Major Content Update - Dungeons, Fishing, Centaurs, Quests and a New Faction!

Hey Everyone!

The next Major Content Update is here! After one of us had to part ways with their appendix and another had a PC explode, we bring to you our biggest content release to date, including a new area, faction, quests, systems, bugfixes and more! Let's get into it:

Opting in

Don't miss out, last time I checked only 30% of you opted in! Until there is content parity with the Unreal Engine 4 release, the UE5 Preview will be available via a Beta Branch on Steam, to access this latest update, right click on the game in your library -> properties -> betas -> click "ue5_beta". You're in!

The Gilded Fold

Coming along with a map expansion (Bull's Shield) and the slavery mechanics, the Gilded fold are the next faction to step into the growing world of Sabu. These followers of the demigoddess Anashai control slavery in Sabu, subject to the necessary bribes (and free samples) for the Merchant's Guild.

Players will get their first look at the walled-gardens of these flesh-traders, hinting at the questline to come. Initially you'll be able to sell slaves to the Gilded Fold, eventually gaining enough reputation to make use of their cages and chains to obtain slaves of your own.

The initial slavery tutorial quest will be part of the update, with the rest of the chain arriving after DSS 2.0 (for reasons that are fairly easy to imagine). The faction on release have 3 new quests, plenty of new NPCs to talk to and a huge new area.

Centaurs

This update brings Centaurs to UE5, with brand new sex scenes, we can confirm that you can have Intimate Relations with all three Centaurs as any Form (Minus Formless), head on over to the new Island Located off the coast of Medhen.

New Equipment / Cosmetics

Given that we're introducing so many new NPCs in the update we've added multiple new clothing options to help flesh out the world and avoid things becoming too repetitive.

Some existing cosmetics have been updated for use by players. The Bloodseeker equipment is now usable for players and features a male variant.

Both of the Centaur Helmets are also now usable items, bringing the armour of Lybos into play for the first time.

We've also been careful to ensure that there are lots of subtypes of faction-specific clothing. That means you shouldn't find too many Anubites wearing the exact same version of the exact same dress. Whilst many will have similar outfits, minor details will vary to keep from a "clone army" appearance.

The image below is a bit like a "spot the difference", but each of these identical Felian ladies has a slightly different outfit;

The new clothing will allow us to make characters more distinct from each other, especially key romance or quest NPCs potentially having unique clothing variants to help them stand out at a glance (as well as to help build the environmental storytelling around the character).

It should be more intuitive who someone is from their appearance alone.

These dresses are the first phase and they'll have some complementary components for the other slots which will help to make the NPCs ever more diverse.

New Large Cock Option - "Wer" Member

Main Story Update - Amara & Sorcery

We felt that where the main story currently leaves players is a bit confusing as it's missing the transition to the next phase of the game. As such we've added in a crucial story NPC - Amara. Amara is a mysterious white Jackal who will unlock not only Character Customization but also the arcane arts, namely sorcery.

Magic in CI has been teased for a while and in the next update you'll get to play it for the first time (technically the second if you figured out how to access the test fireball). This first set of abilities allows you to wield the unstable magics of the void to destroy your enemies, though there are numerous other abilities already in development.

Quality of Life Improvements

Shade Sight

Tap into the power of Kethra's echo and use the eyes of the void to view the world to better find enemies, treasure and quest locations.

Essence drops added to enemies

Essence is a crucial resource for Customization, Sorcery and more to come. Rather than limit player to only gaining essence from Bosses, Quests, and Kethra's Gifts, we've added small amounts of essence to most enemy types. Those beings with a stronger tether to the void, the original source of magic, will drop more essence than mundane enemies.

Levelling

Based on player feedback we've removed the campfire requirement for levelling. You can now level up at any time via the Character Menu.

Side Quest - No Rest for the Wicked (Revamped)

Mesahtnofret and her doomed village are making a comeback in UE5. Help her bring a cure to the worsening curse with a new Dungeon, enemies, NPCs, and rewards.

Side Quest - Depths of Kab'Alrah

Near to Shipwright's Encampment (home to Alkippe, Khyras and Iva) Tomb Robbers have been hard at work exploring an ancient ruin. Delve into the forgotten hallways of this tomb and take their ill-gotten treasures for your own. But beware, these dark caverns are not without dangers of their own.

Side Quest - New Point of Interest NPCs:

• A hermitess with a mysterious past living in self-imposed exile.
• An aging warrior that seeks a fitting end.

Point of Interest - Pleasure Villa

Safiya and her Harem of lusty handmaidens have been having a dispute with the local Anubites at the nearby Temple ruins. In a future side quest - helping to resolve the dispute will enable players to make use of her villa and the services on offer.

Worldbuilding - New Enemies

The "Beasts of Sobek" have been sorely missed in Sabu since the move to UE5 and they're making a comeback with a vengeance. The name shifted over time and these creatures are known by the locals as "Subaq" (sue-back). A single large eye adorns their head and, in some large specimens, will have the ability to mesmerise potential prey.

Only the common, smaller Subaq (pictured) will drop in this coming update, but larger specimens with more developed abilities won't be far behind.

Worldbuilding - Fishing Mechanics

You're not going to win the heart of a lusty fisherman without proving you can haul in a catch yourself. Well, Moswen is actually fairly easy to please so you probably can. Either way we wanted to broaden the interaction with the world and we've done that with the inclusion of fishing spots.

Once discovered these locations will appear on your map and can be used to catch various fish, with each spot being better for a different type. Currently only Glimmerfin Snapper and Sandscale Minnow are available, but there are numerous others in progress.

Fish are a commodity and can be sold, but once cooking drops (in a post-DSS 2.0 update) they will be used in crafting a variety of dishes. These aren't just for flavour (pun intended) but will give various gameplay benefits.

UI Updates

As we've been updating the Sorcery UI, we've gone back and updated the visuals of the Inventory and Character screen.

We've also added new UI elements for the new "world events", including reward popups to better detail what your efforts have achieved.

New Systems Overview

A few have been mentioned above, but I just wanted to give a quick overview of the new systems that have been added.

Sorcery

With Amara, Sorcery has been added to Sabu, this initial release gives you one skill point to unlock one of three spells:

1. Void Orb - Fire an orb of void energy at your target, dealing huge damage
2. Void Strikes - Infuse your weapon with void energy
3. Blink - Leap through the void in the blink of an eye, teleporting a short distance

Fishing

Fishing a peaceful side-activity which is part of an initial expansion into cooking and crafting, right now you can catch fish at fishing points and sell the fish, with more to come in future updates. Approach a fishing station around the world, and keep the rod steady to reel in a juicy catch. You can either patiently wait for a bite, or if you spot a nibble, reel in early to grab the fish.

Slavery

Slavery is unlocked with the Gilded Fold, on initial release you can catch and sell slaves. With future updates, you'll be able to break and have intimate encounters with them.

Final Notes

We hope you enjoy this update, it's the biggest update to the game so far, along with more work we've put in behind the scenes on future content. Due to unforeseen circumstances, delays to the schedule happened for this update, we're still just a small team. That along with the R&D time means we've slightly updated the wording of our planned update schedule on the store page. It now states: "huge content update at least four times per year (approximately once per quarter, precise release timings will vary depending on update complexity)."

What's Next?

DSS 2.0 - Dynamic Sex System 2.0. To keep it simple, whilst giving at least some insight, here's a brief summary;

Freecam and Lovense enabled. Scene progression from initial foreplay to getting it on. Support for everything from erotic bathing and oiled massage to full-frontal snogging and bed-breaking romps.

Once the DSS2.0 update is out, we'll be switching the UE5 branch to be the main branch of the game, and putting the UE4 version of a Beta Branch, so you can still play any of that content.

Thank You

As always, thank you everyone for your support and we hope you enjoy the new content, we're really excited to share with you all of our hard work.

Team Carnal Instinct

Full Changelog

Added

• Added new zone - The Gilded Fold
• Added new zone - Ikenni Villa
• Added new zone - Zakros Estate
• Added new zone - Kusma (Cursed Village)
• Added new genitals - "Wer" (Large Canine)
• Added new clothing - "Herder's Mask" (Gilded Fold Headwear)
• Added new clothing - "Centaur Helmet"
• Added new clothing set - "Bloodseeker"
• Added new clothing set - "Inquisitor"
• Added new underwear option - "Serpent's Coil"
• Added new weapon - "Daggers"
• Added new Item - "Korvoth's Scepter" (Teleports you to the Shrine of Ascension)
• Added new clothing "Dress" (6 types)
• Added new enemy - "Subaq" (Croc)
• Added new enemy- "Inquisition Soldier"
• Added new Key Quest NPC - "Amara"
• Added new faction - "Gilded Fold" (Slavers)
• Added new Main Quest - "Call to Adventure"
• Added new sidequest - "Avarice of Birds"
• Added new sidequest - "No Rest for the Wicked"
• Added new sidequest - "Depths of Kab'Alrah"
• Added new sidequest - "Lost and Found"
• Added new point-of-interest - "Hermitess"
• Added new point-of-interest - "Aging Warrior"
• Added new system - 'Fishing' - (two fish currently; Glimmerfin Snapper and Sandscale Minnow)
• Added new system - 'Slavery' Capture, Store and Sell slaves for now - coming up, Breaking and Sex
• Added new system - 'World Events' - small Area events for clearing out villages, saving merchants etc. Currently testing with Kehm Farmstead
• Added new system - 'Sorcery' ( 3 Initial Spells)
• Added new system - Reputation
• Added essence drops to all enemy types to increase the essence sources around the world
• Added shade sight to highlight quests, interactables and enemies in the world
• Added harvestable gathering system for future crafting update
• Added mountains to help give a sense of scale to the world
• Added new Nenu the bard's songs - Look to the Shadow & Centaurs Bridge

Changed

• Changed playable area - expanded to include ~50% of "Bulls Shield"
• Changed Mehden Island - enlarged settlements, added new hamlets, camps, etc for future content
• Changed Pleasure Island - detail pass with new Anubite props (statues, obelisks, etc)
• Changed foliage - new plants added to detail all map areas
• Changed ambient fog settings to make the world more vibrant
• Changed interactable interactions and dialog to freeze the player when appropriate to prevent issues with dialog & movement (i.e. sprinting off while still talking to someone)
• Changed - Remade Inventory, Quest, Campfire & Character Screen UI
• Changed improved optimization of NPCs and Interactables
• Changed settings to Add invert Y Axis Camera support
• Changed random loot system
• Changed Itempickups to prevent duping issues
• Changed max morph size on Boobs & Ass to prevent issues with clothing and sex scenes
• Changed stat screen UI to add reputation and other stats (more to come)

Fixed

• Fixed mesh clipping issues with clothing
• Fixed pregnancy save/load bugs
• Fixed crit chance not being calculated or displayed properly
• Fixed interactable issues with input buffers
• Fixed issues with Utnas
• Fixed issues with Resolution Scale
• Fixed a bug with mouse sensitivity
• Fixed issues with interactions being traced while in conversations
• Fixed issues with the Campfire causing softlocks and not working properly with the Escape Key
• Fixed issues with Asim
• Fixed fishing calcs - added bad luck protection to prevent players getting ruined by random chance
• Fixed issues with the tail on the player not animating
• Fixed issues with Masturbation sometimes causing the player to have a teeny tiny head
• Fixed issues with Sotema teleporting players to the wrong location
• Fixed issues with morphs on some meshes
• Fixed issues with mounting/dismounting
• Fixed a bug where enemies that gave no xp still gave essence
• Fixed issues with the Tenets and Ahmek
• Fixed issues with saving mid-dialog
• Fixed cistern doors (no longer trapped forever)
• Fixed issues with Amara
• Fixed issues with the Elevator call button not always working
• Fixed issues with broken NPCs around the world in shipped game due to ID issue
• Fixed avarice of birds objective markers
• Fixed an issue where players had 101 mana instead of 100
• Fixed issues with the audio options menu not saving/updating
• Fixed defaults for gameplay settings
• Fixed many many issues with Slavery/Cages/Jars
• Fixed issues with dialog references breaking after load
• Fixed a bug where you could eat nigh tlotus inside a cave, de-spawning the cave
• Fixed many floating NPCs
• Fixed a number of bugs with No Rest for the Wicked
• Fixed a missing marker on Reseph during Welcome to the Fold
• Fixed Ahmek going for a walk
• Fixed Rocks, trees and landscape that defied gravity
• Fixed Amonhoteph refusing to talk
• Fixed Hermitesss Inquisitor sitting, giving you her item and dialog
• Fixed Overly aggressive bushes
• Fixed Issues with Amara
• Fixed Optimization issues with some users
• Fixed Temerah causing crashes
• Fixed issues with Slavery Cages
• Fixed Yellow fruit not appearing on lower foliage settings
• Fixed Lost and Found
• Fixed The kill plane in Alrah dungeon not...killing players...
• Fixed a bug where if you started dialog with your capture jar out, you could break the camera and dialog
• Fixed Issues with the Swim HUD
• Fixed Collision issues with Crocodiles, Rocks, Cushions, Foliage and More.
• Fixed Audio Options
• Fixed Issues with Home from Home being partially auto-completed
• Fixed Issues with Multi-Pickup and Pickupables duping
• Fixed A bunch of minor typos and misc bits and bobs