Various improvements have been made to Lifecycles Act 2, here's a summary!
But before that...
300% increase in peak players!
Act 2's release increased the game's peak number of simultaneous players by nearly 300% to the previous month! An enormous amount of feedback mail has been pouring in as well.With more milestone releases like Act 3 around the corner, this is certainly a future trend for the game!
On to Patch 1:
New Features
Auto Saving
We've all been there; forgetting to save just at that crucial moment when you really needed to! Now the game has your back with an Auto Save feature that periodically saves your progress.
"Continue" menus has been added as well for easily resuming your game. If you are undone by a predator the game now presents you with a continue menu so you can quickly jump back.
Bug fixes
After studying the massive amount of community feedback that has been brewing over the past week a number of bugfixes has been made to the game:
Ballooning now works consistently on flowers (even after saving & loading)
Blue Mud Dauber stamina recharge issue fixed
Blue Mud Dauber spider nest provisioning logic fixed
Grasshopper leg kick (Act 2's new feature!) now properly gives a quick reflex warning before you (as a spider) are about to get crushed
Grasshopper leg kick htitbox tweaked
Nocturnal Wasp attack during silk tent construction's final stage no longer causes a crash :)
(thanks to community member Dinoman for providing a very clear description of this bug so I was able to reproduce it!)
Other Improvements
"Rushdown" hunting mechanics made much smoother and more consistent; a lot more fun now! :)
Performance Friendly mode swarm supply rebalanced
Grappling made easier on the default difficulty preset
Swarm chem trails distance increased
4th instar quest logic fixed (no more details provided to prevent spoilers :))
Players now enjoy increased predator cooldown time after escaping from an AI predator (psst... use this to flee to your silk nest for safety!)
...and that cooldown is increased even more so for nocturnal snatches (mostly by the wasps).
Dart input tap interval decreased to prevent interference with Sprinting based on reports by a player.
More improvements are on the way! Please let me know if you face issues of any kind at all :)
With ❤,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
*** Lifecycles Act 2 RELEASED! *** Drunk On Nectar's Biggest Steam Update is Here!
The Lifecycles party has begun!
With 4-6 hours of new content and absolutely unique gameplay never seen or done in any game before, Drunk On Nectar's biggest Steam update is here at last!
Dwarfed by predator, Dwarfed by Prey
With unprecedented features such as
1) Prey and Predator Lifecycles running simultaneously,
2) Massively Populated Swarms of thousands upon thousands strong and a
3) Plethora of Hunting Skills and techniques for you to master,
Lifecycles Act 2 is Drunk On Nectar's most technically impressive and gameplay rich experience:
For Youtubers: Multiple Videos Parts recommended
Act 2 is very long for a single playthrough, so Youtubers are recommended to record multiple parts; each life stage take around 20-30 minutes to complete with a total of 9 such instars.
With over 10 million views on Youtube there's never been a better time to join Drunk On Nectar's growth story, so keep those videos coming! :)
Survive, Grow & Conquer "The Great Outdoors"
With carefully balanced Simulation, Sandbox and Unique Quests, Lifecycles Act 2 provides hours of fun and addictive gameplay in perhaps some of the most colorful backdrops you will have seen yet.
Please Save/Load frequently!
Auto-save feature is only coming next week so until then please save frequently! There are many obstacles you'll need to overcome in Act 2 so make good use of saved games; you can also Quick save (F7) and Quick Load (F9)
Known Issues / Pending Features
There are various known issues that need to be sorted out and will take around a week or so to fully resolve.
Notable issues:
1) Ballooning on some flowers doesn't work in the later parts of the game.
2) Gamepad controls for climbing on plant stalk need reworking
3) Blue Mud Dauber player stamina stops recharging at a certain point
Pending:
1) Auto-Save feature is coming next week (you can Save/Load manually as always)
2) Linux build is coming next week.
As a single developer it's been rather challenging to QA this giant release single-handedly so kindly allow for 1-2 weeks for stability to be attained :)
In the meantime, please report any issues you face and they will be looked into immediately :)
Thank You! ❤
Thanks to all of you for waiting so patiently for Act 2 to emerge. Over the coming weeks of bugfixing, polishing and other improvements, I believe Act 2 will set the golden standard for DoN that the rest of the game will successfully follow in its unique depiction of nature and life.
With Much ❤,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
Developer of Drunk On Nectar - The Nature Simulator
Lifecycles Act 2 Weekend Release!
Drunk On Nectar's biggest Steam update - Lifecycles Act 2 - The Great Outdoors, with 4-6 hours of new and exciting content, is releasing this weekend!
This Saturday, on 22nd September 2018, come experience life in an astonishing 0.1 mm living, breathing world, where you, as a tiny Jumping Spider among 25 others, must Survive, Grow and Conquer, The Great Outdoors.
With standout features such as Parallel Lifecycles (prey and predator growing together!), Massive Swarms (several thousands with lifecycles!), New Species Abilities and several other unique surprises, Act 2 provides several hours of unique and unprecedented gamplay that has never been seen or done in any other game before.
~~
If you're hungry to know more about Act 2, check out the article below!
Several game-changing features have been added in the run up to Lifecycles Act 2's release, this video takes an in-depth look at them!
https://youtu.be/uQPXsRhPuEM
~
Below is a quick overview: (for more in-depth commentary check out the video above!)
Ballooning Spiders
Ballooning, the iconic spider dispersal technique which gained mainstream attention in recent years, is now a part of the game!
Pull your lucky strand of silk out of those spinnerets and up into the air we go!
Hordes & Swarms (Population Density Simulator)
Massively boosting the number of creatures in the map, the population density system depicts large populations of various lifegroups across the map.
These are not props, but creatures that exhibit full lifecycles of their own!
Drunk On Nectar now supports a theoritically unlimited number of creatures in a map thanks to this system! :)
Over time this feature will continue to expand and cover more areas of the game, but for now its main purpose is to ensure Act 2's 25 strong Jumping Spider family has enough to go around for everyone.
New Species: Leafhopper
The species featured in the images above is the Leafhopper, a new species added for Act 2! Watch the video to learn more!
Breaching the 1mm barrier - A 0.66mm creature!
DoN has a new smallest creature! The 1st instar Leafhopper comes in at a mere 0.66mm and is barely visible unless you're paying attention!
Hint: They're smaller than the smallest creature that's visible in this pic :)
Few more Act 2 pics:
Climb atop your elder siblings with the new "universal mounting" support!
The new swarms attract a lot of attention, so be careful out there!
Release ETA
All the basic systems are now in place and the A.I. is now able to complete its entire lifecycle along with the player.
These core gameplay systems now need to be distilled into a more coherent experience with things like quests, a structured roadmap, etc for guiding players along Act 2's rich palette of features and creatures. Finally, Aphids and Springtails are being mooted for possible inclusion.
One way or another, Act 2 will release this month, that is now certain :)
Thanks again to everyone for being a part of Act 2's storied development effort; the wait is almost over now!
With ❤,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
Lifecycles Act 2 - Dev Update (Video)
On the cusp of Lifecycle's Act 2's release, DoN's developer Venu walks you through Act 2's new offerings in this video update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O2LQopdUxc
Topics discussed include:
1. Act 2's "Grasshopper lifecycles" themed hunting gameplay prototype
2. New skin for Female Jumping Spider
3. New Sandbox Lifestage grid
Release ETA
With the prototype now complete, additional features are being planned (details in video). Release schedule is flexible at the moment, could be pushed to next month as well if deemed necessary.
My Steam Dev Page!
Steam recently introduced a "Creator page" feature for developers and publishers.
Here's a link to my new developer page!
https://store.steampowered.com/dev/Venu/
~
Act 2 Pics
I leave you with some pics of Act 2's micro-world escapades:
I ran into this giant while scouting for tiny grasshoppers :)
Big spiders build big nests, Small spiders build small nests!
(observe the tiny instar and its nest on the center-right of the pic)
"Parallel lifecycles" depicting both the Jumping Spider and Grasshopper's growth, simultaneously, is one concept that was explored in the prototype.
New skin for the Female Jumping Spider
Mission Complete! On the verge of breaking free of its former skin, a 9th Instar Jumping Spider about to emerge, having survived and conquered "The Great Outdoors!"
~
Thanks again to everyone for your great patience in waiting for Act 2 all this while. I am confident that the Great Outdoors will provide you with several hours of enjoyment in return! :)
With ❤,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
Nocturnals, Diurnals and Sleep Update (Featuring Nocturnal Wasp)
Nocturnal behavior, Diurnal behavior and Sleep depiction has now been designed and implemented per species, in an important milestone for the game.
A "Nocturnal Wasp" has been added as the game's first nocturnal creature (currently A.I. only, but playable in Sandbox mode) along with an original music track for its diurnal counterpart.
Finally a large number of a bugfixes and improvements also come with this update.
Come twilight, life begins to alter in DoN's world
In previous versions of the game, creatures would simply "sleep" in place. With this update, it's all a lot more storied now:
A.I. Jumping Spiders scamper off in search of leaves to build their silken abodes. Blue Mud Daubers slowly retreat to their hollow logs of choice while their nocturnal counterparts begin to emerge and briskly scour the landscape for any stragglers unfortunate enough to run into them. Other creatures amble onto the underside of a leaf or find a quiet spot on the forest floor.
Unfinished business like predation activity, combat, nest stockpilng, etc are now properly wrapped up by A.I. before they to go to sleep. Finally new sleep animations have been added.
Let's take a look at some of these sleeping beauties! :)
An A.I. Spider built this silk nest to keep those nocturnal wasps at bay. You should too!
Monarch Butterfly showing off its new "Sleep" animation pose
Using the underside of a leaf is just not this Dragonfly's style
Recommended Playing
To best experience this update, try the following modes:
Jumping Spider Survival
Now essentially contains Lifecycles Act 2's basic themes and motifs within it. Of course the main attraction of Act 2 is being a tiny third-instar Jumping Spider that powers its growth all the way up to maturity, so that will be a memorable experience in its own right.
Sandbox - Nocturnal Wasp
Get a glimpse of what nocturnal life in DoN will look like in the future! Playable Nocturnal species will certainly be added to the game over time.
Nature Sandbox - Spectator
An enormous number of A.I. bugfixes and behavioral improvements have gone into this update so it's a lot more enjoyable now to just sit back and watch the A.I. do its thing!
Bugfixes and Improvements
Auto Population Booster, Performance Benchmarking & Optimization
Survival mode just got a lot easier with this update as population levels will now auto-recharge when a species hits a critical minimum.
Performance benchmarking has also been added and players are graded into 3 groups with optimizations automatically enabled depending on your benchmark results.
Read on to learn more!
Auto Population Recharge
No more unpleasantries exchanged with a rival wasp or sibling as the last spider or food source on the map is air-lifted by a rival. Now there's plenty for everyone!
Only Survival mode uses this system, Lifecycles mode is unaffected by this change to ensure simulation integrity.
The motivation behind this change will become clear below as the new "performance grading" system is explained. In short, it became necessary to ensure that small maps with low population levels could still sustain gameplay for Survival Quests like Wasp nesting.
Performance Benchmarking & Grading
One-time performance bechmarking is now performed the first time you open the game (or this update). A performance grade is awarded based on which default values for various game settings are chosen.
There are 3 performance grades:
Grade - "Pass"
Players with this grade meet or exceed the recommended system requirements. The default graphics quality of High is retained and by default the performance intensive "Temperate Forest Flowers" population preset is used.
Grade - "Below Recommended"
For systems that meet the minimum requirements but fall short of the recommended specs this grade is awarded. Video Resolution is automatically downscaled by 50% (this provides significant performance gains without adversely affecting visuals). View distance is also lowered to 0.5 (as opposed to the default 0.75)
Grade - "Below Minimum"
Systems that do not meet the game's minimum requirements are now provided with relevant benchmark details when they open the game. Graphics quality is automatically lowered to minimum and more importantly, "Performance Friendly" map preset is automatically selected as the default map.
If you believe your PC has been incorrectly graded do share your benchmark scores and system details below! (you can also email the support mail mentioned here)
This auto-calibration will enable players who aren't familiar with graphics settings, population presets, etc to automatically enjoy the best possible format for the game relative to their specific system.
For Simpler Controls, Better Performance, Fair Gameplay
Recognizing player feedback around these three topics, a small but significant detour was taken from content development this month to focus on cleaning up bugs and improving ease of play.
Upcoming patches and updates will continue this trend of making the game easier for new players to get into.
~~~
A Nocturnal Wasp now awaits!
As twilight gives way to a velvety dark.
Soon to strike from shadows bright
A stinger that glistens with a spark.
(In mundane words, the nocturnal wasp release is coming soon, you Jumping Spiders beware! :))
With ❤,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
"The Wasp Patch" - Build v3.1.6.2
Player feedback on the forums, feedback mail and youtube videos have been used to roll out one of DoN's biggest bugfix and general improvement release. Here's an overview:
A.I. Improvements
A.I. now flees from predators more consistently
Wasp A.I. no longer freezes up after catching spiders, nesting behavior is now reliable.
Wasp A.I. snatch speed increased to improve snatch consistency
Snatch issues for Dragonfly v/s 3rd Instar Grasshopper, mitigated
A.I. now looks at you only if you're the same species (previously any species would turn and look at you when you get close to it)
Simplified Grapple-Stamina: A.I. now gives up when you tire it out by draining its stamina (just like Ants in the Ladybug quest)
Grooming for A.I is now more consistent
Grooming for Flying A.I. now begins only after they land and touch down.
Animation updates
New animations
Tiger Beetle - snatch animation
Tiger Beetle - Grapple-Pin animation
Tiger Beetle - Idle Struggle animation
Blue Mud Dauber - Toppled Over anim
Blue Mud Dauber - Immobilized anim
Blue Mud Dauber - Idle struggle anim
Updated animations:
Wasp Grooming anim extended to include hindleg and wings cleanup :)
Wasp Walk to Drink Nectar anim transition issues fixed
Grapple idle animations no longer get stuck after grappling
Tiger Beetle walk/flight anim now plays properly while it has a prey snatched
Player/Simulation Improvements
Ant Sneak tutorial for Ladybug creature quest fixed
Wasp Nectaring phase made shorter for players and longer for A.I. Wasp Player hunger increased to compensate
Hovering Explained: Players flying fast are now provided a flight hint about hovering. Essential for wasp gameplay (entering mud tunnels swiftly, etc)
Crashing issue fixed - The game would crash on returning to the main menu in certain cases, now fixed
"Performance" and "Exploration" Population Presets updated to include Blue Mud Dauber and Grasshoppers by default
Face-Off updates (for Blue Mud Dauber Wasp)
Stinger is now used as the face-off finisher for Wasp against any creature (eventually the main modes will support this too for non-prey confrontations, etc)
Wasp Snatch interaction setup designed for various creatures
Survival quests are no longer triggered for the wasp in face off mode
Recommended Face-off matchups
Wasp v/s Bee - Unlike the Dragonfly, the wasp's flight speed is insufficient to catch the bee, so you'll have to rely on strategy to come out on top. It's not easy to win this fight!
Jumping Spider v/s Wasp - Frantic dodge training practice as a Jumping Spider is what this often ends up being. Unlike the simulation mode the wasp has no nectaring phase here and always knows exactly where you're located so this confrontation is far more intense than its survival counterpart!
UI updates
Grappling keys font changed as requested by a player, for easier readability
Wasp players are now informed that they can use any nest for carrying spiders into. It doesn't have to be the first one you chose in the previous quest.
"Strike" UI popup frequency reduced. Wherever it is obvious, only the prey outline visual cue is shown.
Sandbox updates
Third-Instar Grasshopper added to Fauna spawn brush. Eventually players will be able to select the exact lifestage you want to spawn inside the sandbox (just like the population editor)
Creature "Activity text" fixed for consistency. It was previously getting blanked out too frequently, now it easier to monitor a creature's activities in the sandbox
Thanks for reading, Thanks for playing!
There's always more to come! Development for the nocturnal wasp (required for Lifecycles Act 2) begins soon and there's more bugfixes and improvements in the pipeline as well.
Please post your feedback as always! :)
With ❤,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
Parasitic Wasp Released. Meet the Blue Mud Dauber!
Meet DoN's latest species: A Wasp that provides for its larvae by capturing spiders and sealing them shut inside a mud nest. Yikes!
Here's the official release video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG6gNeCLih8
Oviposition occurs next to the spider
By popular demand, this species has been made fully playable even though the original plan was an A.I. only cameo to facilitate the Jumping Spider's Act 2 lifestory.
The "Blue Mud Dauber" Wasp features new Survival Quests, Egg laying and Nest provisioning gameplay. This update offers perhaps DoN's strongest gameplay yet, so please be sure to check out this new species (and the Jumping Spider survival where you now have a new adversary!)
This is also DoN's biggest bugfix release yet, with several fixes and improvements added to the game.
Mud Wasp Gameplay Overview
Nectaring on flowers
Grapple Montage. Watch out for that stinger!
Inside a Mud Nest
Carrying a spider back to the nest
So Is she a sweet nectar drinker or a fabled persecutor of spiders?
Both actually, as the adult wasp only feeds on nectar. It is your larvae that have a penchant for spiders, so each egg of yours is carefully laid in a secure mud nest and provisioned with at least three spiders.
This hybrid gameplay is what makes the wasp standout in the roster because it is simultaneously a benign pollinator of flowers, whilst also being a serious threat to the resident spider population.
Mud Nesting
Currently the A.I. uses a densely packed cluster of mud nests (co-located) while the player is provided with smaller chambers scattered throughout the map for you to explore and find.
Mud Nest building is not a part of this update but, it will be added eventually.
An A.I. nest cluster. Best experienced in Jumping Spider "Survival" mode
DoN's biggest bugfix patch
Including, but not limited to:
A.I. snatching issues fixed for tiny prey; they no longer enter a futile snatch loop while snatching tiny prey such as first-instar grasshoppers, Mealybugs, etc
Milkweed leaves now support building silken nests on them (various bugfixes were needed to support this)
Lifecycles - Moulting now covers health, stamina and other attributes as well (this was previously ommitted due to a bug)
Lifecycles - Moulting now applies difficulty levels correctly (previously this was getting overwritten every moult)
Plant Simulation - Sandbox planted plants now correctly set their lifestage up. This has implications for flora intersection handling and some other subtle visuals.
Anatomy combat system - Damage per attack anim is now limited to one frame for normal attacks.
Anatomy combat system - Multi-hit attack now allowed for some special moves. Currently only the Tiger Beetle's heavy strike supports this.
Anatomy combat system - Larger Instars are now no longer vulnerable to smaller instars. Previously the larger body surface area of larger instars made them weaker in combat.
Anatomy combat system - Stamina cost is now correct for fully grown Jumping Spider (previously the 1st instar's stamina cost was being used)
Tiger Beetle grappling anim transitions fixed
Tiger Beetle species name now shortened to "Cicindela Japonica"
Ant grappling skill, strength reduced (it was previously nearly on par with a Jumping Spider, this was unintentional)
Fixed exhaustion safety logic for A.I. from resulting in a behavior loop (for flying creatures)
Fallen prey no longer wake up to jump/flee upon landing from a height :)
...and many more.
New Prop - Hollow Logs
Greatly benefiting the game's landscape both visually and gameplay wise, this release brings with it "Hollow Logs" that players (and A.I!) can travel inside:
On the horizon - Lifecycles Act 2
With the parasitoid wasps finally in place, all the building blocks for Act 2 are here. A nocturnal wasp will need to be added though, so that, along with gameplay design for Act 2 (and maybe another ground-based prey) are the pending tasks. Almost there now!
Thanks as always for reading, hope you enjoy playing the Blue Mud Dauber! :)
With ❤,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
PS: Release video coming soon!
Build Silk Nests of your own! "Build with Silk" release
Why use someone else's silken tent when you can build your own?
For shelter, for stashing food and so much more!
Male Jumping Spider happily ensconced in his palatial silken estate
Video overview
https://youtu.be/oPACKRoIPNw
Watch the new Silk Tent system for yourself!
Act 2 Centerpiece Complete
Building silken tents of your own, was a key theme of "Lifecycles Act 2" and now this update now brings it just one step away from release.
Use the Survival mode to try the silken tents right now! Your feedback will be used to improve the gameplay for the subsequent Act 2 release.
For Shelter!
Sleeping out in the open will no longer remain a safe option, so better build shelter if you seek to last the night. Parasitic Wasps are planned for the next release to act as a deterrent for night-time loafers (and thus wrap up Act 2's incremental stream of updates) and with these wasps looking to lay their eggs on you, you had best build a silken tent and keep it closed at night!
Cautiously peeping across the great outdoors
New A.I. Scavenging Behavior
Hoarders beware! A.I. will now opportunistically seize any prey you've left lying around, so gone are the times of piling up your day's hunts in an idle corner.
All fallen prey now emit a chemical trail that both you (and A.I.) can detect and investigate.
For Stashing food!
With that background, you'll see why silken tents are also double-up as a neat storage depot. A closed silken tent cannot be opened by A.I. (although this might change in the future) making them ideal for stashing things.
Furthermore, decomposition rates of all prey are frozen inside silken tents, so not only can you stash, but you can also preserve your food for a rainy day more easily.
Your personal silken storage depot. Remember to keep the door closed though!
Build v3.1.5 highlights
To facilitate the "Build With Silk" release various bugfixes and control improvements were also added for this release.
Most notably movement on leaves, flowers and stalks should be a lot more stable now, making it a bit easier to carry heavy prey along those thin stalks and back to your silken home.
Various bugs reported by players via the in-game feedback tool have also been addressed. Please keep the reports coming :)
Open Sesame!
The Road to Mating & Reproduction
There is now a keen focus on wrapping up the Jumping Spider's Act 2 release so that the game's ongoing focus on survival can transition back into Lifecycles, with mating and reproduction and the next milestone.
Tthe Monarch Butterfly's long-awaited lifecycle completion (laying of eggs, etc) can finally be facilitated with this, followed by lifecycles for other creatures on the roster.
New plants, flowers and natural props are also long-due and will be taken up at some point.
Almost there... Lifecycles Act 2 is incrementally heading towards release!
Thanks for reading!
Appreciate your feedback on this new release! Videos, screenshots, forum posts, et al are all very welcome.
I hope that your gameplay experience is as smooth as silk! ;)
