Hello, Explorers!
Steam Next Fest has finally wrapped up, and wow, what a wild ride it was! On one hand challenging, on the other incredibly productive. We got heaps of useful feedback from you all. Today we just wanted to give a huge shoutout and say thanks for all your thoughts and ideas.
Your insights helped us rework and update a few elements during the fest itself. As a thank you for being such an engaged community, we wanted to show you the improvements we implemented right after reading your suggestions.
Without further ado, let's get to the news.
CHANGES
PIE MENU
The first improvement we made based on your suggestions relates to the pie menu - we added a pop-up tutorial explaining this key interface feature. Since then, setting up the hotbars should no longer be an issue for you, but of course, this is not the final version of this solution. We are continuously working on it and hope that with your tips and suggestions, we will be able to show its final version in our next demo!
OVER-ENCUMBERED
As for the carrying capacity, during the demo, we temporarily simplified this mechanic. Hennessy will still stop moving if she is over-encumbered, but in the current demo, we've increased the size of the notification that informs about this. Additionally, as per survival game standards, managing your inventory is part of the challenge load of the inventory is crucial because it limits the number of items that can be collected and carried. Therefore, we decided on a temporary compromise regarding the main character's load (e.g., when carrying very heavy ore) and opted to change the weights of some items. This system will still be improved, and we will definitely keep you updated in the upcoming devlogs!
CRAFTING
From building your base to crafting essentials and exploring the unknown – your feedback has been invaluable! We've fine-tuned the crafting times for items and buildings to make the process more fun and balanced. We adjusted the crafting time on the fly during the demo, and are now working on a more permanent solutions - one of them being a time skip option Thanks for helping us make the game better!
BLOOM AND MOTION BLUR CHANGES
Some of you mentioned that the bloom and motion blur options in our demo caused significant discomfort, such as motion sickness and disorientation, forcing you to stop playing the game entirely. Your well-being is very important to us, so we’ve taken this feedback to heart and made significant changes to enhance your experience. From now on, if you prefer to play without bloom, you can completely turn it off with the on/off toggle. For motion blur, we've added an intensity slider, allowing you to dial it down to zero if you prefer. This should help anyone who found these effects problematic, making for a smoother and more comfortable gameplay experience. We hope these new options make your gameplay even better!
EXPLORER MODE
And now, something for those of you who like to explore the game at your own, relaxed pace. We've been watching how you play and noting what you've enjoyed and where you've encountered challenges. If you're someone who wants to dive into the story and discover the world on your own terms, we're crafting a brand-new gameplay experience just for you. We call it Explorer Mode, and it's going to be here for those of you who prefer a more laid-back experience. We can't reveal all our secrets, but we can't resist giving you a tiny spoiler! You might even get to test this mode around the next Next Fest. Please let us know what you think!
SNEAK PEEK
Pssst: we've got something exciting in the works! We’re working on our animals and their reactions; they will now sniff out Hennessy’s drones and react to unfamiliar tech. Some creatures might find it intriguing and stay calm, while others might see it as a threat and get aggressive. Take a look at what we're developing and share your ideas on how these animal interactions could evolve!
KEEP UP TO DATE
That wraps up our summary of Steam Next Fest. Once again, we're extremely grateful for all the support you've shown us and for the valuable feedback you've provided. Your input has had a real impact on the game, and we've made changes right after analyzing your suggestions. Once again, a big shoutout to all of you, Explorers!
If you enjoyed the demo or are curious about the game's future development, we invite you to follow our upcoming devlogs and add Honeycomb: The World Beyond to your wishlist.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1510440/Honeycomb_The_World_Beyond/
As always, we encourage you to follow us on social media for the latest updates. If you want to join our community and stay in close contact with the developers, hop onto our official Discord server.
Science is an art!
Fufu and Honey Team~