This update was one of those behind the scenes, playing with numbers in the code kinda updates. But boy does it change the way the game is played! Now if you sell a bunch of one type of berry, the value will continue to drop until you stop pushing that berry into the market like a madman addicted to Strooberries.
A huge theme for me in putting Gooberries together has been balance. This is yet another example of that. The virtual economy update encourages the player to grow a variety of berries. To spread their gardens out over multiple terrariums and take advantage of everything the Gooberverse has to offer.
Let's Check It Out
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In Conclusion
The virtual economy was necessary to make the game feel just a little more real. Ok so you are a bot, controlling a universe of tiny terrariums in space. It's not that realistic to begin with, but that doesn't mean the economy can't mimic our everyday lives. It just makes sense that when you sell too much of one berry, the value will drop. And vice versa when a berry hasn't been sold in a while...it's value will skyrocket upward.
Let's INCUBATE some Eggs
Now you finally have something to do with all those eggs your Goobers have been dropping when you fed them a delicious berry. Ok, so you've been able to sell those eggs for some time. But now you can hatch those eggs into a brand new Goober using the Egg Incubator machine!
Why would you want to create new Goobers? Don't those pesky things eat all your plants? Well yes, that's true. But Goobers can also be useful in many other ways. For instance you can Coop them up using the Coop machine and instead of devouring your plants, they will give you a shiny coin. Or maybe you have a terrarium where you are collecting every type of new Goober you find. Or maybe you have a hungry Eggler that eats other Goobers and you need to keep a fresh stock of food.
Not to mention Goobers aren't all bad. When you feed them until they POP you'll get a fresh Diamond out of em. So it's not too far fetched to want to set up an incubation terrarium. Spawn some Goobers. Then collect those Diamonds so you can unlock new items.
Let's See It In Action
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In Conclusion
The addition of the Egg Incubator is yet another one of those things that gives the player a choice. Now you can sell your eggs, feed them to a carnivorous Goober, or clone them! This is your Gooberverse and the decision is yours.
Crush Your Berries Into Shiny Diamonds
I'll admit that Gooberries has had a bit of a balance issue in the past. That's why i'm learning with the early access! Well that issue has been solved with the addition of a brand new machine called the Diamond Bin. Now the player has a choice...options are always a good thing. You can either sell the berries you've grown in the market for coins. Or instead, with the Diamond Bin...crush them into shiny, little diamonds that give you EXP and in turn let's you unlock new items.
Now this isn't the first time Diamonds have been introduced to the Gooberverse. In fact since the beginning of the development Goobers have always been the way to collect diamonds and earn your way towards unlocking new items. That hasn't changed. Now you simply have options. You can control if you want to raise that number in your bank or raise the exp to level up.
Watch the Update Video
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In Conclusion
The Diamond Bin brings BALANCE to Gooberries. This is your Gooberverse after all. This is yet another way that YOU get to choose.
For me this was one of those updates that i'm embarrassed I didn't get into the game earlier. But better now than never!
A New Terrarium to Play With
Terrariums are what make Gooberries what it is. You start the game with a pretty basic one but as you progress you'll unlock new designs in the marketplace. And now we have yet another to design, grow and play with. I'm calling it...The Bridge.
I can't think of a better way to show this new design off then to celebrate with some brand, spankin' new gameplay. So let's dive into the most recent update video where i'll design a new environment. Fill it with some delicious winter berries, and probably pop a Goober or two in the process. It's a developer Let's Play of sorts. I'll warn you ahead of time. I get a little sentimental about this one.
Let's Check It Out
[previewyoutube="jqc2m5Iw95w;full"]
The Early Access Roadmap
This is the final terrarium before Gooberries hits it's full release. For me it's bittersweet. On one hand I don't get to build any more of these awesome environments for a while. And on the other...it's a major accomplishment as far as content updates go. Every major feature has been constructed and shoved deep into the Gooberverse. I'm so close to the sweet sound of full release that I can barely stand it anymore.
What's Next?
There's still a bit to do. I've got a few more machines to create. A little bit of balancing. I'd also like to add some stats features to the game so you get a little boost of motivation at the end of each day and you get to see how many berries you've sucked up.
So stay tuned for more updates. I'll see ya on the next one and great big THANK YOU for diving into the Gooberverse with me.
Ryan (@gooberdev)
Adding ALL NEW Winter Plants
Once in a while its time to buckle down and build a whole new set of content for you to grow and play with. On this update, I did just that. We've got 6 new COLD plants. 3 new HOT plants. And a whole heap of new colors for your Goobers to become.
I have a few important things to say about batching new content like this. Adding a bunch of similar items all at once. Why I create these digital doo-dads the way I do. Let's check it out in my most recent Youtube video:
[previewyoutube="pZNaEhnyzuA;full"]
What does this milestone mean?
With the addition of this whole new set of plants. It means i'm done with plant building! At least before the full release. Now each and every type of terrarium you create can be chalk full of digital life. Whether you set your environment to a warm temperature, or hot, or even cold...you have a multitude of options to bring it to life. That was the goal. And it's done!
What's still coming?
I still have a few things to finish before i'm ready to stamp this game with it's version 1.0. At least one more terrarium environment to add even more variation to your Gooberverse. A few more machines to make growing your world's even more pleasant. And probably a few things I haven't thought of yet.
So i'll see you again soon :-)
Big, Fat, Fluffy Clouds.
This week I decided to take the time to look back at the game and work on polishing up some existing systems. Breathing a little more life into the world. My proudest accomplishment was adding a random and reactive cloud system to the environments.
Let Me Show You How
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What Else?
Besides those fat and fluffy clouds I also made the creatures of the Gooberverse a little more reactive to their environment. Now when the day turns into night, your cute little Goobers are gonna need some sleep. See if you can catch one nappin.
When you feed a sleeping Goober, it will ignore it. You'll have to wait till morning to fill their bellies. However, a wild Goober can still be popped into a diamond in the night. To me it makes the world a little more dynamic. Makes things feel a little more brought to life.
Other Little Things
In addition to the clouds, and the sleeping Goobers. I also made a couple other tweaks. The character jump feels a lot better. The glass in the game now reacts to whatever color the sky is and doesn't stand out like a sore thumb. Even the icons and helpful popups got a little love this time around.
In Conclusion
This week was chalk full of polish and what a week it was. One of my favorite things to do is look back at the existing systems and spend a little time giving them a little more life. I am creating a universe on your desktop after all. It's gotta feel like one!
Singing, Dancing Shrooms.
It's about time Gooberries got its first non-essential item. This time they sing and dance as well! What else could it be, but SHROOMS! Oversaturate your terrarium and they are sure to pop up. Not only will they add a little color and life to your terrarium, but they are also useful in many other ways.
Let's Watch
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What do they do?
Shrooms are yet another food source for your deliciously squishy Goobers. But instead of bursting your Goober into a diamond, shrooms will cause them to randomly morph their color. Yup that's right. You can have rainbow Goobers running around your terrariums now!
That's not all though. Shrooms are the opposite of regular plants. The less oxygen you have in your environment, the better for these little guys. And you guessed it...now you have something you can grow in your chilly winter terrariums.
That's All Folks
We'll see ya in the Gooberverse. On the next update i'll be adding yet another machine to the mix.
Automation Perfection
First we have the Charging Station that keeps all your machines up and moving. Then the Water Pump that keeps the plants in your terrarium fresh and juicy without you having to manually water. And now...the final machine in the trifecta of automation...is the Storage Silo. Keep your Goobers fat and healthy day to day and conserve your precious berries at the same time.
Let's Take a Look
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Conclusion
Gooberries is all about designing your terrarium, filling them with plants, and then working towards full automation by building machines. The Storage Silo does just that. Keep your Goobers fed without having to manually feed, but also conserve your berries by filling their bellies with less berries. That means more coins for you to spend on the other terrariums in your Gooberverse.
What's Next
I want to do something a little different for the next update. Something a little more fluffy and fun. I'm thinking we need a new item. Something like a mushroom that will grow when you've oversaturated your soil. I'm still working out the details in this ol' noggin. I'll see ya on the next update.
Turn Your Goobers Into Virtual Pets With Coops
Traditionally Goobers have been used to harvest a DIAMOND that will give you the experience to unlock new items. Well throw that out the window with the newest buildable in the market called the Goober Coop. Now you can toss your Goobers into safety and rather than POP them for a DIAMOND, they become a loyal virtual pet that will toss you back a coin when you feed it.
Watch The Update Video
[previewyoutube="eemR7XgubaE;full"]
How Does This Change Gameplay?
It adds a new dimension to the way you will interact with the creatures in Gooberries. One of my favorite features is how a Goober pops when you feed it a berry. But I have to admit, it was always a shame that I couldn't pick a few that I wanted to keep around and turn them into something I could nurture rather than destroy. That's where the idea for these Coops emerged.
Of course the way the Goober will toss you back a COIN is an added bonus, but also a much needed way to earn extra coins. I wanted the Goobers to play a bigger role in your bank account rather than just the traditional method of harvesting and selling BERRIES.
What's Next?
It doesn't stop here. As you know, Gooberries is all about AUTOMATING your terrariums. Now that you can tame your Goobers you're going to need a way to keep them fed even when you don't visit them every day. A Goober auto feeder is a must and it's time I stop typing and get to work on it.
Your Shiny New Ecosphere is Here
Your new ecosphere is available now! Comes complete with an overhang. But it ain't for free. You're going to have to cough up 2 diamonds to unlock this bad boy and 6000 coins to purchase one. A small price to pay to give your Gooberverse even more variation and some new ground to peddle around on.
Customizable All The Way Around
That's right. Just like the Starter Eco, this new one comes with a variety of layouts, foliage options and even tweaks you can make to the color and temperature. You'll be growing heaps of berries to pop those Goobers with this new environment.
Watch My Youtube Update
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That's All Until Next Time
That should give you a fun, new toy to play with until the next update where i'll be introducing Goober Coops. Finally a way to train your Goobers and keep them around for company.
