Yes, it's finally time to roll out the Beta Testing! For those that are keen on testing out brand new features before they reach the main game, then this is for you! First, I'll share what's new in the Research Rework, then go through how to jump into the Beta branch.
Research has been removed from individual eggs, and into it's own dedicated page. This was based on some fantastic user feedback highlighting that updating individual eggs felt quite tedious and clunky at times, felt underwhelming when it didn't trigger and there was no way to impact global stats.
Visually, it has been redesigned into a branching skill tree that reveals with each purchase. Every Research Potion now contributes towards permanent upgrades that improve hatching, variants, affinities, income, and much more (don't want to spoil some of the goodies in there!).
Research Potions have now been added to the main header (next to Income per min) so you can keep track of them easier.
I didn't want to rework something without putting in a new hat (many more hats will be added in a future update!). There's also a new achievement for completing the entire Research tree.
As this update adds in a huge amount of minor and major changes to various items in the game, this will likely have some knock on effects and cause some of the earning/speeds to be impacted. I will be watching and listening to the Beta feedback to rebalance around this.
Paste the below into a folder search bar or Windows+R.
%APPDATA%\\Godot\\app_userdata\\Pocket Dinos\[/b]
Back up the entire Pocket Dinos folder somewhere safe.
(Restoring it later will return your save to exactly this point in time.)
The beta branch is designed for quick rounds of feedback and changes - if you join, please provide feedback in the Discord (https://discord.gg/eNe5KVnGDV)
Close the game
Go to Pocket Dinos in Steam
Click 'Manage' and then Properties
In Game Versions & Betas click on the beta branch
(this will now download the Beta version)
Open and play.
If you do later switch back to default, be mindful that some items in your newer save file MAY break. That's why it's recommended you stay on beta going forward or until that new update is on the main branch).
I will be aiming to roll this Research Rework out to main within this month (pending testing time).
Have a great week!