An end to bubbles!

As anyone who played the previous few releases knows, in order for the cats to boost their "food" or "fun" levels, they had to wander into a number of colored "bubbles" that one found scattered around the main exterior.  This was, of course, never expected to be a permanent part of gameplay.  They were simply placed around the island to demonstrate that the cats could "recharge", and the music/animations would dynamically change, according to the mood of a given cat.

Now that such functionality has been pretty much established, the next step was to dial back the "drain speed" so that the cats can go several days without a full recharge.  The next step was to replace the bubbles with something a bit more world-appropriate, which brings me to the new, improved fireflies.

Up until now, we had a single, stationary insect swarm that really didn't display properly half of the time.  In the next release, there will be three roving "swarms" that will serve not only as eye candy - but also as a way for the cats to "hunt" for food.  Yes - after two years, we're FINALLY bringing that back!  There will also be the occasional falling autumn leaves that the cats can catch to boost their "fun" level.  Re-introducing butterflies to the highlands is a possibility, as well - but probably not until the public beta, late in the year.

Laura has been continuing her work on first-iteration interiors.  I believe that once we finish one or two more structures, we'll have every place we'd need for the first act of the game roughed out, and can begin a second pass where textures, props and lighting can be double-checked & refined.

Arjuna has finished work on one of the last high-density sectors, as far as colliders go.  There's a danged good chance that in the next release, cats will no longer pass through a single solid structure - as nature intended. 

The sheer number of objects he has to deal with is a testament to the value and quality of his work.

Lance continues to amaze with his work on the controller.  In the last update, I said that the cat was able to pass over rough terrain like an off-road 4 X 4 (again - as nature intended.)  With the latest round of improvements, the cats are starting to HANDLE like a sturdy vehicle over the roughest terrain.

The integration of Richard's latest work on the soundtrack and ambient audio has been delayed, but it's a top priority.  

Shipments of premiums have resumed- if you have yet to receive yours, please send us a message!

Next week's update will be a bit more lore-oriented, and will be one of our (very rare) "Patrons Only" features.  See ya'll then!