We are constantly learning and one of the things we have learned so far, is not to ship half-baked updates,
That is why we are postponing the First fighting update (there will be three) Yes finally, we fighting people will get something cool for ourselves. We postpone it to 15 January. It will be a huge update. It will contain things like, for example:
- Types of arrows - Perfect block - Different enemy types with different behaviors - Caravans moving in formations - Your personal army that you can get into formation - Fighting missions - A second play through type for a classic raubritter – without the need of being a feudal lord with a big city to manage.
And many other surprises.
Unfortunately, we also gave up the idea to share the current state in the beta branch - to save some more time to provide a better experience in the main update.
That is all for today I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year. May your cities grow, and may your sword always be sharp!
Do you know what Learning Factory and black holes have in common? The game is sucking out our time and attention, just like a black hole is consuming the very fiber of the Universe around it. But most importantly: black holes are very heavy and condensed - the same way as Learning Factory is becoming a more complex and concentrated game with each update. Especially now, when the 1.0 release is just around the corner. Here, let us show you!
A question that we asked ourselves more than once in these diaries: what is Catopia? The answer is out there, but it is so deep and intricate, that human minds of the first half of the XXI century cannot contemplate it. Cats of the future know what Catopia is, but they wouldn't bother explaining it to inferior food bringers (that would be us, fellow human reader).
All we know is whenever cats’ needs are met, they reach a superior state of being in total satisfaction, and start feeling a sudden urge to make other cats happier (which is not what cats normally do). So don't bother yourself with what is Catopia, and focus on how can you spread it around the Universe!
Apparently, it implies building and equipping an expeditionary space ship (codenamed ‘Catopia Ark’), and send a mission to the stars and other feline worlds, where your enlightened cats will teach their bretheren the secret of living in abundance.
The ship will consist of several blocks. Each needs to be researched and built separately, and then packed with goods and crew members:
Building one of those ships will be the formal ending of the game, but it's not the story finale, it's just the base for it: we've got some ideas on how to expand it. And of course, the final story comics is still to be drawn - those who played games in the 90s know that no decent game ends without a cartoon or comics in the end!
But generally, it's safe to say, that after this update is released, Learning Factory will be a complete game, one that you can play from the tutorial to the credits! Hooray? Hooray indeed!
Let's make some noise to celebrate: another big leap for us towards the release is giving voice to Dr. Katz. It wasn't part of the initial development plan, to be honest, but we experimented internally with AI-generated voice, and decided that it suits the game very well, while also helping highlight key events.
So we have partnered with the very talented actor Ali Gohar, who has done a great job impersonating a mad feline scientist:
These takes above are work in progress, though at least some of them will likely make it into the game. Our main reference was one very famous classic sci-fi character. Could you guess who it was? Let us know your best guess in the comments!
Speaking of content: some minor changes and new mechanics will continue emerging in the game - it's time for some fine tuning! In the last update, for example, we've added a bunch of new recipes and finally introduced the map-wide grid for more convenient building placement:
We also introduced a short-ranged teleport for items (known as Telemanipulator):
…along with an upgrade for Cat Gate that allows you to get rid of unused items, donating it to random cats of the Universe:
More perky little stuff like that will likely appear in the game, but it's not going to happen before we're done with re-renderig buildings and updating the game's interface. The latter will also make a partial appear in the upcoming update, here's a little teaser for you:
A (technical) story finale, new interface, and some voiceover - Learning Factory is making a huge leap towards its final form this December!
Stay tuned next week for the last major Learning Factory update of the year. We’ll return to you with the next edition of these diaries in 2024, to recap all the wonderful changes that happened at Learning Factory in the past year. Happy Holidays! Come celebrate this epic year in video games industry with us on our Discord server!
🌟 Immerse yourself in the world of absolute pleasure and passion with the scorching update of Breeze of Passion: v4, set to release on December 15th! 🌟 🔥 Open the doors to a realm of temptation and desire, where captivating beauties will kindle the flames of passion.
💋 Exciting new animations await you, promising a unique experience that will transport you into a realm of exceptional pleasures. 💓🔞 🌈 Explore stunning, entirely new locations. Revel in the atmosphere and engage with mesmerizing beauties that will make your heart race.
🚀 In the upcoming update, expect breathtaking moments that will make you fall in love with the game over and over again.
At the start of the launch, I wanted to get into the habit of writing a monthly sneak peak to the community. However, I haven't been true to that in fear of giving false expectations and under-delivering content. Over the past few months, I have seen how that has had an effect on the community, and therefore I want to try again. Starting today with devlog #1.
It's been a few months since the previous patch, and I wanted to focus this one on making the game more immersive.
I always felt like the game lacked some sort of spirit, and it always pointed back towards the animations and interactions (and the animal behaviors, but I'll mention that in a moment). Therefore, for this patch, I have spent time turning the game from a "first person" game, to a "true first person" game.
This might not seem like a big deal to some, and some of you may ask "did the developer just spent all this time on that?". Partially. Yes I did.
True first person opens up different posibilities. I added this feature for two main reasons: 1. You can finally see the character's lower body, which makes you no longer a strange soaring entity with just hands and a weapon.
(This is not the final product. Changes can occur)
2. Animations feel less stiff, as the camera is attached to the actual character. This makes the camera movement follow head animations. An example is if the character crouches down, the camera will move down with the body whereas previously it would stay still during the whole animation.
This feature could in some cases, increase the risk of motion sickness, as walking, jumping, running, etc. would make the camera shaking. However, I have recreated a lot (almost all) of the animations to prevent that, and so if you wish for the extra camera shake, you can still toggle it on and off in the settings.
AI Update
As mentioned above, I also found the animal behaviors to lack some life. It has been intentional to have the animals act different than they do in real life, but as of now, they either flee, attack or walk around in circles.
Therefore, this update includes a slight behavior patch. Tamed animals that are set to "stay" will now interact with foodbowls and beds that the player builds. If this feature goes well, I also have a few other additions in mind, so I can't wait to hear your feedback!
I also have an addition for the people who would like to play the Foe path. Aside from getting new harvesting animations, you can also expect to see new decorations such as fur decorations, wall thropies, fences (or barricades if you would prefer that word) and a new "crafting" method for treating fur.
Friendly and Foe players will both be able to decorate their homes with new furniture, a new fireplace, a new resource addition and other wall decorations.
(This is not the final product. Changes can occur)
While this update was supposed to come out sooner, I did feel like it wasn't ready for release. Since the new patch will include fur and head thropies, I figured I would redo the design for the animals now so that I don't have to redo them (and the fur and thropies) as well at a later time. Below is a progress shot of the new deer:
(This is not the final product. Changes can occur)
