One element of the WolfQuest Saga -- the big expansion of the game that will let you continue playing through the life of your family pack -- is the option to play the complete quest cycle on every map.* We've been chipping away at this and so today's devblog takes a look at that effort, particularly the matter of dens. Which parts of the Amethyst map are suitable for dens? Remember that dens must face south (to catch the warmth of the sun in the chilly springtime) and low enough in elevation (to avoid the worst of Yellowstone's mercurial weather).

Unfortunately, that rules out much of the Amethyst map, but there are several zones on the south-facing slopes above Amethyst and Chalcedony creeks which will suffice. And while most wolf dens in the real world are nondescript holes in the ground, we like more variety and interest in our dens in the game, so today's devblog also looks at making one of the new Amethyst dens, under the roots of a fallen tree.



This feature is one of several things that we're working on, along with Lost River DLC map, new AI behaviors for the Saga, and several other things which we plan to roll out in the coming months. We don't yet know when the complete quest cycle on each map will be ready for release, but it is likely to be ready before the full Saga (which isn't coming before 2023), so stay tuned to our devblogs to get the latest updates.

Also: Share your love for WolfQuest by writing a Steam review! Great ratings and positive reviews from our fabulous player community make a HUGE difference to WolfQuest development. We appreciate all the ways players support WolfQuest!

* Except Lost RIver Classic.

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The WolfQuest saga will continue! Stay tuned for more news in upcoming devblogs about it and other new features!

Once the game is completed on PC/Mac, we will turn our attention to other platforms.

We do not announce specific release dates. We will release them when they are ready.

It's time for another chance to win a free copy of WolfQuest! Lucky winners will receive a free copy of WolfQuest 2.7 (and PC/Mac users will also get WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition Early Access for PC and Mac). Winners can choose to get any version of the game (Mac/Windows, Android, iOS, Kindle).

If you prefer, you can choose one of the DLC: Building Character DLC, Yellowstone Wolf Coat DLC (these two are only for WolfQuest: AE for PC/Mac) or the WolfQuest Soundtrack and Music Extras.

How to Enter
Email contest1@wolfquest.org with your username, your email address, and your answer to the question: "What are three interesting facts about wolves?" Winners are selected randomly from complete entries. Please enter only once in each contest.

Deadline
All entries must be received before midnight (Eastern Daylight Time) on Monday, September 26, 2022.

Random Drawing
Each complete entry will be assigned a number. We will then use a random-number generator to generate four numbers. The entries bearing those numbers will each win a free copy of the game or DLC.

Here at last is the long-awaited (at least by a few players) devblog about the rocks and geology of Lost River! My initial goal was to create a geologic environment that was notably different than the granite landscape of Slough Creek (which I love, but I needed a change, and I figured players did too). The mountain west has an ample history of volcanism, which creates a great variety of rock types. Finding the right type of rock, and the right types of rock formations, took a few tries, and a bit of help from someone knowledgable about geology (my son), but I think the rhyolite rock formations are looking good now.



The upcoming Lost River DLC map will feature these new rocks, and much much more -- a greatly expanded map, the full sequence of quests (including the Saga once that is released), and plenty of cool little things. We expect to release it before the end of this year.

________________________________________

The WolfQuest saga will continue! Stay tuned for more news in upcoming devblogs about it and other new features!

Once the game is completed on PC/Mac, we will turn our attention to other platforms.

We do not announce specific release dates. We will release them when they are ready.

Opening Doors in Lost River

Work continues on the upcoming Lost River expanded map DLC. The gameplay is largely the same as in other maps and quests, of course, but there are a few special features, like going inside of buildings. That's been a popular request from players since Lost River Classic released in 2015, and we're finally realizing it in this expanded version. This raises a few complications, the biggest one related to the navgrid and NPC pathfinding. We designed the navgrid for vast outdoor environments, and they simply are not suited for the confines of interior spaces. So I pulled Tommi away from his ongoing work on animal AI for the Saga (see the note below for more on that) so he could design and create a navgrid subsystem for small areas. This week's video shows how this new subsystem works at the Lost Cup Coffee shop in downtown Lost River:



The new Lost River map has about a dozen buildings with interiors to explore -- but be advised that these are not safe refuges from rival wolves, so you'll need to stay on guard even when hanging out indoors. We have a good amount of work left on this DLC but we do expect to release it later this year.

Regarding the Saga: As we began working on the Saga early this year, we realized that our AI system was good but we wanted it to be better. The AI was one of the very first systems we designed and built for WQAE, five years ago now, and Tommi had ideas for doing much more with an improved system. So that became the first phase of Saga development (and it's not very exciting to show off in devblogs) but we got the improved AI system operational earlier this summer so now we can focus on new AI behaviors in the Saga for growing pups and NPC wolves. If you don't know about the WolfQuest Saga, watch this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx-X2fL-3oE
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The WolfQuest saga will continue! Stay tuned for more news in upcoming devblogs about it and other new features!

Once the game is completed on PC/Mac, we will turn our attention to other platforms.

We do not announce specific release dates. We will release them when they are ready.

The latest MacBooks, just released, feature the next generation M2 chip, which is quite powerful. Unfortunately, there are a couple bugs that occur only on Apple Silicon computers (preventing the foot-grounding aspects of the IK (Inverse Kinematics) from functioning properly, and turning the screen black when 3D clouds are enabled). The game disables those functions on Apple Silicon, but it was not detecting this new M2 chip correctly. Now, in this hotfix (which is only for Macs), it does. There are no other changes from 1.0.8o.

WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition is 25% off as part of the Steam Survival Fest sale! That brings the price down to US$14.99. So, if you've got WolfQuest on your wish list, this is a rare opportunity to save a few bucks. Or, if you already own the game, you might take advantage of the sale to buy it for a friend who'd enjoy it. Sale ends on August 8th.

The WolfQuest server is currently offline -- apparently a failing power supply.... We hope it'll be back online very soon, but don't have an ETA yet. This means that you cannot log into your WQ account in the game until the server is back online. Very sorry about that!

Server is back online!

Raising pups will be a main attraction of the new, expanded Lost River DLC map, which we expect to release later this year. Those young pups require a protected place in their first two months, of course, and so I've been designing and building dens for them all over the new map. Today's video shows two of them in progress -- both using new den meshes, and one nestled in the roots of a new Red Maple tree. (The City of Lost River planted Red Maples decades ago to beautify their community, don'cha know.)



A lot of players have urged us to allow wolves to den in buildings or even in a dog house but wild wolves would be unlikely to feel safe in confined spaces with large entrances like human doorways. The long tunnels of wolf dens provide far better defense. Most dens will be typical rock, dirt burrow, or tree-root dens, but there will be some more unusual dens, such as one shared in today's video. The new, expanded Lost River map is a re-imagining of the Classic Lost River map so there will be lots of familiar places but also completely new things to discover!

________________________________________

The WolfQuest saga will continue! Stay tuned for more news about it and other new features in upcoming devblogs!

Once the game is completed on PC/Mac, we will turn our attention to other platforms.

We do not announce specific release dates. We will release them when they are ready.

Patch 1.0.8o (Released 15 July 2022)

* Randomizer in Wolf Customization: Click the dice button to generate a random wolf: Coat, eye, tail and body customizations (including any DLC you have purchased), attributes, and personality.
* Minimal HUD option in Gameplay Settings. With this enabled, the wolf badge, compass, targeting arrow, courtship banners, and scent readouts are displayed, but other UI elements (bite cursor, NPC health bar, elk health dots, pup hunger meter, and damage indicators are not. Targeting arrow is shown only when locked into an animal or object.

* Revised tutorial tips to be less intrusive and more responsive to player actions.
* Added Skip button on quest intro panels to skip the subsequent How to Play panel.
* New toggle in Game Settings>Gameplay to disable common notifications (like Hex is Still Strong, Too Soon, Nearby Den, etc.).
* Some common notifications (about den discovery, pup illness, mate injury) now appear in smaller window in bottom-right corner.
* Added small corner notification when mate's injury heals.

* When starting Establish Territory quest, rival packs will spend a bit more time strengthening their own hexes before claiming new ones.
* Keyboard "Enter" key will now close Mate, Den, and Rendezvous Site naming popups.
* Added a new button on World Map to hide scent post markers (when wolf has that perk).
* Some optimizations to improve GPU performance (mostly on Enhanced Sky & Vegetation mode, and probably mostly noticeable on older/weaker GPUs like GTX 1050).
* Increased ambient light level a bit to reduce darkness of unlit sides of objects.
* Refactored some multiplayer code (should have no noticable effects in gameplay).
* In Endless Summer, the "End Ironwolf Run" dialog has clearer text and more meaningful button names now.
* Better error message when sending an in-game message but game cannot contact server.
* Slough Creek pack wolves now have much more variety in attributes.
* Social Cooldown notification now uses the new, smaller popup in the right corner of the screen.
* Hiding the HUD now hides the animated heart icons on mate and pups.
* Adjusted line spacing in tutorial tips.

* In Multiplayer games, sometimes wrong wolf bio shows in Pack Info panel.
* Sometimes dens don't lose snow cover when going from early Spring (Find a Den quest) to later Spring (Raise Pups quest)
* Some animals leave wide stance snowprints.
* Fall and winter elk calves snap to their feet for a moment if they were prone when killed.
* Lower dead branches on lodgepole pines wiggle too much in the wind.
* Whitebark pine bark is too smooth.
* Some icons in Wolf Customization don't have rounded corners.
* Fur is rendered on Family Tree wolves when fur is disabled.
* Wolf creation's name input field shows controller placeholder text when highlighted without a controller.
* Once a wolf becomes an elder wolf, if you go into the wolf carousel in main menu and modify a different wolf which was created as an ironwolf, then modify and save your elder wolf, that wolf loses it's elder status and won't be marked as dead when it dies.
* In Lost River Classic, camera jitters when underneath fire tower.
* In multiplayer lobby game preview panel, "Starting season" shows for Slough Creek Story mode games, but should not.
* Wrong affinity label on a notification.
* When fur is disabled, wolf coat tint is not applied to wolves inside den.
* Minor issues on a few wolf coats.
* Old text about Tower Fall on Game Help: Loaf at Rendezvous Site panel.
* Tutorial tip about companionship boost not being in effect when overtired is triggered reliably. (Also added a corner notification about this.)
* In Graphics Quality settings, Terrain Blending is not set to Off when switching to Fastest quality level.
* When using controller, certain interactions on Age Perks panel will make controller input stop working.
* Radio collar clips into body of dead wolves.
* Hare carcass changes to incorrect seasonal coat sometimes.
* A few dens don't have the correct den-type scent icon when player has Den Memory perk.
* Buttons on End Ironwolf Run don't work properly.
* In Age Perks panel, "not your birthday" alert appears too soon in certain situations.
* In Age Perks panel, wolf doesn't have fur in certain situations.
* On Name Your Pack panel, clicking in the central area over text field and Suggest a Name button will submit the current name in the text field.
* In Amethyst during winter, cliff rocks have dark areas from terrain blending.
* Photo mode icon has problems when player-wolf is sleeping.
* In Lost River, music sometimes stops abruptly.
* Terrain and water issues.
* Text issues.

The next patch, v1.0.8n, is now in public beta! Available on Steam for Windows and MacOS. Instructions for opting into public beta at bottom of this post.

NOTE: Saved games and multiplayer games are compatible with the last patch, 108n, so you can switch back to that patch if you want with no problems.


* Randomizer in Wolf Customization: Click the dice button to generate a random wolf: Coat, eye, tail and body customizations (including any DLC you have purchased), attributes, and personality.
* Revised tutorial tips to be less intrusive and more responsive to player actions.
* Added Skip button on quest intro panels to skip the subsequent How to Play panel.
* New toggle in Game Settings>Gameplay to disable common notifications (like Hex is Still Strong, Too Soon, Nearby Den, etc.).
* Some common notifications (about den discovery, pup illness, mate injury) now appear in smaller window in bottom-right corner.

* When starting Establish Territory quest, rival packs will spend a bit more time strengthening their own hexes before claiming new ones.
* Keyboard "Enter" key will now close Mate, Den, and Rendezvous Site naming popups.
* Added a new button on World Map to hide scent post markers (when wolf has that perk).
* Some optimizations to improve GPU performance (mostly on Enhanced Sky & Vegetation mode, and probably mostly noticeable on older/weaker GPUs like GTX 1050).
* Increased ambient light level a bit to reduce darkness of unlit sides of objects.
* Refactored some multiplayer code (should have no noticable effects in gameplay).
* In Endless Summer, the "End Ironwolf Run" dialog has clearer text and more meaningful button names now.
* Better error message when sending an in-game message but game cannot contact server.

* In Multiplayer games, sometimes wrong wolf bio shows in Pack Info panel.
* Sometimes dens don't lose snow cover when going from early Spring (Find a Den quest) to later Spring (Raise Pups quest)
* Some animals leave wide stance snowprints.
* Fall and winter elk calves snap to their feet for a moment if they were prone when killed.
* Lower dead branches on lodgepole pines wiggle too much in the wind.
* Whitebark pine bark is too smooth.
* Some icons in Wolf Customization don't have rounded corners.
* Fur is rendered on Family Tree wolves when fur is disabled.
* Wolf creation's name input field shows controller placeholder text when highlighted without a controller.
* Once a wolf becomes an elder wolf, if you go into the wolf carousel in main menu and modify a different wolf which was created as an ironwolf, then modify and save your elder wolf, that wolf loses it's elder status and won't be marked as dead when it dies.
* In Lost River Classic, camera jitters when underneath fire tower.
* In multiplayer lobby game preview panel, "Starting season" shows for Slough Creek Story mode games, but should not.
* Wrong affinity label on a notification.
* When fur is disabled, wolf coat tint is not applied to wolves inside den.
* Minor issues on a few wolf coats.
* Old text about Tower Fall on Game Help: Loaf at Rendezvous Site panel.
* Terrain and water issues.
_____________________


* Randomizer in wolf customization now also randomizes gender.
* Adjusted sunlight color in main menu to match sunlight in game scenes.
* Added small corner notification when mate's injury heals.
* Added controller support for wolf randomizer button.

* On certain Fastest (Custom) quality settings, performance is much worse than before, until reset.
* When fur is disabled, elk carcasses don't show correct consumption textures.
* When fur is disabled, newborn pup textures are incorrect.
* Fix for elder wolf bug is now fully applied to exisiting wolves (Once a wolf becomes an elder wolf, if you go into the wolf carousel in main menu and modify a different wolf which was created as an ironwolf, then modify and save your elder wolf, that wolf loses it's elder status and won't be marked as dead when it dies. )
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* More tweaks to lighting in main menu.
* Increased fur rendering distance on pups.
* Adjusted line spacing in tutorial tips.

* In multiplayer games, animals sometimes float in the air. (Probably fixed, but if you see this again, please get everyone to submit reports.)
* Tutorial tip about companionship boost not being in effect when overtired is triggered reliably. (Also added a corner notification about this.)
* In Graphics Quality settings, Terrain Blending is not set to Off when switching to Fastest quality level.
* When using controller, certain interactions on Age Perks panel will make controller input stop working.
* Layout misalignment on multiplayer Pack Info panel.
* Header text is too long on new "Mate Healed" corner notifications.
* On MacOS, Amethyst cliff rocks are pink.

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* Adjusted ground textures in Amethyst for brighter sunlight intensity.
* Increased fur rendering distance on elk.

* In multiplayer, sometimes pups won't go into den when woofed. (Possible fix; please have everyone submit reports if you see this again in multiplayer.)
* End Ironwolf Run: Last line of text overlaps itself.
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* Wolf can't stop panting.
* In Age Perks panel, "not your birthday" alert appears too soon in certain situations.
* In Age Perks panel, wolf doesn't have fur in certain situations.

___________________


* Buttons on End Ironwolf Run don't work properly (not fixed, temporarily changed text to point players to functioning Jump Ahead button)
* In wolf customization, randomize button can select DLC that hasn't been purchased.
* Wrong texture on dead Douglas-fir trees.
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* Buttons on End Ironwolf Run don't work properly (properly fixed now) .
_____________________


* Added debug code for flying animals in multiplayer games -- if you see this, please ensure that everyone submits a bug report.
* Slough Creek pack wolves now have much more variety in attributes.
* Wolf Customization Randomizer: Adjusted the odds for some things.
* Social Cooldown notification now uses the new, smaller popup in the right corner of the screen.
* Hiding the HUD now hides the animated heart icons on mate and pups.
* In Lost River, music sometimes stops abruptly.
* Photo mode icon has problems when player-wolf is sleeping.

* Possible fix for flying animals in multiplayer games.
* A few dens don't have the correct den-type scent icon when player has Den Memory perk.
* On Name Your Pack panel, clicking in the central area over text field and Suggest a Name button will submit the current name in the text field.
* In Amethyst during winter, cliff rocks have dark areas from terrain blending.
* Text issues.

_____________________


* Minimal HUD option in Gameplay Settings. With this enabled, the wolf badge, compass, targeting arrow, courtship banners, and scent readouts are displayed, but other UI elements (bite cursor, NPC health bar, elk health dots, pup hunger meter, and damage indicators are not. If you prefer to have this mode hide or show specific UI elements, please press F11 to submit a feedback report.

* In multiplayer, animals often teleport and sometimes take flight.
* Some tutorial tips appear in every game session.
* Radio collar clips into body of dead wolves.
* Hare carcass changes to incorrect seasonal coat sometimes.

_____________________


* Minimal HUD now hides courtship banner and the targeting arrow is shown only when locked into an animal or object.

* Minimal HUD doesn't show scent readouts (but should).
* Minimal HUD doesn't hide wolf badge during sleep.
* Minimal HUD sometimes doesn't recognize that it should be enabled.
* When fur is disabled andt thus no snow accumulates on animals, mid-distance wolves and elk have snow on them.
_____________________


* Pressing "I" key now toggles HUD between 'Off' and player selected option, 'Minimal' or 'On'.

* In multiplayer, sometimes pup names don't update for other players in the game.
* In multiplayer, animal teleporting and flying still occurs sometimes.

_____________________


* If multiple pups get sick at the same time, notification only appears for one of them.

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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.