October Event News Collection
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October Event News Collection
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Posted 2023-09-28 03:58:14 (edited)
Halloween SpectacleAs the eerie whispers of the spooky season surround us, we beckon you to join in a hair-raising Halloween event!First off, a brief note: Initially, we planned a storyline to unfold, expanding upon the Pyre event from last year. However, due to unforeseen hitches in certain realms, neither the narrative nor the art could be finished in time for the launch. We will instead be completing the work to ensure it is ready for October 2024. We apologize for the delay, but we opted against a rushed, late launch, which would shorten the event as November looms. The last thing we'd want is to cause undue pressure on our dedicated crew. If you'd like to take a peek on some teasers of the artwork, here's two finished illustrations and one during progress, so you can get a taste of delicious things to come next year.    Thus, we've steered our cauldron towards concocting a lightweight event, still brimming with the thematic essence we initially intended! The PyreThe enigmatic Pyre stands tall, its logs and branches piled sky-high, awaiting the bewitched flame come October 24th.Mysterious EffigiesA new progress bar now graces the Mysterious Effigy collection! Should the community's collective endeavor garner enough effigies to fill the bar, a new NPC shall emerge from the shadows!As this is the first run of this progress bar, we will be keeping an eye on the numbers in case we've overestimated what you guys will be able to achieve, we may adjust them at various points to ensure that all tiers are opened by the end of the month at the latest. Mohkra Mohkra, with her daily quests, offers a venture most spooky. Yielding currency and experience for your lead wolf, she's a companion in this eerie journey. Once Tier 2 of the progress bar is attained, Mohkra will unveil her wares - some of which may pique your curiosity.
Tier 3 of Mohkra's shop reveals some more intriguing wares...  Wolf MeatFed up of leaving mutation breeding up to chance? Feel like the odds are never stacked in your favour? Well here's an item that can help tip the balance! Female wolves that consume Wolf Meat before their next breeding have a higher chance that a puppy in their litter will develop a random spontaneous mutation.  Wolf ScrotumAny wolf that consumes this item prior to breeding has a higher chance that a puppy in their litter will be born with the same mutation that they have!  Wolf BloodDisappointed your wolves don't carry any genetic mutations? Well, this item might be the one for you! Applying this item to the female wolf before breeding will infuse her veins with new blood - giving a small chance for a puppy in her next litter to develop a recessive mutation.  Ghost can be applied using a Base Applicator that can be purchased in Tier 3 of Mohkra's shop. Along with the Ghost base, you get a Marking Applicator with Ghost markings, and a matching set - Spectre skin, claws, and nose. To top it off, you can get Spectral eyes - with genetics that can pass Spectral and fail to White, Brown, and Red.
Land of the UnseenAs more and more effigies are gathered, a spooky transformation will take over Wolvden's landscapes and its fauna. A corruption in the lands - what could have caused this? Corrupted enemies will award more Mysterious Effigies in battle! Spiders We appreciate there are some arachnophobes in the world (and amongst our staff...) so we have added an explore "Spider visuals" toggle in Profile Settings. We will try our best to keep this updated as we add spider encounters, but we may not catch everything. This also only affects encounters in explore, and will not affect any decorations, images in shops, or elsewhere. Trick or TreatWhen the Pyre at last leaps into a fiery dance, the Trick or Treat tradition springs to life!Choose a wolf from your pack, bestow upon it a Mysterious Effigy, and travel to another player's den to exchange eerie delights! Trick or Treating will have a 5-minute cooldown, but is a way to turn 1 Mysterious Effigy into a Smouldering Effigy for the random player that receives it and earns 2-3 Mysterious Effigies for yourself! The AltarFor those waiting for the Altar, it is making its return, much like last year!
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  Abbey#1 |
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Posted 2023-11-06 04:37:49 (edited)
Cultural SensitivityA few months ago we polled about the Blue Jay Feather and where to move its position. We did this because it had been raised to us that it was culturally insensitive to Indigenous peoples of America. However, the poll itself also unveiled members of our community who were upset that the small hint at indigenous representation was set to be removed and erased entirely from the game. This left us with a bit of a quandry, and so we contacted a Cultural Consultant to discuss the issue - amongst other past situations that we've encountered surrounding this. Blue Jay Feather Decor We have been advised that as long as it's not an eagle feather, then the positioning of the blue jay feather behind the ear doesn't reveal any kind of unconscious bias or contribute towards a stereotype. Custom Decorations We have had a few members submit designs through the Custom Decoration system that are based on Indigenous designs, which other members have then reported as culturally insensitive. We asked how it would be best that we handle this since most people who submit a design to us often have a personal connection, and we do not want to prevent them from submitting their own representations of their culture to our game. We also do not want to accuse and interrogate members over whether they are authentic in their representation of these cultures. We will (in the next few months) add a field to custom decors to allow members to self-identify the tribe that the design "belongs" to, allowing members to share their culture and hopefully begin to nurture an environment of respect, inclusivity and education surrounding these items and designs. Herbert's Original Design We have been advised that the concern over his original appearance is valid and that clearing his decorative aspects was correct - we apologise for the misstep here. However, we have also been advised that perhaps dressing him in flowers and plants may be a fix for this, and give some flavour back to his design while still remaining respectful. Sage Items We raised our own concerns about the items "White Sage" amongst others, and were reassured that there is no unconscious bias or stereotype surrounding these items, and that they are fine to remain as they are. Halloween's "Corrupted Abomination" A concern was raised about the abomination's resemblance to a folkloric creature among Indigenous culture. We refuted any intention to create the abomination in any likeness to this creature at the time. We since raised the issue with the cultural consultant and she has reassured us that the abomination doesn't resemble any depiction of the creature that she is aware of. To Sum Up Ultimately, we want Wolvden to be an inclusive and diverse environment for players. We don't want to just erase the cultural inclusion to the game in an effort to stay respectful; instead we would rather work with members of those cultures to try and integrate representation into the game in a respectful way. We absolutely do not wish to offend anyone who plays our game; quite the opposite - we hope that all players feel safe here, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, creed. We will always endeavour to release respectful game art, and reject (or subsequently remove) any decors that are obviously disrespectful or harmful towards Indigenous cultures. We recognise that there are thousands of tribes around the world and there will be tribal items that are specific to one tribe and not used the same way for another. We also recognise that there are no generalised Indigenous art/drawings/designs that are going to be respectful to everyone in the Americas. This is hopefully an opportunity for learning and sharing knowledge for us all. We want to thank the cultural consultant, Stacey Parshall Jensen (she has given permission to be named), for her help in reviewing this with us. |
Abbey #1 |