Hey there, Hikers!
We’re back with another Fireside Chat! It’s been an incredibly busy few months with Early Access release and with the recent release of the Mariner Update, so we wanted to give a quick summary of what we’ve done since Early Access and the Mariner Update launches, and what is still to come!
The Trail So Far
30+ Patches - Since releasing into Early Access in January, we have patched the game 30+ times. And we’re just getting started! The whole team is continuously reading reviews, Discord, Steam Forums, and watching streams and VODs. With a game in Early Access, all this feedback is incredibly valuable to us and as a team of 6, we are working as quickly as possible!
Optimization - Within these patches, we have worked continuously on optimization. While we know we have more to go, we’ve made big strides (we are STILL celebrating no more 5 minute load times).
QoL and Gameplay Improvements - We have implemented many changes to gameplay based on feedback we receive. Some of these changes include (but are not limited to) the option to sleep through the night, adjustments to crafting needs, trail maps, various balancing changes, and more.
Mariner Update - We’ve officially released our first content update! This is our first of three content updates and it was a big one with adding new POIs, fishing mechanics, and water transportation. If you missed it, you can see the details of the Mariner Update here.
Partial Controller Support - One of if not the most requested addition to The Gold River Project was controller support. This was always something high up on our priority list but as a small team, had to come after we took care of some of our larger bugs. Thankfully, Bobby was able to surprise us with our first iteration of controller support WITH the Mariner Update! (Thank you, Bobby)
What’s to Come
Even after all of this, we still have our foot on the gas! With every point listed above, we want to emphasize that this is just the beginning! We are continuing to build more and more on top of the changes we’ve started for a future with more optimization, more content, and FULL controller support! Some additional things to look forward to:
Peaceful Game Mode - We are currently working on the addition of a peaceful mode of the Gold River Project. We know there is more than one way players like to spend time in the game and we want to provide options for players to choose how they want to camp. Peaceful Mode will remove enemies, provide more loot, and be overall more chill while Survival Mode will maintain the vibes of the game right now.
Engine Upgrade - In the near future, we will be upgrading the engine to a newer version of Unreal. With this upgrade, we expect to make a bigger impact on our progress with optimization especially. This is, however, a tedious process, so send Craig some encouraging words ;).
Two More Content Updates - In addition to the Mariner Update, we have two additional content updates: Hunter and Survivor. With these updates, we’ll be adding a lot more content such as ATVs, more enemies, more gear, and more POIs. For more details on what to expect in future updates, be sure to take a look at our Road Map located on the Steam Page.
This is just a high level summary of what we’ve done and where we’re going! The most important message we want to get across is that we are constantly listening, constantly patching, and your feedback during Early Access is crucial. Thank you to everyone who has provided their feedback so far. In between content updates, we are constantly patching so please keep it coming! We are so grateful for all your support.
We’ll see you again very soon.
Happy hiking!