Autumn Dev Update - What’s New in VirtualSociety?

Hi folks!
It’s time for a fresh update on how development has progressed this autumn, and there’s plenty to share!

As some of you may already know, this season brought not only a lot of exciting improvements to the game, but also new additions to our team: Mathéo and Logan! Their arrival marked a turning point for Cats & Foxes: going from 4 to 6 team members has made a huge difference. With more hands on deck, we’ve been able to move forward faster, tackle more challenges, and test new ideas we’d previously had to put on hold.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s been going on:

Smarter, More Dynamic Roofs

Until now, all roofs in the game were limited to a simple 4-point structure, a temporary solution that had been in place for a really long time. Thanks to Logan’s work, that’s changed!

Logan took over a piece of code originally developed earlier this year with an intern, Emeline Gehanno, under the supervision of Sylvain Contassot-Vivier and Nicolas Gauville, as part of a collaborative project with LORIA.

He reworked it to integrate directly into the game. We can now create complex, multi-slope polygonal roofs, making for much more varied and realistic buildings. This change opens the door to richer architectural possibilities for players who love building detailed environments. It's of course still a work in progress, but it's a really great add to the game.

Character Animations & Retargeting

On the animation side, Mathéo has been working hard on refining the character rig, both body and facial, and creating a growing library of animations. His work has laid the foundation for more fluid, expressive characters.

Nico then stepped in to integrate our new character and its animations into the game engine, ensuring everything runs smoothly and fits within the larger gameplay systems.

These upgrades don’t just improve visuals, they enhance immersion and allow for more interactive storytelling moving forward.

Meet Léo the Wolf

The team has also been working on a new health experience in collaboration with CHRU of Nancy for the cystic fibrosis, including a narrative scene featuring new characters, like Léo the wolf and a wise old owl. The purpose of this experience is to teach kids how to use correctly their inhaler.

A brand-new map has been designed by Lenny to showcase this experience. Players can interact with the environment, collect objects (like an inhaler!), talk to characters, and make meaningful choices. We’ve also added environmental effects like particles to bring the scene to life and reinforce the emotional tone.

We will talk about this experience more in details in a future article!

New Objects & Environment Features

With the implementation of the snapping feature, we’ve been able to introduce gutters, adding both realism and flexibility to outdoor building designs!

We’ve also created a variety of seasonal and decorative items, from Halloween objects to festive Christmas pieces, plus elegant columns and other versatile furniture. These additions offer more creative freedom and allow players to personalize their spaces in fun and expressive ways.

The scripting tool

Lenny has been working on the scripting system of the game for quite a while now. In the future, you'll be able to create in-game experiences like custom games, NPCs, zone-specific events, and more.

This feature is a key part of VirtualSociety, as it will unlock entirely new creative and customization possibilities. You'll be able to build your own stories, adventures, and complex worlds! The system is still under development, but we’re getting very close to having a functional interface, and we can’t wait to show you more!

A little word

This season has been a busy and exciting one for the team. And thanks to your continued support, we’re able to keep pushing forward with even more ambitious updates!

We can't wait to show you what's coming next. Until then, thank you for being part of this journey with us. Stay cozy, and don’t forget to follow us on Patreon and our other platforms for more behind-the-scenes content!

See you soon!
The Cats & Foxes team