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Devblogs/2024
From Walkscape Walkthrough
< Devblogs
In 2024, DevBlogs #29–51 covered WalkScape's first year of Closed Beta, from the initial release and early access waves through Wave 3.5. The period focused heavily on stabilising the game after launch, especially Android pedometer reliability, step loading, server performance, Portal account linking, and update infrastructure. Major gameplay additions included Achievements, Abilities, Consumables, Job Boards, Faction Reputation, WalkPedia, Friends, clothing and barber services, and the Syrenthia update. The team also expanded with the hiring of myzozoz, improved internal tooling, attended several conventions, and won the Audience Award at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki. By the end of the year, development focus had shifted toward engine optimisation and Quality of Life features such as Gear Sets, improved notifications, Travel + 1 Queue, bank and inventory improvements, Parties, Trading, Combat, and Quests as key steps toward Open Beta.
Posted on December 12, 2024.
- Wave 3.5 was scheduled to begin on December 15th, with Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee supporters receiving immediate Closed Beta access during the wave.
- Gear Sets were previewed as the next Quality of Life feature, planned to launch alongside the engine optimisation update.
- Gear Sets were prioritised after being the most requested feature in a previous QoL poll.
- Core Gear Sets functionality had been completed, with UI polish and finishing touches remaining.
- The engine optimisation had been completed and released to internal testers, though small bugs still needed fixing.
- The development team planned a holiday break from December 23rd to January 1st, with no DevBlog on December 26th and the next DevBlog planned for January 9th.
Added
- Gear Sets for saving and re-equipping full equipment loadouts.
- “Copy currently equipped gear” option for creating a set from the player's current equipment.
- Gear Explorer tool for choosing equipment while creating or editing a set.
- Gear Explorer sorting by attribute, activity-based filtering, item comparison, and search.
- Gear Set sharing and importing between players.
- Gear Set organisation options, including name, icons, colour, skills, and activities.
- Gear Set inventory and bank handling, including automatic withdrawal from the local bank when possible.
Planned
- Gear Sets integration with Travel + 1 Queue.
- Skill filtering in Gear Explorer.
- Aggregate Gear Set stat display while building a set.
- Activity-based comparison for showing a full stat breakdown against specific activities.
- Work efficiency from level display to help choose suitable gear.
- Engine optimisation update for Closed Beta testers, likely sometime in January depending on bug fixing.
- Devtools 2.0 to improve future content development workflow.
- Activity structure expansion needed for upcoming content and queueing features.
- A future major content update, with design and art assets already prepared by Floursifter and maxchill.
- Some form of advanced sawmill-related support was suggested in an OP comment as planned for the update.
Known issues
- Internal testing of the optimised engine found several small bugs.
- The next major content update was bottlenecked by development work, including activity structure expansion and the need for improved development tools.
Posted on November 28, 2024.
- Wave 3.5 was announced as a supporter-only interim wave running from December 15th, 00:00 UTC+0 to January 7th, 00:00 UTC+0.
- New applications were not planned for Wave 3.5, but Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee supporters with linked Portal accounts could gain access.
- The GDTE swamp area visual overhaul and many newly designed items were previewed.
- Engine optimisations were completed, with testing still needed before release.
- The optimised engine was reported to process even 3 million steps in about one second during testing.
- OP comments clarified that the Portal account page provides platform-specific download instructions, including if a player later switches between iOS and Android.
Added
- Reworked in-game notification bubbles.
- New notification bubbles for procs, arrivals, collectibles, achievements, item quality, saved steps, and realm reputation.
- Sticky notification bubbles for achievements and collectibles.
- Rebuilt “While you were away” view.
- World map playback in the “While you were away” view.
- XP bars, level-up feedback, rare event animations, chronological progress playback, and reopening support for the “While you were away” view.
- Patreon membership gifting test, including limited free one-month memberships.
Changed
- In-game notifications were rebuilt to support the new engine optimisations.
- Item notifications were changed to show looted and crafted item quality more clearly.
- “While you were away” was changed to appear after significant walks rather than only after a full restart.
- Core party management functionality had been completed, though the Party system still required more features before release.
Planned
- Release of the optimisation update during Wave 3.5 or shortly after.
- Gear Sets after the new notification systems were finished.
- Party system two-week challenges.
- Ability to see party members on the world map.
- Server-side additions and further testing before releasing the optimised engine.
Posted on November 14, 2024.
- Game engine and load time optimisation continued after DevBlog #48.
- Load time optimisation was completed, with the development version loading faster than the Not a Cult logo fade-in.
- Data compression was added for the heaviest server calls, reducing expected data usage by about 75%.
- The next optimisation target was step loading, especially preventing step loss when connection drops or the game is closed or backgrounded during loading.
- New sprites were shown for two upcoming skills.
- Character Borders were previewed as a planned Party System feature.
- The WalkScape Choose Your Own Adventure series on Discord resumed, with some details from those stories already used in game and as lore testing for future quests.
- maxchill's art streams returned, usually scheduled on Fridays from 17:00 to 19:00 GMT+2.
Changed
- Game startup and server-call performance were improved.
- Heavy server calls were compressed to reduce data transfer.
- Engine and server technology changes were mostly completed before moving to step loading work.
Planned
- Step loading optimisation and fixes before the next DevBlog.
- A system where failed step loading can retry later without losing steps.
- Internal testing for the step loading fixes because of the scope of the engine changes.
- Gear Sets, ideally released alongside the optimisation and step loading fixes.
- Character Borders for the upcoming Party System.
- Possible wider use of unlockable Character Borders in other parts of the game.
Known issues
- Steps could still be lost if internet connection dropped or the game was closed or backgrounded while loading steps.
- Step loading issues had been especially frustrating for some Android players.
Posted on October 31, 2024.
- Work had begun on the engine overhaul needed before larger Quality of Life features, with Gear Sets planned as the first QoL feature afterward.
- Two new skills were teased for a future major content update, with design and art work already underway.
- A recent minor update and hotfixes had fixed many remaining issues, with smaller issues still planned for later updates.
- myzozoz was continuing work on the Party system.
- OP comments indicated that the next beta wave was likely around the holidays.
Changed
- Game loading and processing was being reworked to use Flutter isolates and multi-threading.
- Initial loading optimisation reduced local game loading time from over 5 seconds to around 500 ms, excluding server calls.
- Game logic was being decoupled into a separate package that could be shared between the game, development tools, server, and possible future companion apps.
- Game event processing was being rebuilt around a more stateless Event Queue system.
- Data structures were being optimised, including replacing some ordered lists with key-value maps or more efficient searchable structures.
Planned
- Gear Sets as the first major Quality of Life feature after the engine work.
- Further Quality of Life updates that depend on the engine overhaul.
- Future notifications using background game loop processing.
- Possible future home screen widgets, smartwatch companion apps, and server-side game processing using the decoupled game logic.
- Game state rollback for interrupted step loading.
- Continued Party system development.
- Two new skills in a later major content update.
Known issues
- Loading many steps could cause several seconds of UI freezing because heavy calculations were still processed on the same CPU thread as rendering.
- Steps could be lost if step loading was interrupted by closing the game, backgrounding it, or losing internet connection.
- Server calls still needed separate optimisation after local loading improvements.
Posted on October 17, 2024.
- Two post-Syrenthia hotfixes, versions +332 and +335, had been released during the previous two weeks.
- The patches fixed multiple player-reported issues and improved several confusing UIs.
- Translations were added to the game, with translation infrastructure expanded to support more languages and regional variants such as UK English.
- The next major development focus was announced as a Quality of Life update, aimed at polishing existing systems and improving the core gameplay loop.
- A poll was opened to help prioritise Quality of Life features, with OP comments stating that results would be posted publicly the following week.
- myzozoz was working on multiplayer features, starting with Parties and followed by Player Trading.
Added
- Game translations.
- Translation infrastructure for additional languages and regional variants.
- Quality of Life poll.
Changed
- Several confusing UIs were improved through recent hotfixes.
- Development focus was shifting from post-Syrenthia patching to broader Quality of Life improvements.
- The Quality of Life update was planned to release features gradually rather than all at once.
Planned
- WalkPedia completion, including missing pages, multi-tab navigation, and in-game links to WalkPedia content.
- Travel + 1 Queue, allowing players to travel and then automatically start a selected activity at the destination.
- 1 + Travel, allowing players to finish an activity condition before automatically travelling elsewhere.
- Crafting Queue and Crafting Overhaul, including queued recipes, bank interaction where available, and improved crafting UI.
- Banking and Inventory overhaul, including customisable bank tabs, inventory sorting, drag-and-drop item movement, and item locking.
- Gear Sets, including saved equipment sets and automatic withdrawal from a local bank where possible.
- Tracking and favouriting for achievements, skill levels, leaderboards, recipes, locations, items, and other content.
- Customisable notifications for events such as full inventory, full step bank, or arriving at a destination.
- Game engine improvements to support future Combat, Parties, Trading, and Quests.
- Party system, followed by Player Trading.
Posted on October 3, 2024.
- The post was a short convention and Portal status update.
- The planned game hotfix was delayed because schamppu was ill with seasonal flu.
- WalkScape attended Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki and W Love Games in Helsinki.
- WalkScape won the Audience Award at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki.
- myzozoz won 3rd place in the Very Big Indie Pitch.
- OP comments noted that convention feedback included appreciation that WalkScape respects players' time and does not require a large daily time commitment.
Added
- Username + password login, including support in the game.
- Ability to resend email verification messages.
Changed
- Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee status updates were fixed or improved.
- Portal and server stability, security, and under-the-hood systems were improved.
- Portal error messages were made clearer.
- Email verification was reworked.
Planned
- Delayed game hotfix after returning from conventions.
- Work on the next update after the hotfix.
Posted on September 19, 2024.
- The post was originally numbered as DevBlog #47, but an edit clarified that it should be DevBlog #45.
- Wave 3 was still ongoing, with immediate Closed Beta access available through Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee until October 6th.
- The first year of Not a Cult as a company had ended, alongside a little over two years of WalkScape development.
- The team reviewed the remaining major features needed before Open Beta: Trading, Combat, and Quests.
- The Closed Beta had been running for nine months, with the team expanded and more features added since launch.
- The rough Open Beta target was given as sometime in Q3/Q4 of the following year, assuming the remaining planned work could be completed.
Planned
- Portal fixes for beta access and email verification issues.
- Syrenthia hotfixes.
- Localisation support, including changing translations in game.
- Party system, planned as myzozoz's next feature after Portal and localisation work.
- Quality of Life update, potentially released in multiple parts.
- Combat development to begin before or around the end of the year.
- Trading to reach at least internal testing before or around the end of the year.
- Reworked development tools to support faster content updates and combat-related content work.
- Quests after Combat and Trading.
- Smart watch and wearable support when Google Health Connect becomes suitable.
- Possible Guilds if time allows.
Changed
- Development focus was shifting from recently added systems such as achievements, consumables, jobs, and reputation toward the remaining Open Beta requirements.
- Portal was planned to receive stability work and a broader UI rework.
- Game engine work was planned to improve demanding calculations, step loading time, and step-loss cases.
- Internal development tools were being reworked because the previous tools were less suitable for a multi-person content team.
- Infrastructure and scaling work was planned to reduce server-call delays and prepare for Open Beta.
Known issues
- Health Connect was not yet suitable for wearable support because manually added steps in other health apps were not being filtered out.
- Wearable support was delayed so that iOS and Android support could release together.
- Moderation tools were still limited, with some moderation work requiring direct database changes.
- Trading was expected to need longer testing because of exploit and abuse risks.
- Combat was clarified in OP comments as an active downtime feature using combat points, but not intended to make WalkScape require hours of active play each day.
Posted on September 5, 2024.
- Wave 3 was ongoing, with instant Closed Beta access available through Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee until October 6th.
- The Syrenthia update was described as the end of the team's Syrenthia-focused development period, with the update adding achievements, PFP customisation, consumables, faction reputation, 11 locations, job boards, Friends, and other content.
- The team was generally happy with the Syrenthia release, though several issues remained to be fixed in later patches.
- The next development period was planned to focus on internal tooling, a pedometer rework, broader QoL features, small Syrenthia updates, and a GDTE update.
- Internal content tooling was planned to be redesigned so the larger team could work on art, text, and game content more efficiently.
- OP comments confirmed that travel + 1 queue was planned, while a crafting queue would be explored.
Changed
- The team planned to change how game content is managed and developed internally.
- Future development was planned to better separate long-term feature work from smaller content updates.
- Job Board balance was being adjusted, especially for normal-quality tool tasks and some fine-material quantity breakpoints.
- Faction reputation and region chest rewards were expected to receive further balance changes.
- Syrenthia was expanded during design from 4 locations to 6 locations.
Planned
- Internal tooling rework.
- Pedometer rework to address losing steps when connection is lost or when the game is swiped away too quickly.
- Broader activity rework.
- Travel + 1 queue.
- Gear sets.
- Small Syrenthia content updates.
- GDTE update.
- Tutorial improvements to better explain useful early-game consumables such as cooked shrimp and nettle tea.
- More content and faster progression toward high-level play before Open Beta, though OP comments stated that content to level 99 could not be promised for Open Beta launch.
- More complex future activities and skills based on the planned activity rework.
- Further Open Beta economy balancing once more player data is available.
Known issues
- WalkPedia was not loading on some accounts, especially for early players affected by old activity-cancelling tracking issues.
- Some Android devices were not showing offline reward popups because of device settings.
- Consumables had visual issues when consuming one item at a time and could automatically turn back on after restarting an activity.
- Text search boxes behaved incorrectly, with manual backspacing suggested as a temporary workaround.
- Faction reputation could round strangely when gained as an activity completion reward.
- Some localisation errors remained after the localisation system had to be changed shortly before the Syrenthia release.
Posted on August 22, 2024.
- Wave 3 was ongoing, with instant Closed Beta access available through Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee until October 6th.
- The post was written by maxchill while schamppu and myzozoz were promoting WalkScape at Gamescom 2024.
- The DevBlog presented WalkScape as a walking-focused MMORPG and outlined five reasons to play: improving walking habits, character progression, exploring Arenum, social competition, and non-predatory gameplay.
- A Discord survey found that respondents' average daily steps increased from 6,331 to 11,413 after playing WalkScape, with later invite waves showing larger increases among more casual walkers.
- WalkScape was described as inspired by classic MMORPG skill progression, with nine current skills and more planned later.
- Arenum was described as a faction-divided world with locations, NPCs, buildings, jobs, faction benefits, and unlockable areas.
- Current social features included leaderboards and the Friends system, with future multiplayer features planned.
- The game was reiterated as ad-free, without daily FOMO mechanics or intrusive monetisation.
- OP comments clarified that WalkScape works with only a phone and does not require a smartwatch or extra app.
- OP comments also stated that monetisation was planned to be similar to RuneScape, with a monthly subscription for more content and a one-time purchase option for single-player mode.
- OP comments noted that Open Beta was still some time away because major features such as combat, trading, quests, encounters, group content, and PvP were still missing.
Posted on August 8, 2024.
- WalkScape was accepted for a free business-side booth at Gamescom through the Creative Media Stands EU initiative.
- Wave 3 and the Syrenthia update were planned for release between August 19th and 21st, with the wave ending on September 30th.
- Supporters on Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee before September 30th were planned to receive instant Closed Beta access during the wave.
- The update was expected to include Consumables, Job Boards, Faction Reputation, in-game Friends, privacy settings, and a large amount of new content.
- The short development window before Gamescom meant some features could be delayed or require hotfixes after the convention.
Added
- Consumables, including food and future potion slots.
- Step-based consumable durations.
- Memospheres as instant-effect consumables that grant experience.
- Job Boards with three randomised daily jobs per board.
- Faction Reputation systems for Jarvonia, Syrenthia, Trellin, and Erdwise.
- In-game Friends management through the Social menu.
- Character search, friend adding, and character statistics viewing.
- Privacy settings for step visibility and leaderboard anonymity.
- 100+ new items.
- 10+ new activities.
- 7+ new locations.
- 50+ new crafting recipes.
Changed
- Friends functionality was expanded from Portal into the game.
- Privacy settings were opt-out, with protections enabled by default for both new and existing players.
- Job Boards were designed as repeatable mini-quest content and as an item sink before player trading.
Planned
- Potions to be created through the future Alchemy skill.
- Additional instant-effect consumables, including teleportation scrolls, healing items, and other effects.
- More job types beyond initial gather-item and give-item objectives.
- Future Faction Reputation unlocks such as special shops, services, shop discounts, routes, buildings, and titles.
- Guilds to use the Faction Reputation system in the future.
- Party system development after in-game Friends.
- Hotfixes and any delayed content additions after Gamescom.
- A QoL update after the Syrenthia release.
Known issues
- The release target carried a higher bug risk because of limited testing time before Gamescom.
- Some planned content or features could be cut from the initial Syrenthia release if they were not ready in time.
Posted on July 11, 2024.
- The Achievements Update was released as WalkScape's biggest update so far.
- The release was delayed by a critical bug that required additional maintenance, but the issue was fixed within a few hours.
- A small follow-up patch was planned before schamppu's summer vacation from July 16th to July 23rd.
- No DevBlog was planned for July 25th, with the next DevBlog scheduled for August 8th.
- Work had already started on the next major feature and content update, with design work described as nearly finished.
Added
- Achievements Update.
- Achievements and related reward track.
- WalkPedia, which had originally been planned for after Syrenthia.
Planned
- Account privacy features, including options to hide step sharing, limit account visibility to friends only, or make the account fully private.
- Syrenthia, with an ambitious target of being ready before the end of August.
- Realm Reputation, Job Boards, and Consumables as the remaining major Syrenthia features.
- A small patch to fix issues found after the Achievements Update release.
Known issues
- A critical bug slipped through testing during the Achievements Update release, temporarily delaying the end of maintenance mode.
Posted on June 27, 2024.
- Phase one of the Friends system was released on Portal, allowing players to add friends and use friends-only leaderboards.
- The Achievement Update was planned to release before the next DevBlog, with the update estimated to be around 95% complete.
- Major balancing work was prepared for the Achievement Update, including crafted tool attribute rebalancing, primary and secondary slot changes, Smithing changes, service attributes, and a scrap system pilot.
- The NPC shop system was reworked to support more currencies, item trading options, improved search, better UI, and buyback.
- Progress was shown on WalkPedia, described as an in-game guide and collection log for encountered content.
- The Adventurer's Guild was introduced as the first NPC guild pilot, with Adventurer's Guild Outposts and Adventurer's Guild Tokens.
Added
- Friends list and friend invites on WalkScape Portal.
- Friends-only leaderboards.
- New Users page on Portal for finding players.
- Adventurer's Guild pilot.
- Adventurer's Guild Tokens.
- Special stack sizes, including larger stacks for some currencies and single-stack heavy items.
- Swords and shields as new Smithing outputs.
- Scrap system pilot for Tinkering, Wood carving, Ship repair, and Horseshoe making.
- Service attributes for selected services.
- Non-skill requirements for some tools and gear.
- Improved shop search and shop item categories.
- Shop buyback for reversing mistaken purchases or sales.
Changed
- The arrows slot was changed into a more general back slot.
- Crafted tools were rebalanced using Gear Score Index, with normal-quality tools reduced and higher-quality crafts intended to remain useful longer.
- Tools were shifted toward material gain rather than bonus experience.
- Primary and secondary slot items were moved toward combat use, while existing skilling items were moved into tool-related roles.
- Most skills were given more possible tool loadout choices.
- Smithing bars became faster to create but give less experience.
- Bars can be transformed into corresponding metal swords and shields.
- Some activities now generate metal scrap or wood scrap instead of directly producing transformed materials.
- Agility experience from activities was reduced, especially for major outliers such as glacier foraging.
- Some Agility activities gained new progression mechanics and rewards.
- Shops were reworked to support currencies other than coins.
- Shop UI was made taller, building entry animations were sped up, and shop quantity input was improved.
Planned
- Achievement Update release before the next DevBlog, pending testing and app store approval.
- Friends system phase two in game.
- Friends system phase three with Parties.
- Portal profile and character sharing improvements.
- Ability to view other characters and their stats on Portal.
- Friends leaderboards inside the game with the Achievement Update.
- WalkPedia Lite, possibly in the Achievement Update or otherwise in Syrenthia.
- WalkPedia pages for activities, items, locations, skills, statistics, collection progress, bookmarks, tabs, and global search.
- Syrenthia, with many labour-intensive systems already completed and consumables and job boards remaining.
- Future uses for the scrap system, possibly including scrapping unused crafted items back into usable materials.
Known issues
- The Achievement Update was expected to contain issues because of its engine improvements, reworks, and new systems.
- The update would unequip all character gear on first load because of gear slot reworks, potentially causing overencumbrance or lower activity efficiency.
- Items that no longer meet new wearing requirements would be unequipped into the player's inventory.
Posted on June 13, 2024.
- Wave 2.5 was ending on June 15th, with Wave 3 still planned for around the end of summer.
- The upcoming Achievement Update was previewed, including clothing shops, wardrobe services, barber shops, balancing changes, new items, and the first phase of the Friends system.
- Two clothing shops were planned for the update, one in Jarvonia and one in GDTE.
- Character clothing options would need to be unlocked through achievements and quests, bought from shops, or owned from character creation.
- Myzozoz had fixed most recent Portal issues and improved Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee linking so access would be granted almost instantly in most cases.
Added
- Clothing shops in Jarvonia and GDTE.
- Clothing preview before purchase.
- Wardrobe service in larger cities for switching between owned clothing options.
- Barber shops for changing hair, face, and colour options.
- Dozens of new items.
- Improved Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee linking.
- Work on improved localisation and translation tools.
Changed
- Existing content balance was being revised, especially crafted tool stats.
- Basic tools were made significantly weaker to encourage early progression into copper and higher-tier tools.
- Tool balance was adjusted so higher-quality tools, especially Perfect quality tools, remain useful longer across tiers.
- Attribute distribution was reworked to reduce long-term scaling issues, especially with bonus experience on tools.
- Farganite tools were intended to better compete with current tier 50 looted equipment.
Planned
- Friends system to be released in three phases.
- Phase one of Friends: add and manage friends on WalkScape Portal, search users, set users as private or hidden, and view friend-only leaderboards.
- Phase two of Friends: bring friend management features into the game and add server notifications for friend invites and related features.
- Phase three of Friends: party system for 2–10 players, party members visible on the world map, party leaderboards, and recurring two-week party step challenges.
- Party challenge rewards for groups that meet their step goal, with an extra reward for the top contributor.
Posted on May 30, 2024.
- Wave 2.5 was scheduled to run from June 1st at 00:00 UTC to June 15th at 12:00 UTC for eligible Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee supporters.
- A new Android pedometer update was scheduled for release on the same day as the DevBlog, with players warned to open the game beforehand to avoid losing unclaimed steps.
- The Android pedometer was migrated to Google's new Android Health API, removing the need for Google Fit, extra installed apps, and most specific permissions.
- The upcoming pre-Syrenthia content update was announced, separating Achievements and Abilities from the larger Syrenthia release.
- Two new shirt designs by Sorgo were added to the WalkScape Store.
Added
- Android Health API-based pedometer support.
- 40+ achievements across easy, medium, hard, and extreme difficulties.
- Barber and wardrobe services for changing character appearance after creation.
- 3 new locations.
- Dozens of new items, including items related to achievements.
- A few new activities.
- Abilities with instant effects and time-based or step-based cooldowns.
- Achievement reward track with 22 unlocks based on total achievement points.
- First guild in WalkScape, with more guild features planned later.
Changed
- Android step tracking was changed to use a more privacy-focused local API without Google sign-in.
- Android background step tracking should work on more devices with updated Google Play Services.
- The Android foreground process and sticky notification were no longer needed, reducing expected battery use.
- Part of the Syrenthia feature and content work was split into an earlier interim update because Syrenthia had been delayed.
Planned
- The Achievements and Abilities update was expected within a few weeks.
- A more specific release date for the next update was planned once the team was certain it would be ready.
- Previous background notifications were planned to return in a later update with broader notification improvements.
- More guild features were planned for future releases.
Known issues
- De-googled Android devices may lose background pedometer support because the new system requires Google Play Services, specifically the fitness package.
- Previous notification features were temporarily unavailable because WalkScape was no longer doing background processing.
Posted on May 16, 2024.
- Wave 2.5 was announced for June 1st to June 15th, giving Closed Beta access to supporters before June 15th at 12:00 UTC.
- Wave 2.5 was introduced as an interim supporter wave because Wave 3 features were taking longer than expected, mainly due to prolonged Android pedometer work.
- The redesigned WalkScape website was released with a game-like visual style, live game statistics, recent development posts, wave timing information, a press kit, trailer, and updated roadmap.
- Android pedometer stability improved in version +242, with most serious issues considered resolved.
- Syrenthia feature development resumed, including work on Buffs, Consumables, Abilities, and a new bank.
- Player statistics from the Closed Beta were shared, including more than 1.5 billion total tracked steps.
- Combat design had begun, but combat remained far away because other core mechanics, especially Quests, were higher priority.
Added
- Wave 2.5 supporter access period.
- New WalkScape website.
- New website roadmap.
- Live updating game statistics on the website.
- New Syrenthia bank preview.
- Item keyword icons.
- Buffs and Abilities systems in development.
Changed
- Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee integration was planned to be reworked before Wave 2.5 to reduce supporter access delays.
- Android pedometer development shifted from major issue fixing toward permission-related edge cases.
- Background Android step counting had been optimised to reduce battery drain while preserving steps through phone restarts.
- Website and Portal visuals were planned to become more unified.
Planned
- Buffs and Consumables for Syrenthia, with one active food and one active potion allowed at the same time.
- Consumables selected during an activity, with unused items preserved if the activity stops.
- Abilities from rare and unique items, with cooldowns based on real-world time, steps, or actions.
- More Syrenthia screenshots once UI work became presentable.
- Further website polishing, especially for mobile.
- Continued gameplay feature work unless critical pedometer issues appeared.
Known issues
- Some Android background step-counting issues still depended on manufacturer, Android version, and permissions.
- Players with Android background step issues were advised to check settings such as Autostart, background usage, notification permission, unrestricted battery optimisation, and related manufacturer-specific options.
- The game did not yet automatically prompt players for all device-specific Android permission requirements.
Posted on May 2, 2024.
- Development progress slowed slightly because schamppu had the flu, but work continued on remaining pedometer issues.
- The recent pedometer update had progressed from build +200 to +206, fixing most issues while leaving some edge cases unresolved.
- Android pedometer issues remained the main priority because of device-specific complications.
- Myzozoz continued work on the WalkScape main website rework, adding new functionality intended to make game information clearer.
- Syrenthia feature work was planned to resume after the remaining pedometer issues were handled.
- Wave 3 timeline information was delayed until after Syrenthia, though partial access for newer supporters was possible if Syrenthia was delayed.
Fixed
- The incorrect weekday issue caused by month-change DateTime logic was fixed for the next version.
- iOS issues with excessive steps were fixed in internal builds.
- iOS issues with unusual step amounts after reinstalling or during network problems were fixed in internal builds.
Planned
- At least one more pedometer patch was planned for the week, with iOS fixes as a minimum target.
- HealthConnect support was planned after the basic pedometer was made fully functional.
- WalkPedia was planned as an important QoL feature for early game guidance and player experience.
- Wave 3 was intended to follow Android pedometer fixes, new content and features, and key QoL improvements.
Known issues
- Android could show a black screen when foregrounding the game, requiring a force stop.
- Some Android users could still receive too many steps, though the issue had decreased compared with earlier builds.
- Android background step counting could fail if required permissions, notifications, unrestricted battery optimisation, or autostart settings were not configured.
- Android pedometer debugging was difficult because behaviour varied by device, manufacturer, and Android version.
Posted on April 18, 2024.
- myzozoz joined Not a Cult as WalkScape's first hired developer.
- The company had finished its short-term scaling work, including renting an office and completing the hiring process.
- myzozoz began onboarding through website and Portal work before moving into direct game development.
- A minor update was planned before Syrenthia, including Android pedometer fixes, Daily Steps Graph improvements, Bank Search QoL, and balance changes.
- A small preview of new Syrenthia locations was shown.
Added
- Hourly and monthly step display options for the Daily Steps Graph.
- Bank search support for item keywords, gear type, and tool type.
Changed
- The Android pedometer update was nearly finished and in final internal testing.
- Android step tracking was being updated to avoid relying on Google Fit or HealthConnect by default.
- WalkScape health data was described as encrypted locally on the device.
- The Daily Steps Graph was changed to better reflect when steps were actually walked rather than when they were loaded into the game.
- Bank search was improved as a temporary aid before larger gear set and bank organisation features.
- Existing content balance changes by Floursifter were planned to go live with the update.
Planned
- Rework of the WalkScape website with clearer game access information and updated visuals.
- Portal improvements for Closed Beta applications, registration, Patreon and BMAC linking, general UX, and community website features.
- Future larger QoL improvements, including bank tabs and saved gear sets.
- The update was estimated for the following week after final internal testing and issue fixing.
Known issues
- Android pedometer reliability remained difficult because of device, manufacturer, and Android version differences.
- Android step data can reset on phone reboot without a background process.
- Background step tracking caused battery drain on some devices, especially Pixel phones.
- The current production Android build used significantly more background battery on affected devices than the internal test build.
- Any unclaimed steps would be lost when the update went live because of pedometer and local save changes, with at least 24 hours notice planned before release.
Posted on April 4, 2024.
- A Q&A stream and community interview with Eric were shared, including discussion of WalkScape's future during Wave 2.
- Syrenthia was revealed as a planned underwater mini-realm update, targeted for release in around two months.
- The update was planned to add multiple new locations, activities, recipes, items, services, and other progression systems.
- Not a Cult rented a small office room to improve work-life balance and support more sustainable development.
- Four candidates were being interviewed for an additional developer role.
- Development estimates were still based on a single developer, but onboarding another developer was expected to speed up future feature work after a few months.
Planned
- Syrenthia, a new underwater mini-realm with multiple locations and new content.
- Barber and wardrobe services for character customisation beyond initial character creation.
- A new bank.
- Achievements.
- Consumables.
- Realm reputation.
- Friends system, if feasible for the Syrenthia update.
- Job boards, if feasible for the Syrenthia update.
- Pedometer fixes and balancing updates before Syrenthia.
- WalkPedia in a later QoL update, including useful information, statistics, and a collection log system.
- A QoL improvement for selecting a number of actions for unlimited gathering activities, similar to crafting, so an activity can stop after a chosen amount of progress.
Current progress
- The Achievements system was nearly complete.
- Around 40 unique achievements had been added.
- Some achievements were planned to give special rewards in addition to achievement point reward track progress.
- Achievement points were likely to receive a new leaderboard.
- Collectibles were planned to give one achievement point each.
- A pedometer fix had entered development and was expected to begin internal testing during the week, with a hoped release alongside a balance update the following week.
Posted on March 21, 2024.
- A community-made WalkScape map tool by falarikae was shared, with hosting provided by the developer and source code made open source.
- The map tool includes filters for in-game services and activities, and supports direct links to specific locations.
- Android pedometer work remained ongoing after the new step-counting method fixed some major issues but introduced new device-specific problems.
- New features became the main development priority after recent work on bug fixes, infrastructure, and QoL.
- The team began looking to hire another developer, with full-time work preferred but part-time also possible.
Added
- WalkScape map tool at map.walkscape.app.
- Map filters for services and activities.
- Shareable map links for specific locations.
Changed
- Android step counting no longer relies on Google Fit or another fitness app on most devices.
- Android step counting no longer resets to zero after device reboot on most devices.
- Development focus shifted toward new features, with smaller QoL improvements and bug fixes still expected in each update.
Planned
- In-game world map filters and search, with in-game visibility limited to locations the player has already visited.
- Achievements, expected within a couple of weeks.
- Consumables and new content connected to the Consumables feature.
- Friends, Parties, and Trading after Achievements and Consumables.
- Trading was expected to need extended internal testing before public release.
- A later QoL update was planned to include bank tabs, saved gear sets, bank and inventory sorting/filtering, crafting with materials from a local bank, and travel+1 queue.
- More banks and services were planned, with many expected to be unlocked through quests or other methods.
- Google Fit and Apple Health integrations were planned after the non-Google Fit step-tracking method was made reliable.
Known issues
- Android 12 devices may need unrestricted battery permission and disabled app-pausing settings.
- Google Pixel devices had notably higher battery usage after the pedometer update, though similar issues could appear on other devices.
- Battery usage varied by manufacturer and model; the developer was testing on a Pixel 7 to reproduce and fix issues.
- The Android pedometer still required further work before being considered complete.
- Removing the Android foreground process and sticky notification remained an unresolved goal.
Posted on March 7, 2024.
- Closed Beta wave two launched, bringing the player count to more than six times wave one.
- Server statistics began being collected after the recent update, with early wave two totals including 129,751,089 steps and 2,608,854 actions.
- Wave two was confirmed to remain open until March 31st.
- Community feedback was being reviewed from Reddit and Portal, especially around early game attention requirements and future active gameplay systems.
- The developer reiterated that Closed Beta allows major issues to be fixed before the Open Beta economy begins.
Changed
- The Android pedometer was reworked from scratch.
- Android step tracking no longer requires Google Fit on devices where the pedometer was disabled without another active app.
- Android steps are no longer wiped by phone restarts or game updates.
- Google Cloud backups were disabled for step-count tracking files after they caused some players to load their full step history.
Fixed
- An upcoming patch was planned to fix the bug that granted extra steps when the game failed to read step-count files correctly.
- Extra steps gained from the step-history bug were planned to be removed from affected players.
- A second patch was planned to improve long launch times and add other fixes before new feature work resumed.
Planned
- Tutorial improvements were planned to address early game confusion and reduce required phone attention during walks.
- A future tutorial quest was planned to offer both lower-interaction and faster, more active onboarding paths.
- The travel+1 queue was planned so players could travel and then automatically begin an activity or crafting task after arriving.
- Optional notifications for arrival and activity completion were being considered.
- A possible 1+travel queue was also being considered, allowing players to finish materials or actions before travelling.
- A poll was opened to ask whether QoL and polish should be prioritised before Achievements and Consumables, or whether features should come first.
- Maxchill and Floursifter continued work on new content updates regardless of the poll result.
- Future active gameplay systems discussed included Friends, parties, world events, Guilds, Trading, Quests, Farming, player housing, Combat, Dungeons, skilling bosses, realm reputation, more skills, magic, and WalkPedia.
- Combat was clarified as a planned turn-based system using combat points gained from walking.
- Combat stats such as strength, dexterity, and defence were planned to level through activities and walking.
- A class system inspired by old school Final Fantasy job systems was planned, with classes switchable on the same character and levelled through combat.
- Smart watch support was confirmed as planned for later.
- Customisable font size was planned for the next update, with a light mode toggle also planned to improve readability in sunlight.
- Faction reputation was confirmed as planned.
Known issues
- Early game could require too much attention because the current tutorial was a placeholder and the game gave little direction.
- Travelling was identified as a major reason players had to check the game soon after starting a walk.
- Some players received extra steps due to a step-count file issue caused by Google Cloud backups changing file decryption keys.
- Long game launch times remained a target for upcoming optimisation.
Posted on February 22, 2024.
- The first smaller DevBlog covered the recent QoL update, lessons from the first game update, and work planned for wave two.
- The QoL update reworked the main UI, made navigation faster, automatically loaded characters, added more visible information, and improved access to common features.
- Player characters are now backed up before updates, with automatic daily backups also added.
- The next update was planned to add the first content update, including around 20 new activities, a new location, a new shop, new items, and additional collectibles.
- Wave two was expected to release within a week of the DevBlog.
- Smart watch, Samsung Health, and Google Fit integration had not started yet, as pedometer reliability issues were still the priority.
Added
- Left-handed mode.
- Ability to equip items while inspecting them.
- Ability to view the bank from any location.
- Option for characters to stop activity when overencumbered.
- Larger step bank.
- Tracker display at the top of the UI.
- Modifier source information.
- Character file backups before updates and automatic daily backups.
- In-depth logging for activity steps, travel, crafting, loot drops, chest openings, and other balance data.
Changed
- Main game UI was reworked to improve navigation speed.
- Characters now load automatically when opening the game.
- Performance was being improved after rendering issues appeared on some devices.
- Some visual elements were simplified to improve main-view performance.
Fixed
- Back buttons were added to the world map and buildings.
- Some heavy calculations and unnecessary rendering from the previous version were fixed.
- A hotfix was deployed after an update bug required maintenance mode.
Planned
- Portal changelogs and important status messages, including server downtime notices.
- First content update for wave two.
- Achievements, with historical character data intended to count toward later achievement progress.
- Additional bug fixes in the next update.
- Further QoL improvements, including a possible larger QoL-focused update later.
Known issues
- Some Android users could have characters fail to appear when opening the game; clearing app data and cache was suggested as a workaround.
- The first update deployment exposed infrastructure and notification gaps.
- Rendering performance worsened on some devices after Flutter-related changes, especially in the main view.
Posted on February 8, 2024.
- Development blogs resumed on a two-week schedule, with one larger post planned each month and a smaller update between them.
- Closed Beta wave one had launched, with early feedback and bug reports being reviewed after the initial release period.
- The Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee integrations were rebuilt to improve supporter linking, eligibility checks, and Closed Beta invite handling.
- Wave two was planned for roughly two weeks later, after important fixes and QoL improvements were completed.
- A new developer was being onboarded to help reduce the single-developer bottleneck.
- Player feedback was described as positive overall, especially around WalkScape encouraging players to walk more.
Added
- Portal now shows the earliest support date, next-wave eligibility, and an estimated invite timing for eligible supporters.
- Server emails were added for Closed Beta eligibility and game download invitations.
- BMAC linking was updated to support one-time support events.
- Localisations were being added to the game, Portal, and website.
Changed
- Patreon and BMAC status checks were changed from hourly to every 20 minutes.
- Patreon and BMAC status checks were no longer limited by runtime, fixing scaling issues with supporter processing.
- Patreon and BMAC email handling was improved to tolerate trailing spaces in supporter email addresses.
- Chest and gear acquisition were identified as future balance targets, since most gear was currently gated behind chests until more loot sources were added.
Planned
- Wave two participants were planned to be invited in February.
- February priorities included bug fixes, QoL improvements, minor content, Friends, Consumables, Achievements, and localisations.
- March was planned to include the first minor update with new features and more content.
- April was planned to include a second minor update and wave three invitations.
- May-June was planned to include the first major update, focused on a significant new feature to improve game longevity, alongside another smaller content update.
- New items, rare drops, and recipes were planned before or around wave two.
- The saved steps limit was planned to increase.
- Portal polls were planned so players could help influence future update priorities.
- Smart watch support was confirmed as desired but described as a larger feature, with current bugs and phone pedometer reliability taking priority first.
- New supporters could still gain access to wave two until the unannounced wave two cutoff date; after that, access would move to wave three.
Known issues
- The “rollback” issue could load an older save after connection loss or rapid reopening, especially on iOS.
- Smaller issues included Miner’s Shirt being treated as pants, incorrect item attributes, broken total level leaderboards after a server update, skiing and frisbee golfing not working, and infinite waiting when a character name was already taken.
- Chest balancing was not yet ideal, especially for players who walk less and for transformation skills such as carpentry, smithing, and cooking.
- GDTE had limited content, though its gated access made this a lower immediate issue.
- Swipe/navigation issues, especially on iOS, were planned to be fixed before wave two.
Posted on January 18, 2024.
- Closed Beta wave one was made available for download through the Portal account page, with the game initially kept in maintenance mode before play opened.
- Closed Beta characters were confirmed to be wiped before Open Beta, with a possibility of additional wipes if major technical issues require them.
- Wave two was planned for after the first update, estimated at around three weeks depending on launch bugs and critical issues.
- A Closed Beta update structure was outlined: OTA content updates and minor patches every 1–3 weeks, minor feature updates every 1–2 months, and major updates roughly once per quarter.
- Farming was named as the first planned major update, with future regions such as Wallisia, Galeforge, and Wrentmark mentioned as possible later additions.
- Players were expected to help influence feature priorities through Portal and in-game polling.
- The Closed Beta version requires an internet connection to open and interact with the online game, while phone pedometer steps still count offline and during maintenance.
- Offline mode was planned for later as a separate way to play without any internet requirement.
- The developer planned to attend Pocket Gamer Connects in London from January 21–26, with the first fixes and polish update expected after returning.
Added
- Closed Beta wave one download access through the Portal account page.
- Temporary tutorial mechanics to introduce some game functions.
- Infrastructure for OTA content updates, online requirements, and game validation.
Planned
- Achievements and Consumables were listed as top post-launch priorities.
- Localisations, settings, and additional QoL features were planned for the following weeks.
- An adventure mode was mentioned as a possible future solution for longer periods without internet access.
Known issues
- Apple review delays affected iOS/TestFlight availability, delaying the lifting of maintenance mode until Apple allowed users to download the game.
- Game validation, OTA updates, and other recently added systems had bugs and confusing error messages; restarting or reinstalling was suggested as a temporary fix.
- Android step counting could fail after restarting the phone because the pedometer resets to 0; players were advised to open the game before and immediately after restarting.
- UI elements and tutorial coverage were incomplete, and some search/settings/QoL functions were not yet working.
- Performance had not yet been fully optimised, with Android expected to lag more than iOS on some devices.
- The Patreon linking system slowed down after a large increase in supporters, causing recently linked Patreons to not be processed correctly.
