carnal_instinct

v0.3.52 is now LIVE for AVATAR Tier+

Published: August 21st 2022, 10:56:02 pm

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"No sooner had the hunter dispatched the abomination than a second one surged forth from beneath the sands. Without the element of surprise, so essential to his first kill, I presumed the Draconid was about to make an ill-fated attempt to run. It was to my great surprise that instead of turning to flee, he severed the head of the downed beast and, raising it like a shield, faced down the monster."
Ehkos, A Guide to the Desert Kingdoms

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Hi All,


We're here with Avatar at last, bringing all of the bug-fixed content from last month's Ascended update along with some new content and a bit of a development blog. Because of what we're covering the body text here will touch on a bit of both.

First up worldbuilding/development. We're introducing a not-yet-ready-to-fight enemy, the Syphon Beetle. This huge arachnid isn't a beetle at all, but you'll never manage to convince the populous of the God Queen's realm to call it anything else; Syphon Arachnid doesn't have the same ring to it.

Using it's powerful back legs the creature leaps forward from it's hiding spot, pinning prey with the barbed front limbs. Spine-covered jaws then lock the victim in place as it impales them, its pulsating abdomen inflating to grotesque proportions as it sucks the carcass dry (and not in a fun way either). A lethal ambush predator, they'll be coming very soon to the dunes of the desert kingdom.

We'd hoped to get these in this month, working flat out to achieve it, but we just need to be realistic and push them back as they're simply not ready. Due to some sickness absences on the team the crunch required was just becoming unsustainable so they'll have to wait.



Whilst the bugs aren't far enough along to have you face them down just yet, the trophy for dealing with them is. This Carapace Shield is a new equipment item to mix up your outfit.

(PSA: Please wash your hands after using this item. The CI development team accept no liability of any fantastical diseases contracted by holding the brainstem of a huge bug for a prolonged period)



We've not only expanded the world of the Pre-Alpha UE4 build, but we've begun populating the Alpha UE5 build with new megastructures. Finally the sands of Sabu are beginning to appear worthy of Kethra's reputation. The below screenshot shows one of the new tomb entrances, assembled in the dev map rather than Sabu 2.0. Teeny tiny Anubite for scale.



The entire team is in a constant process to increase quality and finalise the second pass on our assets as we give a last coat of polish for UE5. We're pulling out all the stops whilst also working to make the models, materials, effects, and UI even more performant than before. Recently we even upgraded our waterline to help blend our new "wet" effect (no, not that) in with the banks of our rivers (in next image: without blend - top, with blend - bottom).



The next Ascended update brings with it our expansive new quest, Liquid Gold, including the first in-game look at our female centaur NPC. But it also brings a question which we want your input on...

We'll publish a poll soon, which we want as much engagement with as possible, about potentially bringing forward the UE5 timeline. We're finding that updating UE4 is eating into our development time and gradually dragging us behind, but UE5 isn't yet at Alpha candidate status. The question will be some form of "do you want UE5 earlier but less complete, with us releasing that build rather than the existing UE4 one".

It's not a simple question. Whilst the mechanics in UE5 are more Alpha state, including popular ones like pregnancy, mounts, and companions, there is less implemented quest content as the game now starts before the events of the current UE4 builds. It's worth thinking about, but we'll make a much more detailed breakdown for you to give your input on in early September.

This is one of those occasions where the feedback of the community will fundamentally impact how we approach the next six months of development. We'll give you the pros and cons, but ultimately we need to ensure we're listening to your opinion and bringing you with us.

Thank you so much for your continued support, we're really excited with how the gameplay is shaping up in UE5 and can't wait for you to get your hands on it - in Alpha or before!


Team Carnal Instinct

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Avatar Changelog - v0.3.52

UE5 Development


Ascended Changelog - v0.3.50

UE5 Development