1.5.0 hint?

[Purplecharmanderz]

Not going to be known to anyone not keeping up with the modding/code delving communities, but i think 1.5.0 got hinted at with how largos now work and how pure saber models were added to the files.


Summed up largos got simplified in creation to a more automated system rather than manually makeing them and such. This is a nice touch for the devs right? it means that making largoable slimes are not going to be as tedious to do right?

Now hold up, easier to make largoable slimes? 5 open plort slots on the plort market? Anyone else see where i am going with this?

[akkamaddi]

I mentioned the five open market slots a while back. Monomi Park is very stingy with their use of material. They want to tell a very tight story with nothing superfluous.

Which made those five empty slots really stand out.

As for the largoing process, I think that was simply pragmatism with the Secret Styles pack. I think the largos now look a little less "hand crafted", but they look good. I also *completely* understand why this was done, and actually thought it was done earlier.

Keep in mind that with Secret Styles, each largo is now *four* largos. With each slime you have both "o" (original) and "s" (secret), mixing slimes 1 and 2, resulting in 1o+2o, 1s+2o, 1o+2S, and 1s+2s.

Also, any new slime that can make a largo will have a Secret Style pack, and four largos with each existing slime.

I think the end result of their automated post-merge model building worked really well, and I'm glad that is one less *major* deterrent to adding new content. There could even be a Secret Style Pack ][: The Slimening!

[Purplecharmanderz]

I mentioned the five open market slots a while back. Monomi Park is very stingy with their use of material. They want to tell a very tight story with nothing superfluous.

Which made those five empty slots really stand out.

As for the largoing process, I think that was simply pragmatism with the Secret Styles pack. I think the largos now look a little less "hand crafted", but they look good. I also *completely* understand why this was done, and actually thought it was done earlier.

Keep in mind that with Secret Styles, each largo is now *four* largos. With each slime you have both "o" (original) and "s" (secret), mixing slimes 1 and 2, resulting in 1o+2o, 1s+2o, 1o+2S, and 1s+2s.

Also, any new slime that can make a largo will have a Secret Style pack, and four largos with each existing slime.

I think the end result of their automated post-merge model building worked really well, and I'm glad that is one less *major* deterrent to adding new content. There could even be a Secret Style Pack ][: The Slimening!

Fair enough, definitely has a major impact on the secret style system (and damn well makes my life easier with my shiny mod in development) but definitely has some potential to be hinting at the next slime to come being largoable in addition.

[akkamaddi]

I know it's a refrain I often sing, but i'm still hoping 1.5 is Crazy BOb, and I hope his appearances in Viktor's area are foreshadowing.

I would actually like the next area to not be a combination racetrack style / Go-Fetch-Me quest. I would like the next area to just be an area with its own storytelling mini-quest. I think a good model would be a segmented ranch, like your own. You start with a small ranch with two farming / two science slots, and the new open area. Then, have three areas (perhaps two farm, one each, and two science) behind barriers that you can unlock by showing your worthiness and having large collectable quests. For the two science spot area, perhaps deposit 100 each of Fire, Water, Pink, and Quantum Plorts. For the two farm spot area, perhaps 100 each of Prickly Pear, Silver Parsnip, Mint Mango, and Odd Onion. For the mixed area, deposit resources gathered in the new area.

Actually, thinking about it, I think this would be a perfect model for Thora's area. It would suit her persona of "helpful older rancher" perfectly.

Anyway, that's a bit OT....

With the automated largo modeling you discussed, I personally have a few suspicions.

First, I think that in 6-9 months there will be a second secret styles pack. The development blog gave examples of how many models were created, and they are all good. A secret style pack would be formidable if they are hand-making the largos, but now that major hurdle is overcome. I also have a suspicion that there may not be one, but two or three that are themed. I think they could do steampunk, retro, sci-fi, apocalyptic, or kawaii style packs. I think that if they could make money on their product in a way that is not predatory, they are entitled to do so, and some of those I would actually buy if I could. The style pack is a great "love donation" type support, because it does not in any way affect the game. I think this is why Monomi has kept away from paid DLC that is actual game content. While I would be happy to pick up a cheap DLC that adds a new slime and food into the existing game, I respect that they want to give everyone the same gameplay experience, and they do not want fans who cannot afford a DLC pack to feel cheated. So, I think another style pack is the way they will go for additional financial support.

Second, the devs have said Slime Rancher is open for modding, and I think this is an opening for modders. Now, there is an astronomical leap between modding for some other games and Slime Rancher, but I've seen more Slime Rancher mods in the last six months. I think we may be getting close to mods that add actual new content.

(I'm also a big supporter of modding, as long as the original creator's IP is protected. When creativity becomes collaborative, fun stuff can happen.)

Third, and this touches on some things that have happened with recent mods, I have a sneaking suspicion that eventually we will officially be able to farm (pure) Sabre and Quicksilver (pure+largo) slimes. (I do not think that is the case with Lucky or Golden slimes, though.) I think one of those five empty slots in the market board is for quicksilver plorts.

And, looping back to those five empty slots in the market board... (Yeah, sorry, this has been long and a quantum superposition of on and off topic.)

I think BOb's area will give us two new slimes, and that will be 1.5.

I think that 1.6 will be a "beautification" update, giving us a few new slime science toys, probably a second game/graphics engine update (last one was GREAT, thank you!), and version 1.6.66 will be something special with the Fire Slimes. I also think this is where we will get official Sabre and Quicksilver slimes, or Quicksilver largos like the current Sabre, and Quicksilver goes on the board officially. (Actually, 1.6.66 would be a great time to merge Water and Fire slimes into Steam slimes, which means bOb's area would only have to add one slime/plort.)

I think that if no new NPC's are added, and there has been no sign of one being added in two years, Thora will be the penultimate update at 1.7. Version 1.7.77 may see Lucky slimes appearing on Thora's Ranch. No, we will never meet Hobson, and we may never meet Thora.

Then, I think 2.0 will be final. I think we will get a new area, probably the final warp gate opening to a new region. I think that the Glass Desert warp gate is just a "transit station", and there will be a large ruin which was the final launching platform of the precursors. (I actually think the moon would be a perfect location for this.) I think that this area will have all the slimes, including the last new slime, which will make it interesting and very dangerous, being constantly overrun with Tarr. I don't think it would answer the mystery of where the precursors went, and I don't think Hobson would have been there. After that, I think that version 2.1 would be nothing more than one final optimization / bug-extermination push, after which Slime Rancher will be sunset'ed.

I don't know if there will ever be a Slime Rancher 2. (I'm leaning "no".) If it happens, I really hope Monomi Park allows the two games to interact. (It would be good financial sense, as it would encourage new players to SR2 to pick up SR1.)