New version: Journey mission

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loboLoco
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New version: Journey mission

Post by loboLoco » Sun Feb 01, 2015 4:56 pm

Now that we've overhauled the game AI, the Journey mission is quite easy if you only have two pups left -- you and your mate simply pick them up and carry them from the den, across Slough Creek, to the Rendezvous site. I'm trying to remember if this is simply due to improved mate AI, or if we had other things that made the Journey difficult even with only two pups. Any recollections, or suggestions?
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SilkenGalaxy
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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by SilkenGalaxy » Sun Feb 01, 2015 4:59 pm

I don't really have any recollections, but I do have something to suggest:

Could you make it slightly difficult even with two pups? It's nice to have a bit of a challenge, although I get annoyed during the journey due to an excess of eagles trying to eat my pups every five minutes....

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by Koa » Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:00 pm

loboLoco wrote:Now that we've overhauled the game AI, the Journey mission is quite easy if you only have two pups left -- you and your mate simply pick them up and carry them from the den, across Slough Creek, to the Rendezvous site. I'm trying to remember if this is simply due to improved mate AI, or if we had other things that made the Journey difficult even with only two pups. Any recollections, or suggestions?
The only other thing that could be difficult in the old version with two pups is crossing the river; sometimes your mate would drop the pup and it would be at risk of drowning. Since the AI has been overhauled, it sounds like there aren't many obstacles left. Is there any way to include encounters with more predators (i.e., bears and potentially coyotes) that attack you so that it is more difficult for both you and your pup to remain alive and lessen the number of carcasses as you near the rendezvous site?

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by loboLoco » Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:27 pm

We've already reduced the number of carcasses (smarter carcass logic). The problem is that predators won't attack if you are close to your pups, and you can't get much closer than when you're carrying them. I've thought about limiting how far you can carry them, but it seems annoying to have to put them down periodically, with no idea of how soon you can pick them up again. Hmm.
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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by Neamara » Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:48 pm

More random events? :)

Best example in the game right now would have to be trespassing into southern stranger wolf territory, which spawns a wolf to drive you away. I liked the way that was executed, but it's not effective if you opted to settle at Saddle Meadows or Aspen Heights, so unless you settle at Bison Peak Cutoff or East Creek and didn't trespass at all during the final mission when close to the expanded territory, you probably wouldn't know that event even existed in one session.

Extending events to other areas of the game would be neat if that's at all possible. Chance encounter with a random group of predators? Group of hunting stranger wolves near elk hunting grounds (or scavenging from carcasses in the vicinity)? Maybe something beneficial, like a stray weak/sick/old elk for you to take down. Not sure how this would work in terms of system specifications/limitations and capacities in mind, but anything between your pack and their destination -- bonus if it's completely unexpected -- is an appealing thought. ^^

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by Nordue » Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:50 pm

  • If your den is the Bison Peak one, sometimes if you accidentally stepped into an enemy's territory and couldn't get away fast enough, you would be teleported back to the river crossing. That can be annoying if it moves you backwards and away from any pup you weren't carrying, or a hack if you need to advance your pups forward quickly.

    The eagle is always the biggest threat to my pups, but its threat level decreases with fewer pups.

    If we are looking to make the game difficult no matter how many pups you have, we could look into a system where the more pups you lose, the harder the game becomes, in the way of fewer carcasses/more frequent or persistent predators with each pup death. Or the wolf territory boundaries increase with each pup death.

    If that isn't possible, then perhaps just a lesser achievement is obtained upon reaching the rendezvous site with less pups?

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by SilkenGalaxy » Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:56 pm

Neamara wrote:Extending events to other areas of the game would be neat if that's at all possible. Chance encounter with a random group of predators? Group of hunting stranger wolves near elk hunting grounds (or scavenging from carcasses in the vicinity)? Maybe something beneficial, like a stray weak/sick/old elk for you to take down. Not sure how this would work in terms of system specifications/limitations and capacities in mind, but anything between your pack and their destination -- bonus if it's completely unexpected -- is an appealing thought. ^^
I love this idea!

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by duskypack » Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:08 pm

CakeWolfy wrote:
Neamara wrote:Extending events to other areas of the game would be neat if that's at all possible. Chance encounter with a random group of predators? Group of hunting stranger wolves near elk hunting grounds (or scavenging from carcasses in the vicinity)? Maybe something beneficial, like a stray weak/sick/old elk for you to take down. Not sure how this would work in terms of system specifications/limitations and capacities in mind, but anything between your pack and their destination -- bonus if it's completely unexpected -- is an appealing thought. ^^
I love this idea!
Me three! Journey events would be great! But what about one pup? Perhaps a pup could squirm out of your mouth.

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by Komoria » Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:29 pm

I agree, I think the difficulty should definitely increase as the amount of pups decrease. Perhaps Pack affinity could play more of a role? So if you have to put the pup down there is a higher chance that it will run away?

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by calxmity » Sun Feb 01, 2015 8:05 pm

Once again, I agree. Difficulty should increase as your pup quantity goes down. My one suggestion is possibly have different teleportation sites (if any). I would always be playing and then I get caught up in an enemy territory then get teleported somewhere far away...
Just a little pet peeve of mine.

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by NikkiCharlie » Mon Feb 02, 2015 7:02 pm

I have a idea. Can you add natural dangers like mud pits, rock slides and better eagle AI? And maybe when you only have two pups a pop up says that your pups have ran away or something?
Don't ban me... It was just a idea :D

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by SolitaryHowl » Tue Feb 03, 2015 7:07 pm

Since the AI has been overhauled, then that takes out most of the difficulty in the Journey mission (which is a good thing, because it was frustrating at times!). Right now, in the game the only real obstacle in this mission (poor AI aside!) is the river where you have to pick a safe point to cross in order to not drown your puppies. You could increase this challenge by creating a random 'swell' in the river (does this particular river tend to swell in real life?), this will decrease the amount of crossing points there are, and you are forced to find other means to cross the river. Maybe there could be a random event where a log falls across the river, and you can cross it, but (again random) the log has a chance of washing or rolling away...

What challenges do real wild wolves face when they are moving to their rendezvous spot for the first time? Maybe you could incorporate some of that into the game? Do wild wolves actually have the strength to carry a puppy, non-stop, in its mouth for the whole journey? If not, maybe (at a set point in the journey, or at a random time), you are forced to put the puppy down (a timer could then start, indicating how long you have to wait for). Maybe, during this time, an eagle could attack (regardless of your distance away from the puppy), or the puppy could wander off (if your pack affinity isn't high enough) so predators can get it?

Maybe your hunger, or the hunger of the puppies, could decrease faster while on this journey mission (indicating that you are exerting a lot of effort?). This will force the player to hunt, and because predators are able to kill your puppies when you are a certain distance away from them, this can prove as a nice little challenge as you have to keep an eye on your puppies while hunting? Or, maybe your mate could stay with the puppies, while you are forced to go off on your own to hunt?



Neamara wrote:More random events? :)

Best example in the game right now would have to be trespassing into southern stranger wolf territory, which spawns a wolf to drive you away. I liked the way that was executed, but it's not effective if you opted to settle at Saddle Meadows or Aspen Heights, so unless you settle at Bison Peak Cutoff or East Creek and didn't trespass at all during the final mission when close to the expanded territory, you probably wouldn't know that event even existed in one session.

Extending events to other areas of the game would be neat if that's at all possible. Chance encounter with a random group of predators? Group of hunting stranger wolves near elk hunting grounds (or scavenging from carcasses in the vicinity)? Maybe something beneficial, like a stray weak/sick/old elk for you to take down. Not sure how this would work in terms of system specifications/limitations and capacities in mind, but anything between your pack and their destination -- bonus if it's completely unexpected -- is an appealing thought. ^^
Having random events would be a good idea.

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by Serperior_123 » Fri Mar 20, 2015 5:14 pm

I have an idea, maybe you can have a choice of even having pups or going on the journey. When I first got the pop-up saying that I had to journey ACROSS the valley I thought, "No, why would I wanna do that? I just want to explore without having to have a reason to." Makes sense, right?

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by paperpaws » Sat Mar 21, 2015 9:15 am

Serperior_123 wrote:I have an idea, maybe you can have a choice of even having pups or going on the journey. When I first got the pop-up saying that I had to journey ACROSS the valley I thought, "No, why would I wanna do that? I just want to explore without having to have a reason to." Makes sense, right?
You don't necessarily have to have pups if you don't want to. The 'aim' of Slough Creek is to raise pups and complete the journey with them, but that doesn't mean you can't choose to not bother with the missions and just explore with your mate instead ;) I don't recall exactly when you got your puppies, but I believe it was after marking the territory(?) You could just follow the mission cues up until that point and then do whatever you want instead, and eventually get back to the puppy mission if you want to finish the episode after all.

Love the idea of random events, by the way. Could add to replay value as well.

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Re: New version: Journey mission

Post by Celestial-Howl » Sat Mar 21, 2015 10:14 am

How about pups can run? When they are of that age they can, sometimes when they walk and bounce they look kind of derpy. :? Also another idea is that pups can actually eat from carcasses during the journey if you place them by one.

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