These last few weeks have been full of content updates, but nothing that could be shown until it was all ready! But now it is! Read on to see what it's all about!
Art style update
Previous screenshots and gameplay videos have all been using our placeholder buildings, which were only meant to give you an impression of the game while we finalized the art style. Now with the art direction settled, it is time to show you some of our wonderful new buildings which have all been put into the game builds.
House tiers 1 and 2
Here is an example of the house building with a Tier 1 and Tier 2 (upgraded) house. In addition to this, we've also updated all the basic buildings you will experience throughout the demo and tutorial.
Gameplay and UI improvements
We have also made several improvements to the way we show information in the UI. Almost all of the information screens have had an update, here are some of the highlights:
Energy and keeping folks happy with food, water and other desires plays a key role in making sure your settlement runs smoothly. We've updated the information screen for folks so it's easier to see their different levels of happiness, energy and needs:
When assigning folks to available jobs, you can now pick and choose who to assign, based on the distance from where they live to where they work. Reducing this distance means more time to work and less time to travel when going home to restore.
Storage buildings such as the warehouse and market now have an improved storage information screen and and easier way to choose what to store. They also now have storage capacities and storage slots for different resources:
Quality of life improvements
We're always looking at streamers playing the game and receiving feedback from play testers, so we've added several QoL improvements from looking at how the game is played.
We now tell you a bit about what the best placement is for various buildings, as well as how you can rotate them:
We also tell you a bit about how to move around the map, just in case you haven't done so before:
Statistics screens now have a bit of information about what they show:
What's next?
These screens are all in various stages of being complete, so expect them all to be even more improved and refined as we keep working on the game in the upcoming months.
What do you think of these improvements and how do you like the new buildings? Let us know!
đ„ We are beyond excited to announce that our studio will attend the official videogame trade fair, Gamescom 2023, in Germany!
Gather your friends and enjoy our Box to the Beat VR sessions right at our project booth. There are no restrictions on participating; everybody is welcome!
Game launch
đ„ Box to the Beat VR officially launches across our available platforms on August 23rd, 2023. You heard that right; this upcoming Gamescom marks one of our biggest milestones related to our rhythmic ambition.
We cannot be thankful enough for all of your support so far. The game has been constantly updated based on all our players' feedback, and we strive to make it better and better for all the champions that step into the ring.
Here's a quick video where Ahmad, our CEO, chats about our attendance at the event!
We have another big update for you to mark the beginning of August!
This update includes some much needed bug-fixes for the most common issues weâve seen reported. Thanks again to everyone for helping us out by reporting those bugs! As a reminder, if you are experiencing a bug, you can report it in-game by either pressing the F2 key or the drop-down button in the top right corner of the screen.
Our Discord also have a bug channel for more in-depth one-on-one support! In particular, if there is a bug that youâve already reported a while back but is still happening, there is a chance that this is a bug that weâve had difficulty reproducing. If youâre able to hop into our Discord to help us track down and squash these pesky recurring bugs, weâd love to have you!
In addition to bug fixes, todayâs update includes some improvements to Tea Making that we think will help everyone understand and enjoy our core gameplay mechanic even more. Weâve also done some revamping of our NPC schedules, to allow more opportunities to interact with the residents of Pekoe in a larger variety of locales, and more shopping!
Weâre still working hard on getting even more improvements and bug fixes out to you as soon as possible, but weâre also finalizing our roadmap of even bigger updates, which will include major new gameplay mechanics and systems. Everyone at Kitten Cup Studio is so excited to keep adding more to Pekoe for you all to enjoy.
Until next time, here are more details on whatâs included in this update!
Improvements
[expand type=details] UI
Tea Making UI - Container Info Bubble
âDrink Info Bubbleâ is now âContainer Info Bubbleâ, shows information about ingredient containers as well as cups, teapots, and kettles
Container Info Bubble stays on screen if mouse is left hovering over container (makes it easier to keep track of temperature and steep time!)
Container Info Bubble UI improved with new icons and shows Brew Temperature (temperature at which tea first begins steeping) in addition to Current Temperature
Container Info Bubble now includes information about all ingredients in teaware, not just removable ingredients
Discard Button added to remove ingredients
Fixed bug where Blooming Tea flower particles were showing as individual ingredients
Invalid Ingredient Popup (similar to Container Info Bubble) added, shows when attempting to add an invalid ingredient to a container, with more information about why ingredient is invalid
New icons for exiting locations
New icons to indicate shop items that are out of stock
Tea Order Card updated to include Customerâs name and minor UI improvements
Flavor attributes and Rarity information added to Ingredient Details in Shop Menu
Rarity information added to Ingredient Details in Ingredient Selection Menu
NPCs - Schedules and Locations
Resident schedules adjusted for more shop hours and opportunities to interact
Added more variety in spawning locations (Residents appear in bedrooms, NPCs appear in spawn locations outside of building in Interior view)
Temporarily removed Tea Time from Taffyâs schedule until tea making at his table has been refined
Added more randomly-generated NPC names
New particle effects when friendship points are increased/decreased
Text Settings
Added option to disable typewriter effect
Added option to disable text animations
Audio
Resident Minis use personalized sound effects instead of generic barks
Teaware
Removed lid from Modern Teacup
[/expand]
Bugs
[expand type=details]
Fixed bug where Customers disappeared after entering Inventory Menu or Ingredient/Teaware Selection Menu during tea making
Prevented other cats from spawning in Shopkeeper locations
Fixed bug where Kettle becomes unclickable after resetting incorrectly (hovering over heater)
Fixed bug where drink had incorrect or non-existent steep time
Fixed bug where drink had incorrect or non-existent brew temperature
Fixed bug where game stalls upon exiting Decorating tutorial
Fixed broken liquid in Smooth Yunomi cup
Fixed shelf colors in Teaware Selection Menu - Teaset Panel
[/expand]
As a reminder, please make sure to restart Steam to receive the update.
While most of us will never play under the bright lights of a Rocket League World Championship stage, the Champions Road Event lets everyone taste a bit of the glory. Get tons of RLCS and Esports-inspired items, play 2v2 Heatseeker and Boomer Ball, or even enter the Champions Road Clutch Plays Contest!
Ride through Champions Road from August 2 to August 16!
Step to the Challenge
Want a World Championship trophy of your very own? Complete Championâs Road challenges to earn your very own trophy Topper! Pair it with a slick set of Pro-Tek Wheels, or go for the EZ Sweep animated Topper. Youâll also unlock the Shmeedian Decal, a matching RLCS Crystalline Player Banner and Avatar Border, and a whole lot more.
Throughout Champions Road, players can also earn up to five Golden Trophies that unlock items from the Velocity, Triumph, and Vindicator Item Series'. Golden Trophies work the same way as previous Golden rewardsâ âcomplete the Challenge up to five times to earn Golden Trophies, then open them in your Inventory to unlock items!
Challenge Rewards
Rocket League World Championship Trophy Topper
Letâs Goooooo! Player Banner
RLCS Crystalline Player Banner
RLCS Crystalline Avatar Border
Shmeedian Decal
10-Senz Wheels
Pro-Tek Wheels
EZ Sweep Topper
Siiick Reads Topper
"Tireless Tryhard" Player Title
Golden Trophy '23
Sparkling Souvenirs
Want to get your hands on some in-game merch to celebrate the big event? Grab a set of crystalline purple items with the 2023 Rocket League World Championship Bundle!
Equip them, and youâll bring the shimmer and shine of the World Championship trophy to life with every play. Not only do they look great, but the RLCS Crystalline Decal is also universal so you can use it on every car in your Garage! You can also rock out with the "PANDEMONIUM" by NF Player Anthem, aka the official RLCS World Championship theme song.
2023 Rocket League World Championship Bundle (1500 Credits)
RLCS Crystalline Decal
RLCS Crystalline Boost
RLCS Crystalline Wheels
"PANDEMONIUM" by NF Player Anthem
Limited Time Modes
Take your skills to the next level with two LTMs! First up is 2v2 Heatseeker, a mode where the Rocket Ball homes in on your opponent's goal whenever you hit it. Be careful though: if they manage to make even a slight touch, the ball will rocket back towards your goal instead!
Then on August 9, weâll switch things up with some Boomer Ball. In this mode, every move you make is a big one. Increased ball and boost speed paired with unlimited boost make this one of the fastest matches youâll ever play!
Fans and LANs
No need to hit the concession stand âcause weâre releasing painted versions of the Popcorn Goal Explosion as a fan reward! Simply link your Twitch account to an Epic Games Account, tune into the Rocket League World Championship, and claim your in-game reward. This buttery treat will be available throughout the event, but from August 11 to 13 youâll also have a chance to receive painted and unpainted Apex Wheels as a drop.
Not sure if your account is linked? You can get more info on Fan Rewards and check your account link status here.
To get the full scoop on the World Championship including timing and alternate broadcast streams, check out our full primer here!
Discounted Decals
The Esports Shop is adding to the excitement with a huge sale of items up to 50% off. Grab some marked-down gear from August 2 to 16 and rep your favorite teams in the Arena!
Esports Shop
Team Decals - 200 Esports Tokens Team Player Banners - 50 Esports Tokens Team Goal Explosions - 300 Esports Tokens
Champions Road Clutch Plays Contest
The road to victory is lined with a million goals, so show us your moves! In the Champions Road Clutch Plays Contest, players can submit their sickest clips on Twitter or Reddit for the chance to win a free Rocket Pass Premium code and RLCS World Championship shirt. Get the most likes on Twitter or upvotes on Reddit to claim your spot amongst the final three. From there, the Rocket League Community Team will choose the ultimate winner!
