- UPDATE | 0.1.0.9 | Patch 9 - 2 March 2023
NIGHTLY UPDATE | 0.1.0.9 OVERVIEW This update continues to improve TGC's animals ability to communicate via sound, respond to social cues, and establishes the ability of animals to create relationships with other creatures and to remember positive and negative associates they've learned. Though all creatures in TGC are already unique beings making their own decisions independent of players; giving them access to this new Relationship memory system enhances their intelligence and allows the player to see them as more sentient. Efforts to improve all of TGC's creatures' skins & animations continue to progress in the background as well, however TCG's focus on complex Ai, world systems, and mechanics will eventually allow for an experience only comparable to being in the African bush IRL. As the game's ai code has grown more complex I've invested in auditing and removing flaws so that there…
- NIGHTLY UPDATE | 0.1.0.8 - 3 February 2023
NIGHTLY UPDATE | 0.1.0.8 NIGHTLY UPDATE | 0.1.0.8 NEW CHARACTERS Springbok Cheetah Serval NEW MECHANICS ADJUSTMENTS Improved social communications process between animals Improved factors of leadership selection (Animals tend to favor the highest level & size, but not always) Improved Alert birds not seeing carnivores that are hidden/sheltered Improved Monarch Butterfly general awareness Added chicken & Chick social sounds Added multiple reasons for animal aggression (territorial, Sparing, Protective, Play) Some retouches on Impala Reduced population of some animals Reduced group sizes of some animals Various minor performance improvements FIXES Fixed elephants random sounds with no communication purpose Fixed animals water sense breaking after first trip to drink water Fixed wrong scent tied to some animals Fixed bleed pain causing animals to constantly change direction Fixed hud and m…
- Nightly Update | 0.1.0.7 - 31 January 2023
NIGHTLY UPDATE | 0.1.0.7 NEW CHARACTERS NEW MECHANICS ADJUSTMENTS Added initial life conditions for the player (Offspring, Ophan, parental fates) Added edible mushroom foods (WIP.../.anti-poison/venom) Added damage types (WIP...bleed, venom, burn, bone break, gunshot, disease, crush, asphyxiation) Added more loading time during intro Added combat mode to main menu (coming soon) Improved Parent walking pace when with offspring(so they don't outpace them) Improved total health affecting player attack damage Improved scaling of some edible plants to more realistic sizes Improved large animals ability to avoid tree collisions Reduced predator population Turned tree collisions back on for birds to land on FIXES Fixed bug that caused performance drop near herds Fixed bleed damage not working Fixed music and cinematic being double triggered at start of game Fixed auto tracking for nearest wate…
- TEMPORARY ROLLBACK...ending soon! - 25 January 2023
Good news everyone! I was able to find an unfinished component that was having a negative effect on performance and was able to fix it. I will be rolling out the next update with the fix applied as well as the next group of features soon! TJ Developer
- TEMPORARY ROLLBACK - 25 January 2023
Hello everyone, The Great Circle will temporarily be rolling back a few versions to compare performance and make sure new features I'm preparing to install are compatible. This is a temporary measure. I expect that everything will be fine and I will move ahead with the new updates soon after. Looking forward to showing you all the next step in this experience! TJ Developer
- Nightly Update - 21 January 2023
NIGHTLY UPDATE | January 21 NEW MECHANICS New Mechanic: Bleed from injury (WIP)...Bleed damage, Bleed icon, New Mechanic: Enemy icon shows when player is targeted New Mechanic: Reintroduced combat music Added Bleed icon to status bar Added Build version with numbered format to player hud Added ability for Leaders to vocalize commands Added Orphan status for offspring without parents Added Territory size in meters to territory & Home icon Added Eggs to some animals nesting ability Added more variety to levels and stats ADJUSTMENTS Combat music now supercedes Exploration/Roaming music Improved TGC logo in hud Improved optimization of WAnimal Communication Airway Improved Ai Huds Improved distribution algorithm for birthplaces Improved Hyena walk/run animations FIXES Fixed combat music not playing for fights Fixed regional cinematic not showing region name Fixed bug causing herds to form t…
- Nightly Update - 12 January 2023
NIGHTLY UPDATE | January 12 Survival Mode(Early Access), will temporarily use the same map as Survival Mode(Demo) New optimizations are applied to the larger official world map, after that Survival (Early Access) will switch back to the unlimited official map. Survival (Demo) will continue to use smaller demo maps in the future. Added submissive behaviors when animals choose leader Enabled player ping in hud for networked play Enabled Autopilot_FollowParent to Autowalk Enabled Continuous Autopilot Removed animal communication icons from main menu Fixed error causing animals to freeze after leaving from morning drink Fixed error causing player giraffe baby walk to slide Fixed Black screen skip on begin play Fixed "H" not changing the player's view modes "Cinematic view", "Watermark view", "Full Hud" Fixed adult giraffes standup snapping anims Reset experience cap to Reset exposure reeval…
- Nightly Update - 9 January 2023
ANIMAL COMMUNICATION AIRWAYS SYSTEM Everyday we step outside we overlook the network of animal sounds which blends into the background of our commutes to and from work, school, the gym and beyond. What we call ambiance is nature's own information highway for creatures that can understand it. Lions broadcasting their presence, blue cranes calling for mates, elephants issuing stern warnings to any would-be predators targeting their calves. All of this is done through sound and in The Great Circle you can observe a living breathing ecosystem in a way that has never been done before! No generated sounds, or cheap tricks, in TGC everything you hear in is alive and trying to stay that way! We're not just building a game, but a living breathing natural world! NIGHTLY BUILD | January 9 Add player online status to hud Fixed mother waking up too early on first play Fixed player hud showing before…
- Nightly Update - 5 January 2023
Hello everyone I wanted to let you know that I will be releasing nightly build updates to steam for The Great Circle demo. These updates include a variety of changes and improvements to the game. I understand that it can be hard to keep track of all the changes so I will do my best to include patch notes for each update on steam. There's usually anywhere from 50-200 changes so I will do my best to summarize the most relevant parts in an easy-to-read format for you. Thank you for your support for being a valued member of TGC's community! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the updates! TJ Developer NIGHTLY BUILD | January 5 Fixed hud showing too quickly upon first waking up. (Now: Wake...Cinematic...Hud) Improved leadership system. Animals not born with leaders can now choose (Leadership is based on level, size, and personality. The next improvement will require the player to perform r…
- ROADMAP: August 2022 - 1 August 2022
This roadmap lays out developmental gains being targeted for the month of August. July was productive however not all the goals were accomplished. Not to worry! Unfinished July goals will rollover into August and the work continue around the clock! July Gains +Rem Sleep: 8 hour sleep, Time skip system +Deadly Humans: Village hunters, Poachers, Poacher Dogs, Traps +Open the full Playable roster for Patreons & Content Creators +Various bug fixes ROADMAP: August 2022 +Performance Gains: Map, Ai Logic, +Imperatives System +Over-heating & Shade system +Calories stats System +Short naps(Manual) +Tourists on all the roads +Playable: Zebra, Ostrich +Animal communication hud interface (Threaten, beg, distress, ect...) +Fix pen-kill mechanic for Leopard, Lion, wild cat +Overhaul Venom mechanic +Mother animals nursing and bringing back food to offspring +Expanding gore & body parts mechanics (Hyen…
- July Update #6 - 20 July 2022
JULY UPDATE #6 -New Ai behavior: Show Affection -New Ai behavior: Search for offspring -New Ai behavior: abandon offspring -New Ai behavior: Look at offspring -New Ai Behavior: Mother match baby speed while traveling -Added exit game to pause menu -New sprint behavior for baby giraffe -Adjusted greeting behavior for Mother npc -Adjusted mother walk speed to exclude sudden sprints -Adjusted food/water to 50% at start -Adjusted all enemy animals' attack stats to match growth -Adjusted stats of the entire human & animal roster -Smoothed head movement for most animals -Fixed head stuttering for giraffe -Fixed characters floating up into sky -Disabled home nests -Updated build to July 20,2022 CLARIFICATIONS -Mother npcs have switched to a new algorithm that allows them more complex behaviors, but the new system needs extensive adjustments and polish to be completely reliable. The word below…
- July Update #5 - 16 July 2022
JULY | UPDATE #5 -New Mechanic: Scent direction (tracking arrow) -New Mechanic: Distance to points of interest (Meters in compass) -New Spawn: South Desert Region -New Logic: animals intimidate via Warnings & Size -Password entry is saved until exiting the game -Moved Metabolism to stat window -Improved villager/cattle protection algorithm -Improved placement code for drinkable water puddles -Improved crocodile/Hippo pursuit logic -Improved animal defense logic, face target after retreat -Updated loading screen pictures -Increased view distance of Mt.Nefti -Increased aggression of Wild boar alphas -Increased Ibex speed -Decreased Light rain, Rain occurrences -Decreased wind volume -Decreased size of home marker -Fixed Mother npc stuck at beginning -Fixed black leopard using old control system -Fixed REM sleep stopping at midnight -Fixed Poachers & weapons fire, stabilized base code -Fix…
- July Update #4 - 11 July 2022
JULY UPDATE #4 -New Mechanic: Parent, Herd Leader Activity/Emote under name -New Mechanic: Daily Imperatives (Routine aka Gameplay Loop) -Set REM sleep to vary between 4-10hours -Removed target from guineafowl -Added more activity cues for Mother communication -Added status/Abilities bar (Inactive) -Added blood/Carcasses to compass -Forced on Heat haze & dust -Improved Mother daily routine behavior -Locked render scale from adjustments in Graphics -Fixed combat damage skipping Hide/Skin/Armor -Fixed Leopard Mother skipping standup movement -Fixed missing player sensor from human characters -Fixed Rock Python & Ranger Dev access -Fixed compass fade in timing -Fixed Village hunters not attacking Predators -Fixed Lion mother head spinning too far to focus on things -Fixed combat music getting stuck after fighting CLARIFICATIONS -We are in the middle of releasing a cluster of new updates. A…
- July Update #3 - 8 July 2022
JULY UPDATE #3 -New Mechanic: Hunting Grounds -Improved fade in/out for compass -Improved Lion mane physics/performance -Improved damage text calculation & visibility -Removed player trample damage against plants -Improved collision rules for medium bushes & trees -Improved Flee/Retreat Combat Logic -Increased Villager view distance -Adjusted Giraffe Stats -Testing collision sounds on some bushes & tress -Removed enemies from player area on startup(Spawn killing) -Fixed compass icons not perfectly in middle -Fixed combat music stuck playing -Fixed collision for some trees -Fixed player damage counter not showing CLARIFICATIONS KNOWN ISSUES -Don't try to pounce snakes atm, you may fall through the map -There are some floating rocks in Central Grasslands because some terrain info got overwritten. I'll be restoring it soon. -Built-in Photomode pics being saved to unknown location(Use Steam…
- July Update #2 - 6 July 2022
JULY | UPDATE #2 -Documnentary mode now restricted to Patreons & Content Creators -New Compass icon: Hunting grounds (Meat symbol) -Improved roster menu spacing -Fixed Content Creator passwords not working -Fixed lighting strikes showing danger radius] -Fixed camera colliding with villiage hunter -Fixed Lion trot movements -Updated build version to July 5 CLARIFICATIONS -The 29 playable animals in Survival mode are open for Patreon supporters and Content Creators to take an early look. -The naming system is intended to give every animal its own unique name, but will first apply only to Mothers and herd leaders. The available names pool is small at the moment so you may see some names repeat, but the pool will grow over time until no two creators get the same name. KNOWN ISSUES -Pouncing Guineafowls damages the player, avoid pouncing guineas for the moment -The Central Grasslands region…
- July Update #1 - 6 July 2022
JULY | UPDATE #1 New access for Patreon supporters & Content Creators (password in discord) New Mechanic: REM Sleep(Long Sleep) New Mechanic: Naming System for animals (Mother, Herd Leader) New Intro/Disclaimer message Improved Hippo & Croc water behaviors Improved Performance near water Improved flight control System Improved Wildebeest Mother defensive behavior Stopped elephant movement while attacking Removed enemies from player start area Fixed player spawning on top of buildings Fixed animal names getting stuck on screen Altered jaw poses of lionesses Build version updated to July 5, 2022 CLARIFICATIONS -Documentary mode is temporarily available to all players in the demo. It will soon be restricted to Patreon supporters and content creators, who will continue to have access via a password, and will soon also be able to choose animals freely. -The 29 playable animals in Survival mo…
- ROADMAP: July 2022 - 3 July 2022
This roadmap lays out the gains I'm targeting for the month of July. Updates & patches are going to be coming fast and in clusters so stay tuned! ROADMAP: July 2022 +More optimized performance +8hr Sleep, Short naps, and Time skip System +Deadly Poachers, Dogs, traps +Deadly village hunters +Tourists on all the roads +Animal communication hud interface (Threaten, beg, distress, ect...) +Fix pen-kill mechanic for Leopard, Lion, wild cat +Open the full Playable roster for Patreons & Content Creators +Overhaul Venom mechanic +Mother animals nursing and bringing back food to offspring +Expanding gore & body parts mechanics (Hyenas walking around with zebra legs) +More terrain detail within existing playable regions +More named locations and playable regions +Villagers doing village life things in the villages +Co-op PvE
- June Update #4 - 1 July 2022
UPDATE | June 30- 2022 -New Mechanic: Unique names for all animals -New Situational Music: Mother death -Mothers try to fetch baby before running from prey -Removed Will Smith quote, because he slapped Chris Rock -Fixed mother spawning too close -Fixed mothers getting male sex -Fixed some buffalo appearing too shiny -Improved Buffalo run/walk anims CLARIFICATIONS -Documentary mode is temporarily available in the demo. It will soon be restricted to Patreon supporters and content creators, who will continue to have access via a password, and will soon also be able to choose animals freely. -If you encounter significant lag, go into your graphical settings, and turn down your shadows to low, then if needed turn down your view distance. KNOWN ISSUES -One of the added animals is spawning under the map(Will fix asap) -Fatal error related to spawning under the map(Will fix asap) -Built-in Phot…
- June Update #3 - 29 June 2022
PATCH | June 29- 2021 Added 3 Playable Animals (Random) New Natural Distaster: Lightning Strikes New Mechanic: Trample damage for food bushes New Mechanic: Grooming/Bathing Corrected Giraffe def stats Increased water loss while sprinting Increased Giraffe mother visibility distance Increased partly cloudy weather Increased animal scent particle travel Improved retreat logic Improved visibility of compass Improved Nearest forage area calculation Improved Mother npc pace and speed Improved Flee logic Improved Flood logic Improved all animals resting cycles Improved Tornado logic, fade-in sound, slowed down movement Improved flies and gnats sounds Improved Croc/Hippo water aggression Darkened flood water Fixed healing Armour & HP error Fixed mother heart emotes Fixed Forage area marker displaying migrate Fixed player trample not working on birds and bugs Fixed bug and bird carcass logic Fi…
- DEVE BLOG #2 - 21 June 2022
Welcome back to The Great Circle! Since Dev Blog #1, TGC has released 8 significant updates and patches. Towards the end of April, I discovered a serious bug that required me to stop updating and do a comprehensive audit of the entire game code. Thankfully the the flaw was found and removed, and I'm now ready to resume releasing new updates. THE APRIL BUG... Best practices ensure that TGC updates are tested at several stages before releasing on steam. Most flaws go unnoticed by players, and are so minor that they are often accepted as part of the ongoing early access development process, but every once in a while (1-2 a year for TGC) a truly game-braking bug is discovered. One day a player updates their game and suddenly cant even launch it. That qualifies as a very serious bug, but how does something that bad even make it so far onto steam? The April bug was of a variety I call phantom…
