Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Find out what we're doing and thinking as we develop WolfQuest 3: Anniversary Edition and the Tower Fall expansion!

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loboLoco
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Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by loboLoco » Thu Dec 30, 2021 1:32 pm



When we began developing the first version of WolfQuest way back in 2006, we imagined a three episode arc: Fall, Winter, and Spring. We had to collapse that into two, due to budget constraints, but that established the format: each episode focused on one or two seasons in Yellowstone, with certain quests and gameplay. So when we began working on what became Anniversary Edition five years ago, it felt natural to think about a third episode, Tower Fall, that followed the pack as the growing pups learned how to hunt. (We also had vague ideas for another episode after that, continuing the story into the deep winter, set in Pelican Valley.)

But as the game evolved, we realized that the game's potential went well beyond those months, and so our ideas for this next episode expanded substantially. Instead of folllowing the pack for a few more seasons, we would follow the pack over the course of years. Time just keeps going, the seasons keep passing by, and the pack has a litter of pups year after year, until the player-wolf dies.

And once we had that in mind, it felt increasingly weird for that to be DLC. It's not a DLC side quest, it's simply the rest of the game -- the rest of the wolf's life. Iany other game, without WolfQuest's unique development history, that's what it would be: the rest of the game. The problem with that, of course, is that our financial model for WQ:AE was based on Tower Fall being DLC. Someone who bought WQ 2.7 for $10 already got AE for free. That's a lot of people! And since we've had our hands full with all the new stuff we've now released in 2021, we bided our time, until now, when we need to make that decision. So here's the new plan:

* Tower Fall will be DLC: a new map that we hope lots of players will purchase. If you buy this map, you'll be able start a new game here,or move your pack to it anytime, as long as the pups are big enough (September through March in each game-year). And then you can move back to Slough Creek or even to Amethyst Mountain.

* The "rest of the game" -- your pups growing, learning to hunt, becoming yearlings as you the new pups of the year are born, then eventually either dispersing or staying with the pack for awhile to help raise the pups of the year, and so on -- all that will be part of the game, no additional purchase necessary. That will be the complete WolfQuest experience, available to everyone who owns the game.

We're really excited about this plan, especially with some of the twists and turns that can happen over the years with your pack. But this raises an interesting question: What do we call this "rest of the wolf's life"? For so long we've used the the map=gameplay model, where "Slough Creek" is shorthand for "raise pups," but that won't work anymore, since you'll be able to stay at Slough Creek if you like. Or start a new game in Slough Creek or Tower Fall. Or establish your territory and choose a den on Amethyst Mountain. With the entire saga playable on each map, there are so many possibilities!

So we're calling this the Saga: Life goes on, time goes by, pups are born, grow up, disperse, one generation after another.... It's the WolfQuest Saga. We think it'll be kind of epic!

The Saga is going to keep us busy for awhile and the game will remain in Early Access until it's completed and released, which means we won't be turning our attention to other platforms until that point.

In addition to Tower Fall, we plan to release more DLC in 2022: at least one more wolf customization pack, and of course the expanded Lost River map. If you start in Lost River, you won't be able to travel to the Yellowstone maps, but you will be able to play the entire Saga, raising pups year after year. We also have another Yellowstone map in mind. We want to give players more ways to enjoy the game -- and more ways to support game development. You can also support the game by gifting the game or DLC to friends, writing a review on Steam, and even donating to WolfQuest on Fundly.

I'm sure that this will raise many questions for players, but this is all we have to share at the moment. Devblogs in the coming months will look at various aspects of the Saga. We are as eager as anyone to get this new phase of the game out there, but as usual, we have not set a release date. So stay tuned -- 2022 is going to be a another great year for WolfQuest!
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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by Loach » Thu Dec 30, 2021 2:31 pm

I have watched this like 5 times.

I'm so excited.

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by SilverFlow » Thu Dec 30, 2021 2:32 pm

Question, so I don't know much about producing games, but isnt it expensive? Im worried that since the big part about Tower Fall is no longer DLC (teaching pups to hunt), that all these cool ideas will end up being too expensive, because not enough players are buying the new maps, sounds and coats since they can just play the whole Saga free (if you own WQ 3).

Again, I dont know much about the game, so I hope you wont take this in the wrong way, I just love this game so much, would hate for it to run out of money:(

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by DinoDogDude209 » Thu Dec 30, 2021 2:34 pm

Oh my goodness, this is so exciting! I've always thought that it would be cool to explore Amethyst in the summer, so I'm totally on board with this plan for the Saga. I like the team's new plan for Tower Fall as well. I feel like Tower Fall will be a really fun map to explore (especially since the map will extend all the way to Mount Washburn, that's really cool), and I know I will definitely be purchasing it when it is released. I think one of the best things about open world games is the potential for exploration, and the Tower Fall map seems like it will be very well suited to that.

I hope that playing in Amethyst during summer will also be an option in multiplayer, because I think that could be a fun setting to explore with other players. I also hope that playing in Slough Creek during autumn will be an option too, because I feel like witnessing the elk rut and those fall colors in Slough Creek would be absolutely awesome.

Those previews of the Tower Fall map and the Lost River DLC map have me super excited as well.

I can't wait to explore Tower Fall in the game and get a chance to see all of the cool landmarks in that area. That's the one area of the park that I didn't get to visit when I went to Yellowstone with my family back in summer of 2020.

I'm also really excited to see more of the new Lost River Expanded map, because that work in progress preview looks really nice. I really love the landscape and the "western town" aesthetic, it reminds me of some of the real towns in the areas surrounding Yellowstone (like Cooke City, Gardiner, Cody, Jackson Hole, and West Yellowstone).

I'm really excited for the Saga and the new DLC maps, along with whatever else the game has to offer in 2022. I hope that this will be a good year for WolfQuest. Thank you to the WolfQuest team for being so devoted to making such an amazing game! :D

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by Sambhur » Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:47 pm

OH this rules, I am unreasonably excited to see this come to fruition.

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by SolitaryHowl » Fri Dec 31, 2021 12:56 am

I am unbelievably excited! Just when I think I can't be surprised by WolfQuest anymore...BAM! :D

I might even donate again or buy some merch...

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by Sasseraph » Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:24 am

Super exciting stuff; never expected content to this degree! Being able to continue the family's life with your previous pups' help is fantastic news. Can't wait!

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by Inarjion » Fri Dec 31, 2021 12:01 pm

Oh my god this sounds awesome! I'm so excited! Like. I literally jumped up and down a little. Just thinking about how much more possibilities there will be for the pack!

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by BlackMetal » Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:46 pm

Sorry at this point, I wasn't very active lately.

That sounds so awesome! And I'm looking forward to the expanded map of Lost River, but more to Tower Fall map of course. To explore those will be so much fun.

Keep safe and healthy! :wink:

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by foalan123 » Fri Dec 31, 2021 4:02 pm

Sering how far this game has come is a wonderful feeling. From childhood to adulthood I feel like it's grown up alongside its fans. I'm thrilled to see where it all goes from here and will continue to support it through DLC (which sound amazing!), especially because of everything it gave to me for free over a decade ago. I can't wait for WolfQuest's new saga.

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by Neamara » Fri Dec 31, 2021 6:51 pm

Haven't had a chance to watch the video yet, but reading it... sounds like an interesting new plan so far! To be able to move around from one map to another, seeing other locations in different seasons and raising your pack along the way sounds fantastic. Can't wait to see sagas implemented!

ANd thank you to the entire development team for continuing to work on WolfQuest. ^^

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by Phasoli » Sat Jan 01, 2022 5:51 pm

Legit, this Devblog promises everything I've ever wanted and more! Woke up the next morning thinking it was a dream, and then watched it another few dozen times just to let it sink in. Can't wait for all that is to come. I don't think I'll ever get enough of WolfQuest. For all these years, it's still able to make me giddy with excitement.

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by -Wolfdog- » Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:08 am

Wow this is very overwhelming but in a good way. So Wolfquest will be getting a second rebirth. This will truly... truly make the game accurately portray a wolf's life. I am so happy that I have watched 3.0 come to life ever since it was first announced. The progress will always be outstanding and the devs don't settle for the bare minimum.

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by DinoDogDude209 » Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:41 am

-Wolfdog- wrote:
Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:08 am
Wow this is very overwhelming but in a good way. So Wolfquest will be getting a second rebirth.
Depending on what you interpret to be a "rebirth" of a game, I think this could also be considered WolfQuest's third rebirth. I personally consider WolfQuest 2.7 (which created "WolfQuest Generation 2" as I like to call it) to be the game's first rebirth, and Anniversary Edition (WQ Gen 3) to be the game's second rebirth. If the WolfQuest Saga is big enough to create a widespread resurgence in the game's popularity, I would consider it to be the game's third rebirth, and a natural continuation of WQ Gen 3 (which itself is essentially a continuation of Gen 2, and so on).

That's just the way I feel about it personally. I'm sure others have their own opinions on the different versions of WolfQuest and what constitutes a "rebirth" of the game, and that's fine. This is just my own perspective on the topic.

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Re: Where No WolfQuest Has Gone Before

Post by -Wolfdog- » Sun Jan 02, 2022 1:23 pm

DinoDogDude209 wrote:
Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:41 am
-Wolfdog- wrote:
Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:08 am
Wow this is very overwhelming but in a good way. So Wolfquest will be getting a second rebirth.
Depending on what you interpret to be a "rebirth" of a game, I think this could also be considered WolfQuest's third rebirth. I personally consider WolfQuest 2.7 (which created "WolfQuest Generation 2" as I like to call it) to be the game's first rebirth, and Anniversary Edition (WQ Gen 3) to be the game's second rebirth. If the WolfQuest Saga is big enough to create a widespread resurgence in the game's popularity, I would consider it to be the game's third rebirth, and a natural continuation of WQ Gen 3 (which itself is essentially a continuation of Gen 2, and so on).

That's just the way I feel about it personally. I'm sure others have their own opinions on the different versions of WolfQuest and what constitutes a "rebirth" of the game, and that's fine. This is just my own perspective on the topic.
You are correct that wolfquest has gone through three major redesigns, but I'm referring to Wolfquest anniversary. I remember when Dave announced that instead of giving us just a tower fall DLC, the entire game would be upgraded! Which I think is literally amazing how they managed to change 3.0 twice! I hope Tower fall will be done soon, I'm a little impatient, but I think the wait time will be comparably shorter since the basic foundations of 3.0 are already set up.

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