI Updates
2. Mini-Games
3. Critters
4. General Updates/Planned Activities
Lets begin!
Gameplay & UX/UI Updates:
Recently we implemented a crafting leveling system to crafting workshops, starting with designing 5 levels of badges to dictate what item tier you’re able to create. We then added how many items you needed to craft to progress through each level.
We also have been bolstering our lighting within the game for quite some time, fine tuning it to the point where it looks natural and fitting. From the lights shining down onto your plants, to the shadows being displayed around the environment, everything is coming together splendidly, as shown in the gif below.
In addition to the previous updates we just shared, new players of Evolving Forest are welcomed with a step by step tutorial which is re-playable. You might find yourself replaying certain parts or even going through our information notice that’s found by clicking the “Plant Care 101” board, which regularly recieves updates.
This helpful bulletin gives you access to all sorts of information regarding the game and it also works, and is intended to be an ongoing and fluid accessory to the tutorial. (As seen in the image below.)
Mini-Games
Starting off, the first mini-game we added to the Evolving Forest was the Gene Splicer. We began with the idea of deciphering DNA and turning the process into something that would be fun and re-playable, whilst offering regular rewards. In this mini-game the player has 8 options to choose from and has10 guesses to correctly code the DNA. Once completed, the player is rewarded with a prize they can claim. We decided to challenge the player even more by implementing a better prize for using as little guesses as possible. So far, our alpha testers currently in game have gotten it down to 2 encodes, which is absolutely amazing!
There are three other mini-games in the pipeline, a “hacking” mini-game, a plant beauty competition and the critter battler. All three are in development currently and have not been shown off yet. For the critter battler, it’s just as it sounds: your critters will be able to engage in combat with one another. Keep in mind, all critters have their strengths and weaknesses, one might be better suited to take on another compared to others. More details on these will be shown when the team is ready, patience is key, Seedlings.
Critters:
With the release of critters being right around the corner, we wanted to share a few details with you, some of which have been mentioned before.
Every genesis sapling will be able to redeem a critter: Say you have 3 staked/unstaked saplings, you will be able to redeem at least one critter for each sapling, totalling 3 in this example.
The team have been working diligently to make the process to retrieve your critter as easy as it can be. There will be a redeem section on our website, after a few clicks you’ll have your critter safely and soundly.
There’s quite a variety of types of critters, from ones that fly to ones that stay grounded. The team is sure you’ll find one that you’ll be happy with. Not only will it be able to fend off other forms of wildlife within the Oaarian wilderness, but it will also help with the pollination of your plants. This can already be done in game with the test critter base model we’ve given to all the alpha testers.
General Updates:
Now were down to the nitty gritty, the general updates section. This is where I go over some of the accomplishments the team have done in the past few weeks.
The list goes as followed:
- Finalized login system.
- Created XP system for the new leveling system.
- Fixed mulching issues.
- Added tutorial chapter section.
- Started/continuing GitBook development.
- Continued economy designs.
- Continued critter battler designs.
- General bug fixes.
- Began development of a desktop build of Evolving Forest.
- Building a desktop client for downloading desktop builds.
- Converted all client-side functions/accounts to our cloud service.
- Continued to update tutorial.
- Successfully tested animations for critters.
- Community watering can for Dryari voted for and completed.
- Vaccai watering can community voting concluded.
- Implemented crafting leveling UI into engine.
- Confirmed crafting level badge designs.
- Visual updates for the Dryari workshop.
We do have a handful of planned activities to be done in the coming week as well:
- Web security finalization.
- Finalizing crafting leveling system
- Consistently updating the Gitbook.
- Guild area updates.
- Vaccai watering can.
- Continuing economy design.
- Continuing critter animation tests.
The Send Off
As we inch towards the new year, the Evolving Forest team has great plans for the game and are surely reaching that vision step by step. With your support and feedback, we continue the build the game together as any congregation should.
If you’re interested in joining the alpha testers, you can sign up here: Alpha Submission Form. POAPs, special in-discord badges, and other exclusive item-rewarding benefits will be associated with many of the events we have coming up (soon to be announced), so watch closely, and stay tuned!
If you haven’t already, join us on twitter where we post many of our updates, event and a bunch of details about the game. You can find our twitter by search EvolvingForest or by clicking here: EvolvingForest.
Thank you all for being part of this journey and as always, may the Ancient One guide you.
