Ideas for Future Updates

[Selvin novaraptor]

What I would love in a future version would be extra customizations that you can unlock by purchasing or if you hit a certain amount of experience points.
For example: a rare blue eye color can be unlocked if you get 200k experience points, but you can get it faster should you choose to purchase them. This could apply to all your wolves or just a few or one.
If you hit 500k you can unlock customizable collars. You can choose if you want spikes on them or diamonds or even just skulls. There are a lot of customizable options but I won’t get into them all right now.
If you hit 1 million you can get an albino wolf, this wolf can be edited but it’s skin color will remain the same. Again, it can be DLC.

That’s all I have to say about customizations for now, I will add more stuff later when I get more ideas.

While I like this idea, I do a have a few concerns with it in the context of the game, and would like to politely disagree with the way that it is being presented here.

1. Those customizations themselves are very unrealistic, and WolfQuest is a game that has always tried to be as realistic as possible. Blue eyes are something that has never been documented in wild wolves, only in certain dog breeds and wolfdogs. True albinism is also something that has never been documented in wolves in real life, meaning that wolves probably don't possess the gene for albinism in the first place, so to include it despite that seems, odd and unnecessary to say the least. It's the same with radio collars, researchers probably wouldn't put custom collars onto a specific wolf that they capture and collar, most radio collars that are put onto animals are very much just meant to be serviceable, and sometimes get chewed off by the collared wolf's pack or damaged by other factors, making it kind of pointless to put a specific design on it. So for a game like WolfQuest, I don't really like those customization ideas.
2. For me at least, from a gameplay standpoint it doesn't really make sense to unlock a new coat or customization like that just by gaining a certain amount of experience on a specific wolf. I think it would make more sense to unlock new customizations by completing achievements (whenever achievements are added to the game). That would give players more of an incentive to actually go out and complete achievements, rather than encouraging players to just gain enough experience to unlock things, which is a pretty overdone and simplified feature in games, in my opinion.

So while I do like the basic idea of unlockable customizations or adding new customizations in DLC, I take issue with the way that it is being presented here. It's being presented here in a "Reach a certain level to unlock the Golden Skin" sort of way, which in my opinion is pretty overdone in games nowadays. And in my opinion it doesn't really work in the context of a game like WQ, because why should I unlock a new skin for all my wolves just for getting a specific one to a certain amount of Experience? Why not reward players for completing general achievements rather than just rewarding them for getting a certain wolf to a specific XP level? That's the main problem I see with this. Again, the basic concept is fine, but I'm just not a big fan of the way it is being presented here.

Certain customization options like scar and radio collar can be Exp-linked unlockables. Because you have to not only get injured, but also escape & survive with it to earn scar. And you're more likely to get collared when you are famous for certain actions(such as repeatedly killing elk cow alone like Lamar Canyon 832F) than you're not so.

[Nek0chan]

Well, I have some ideas...
Singleplayer
- It's a minor thing, but adding back the "limp leg" option in customization options (It could even be an unlockable thing, such as "survive an encounter with a bear" or "failed/succeed in hunting in the Cattle Ranch" for example; as you're more likely to get injured in those situations)

- If you take the juvenile pups to hunt with you in Towerfall, they could take damage like players do when hunting, so you'd have to think carefully what animals you go for to ensure the pups don't die in the hunt. (In higher difficulties they'd take more damage/die sooner, than in lower difficulties.).

Multiplayer
- adding a "send friend request to everyone" option, so if you're playing with a group and want to send a friend request to everyone you don't have to go person by person.

- Making an online "pup raising" mode (once the main game is completed, of course.), like in 2.7.

-Maybe make a "player vs player" mode where there are two packs of players and they have to compete to get the most territory. (Although that would be hard to implement...)

[RavensCorvax]

jsut a little idea but one id loved to see in the game

a notification pop up when ever you recieve a message from a friend. like in the right corner alil pop up with a howling wolf just telling you you recieved a meesgae. since its really hard to tell if you have any messages so a lil pop up would be nice so you can hold the contact a little better

[x1103]

Sorry if this has already been said.

I really like to play with the fur colours, and gladly we have a lot of coats to choose from. However, I'd like to suggest a new shade slider, a color><grey one. It would add a bunch of new looks without having to create new coats.

I thought of this today when I tried really hard to get a strong grey shade and found it rather challenging... almost all the options we have are brownish or dark, except for the 2 whiteish ones of course. Having the option to choose a more or less grey variation of all the fur colors would be awesome.

...and yes, atm I'm trying to get a "true" grey out of the white ones, but the thing is, simply darkening it with the light><dark slider doesn't quite do it as itended and again, being able to do that to all the coats would add a lot with little effort.

Also a small random thing: why on earth does the wolf auto jump near cliff edges??? It's hilarious but it just doesn't make sense in any possible way.

[Sierra Faith]

While I like this idea, I do a have a few concerns with it in the context of the game, and would like to politely disagree with the way that it is being presented here.

1. Those customizations themselves are very unrealistic, and WolfQuest is a game that has always tried to be as realistic as possible. Blue eyes are something that has never been documented in wild wolves, only in certain dog breeds and wolfdogs. True albinism is also something that has never been documented in wolves in real life, meaning that wolves probably don't possess the gene for albinism in the first place, so to include it despite that seems, odd and unnecessary to say the least. It's the same with radio collars, researchers probably wouldn't put custom collars onto a specific wolf that they capture and collar, most radio collars that are put onto animals are very much just meant to be serviceable, and sometimes get chewed off by the collared wolf's pack or damaged by other factors, making it kind of pointless to put a specific design on it. So for a game like WolfQuest, I don't really like those customization ideas.
2. For me at least, from a gameplay standpoint it doesn't really make sense to unlock a new coat or customization like that just by gaining a certain amount of experience on a specific wolf. I think it would make more sense to unlock new customizations by completing achievements (whenever achievements are added to the game). That would give players more of an incentive to actually go out and complete achievements, rather than encouraging players to just gain enough experience to unlock things, which is a pretty overdone and simplified feature in games, in my opinion.

So while I do like the basic idea of unlockable customizations or adding new customizations in DLC, I take issue with the way that it is being presented here. It's being presented here in a "Reach a certain level to unlock the Golden Skin" sort of way, which in my opinion is pretty overdone in games nowadays. And in my opinion it doesn't really work in the context of a game like WQ, because why should I unlock a new skin for all my wolves just for getting a specific one to a certain amount of Experience? Why not reward players for completing general achievements rather than just rewarding them for getting a certain wolf to a specific XP level? That's the main problem I see with this. Again, the basic concept is fine, but I'm just not a big fan of the way it is being presented here.

Well the reason why I thought about doing it that way is because for some people who don’t have the money to buy it as DLC can take the longer route if they want these certain attributes. Also I know Blue eyes is not realistic but in terms of role play some people could pretend to be wolf/dog hybrids and therefor that would come in handy for those certain types of role plays. I think a little bit more creative freedom would be nice so people can have that emersion into a less likely scenario in life, while being able to make a story from it.

[SophieTheAiredale]

Well the reason why I thought about doing it that way is because for some people who don’t have the money to buy it as DLC can take the longer route if they want these certain attributes. Also I know Blue eyes is not realistic but in terms of role play some people could pretend to be wolf/dog hybrids and therefor that would come in handy for those certain types of role plays. I think a little bit more creative freedom would be nice so people can have that emersion into a less likely scenario in life, while being able to make a story from it.

I know this is copy-pasted all over the forums, but again, blue eyes/Collars/wings are not things Wild wolves would possess. It’s totally fine if your OC has blue eyes or superpowers(as long as everyone in the game is fine with it), but wolfquest itself is trying to be a realistic game. And again, nothing is really stopping people from doing whatever they want with their OC.

And if you want to play with customizations like these, then I think Wildcraft would be a good fit for you.

[Sierra Faith]

I know this is copy-pasted all over the forums, but again, blue eyes/Collars/wings are not things Wild wolves would possess. It’s totally fine if your OC has blue eyes or superpowers(as long as everyone in the game is fine with it), but wolfquest itself is trying to be a realistic game. And again, nothing is really stopping people from doing whatever they want with their OC.

And if you want to play with customizations like these, then I think Wildcraft would be a good fit for you.

You bring up a good point, and I have played WildCraft, but the way they implemented the skins was a little off. I have resided more to Wolf Tales because of the smooth animation and detail plus some fantasy elements, so that would be a much better example of a game that implements non realistic attributes while keeping strong detail. I can respect that the developers like realism, its just that I don’t think that this game is being presented as strictly educational if RPing is even allowed and that multiplayer is a feature of the game. But I don’t have anything against it, just a little confusing to me.

[Itsward]

Category of suggestion: ecosystem, quality of life, map work, cosmetic

Suggestion: Implement larger shrubbery

Reasoning: Some of the sagebrush particularly grows to be very large, especially during the spring, in Yellowstone and its surrounding country. This is seen particularly in lush, open plains and could suit Slough Creek - not that I think it wouldn't look good in Amethyst! I do not feel this suggestion is critical and should be implemented during development or any early access stage. In the future, players might like a system in which they can hide out of line of sight or in shrubbery to better ambush prey.

• POST MERGE

Category of suggestion: map work, cosmetic

Suggestion: Add a 2-pixel blur at most to distant objects/terrain

Reasoning: I personally dislike being able to see distant mountains etc. in perfect clarity and it's quite jarring for my immersion. I feel such a visual filter would make the rest of the map feel more unexplored and wild. I think this also looks better for media sharing of the game. I feel this suggestion is critical and should be considered during development/early access if other players feel the same.

[-Wolfdog-]

Category of suggestion: ecosystem, quality of life, map work, cosmetic

Suggestion: Implement larger shrubbery

Reasoning: Some of the sagebrush particularly grows to be very large, especially during the spring, in Yellowstone and its surrounding country. This is seen particularly in lush, open plains and could suit Slough Creek - not that I think it wouldn't look good in Amethyst! I do not feel this suggestion is critical and should be implemented during development or any early access stage. In the future, players might like a system in which they can hide out of line of sight or in shrubbery to better ambush prey.

• POST MERGE

Category of suggestion: map work, cosmetic

Suggestion: Add a 2-pixel blur at most to distant objects/terrain

Reasoning: I personally dislike being able to see distant mountains etc. in perfect clarity and it's quite jarring for my immersion. I feel such a visual filter would make the rest of the map feel more unexplored and wild. I think this also looks better for media sharing of the game. I feel this suggestion is critical and should be considered during development/early access if other players feel the same.

I love your idea! Being able to see the mountains in perfect clarity is a bit unrealistic and doesn't add any mystery to the map, so it's easy to see where it begins and ends. Here is a photo of Amethyst mountain: https://cdn2.apstatic.com/photos/hike/7 ... 830017.jpg As you can see, even in fairly bright weather the mountains fade away into a blue haze.

[Neamara]

- Den radar: It's... very bare-bones imo. Add something more to it the closer you are to a den. (A tone?) Blind den spotting was a frustrating experience. I probably would have given up without Sass and Loach's help.
- Less territory hexes. Please? x_x' 15 feels like too many.

[DinoDogDude209]

I definitely agree with what Neamara had to say about the den radar. The den radar is hard to use if you aren't constantly watching it and using it along with scent view. There could maybe be some sort of different music that plays as you get closer. Or maybe just make it easier to see the actual dens themselves during the winter without using scent view, because the dens that are just holes in the ground are really hard to see in the winter.

I also think that some more food sources in general could definitely make feeding your pups an easier task. I know that there's Mule Deer fawns and Elk and Moose calves in the later parts of the Slough Creek episode, but prior to that it can be a bit of a challenge to find food for your pups without travelling all the way across your territory to find an elk herd in order to hunt elk the old fashioned way. So to circumvent this issue, maybe increase the chances of an Elk or Bison carcass spawning during that section of the Slough Creek episode? That would also make sense logically because there's obviously still going to be many winter-killed carcasses of older elk and bison left over from the winter (well, the ones that the bears and coyotes haven't completely gobbled up yet).

Either that, or more small prey items could be added to the game in general, to make it easier to find that extra food that you'll want to have in order to keep your pups fed, and to give WolfQuest wolves a break from only snacking on Snowshoe hares. When I was in Yellowstone in late June of 2020 and visited the real Slough Creek, we saw a lot of Uinta Ground Squirrels, and I think it would be nice to have those in the game as another small snack to tide you over until you can find larger prey. As far as I know, Uinta Ground Squirrels are active in Yellowstone in spring and early summer, which coincides almost perfectly with the timeline of the Slough Creek episode, and they are quite common during that time of the year, making them a very ideal animal to include for this purpose in my opinion. So therefore I think it would be good to include those as part of the Slough Creek episode eventually, to make it slightly easier to find food for your puppies. I'm sure that when Beavers are added it will give players another food source to help to circumvent this issue, and I think that'll definitely be a good start and definitely a step in the right direction, but in general I think the game could use more diversity in prey species. Because even with baby ungulates in the Slough Creek episode now, it still feels like there's really a lack of variety in smaller prey.

Also, as a side note, I know that larger bison herds with calves and such are definitely on the WolfQuest wishlist, but why do the Bison carcasses in the game currently always spawn as carcasses of the same bull Bison that we already have roaming around in the game? Why not make it so that Bison carcasses can also spawn as cow Bison and (in Slough Creek) Bison calves? That would give the illusion that there's not just bull Bison roaming across the game world, even if there still technically aren't any females or calves roaming around in larger herds yet. That would really add to the immersion of the game in my opinion, it's a small detail but I'd still really like to see it in the game.

[razerdazer]

Dear Wolfquest developers,

I just started playing Wolfquest this year, both 2.7 and Anniversary Edition. I fell in love with the game immediately, and I am certain I share many of other players' sentiments when I say this game truly brings the inner pack member in each of us.

However, despite my love for the game, upon playing both the 2.7 and Anniversary Edition I notice how there was not any significant changes in the rendering of the low poly mesh of the in-game wolf model, especially in Anniversary Edition. While the main purpose of this game is to educate players on the important role wolves play in the food chain and stability of Yellowstone's ecosystem, I truly feel players will benefit from a much improved in-game wolf model for immersion, aesthetics, and overall appreciation for wolves.

I personally think aspects such as neck ruff, a more defined wolf with coat textures adjusting to the fur linings, thinner fore and back legs, broader paws, gradually thinning fur to accentuate their look from upper back to legs on any sides, hairier wolf mane along the neck, etc. can be starting points to focus on improving the wolf model in the game. There are other games (i.e. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, ARK: Survival Evolved, Assassin's Creed Valhalla) with very well rendered wolf model even though wolves are not their main focus. With that in mind, I would like to suggest for the developers to include, in their future updates, a more fleshed out wolf model inspired by the example contained in the URL I attach herein.

Link:Velan Studios Lead Artist Megan Gritzfeld's 3-D artwork of "Bigby" Wolf from "The Wolf Among Us" episodic graphic adventure game based on Bill Willingham's "Fables" comic book series

While almost indistinguishable to laymen, I suppose players could benefit from a differentiated female and male wolf models, but it is always best to do things one step at a time to ensure quality, as Wolfquest developers have astoundingly demonstrated. I understand this would require massive undertaking of scraping the rigged skeleton and animations from the already available meshes, possibly going back to square one; which is undesirable for both players and developers. I do know that our wolves can benefit from high poly mesh of the in-game wolf model. I look forward to the developer's thoughts on this, thank you.

Best regards,

One of many enthusiastic Wolfquest players

"With each new wolf, our pack becomes stronger. You're one of us now." -Songamdir, Hircine's packmaster during "Hircine's Gift" Quest; The Elder Scrolls Online

[Doenut]

The Slough Creek release is a huge step forward. Congratulations to the team, I've been playing since 2007, and my ancient self am floored with the progress to the game. There is also many great suggestions inspiring this post, but I think boiling it down to the simple stuff will make it easier for others to read. I'd like to make a recommendation for the game balancing with both the realistic life of a wolf and the bare basics of a video game. As of right now, V1.0.6 the game is definitely realistic when played on accurate. The struggle to survive was intense. How I made 6/6 pups to the end I must say astonishes me. Many close calls. I've broken down into sections ways to improve the video game aspect and direction.

Rewarding Players

Customization: Points generated in the game, or crossing certain hunting thresholds will unlock realistic wolf aesthetics for players as they play. Incentives that push the players in the correct direction though. To avoid "farming" for skins, most should be only accessible in single player doing natural wolf behavior. Examples below to demonstrate this.

• You Dirty Dog - Muddy Texture/Skin for digging a lot of dens.
  Not all who Wander - Different radio collars (Like one with an antennae) for traveling over a huge amount of distance during a single episode.
  Wiley Coyote - Coyote inspired skin for chasing off over 100 coyotes from your pups.
  New smaller choices besides skins are ear tags, ruffed shedding clumps, or aged gray overlay.

New Family Tree: I was thrilled to see the game allowing players to play as their pups. I wanted to expand this by providing another step in that direction to further encourage players continuing their legacy. Wolves reared to adulthood should have small benefits over the first generation. These would be small attributes to the pups that are random, just as their genetics should be.

• Pups that are successfully reared to adult hood in the first generation should get ONE bonus point to their skills. Example: I had one pup get +1 Strength and -1 Speed. I felt that the time to rear this pup was left on a bitter-sweet end. I could just design a new wolf with the same coat and the stats. So why waste time rearing pups? Well, if that same pup also had a bonus stat of +1 Stamina, now I see how my time and effort is worth it. Hours of a game to get an extra skill.

• Further generations to a maximum of 3 extra points, would encourage players to return to their family tree and raise the pups all over again. This time with a slightly better wolf. Players can use these wolves in multiplayer down the road, but this is after numerous hours of wolf life. Imagine: Your wolf comes from 3 successful generations of parents. You have lost siblings along the way. The stats given to you are random from genetics. +1 Strength, +2 Speed, +1 Health! However, maybe you'd rather play as your sister who has +2 Stamina, +2 Health, -1 Speed

Thank you for taking the time to read. I love the game progress thus far and welcome any feedback. -Doenut

[fatilz]

My idea, in particular, is multiplayer wolf packs for this wolf quest 3.0 slough creek episode, so it would work as a pack of 2-8 wolves all piloted by real players, the rival wolf packs would work the same. they would be in fierce competition over food territory and pups as they will both try to kill the other pack's pups. It could be the same number of dominant packs as in slough creek (3 dominant packs or more) with a small number of ai dispersal packs. I don't know if this is already in development but I think it would be a great idea as I have seen a great number of people asking for this. Please at least consider it.

[-Wolfdog-]

(Kind of cringe at my replies on here, hopefully you've all forgiven me when I said "blah blah blah, that's not possible" and WQ adds it anyway ).

Final episode:
For the very last episode of WQ— where your pups are now adult wolves, I have a few suggestions.

• Adult wolves don't disperse from the pack. I have to admit I'd hate to see my pups leave the nest, but we now have family trees and can continue our pups' stories about them dispersing. So that way it's fair for players who don't want their pups to leave & for players who'd like to continue the story.

• Adult wolf colors should be the same when your pup naturally grows up in the pack as oppose to doing it via the family tree. In other words, both the family tree and in-game coats should be the exact same thing. There's a possibility that WQ has already considered this however.

Also in one of the devblogs Dave mentioned wolf coat sizes change with the seasons. In winter it's nice and thick and in summer it's thinner. I haven't noticed this change in my wolf, if the feature was added it'd be neat to make it more noticeable?