Welcome to the first WolfQuest Newsletter of 2011 — and we have a lot to share! Included are some important announcements about game rules, as well as
updates about Episode 2.5, a fundraising contest, and a live wolf Q&A session. Thanks for subscribing!
Multiplayer Game Rules
We are well aware that while the basic rules of multiplayer games (no swearing, sex, etc.) should be relatively clear, the specifics of what is and isn't allowed on multiplayer games has, in the past, been a little fuzzy. So to make things more clear, we set up a new FAQ topic specifically listing the multiplayer game rules, and also hope to put these rules directly into the next game release, Episode 2.5. Please see the full list of rules. Anyone who chooses not to follow any of these rules may be warned or permanently banned from WolfQuest. Below are some rules we've had problems with recently:
- What is allowed: partners/pairs/friends (not mates) leading a pack.
This has been stressed in other newsletters, but we wanted to clarify yet again, since it's still an issue. Yes, the first mission in the single player version of the game (and a real life mission for wolves) is to find a mate, so we can completely understand why people would want to try to find a mate in multiplayer as well. The difference, however, is that a computer version of a mate is completely safe, whereas playing with another live human being sometimes is not, and we can only do so much word filtering to try to prevent inappropriate mating-related behavior. If 'partners' becomes too gender-focused, we'll have to remove that as well, but we're hoping everyone can understand our reasoning and not take it to that point. So rather than focusing on trying to find a partner of a specific gender, if you want to roleplay a pack in an open multiplayer game, please do so without the gender focus so we don't have to remove more words to help enforce this. - What is not allowed: trying to bypass the chat filter.
If you can't say a word, either it hasn't yet been suggested in the Chat Lexicon topic or it's not allowed because it's inappropriate or has been used inappropriately in the past (including common words, like he, she, and mate). For information as to why some words have been removed from the chat filter, please visit the Chat Lexicon FAQ. - What is not allowed: allowing only specific people in open games.
We understand that if a player crashes, it's no fun if someone else joins and the original player can't rejoin your game. But at the same time it's extremely frustrating to enter an open game and immediately be asked to leave. Open games are intended to be just that, open, so if you want to save spots or play only with specific people, play in a private game. (On a side note, we do know many people have issues playing in private games—we're hoping to find a solution for 2.5.)
And now that the not-so-fun stuff is out of the way...
Episode 2.5 Screenshots! See more here
Episode 2.5 Update
The Team has been working hard on implementing night and day and various forms of weather into the game, including rain and even an early spring snowfall. Check out the screenshots to see some new additions to 2.5! This episode will definitely be released before the end of 2011; we'll give you a more specific estimated release date after we've gotten farther along in the programming and have a better idea for how much time it will take to complete everything. A quick note: there is no Episode 3 in the works, and as stated in the video itself, 'Midnight Pass' was just a conglomeration of clips from various video games and is not a real game. As always, if you'd like to know more about WolfQuest game development, visit the WolfQuest News and Announcements and General WolfQuest Discussion forums. If it's posted somewhere else on the internet, or not posted by a WolfQuest Team member, it's not official information.
Episode 2.5 Fundraising Contest
How would you like to take part in trying to add something new into Episode 2.5? From Jan 1st until March 1st, 2011, if you make a donation or purchase something from the WolfQuest online store, the profit from that purchase will go toward adding lightning into the game. If you make a donation, all of that money will be counted toward this fundraiser. If we raise $1,000 before March 1st, we will add lightning as an effect in the game. The total funds raised during the contest, a list of store items that help raise the most money, and a general discussion of this contest can be found in this forum topic.
Donations and the profit from store items goes directly to WolfQuest development and maintenance, so whether you're excited about lightning or not, please consider making a donation or purchasing a shirt or other store to help support WolfQuest.
New Live Wolf Q&A— Captive Wolves
In the last newsletter, we announced a live Q&A session on the forums with an expert in the field of wolf research, and you were all able to ask a question to have answered by this expert. We'd like to try this again with another wolf expert from the WolfQuest Team— Jackie Fallon (username clbaileyi). Jackie is an Animal Curator at the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, MO and has also had a huge role in the Mexican Grey Wolf Species Survival Plan. She'll be on the forums on Friday, January 28th, from 2-3:30 (Central time) to answer any questions you may have relating to wolves in captivity. Go here for the official topic.