Hi Everyone,

After nervously releasing the pre-alpha Demo a few months ago players have provided lots & lots of feedback about the look, feel and content of Hive Quest. (For which I am super grateful - many thanks to everyone involved.)

So I've been taking all the comments on board lately and have been busy making adjustments and improvements that include:

- Better models for trees and bushes - many of the originals had a handpainted style which worked ok with basic gamma lighting. But now the lighting has changed to a more realistic linear lighting style (see below) and so more realistic models are needed.

- Snappier game play - instead of the 10 minute intro featured in the demo, that explained how to play the game, I'm throwing players into the deep end and having only minimal cues on how to play. Mostly through the use of subtle user interface symbols and verbal prompts from Yuna the little insect guide.

- Better lighting - see below

One of the biggest gains here has been the switch from Gamma to Linear lighting, taking things from a cartoony appearance to a softer more realistic look.

Linear lighting is smoother & more natural

Linear lighting allows for more post processing image effects too!

New strategy elements are also being included that weren't really there in the demo version - namely;

SWARMS - A game involving an insect hive really should have a swarm feature, which opens up all sorts of strategy possibilities. Racing your drones around en masse is a great way to challenge the behaviour of enemy hives.

INSIDE THE HIVE - Get cosy with the Queen. While inside the hive, choosing which eggs to hatch is a new micromanage feature - after the Queen lays them, you can scope each egg's individual traits to make sure you only hatch the best drones for your hive. If you find yourself in a pinch however, you might just have to make do...

Here's a look at the new interior of the player's Hive.

At this very moment I am working on making the sites where resources are obtained a strong source of conflict between Hives. This is another core piece of game play that guarantees the need to strategize and prioritize how you grow your Hive and use your drones.

Visit Hive Quest here on itch.io

Consider also checking out the Patreon where you can gain access to new, exclusive info and even scope my 'orrible fizzog :P

I'm Rod btw, the slightly unhinged solo dev behind the game. Nice to meet you :) More news on its way soon - many thanks for looking and have a great day!

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