Quests in the Saga

Let’s take a look at how the quests are shaping up in the upcoming WolfQuest Saga.* Since the very initial release of WolfQuest in 2007, the quests have expanded from just two -- learning to hunt and finding a mate -- to a more complete set in Anniversary Edition. However, we’ve always lacked the quests for “the rest of the game“ -- where your pups keep on growing into adulthood. Those are what the Saga adds. That gameplay is mainly contained two new quests: Growing Pups, which takes you through the period of rapid pup growth in late summer, and then Young Hunters, when you help your pups learn how to hunt elk over the fall and winter. These quests fill out the annual cycle. Once your pups have completed the requirements for the Young Hunter quest, you loop around, skipping the initial quests (Learn to Hunt, Find at Mate, Establish Territory). It’s April again, time to find a den. And then you go right back into the pup-raising cycle -- year after year. (And because this expanded quest cycle is about twice as long as before, we’ve made Raise Pups and Loaf quests about 20% faster.) Many players have saved games with their pups at the summertime home in Endless Summer (the point where the pre-Saga game ends) and are excited to grow those pups up and continue the story of their pack. The good news is that you will be able to grow up your pups from those saved games. Once the Saga is released, you can load that save and carry on into the Saga quests. But there’s a caveat here: for these already-born pups, you won’t have the option to toggle off the Sick Pups Can Die option for this litter of pups that have already been born. If you can’t bear this, do not proceed to next quest, just keep this litter in Endless Summer, endlessly. (Why this limitation? To keep the game both balanced and accurate to wolf life, you’ll have smaller litters if you choose to disable death from sickness, but you need to select that option before the pups are born.) A central aspect of the Saga is that time keeps passing, regardless of events. So if your mate dies, you still have your pups to raise. If your pups of the year all die, but you still have older offspring, then you’re still leader of the pack and must survive with your family until you can find a new mate. Time will keep passing, your offspring will keep growing. If-and-when you find a new mate, you can produce a new litter of pups. On the other hand, if your pack only has your mate and some pups of the year, and those pups all die, then it’s just you and your mate, surviving together, month by month, until the next litter of pups are born. And if everyone dies, then you become a lone wolf, trying to survive. You can still hold onto some territory, though that’ll be tough as a lone wolf. You can find a new mate quickly, or take your time. You could also try to join a rival pack if you find one needing a new breeder. Or you can just keep on as a lone wolf. Only 2-3% of Yellowstone wolves are lone wolves, but that can be you now, if you want -- scraping out a life in between the packs, getting enough to eat here and there, year after until you and alone. It’s up to you. These quests are shaping up well and we expect to release the Saga later 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.