Problem-Solving in the Saga

With such a big expansion and revision as the WolfQuest Saga*, it's inevitable that we'll find problems --with the gameplay, with the arc of your wolf's life, with the visuals. So there's always a couple problems that need to be solved. Today we'll look at a few of those.
First: Once you've played through a year or two in the Saga, you'll have older offspring, who can stay back at the homesite as babysitters. But if they're not out hunting with you, how do they keep from starving? We could make them go off and find food on their own after you return from hunting, but that gets complicated in terms of pack activity, sleep, and such. The simplest solution is just to do the same as with the pups, and have the babysitters eat regurgitant, just as the pups do. Nice and simple -- and happily, I found a paper by Dave Mech (world-renowned wolf biologist and one of our original WolfQuest advisors) saying that packmates do indeed eat regurgitant at times. Problem solved!
Another problem is with dispersals. After a few years, your pack will have wolves of various ages, from pups of the year to yearlings to 2-3-yr old subordinates. We have a lot of behavioral logic about when a pup will decide to disperse -- based on age, personality, size of the pack, and more. But since it takes many hours to paly through year to year, these variables are hard to fine-tune. So Raul, who created the persistent pack system last year, whipped up a nice little simulation. I can load a save with large big pack and run the simulation forward for one year and see who has dispersed. So very rapidly, I can test different variables and see how they play out. Our goal is to usually have 5-9 adults (yearlings or older) in the pack, plus the pups of the year. So this simulation is a tremendous tool to let us tweak things to get close to that goal.
Finally wolf coats and aging. I've talked in past devblogs about this. Like human hair, wolf coats tend to get lighter, and sometimes go white, as the wolf ages. We have a wide variety of coats, and some are quite white since they're based on old wolves. That's always been a bit odd, but it's really odd in the Saga, when your pups get their adult coat in late summer -- and it's white! Someday we hope to implement a real aging-tint effect, but it's quite complicated and not happening anytime soon. So for now, at very least, we have created an alternate coat for the whitest of the coats. Your pups will get this younger version of the coat automatically, and all NPC wolves will get the younger version until they turn five. In the Wolf Customization, you can chose either the younger or the older versions, just click to toggle back and forth. We've also set it up so pups and other NPC wolves who have lighter coats get a darker tint in their younger years, automatically.
So there are always problems to grapple with, but we're making steady progress in solving them. We don't have a release date for the Saga, but it's coming sometime this year!
* The upcoming WolfQuest Saga is "the rest of the game," where your pups grow up as you have a new litter each year. Time will continue progressing through the years until you die. We expect to release it later this year (but we have not set a release date).
____________________
The WolfQuest Saga will continue! Stay tuned for more news in upcoming devblogs about it and other new features!
We do not announce specific release dates. We will release them when they are ready.

[@zyaria-smith9070]

I fear the amount of hours I play this game for is going to triple when the saga comes out, it sounds so fun to see your puppy grow and change within the game

[@PyroPupper]

I have 588 hours so far.... Time for 1000!!

[@fox-fluffl9002]

@@PyroPupper I got to 800 a bit ago, so I feel this XD

[@DustyHoney]

I have roughly 350 hours but I expect I will have much more once the saga comes out.

[@Ominous_Odyssey]

775 For me. Havent played much in a while, but the replayability gonna skyrocket with the saga.

[@FiggyG11]

"HONEY WAKE UP" "You told me to do that an hour ago!" "WOLFQUEST POSTED AGAIN"

[@chetkent7974]

“UGH, FINE! WHAT DOES THIS MATTER ANYWAYS?”

[@OliveAndJackie]

Poor universal spouse that has been awaken so many times 😞

[@torribennett619]

Two WolfQuest videos in a day wasn’t on my bingo card But it’s well deserved

[@peanutbutter3126]

I know right! 😂

[@Whitetailedlynx]

Ikrrr

[@maryam8029]

Yo I wouldnt have checked for a second one without the comments ;-; this is awesome

[@Raaghav-e4k]

I mean the voting one was a minute long and wasn't about the saga. So I thought that they were making another video. 😆😆😆🤣🤣

[@Zay-sr4bx]

Two videos in one day?! Such a blessing! Original first

[@zeldalover4111]

I cant wait for this to come out yall are doing great!

[@WolfQuestGame]

Oh, thank you so much! We really appreciate it.

[@K3nnedy_2011]

@@WolfQuestGamewhen will this come out???

[@xSer_ne]

@@K3nnedy_2011probably somewhere at the end of this year or in January

[@LycaFurs]

TWO WOLFQUEST VIDEOS IN ONE DAY? I appreciate the amount of detail and thought that goes into this game! You genuinely seem to care about development

[@winstonlewis5630]

And we are back to our regular schedule program

[@eveningjaguar]

So THAT’S what the new coat was!!!!!

[@PoloWolf47]

Not gonna lie I'm a bit disappointed that it's not a new coat DLC 😅 but this is really cool too!

[@mswolfy811]

@@PoloWolf47 I'm not XD I'm too broke to pay them as much as I wish I could Tbh I also find it kinda satisfying the the genetic-black very-white coats get darker versions now, it's much better on the itch in my brain where that bothered me (even though I knew it was just cuz they were based on older wolves, and still gorgeous coats nonetheless)

[@PoloWolf47]

@@mswolfy811 that's true, I've just played this game so much that the coats I usually see have gotten a bit boring, and the ones that they showed that are changed are really rare to see on NPC wolves. But it has also bothered me, even though it's not much I feel like it's much better to have darker versions of the coats, especially since they're genetic black coats that appear to be so light. Not what I wanted but definitely something that the game needed!

[@mswolfy811]

@@PoloWolf47 Oh I absolutely get that lol! I can't seem to stop having pups with the same 5 coats unless I'm getting 1-star mates XD I definitely wouldn't mind more dlc coats, either added into the existing dlc or a whole new one, but this is such a satisfying coat update

[@DustyHoney]

@@mswolfy811 WolfQuest doesn’t seem to realize how much of their fan base is international. The Wolf Quest development team should consider making the game and DLC cheaper in countries where people on average make less money. A lot of games do this, for example games may be cheaper in Brazil than in the USA to make them accessible to Brazilians. I’ve heard of this specifically because Brazil does have a pretty large market for video games. This would make Wolf Quest and its DLC much more accessible to international audiences.

[@tomashowell2686]

It’s so cool that the teams of WolfQuest have used real resources and facts to create an accurate and amazing game. I’ve been playing WolfQuest for almost 8 years and it’s great to watch the game grow and grow in popularity and gameplay. You are all doing a great job WolfQuest devs👏🏾. Thank you

[@mswolfy811]

As a 10/11-year player- I have hardly ever seen an devs so dedicated to their accuracy/realism while so passionate about their game and so careful to make sure it has playable/functional features that they put this much time and care into balancing everything out and finding realistic solutions to these more technical/gameplay-side difficulties

[@starr.strvck]

WAKE UP WOLF QUEST JUST POSTED FOR THE SECOND TIME TODAY!!!

[@Misto_deVito6009]

0:43 Ahh this makes me incredibly happy! I actually learned that adult wolves will clean up whatever the pups didn't eat in a few documentaries and wasn't sure if it would be added

[@JDthegamer209]

Two WolfQuest videos in one day? Am I dreaming? How is this possible?

[@TH3_C4N1N3]

You're not dreaming. YAYÅ¥YAYAY

[@AveryCF]

I'm glad to hear the aging coats idea is still bouncing around, even if it's not totally dynamic yet. It would be really cool to see ourselves and packmates get older without manually changing it, one day, (Past the initial growth in size) but the variants are still very much appreciated! You guys are doing great! Good luck as we head into this fall season.

[@ally-t-n]

Ooh, interesting to see the alternate coats for the wolves with white coats! That'll make a lot more sense for the younger members of our pack. Neat to see the problem solving in action 😊

[@sl31064]

Are the minimum requirements for the game going to change once the Saga is released? Looking at that massive swarm of wolves at 0:48 makes me nervous for my computer! 😅

[@twinsgardening896]

That's what I was thinking too!

[@PoloWolf47]

Another one?????? Oh my god we're so lucky. I was a bit disappointed that the one was just about politics because I look forward to game news

[@1ChuckFrmDaLand]

0:54 Spider regurgitated meat just to re-eat it 😂😂🤦🏽‍♂️

[@mswolfy811]

Spider cosplaying as my cat fr

[@camilabertolini5050]

Heck yeah! Glad to see that the "black phase" problem has been solved, I was wondering if you'd do something about it.

[@WarriorCat235]

WQ Fans: “When will then be now?” WQ: “Soon.” Kudos to those who get the reference 😅

[@harmonium5495]

Man every saga update is so exciting! Personally I really like the bright white coats pups can have even though it's not super realistic, I had a pup grow up and she got the purest white I'd ever seen and that was super fun. It's like a rare treat. And having the wolves that stay home eat regurgitated food is pretty smart and also encourages players to rotate out which wolves to bring on a hunt and which ones will stay home

[@1ChuckFrmDaLand]

Wolves have a mind of their own. If they choose to stay every time you leave, that’s just how they are. Uncontrollable for us they say. I suppose hungrier times will force the ones who usually stay behind to follow more often tho.

[@Astr1d_Spirits]

WAKE UP Y'ALL WOLFQUEST POSTED TWO TIMES IN A ROW!!

[@dorkbait]

Will you ever add more to the game once the rest is released? More quests to do with the pack and your pups. More threats or interactions? I’d love more. But I’m also a greedy gamer so anything you are willing to create for us, I will love!

[@sparklysprinkles5973]

TWO videos in ONE day??? We are so spoiled 🥰 I love the new coat tints by the way that’s a great way to solve that problem for now!

[@AC3Y_WAC3Y]

I CANT wait for the saga to come ouuttt!!!

[@emmixx_]

TWO VIDEOS RIGHT AFTER EACHOTHER?? LETS GOOO!

[@shayleekirkman7730]

The first one don’t count💀😂😂😂

[@eveningjaguar]

@@shayleekirkman7730 It does count! It’s just as important as this video

[@shayleekirkman7730]

@@eveningjaguar 😂😂😂

[@mswolfy811]

@@shayleekirkman7730 We want our nature safe and our rights safe, please do vote and encourage those around you to vote!!! (if you're in the US anyway, idk where you're from lol)

[@shayleekirkman7730]

@@mswolfy811 I will! I will be voting for the right person…

[@nataliagorzna2584]

Love you guys and can't wait for the Saga! ❤🐺

[@BiscuitVillain]

You guys really do think of everything!! I've loved growing up watching you guys work. I've been here since the release of 2.7, and watching these devlogs has actually been some of the inspiration for me to go into computer engineering. I'm a sophomore at Purdue now, and I can't wait to see what you all do! I just want to make sure y'all know how thankful I am and how much this game means to me. ❤

[@mswolfy811]

@@BiscuitVillain Heck yeah!!! I don't know you but I'm proud of you!! I found my career inspiration watching TV lol and chose my college major to hopefully get there (animal behaviorist, like on Dog Whisperer and My Cat From Hell), but I also grew up watching WQ make all of this wonderful progress an have done my best to learn everything I can from it, and now, alongside my larger goals, am helping multiple people make their own games & mods for game, as well as conceptualizing my own game to make! (Huge credit to FalconDevelops and lots of Warrior Cat devs and Roblox devs too, love watching them work and talk about they're progress) There's something so freeing and fulfilling about finding some simple thing like entertainment that inspires such life-changing, wonderful achievements to work towards

[@KiaTherian]

Hi, I'm just asking, will you ever add a bison calf to the Wolf quest, because bisons also have ungulates

[@skypaver989]

bisons are ungulates. It just means "hoofed mammal"

[@KiaTherian]

@@skypaver989 Sorry, I'm from the Czechia, my English is not the best

[@Moony1568]

If I remember correctly, they said in an old post that they plan on adding bison herds in Tower Fall, the next map. I could be wrong though.

[@WolfQuestGame]

Yes, we will be adding female and baby bison at some point. :D

[@KiaTherian]

​@@WolfQuestGameAnd otherwise, I'm really looking forward to the saga, I've bought some DLC, so I'm also looking forward to the next map❤

[@MtnRose]

3 months till the year is over ya'll! it means the saga is gonna come out within 3 months!!! (right?)

[@MostlyHippo]

best bday gift ever, wolfquest devblog and politics

[@marnawohlfeld6438]

this is one of the best, if not the best games of these past few years, and im so exited to be along for the ride. thank you wolfquest team for working so hard to bring us the saga!

[@Misto_deVito6009]

Ahh here's the REAL devblog! Im excited!

[@TH3_C4N1N3]

The bunch of yearlings made me laugh 0:53

[@clouded.wolf1513]

WAKE UP WOLFQUEST PUBLISHED!!!🎉

[@Wolfquestfangirl17]

2 DEVBLOGS IN A DAY LETS GOO

[@WolfQuestLover-c3i]

Can you add that we can have loner join our pack I think it’ll be cool sence we can join other packs I tjtink if one of your pups wanted to stay in your back the loner can join as a omega and be mates with the pup or something like if you want to change it I mean it’s your game not mine and I can’t even code well sooo😅😂you can say no ofc!❤❤😅😊

[@jdlemagnifique8010]

wow that's incredible we don't care about bugs of the game we just want the rest of the sage that's amazing

[@emmalou7704]

WOOOO!!! I was hoping you wouldn't leave us without an update!! ❤

[@1ChuckFrmDaLand]

WolfQuest, a few things I was kinda hoping for to be added as well.. with no rush of course. Also, all carcass related. Bloodied fur around the nose and neck area after eating FRESH kills. Slower eating (like when you have a bruised jaw) on carcasses that have sat for a while in winter time. Due to the carcass freezing. Smaller chunks of food being replaced with the carcass if you eat it to a certain point, or if you return to a kill later. Instead of the carcass just going under ground. (Not nit-picking tho) it would be cool if the kill left a scent on the ground a few hours after all edible parts are consumed. Along with bones maybe being there still instead of just nothing when you return.

[@sunnyfields1845]

Eeeee so excited about the coats! It always bothered me that the clearly white/light gray wolves were genetically black, so I'm really happy to have the option to choose their younger/darker coat!

[@rattbird]

i’ve waited so long to hear “sooner than later” and i’m so excited

[@cactusthestupid7222]

It's incredible to me that the Saga will be free. I would have paid for it, but the fact that I don't have to is one of the things that makes WQ feel like a well-executed passion project rather than a product. I know game development is an industry that rarely, if ever, pays well, and I respect the WQ team so much for this decision. I love this game and always will, and I love what you guys do!

[@WolfQuestGame]

Thanks so much!

[@ConfuzzledCreations]

I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW EXCITED I AM FOR THE SAGA AHHHH

[@ICrawledOutFromTheAbyss]

we are EATING today; two videos

[@CherrySpotArt]

Dropping peak twice in one day....?

[@veno38]

TWO IN A DAY LETS GOOOO

[@EntropyAndSingularity]

I absolutely love the idea that you may be alpha but your family is still pretty autonomous and you just make the major decisions.

[@canisXpolaris]

I Love the aging coats idea! Just imagine the amazing colors you can bring out with the sliders! 😍

[@ananasikakotik]

let's add new small animals to the game that you can eat! like squirrels

[@angelofkarma74]

DROP EVERYTHING WOLFQUEST POSTED TWICE IN A DAY!!!

[@Yele445]

I have an argument on why the eagles should be nerfed : First of all, the eagles are way strong, they can carry about 8 lbs, which means pups should be safe or harder to catch at 11-14 lbs. Also it shouldn’t be an insta-kill, if the pup is at least 12lbs, you should have a couple of seconds to bite the eagle and save the pup, they would loose half of their health and sometimes the eagle would drop the pup and the damage taken would be determined based on how far the drop is, the pup being able take at least 80% damage.

[@katharinawolf4671]

Ooh im here within the hour of it being posted, neat! Love how yalls keep making these videos, it really helps to understand the reasons for the gameplay

[@katharinawolf4671]

Also Jesus christ thats a lot of work, i mean I would lose my mind at just a glance at the odds rate tweak options for instance

[@-touya_todoroki]

You could have hungry wolfs go wonder to the last hunt you did and eat As for aging why not give all the wolf coats a scale from young to old on scale that just slowly fades in per year as you play by opacity? Like hidden layers

[@1ChuckFrmDaLand]

I like the last hunt carcass idea

[@FreyW-mb2dj]

YOUR WOLVES MATES NAME IS FREY OMG MY NAME

[@vaekal]

Incredible!! The diff coat stages through the years is such a great idea that hopefully will get implemented someday!

[@Lonelywolf-w4n]

TWO WOLFQUEST VIDS IN 1 DAY??? NO WAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!

[@nanashikenki]

Another one!!! Everyone!!

[@peanutbutter3126]

Sooner than later!? What does that mean!! I HAVE TO KNOWWW!! 😅😅

[@paulaseidl-tz3fh]

I think October and November I hope

[@Keter_Causes_Chaos]

@@paulaseidl-tz3fh YESSS I AM SO EXCITED I REALLY HOPE IT COMES IN OCTOBER, A HALLOWEEN PRESENT FROM DEVS

[@KittyKat-kq6uj]

@@Keter_Causes_ChaosSAMEEE

[@mswolfy811]

We hope for the blessed pre-december release date!!! My guess of October from the new year might _actually_ be right (though by the strain in his voice I'd guess more like late October if not November lol)

[@jinx6573]

Christmas

[@badscout2542]

Two posts in one day!

[@Craftycatz]

a Wolfquest video is my favourite thing to see after a long day of school 😊

[@Miss_OdAriA]

You are the developers of the best simulation game in the world for me. I tearfully ask you to quickly allow us to enjoy the atmosphere of such painstaking work. Thank you!🤝❤️☺️✍️😇

[@Obsidianoak]

Exciting! I'm looking forward to seeing the pack life go on through full year cycles 😊 it's something I've thought about since the classic days I think the compromise with the coats is a nice option. It would be pretty cool to have a coat aging mechanism but I'm sure hard to implement and I could see it possibly causing genetic chaos 😉 Hmmm those pup sitters... could I take them to the carcass after? Just thinking about regurgitating limits.... not sure that would entirely feed all pack members if I had a max diversity pack.

[@AnnoyedWoof356]

just when I thought they’d ran out of new features to talk about, they surprise us with cool new additions! I love the new coat variants

[@audrakoch431]

You should use Monte Carlo simulations to get a better idea of dispersal probabilities without having to run it manually to get individual results.

[@Joequidae]

this update is gonna make me log another 100 hours on steam

[@WCMorningWatcher]

Is there gonna be a mobile version? I’ve been waiting for YEARS !

[@AnnoyedWoof356]

with the scale of the game so far putting it on mobile would be almost impossible, it would barely run. maybe once the game is done they’d look into it but it’s unlikely

[@jinx6573]

@@AnnoyedWoof356 he's mentioned mobile will be implemented, but not for a while. I'm very patient.

[@TheLunaticWithaCamera]

You guys are doing so great, keep up the amazing work and don't stress!

[@DevinPlayzYT2007]

2 WolfQuest vids in 1 day?!

[@alanah_lee9209]

WOLF QUEST POSTED Y'ALL 🗣️🗣️🔊🔊💯💯💯

[@Ladysenorita-cx7pd]

Can you make it to where when you have a litter and At least some of them become dispersal and they find a mate and then they expansion the territory and like it’s all connected😅I mean sounds like more work but I like the idea of possibilities..

[@tsunami__2405]

Idk if you guys have considered it yet, but I think it would be cool if you added a shaking emote. Like when your wolf or an npc goes through the water, they shake out their coat.

[@1ChuckFrmDaLand]

I usually pause for a second after crossing water to act like I’m shaking water so I would love this 😂😂

[@KittyKat-kq6uj]

yess omgg

[@jessicamackay1998]

Your attention to detail is amazing.

[@gummybear2253]

Can the yearlings get sick? Like will they get sick like the pups do and potentially die?

[@runic_raptor]

Thats a great solution for the time being regarding the white coats. It'd be really cool to have a full aging coat color system one day, but this was a great solution in the meantime! Perfect even.

[@A_Therian_in_the_world_12ve]

FINALLY IM NOT AN HOUR LATE THE WOLFQUEST GODS HAVE AWNSERED MY PRAWERS

[@iicloudycomet5555]

Will predators work the same with all of the extra wolves?

[@LilT_06-832F]

I just recently got a computer so I can play the game and DLCs Keep up the good work

[@ariannanightsong7272]

FIRST

[@wafflehouse5289]

LETS GOOOOOO More wolfquest videos!

[@saresterwolf91plays78]

What about black wolves that also turn grey ?

[@-touya_todoroki]

EYYO TWO IN ONE DAY WHAT A SPECIAL OCCASION ÆÆÆÆÆÆ

[@Kaira_tx]

What about achievements? Will there be new achievements or will old achievements become more difficult and longer?

[@WolfQuestGame]

Yes, there will be some new achievements when the Saga is released.

[@_Tinja_]

Ooh, I love the young versions of the white coats!

[@flaviacarneiro947]

very excited!!!!! so very excited for the saga!!!

[@floofercata]

The narrator for these wqae videos has such a calming voice

[@jinx6573]

He's the owner and main developer of the game. That's Dave :D

[@Anamizuki]

I mean, the babysitters have to eat SOMETHING IRl,too. So why not regurgitate?

[@kokobopjammer2571]

1 minute ago?! Ahhhhhhhhh! Im excited

[@clupis]

I love the idea of younger versions of the white coats!

[@RedneckPrinceoftacticoolness]

Much more pleasant video 😊

[@daniquest]

Amazing!! The young versions of the light skins are gorgeous! I'm so excited!! 🐺💜

[@wingedbutterfly2020]

You guys are giving us so much more than we expected. You could have just slapped down wolves in your pack growing up and called it a day, but you are going above and beyond to give us the best possible game. I can tell its going to be worth the wait.

[@RakuSeer]

Love those "younger" coats! ❤️

[@WolfTamer]

Gee Bill! How come your mom lets you have 2 wolfquest videos in one day?

[@FerralVideo]

I have a question. What about multiplayer? Will we be able to play The Saga in MP? (My guess is "not right away") If so, how do you plan to approach the various problems that can arise from a multiplayer lobby? Players coming and going causing your pack size to fluctuate randomly, difficulty balancing with a large lobby plus grown NPC wolves, how to handle the MASSIVE time investment and wolf aging...

[@Gaming_Art_ANDstuff]

Yay WolfQuest!

[@Obsidianoak]

Questions: -Pups already born that would be 1-8y old. How will they be handled? (A couple are from my elder wolf 😉) -I have several games "paused" ranging from easy find a den quest to Accurate "ulra ironwolf" endless summer. How will previous pups, the experience system and the "immortal pup" runs be handled? (Easy, pups can't die, if I have a litter with 1-3 will that setting be accessible or only if switched on before selecting a den/ pups are born) Specifically if: I would like my little pack to never lose a pup at what point should the game be left to do this? If I have a wolf eg 5y with multiple litters how will the prior years be shown? Will you handle things differently base on diversity for who spawns in? Will they all? Will they automatically be given exp since they missed the season they would have gained it? If we can switch between the main wolf pups and mates on death will a mate of a previous elder wolf be playable in our my wolves panel?

[@mintefox]

Two coats per coat? Amazing

[@ДианаПосацкая]

IDEA A softer aging process can be simulated by creating an intermediate coat between young and old (overlaying a transparent layer of the young coat on the original) that will only be reproduced during the fifth year. This should be easy to implement. And it will give the ability to monitor the transformation (aging) process of your wolf, your puppies, companion and hostile wolves. It is also possible to add the ability to turn off the aging function if the player is biased towards the appearance of his wolf.

[@Maltipoo-i2h]

Hi devs, I have a question if you happen to see this. Question if our pack affinity goes low enough for a pup to wander away will the yearlings go and fetch that pup?

[@soggymuffin515]

Quick suggestion!: I think it’d be nice if you could order other wolves in your back to do certain things, like go hunting, mark territory- maybe even claim it from other packs- or, as coming into the game, babysit. I think you should expand it from simply babysitting though; it would be helpful to not have to mark hexes from so far away.