Beta v0.5 Release Notes

We've been working hard on a variety of features for a while and I'm thrilled to say they're ready for release in today's update - which is one of our largest yet!

Before we dig into that, a note to say that it's been about a month since we've been in our Closed Beta. We've been able to make so many improvements because of your feedback and time you've invested playing - it means the world. The game feels so different to what we launched with in Late May, and we are in awe of your creative skills with lots that are now appearing.

Now - let's dig into this update!

Overhauled Shop Mode

Shop Mode was in need of improvement since we launched the Closed Beta - whilst it was functional, it didn't scale well and took up a lot of space.

We've changed this now to make it feel more modern, sleeker and it's scalable - so we can easily add more categories in future. It has larger object previews, text for categories has been replaced with new icons and the UI moves out of the way when you're placing furniture.

One of the new additions is you can now see your inventory when you're on other players lots. The Shop icon gets replaced by an inventory icon and this makes it easier to see what you have, wherever you are in-game.

Please let us know your thoughts as we will continue to make tweaks in the future. We're also excited to be working on some additional music tracks too.

Lot Surrounding Terrain

Placing your lot in the world of Vitare is an important decision! Where you place a lot affects the terrain type, cost, neighbours you see around you and - as of this update - the surrounding terrain!

You can now see the entire world around your lot which represents the exact location you're based - no more endless flat terrain around you. If you buy somewhere in the hills, you can expect to see that. By the lake? You'll see that now too.

We have introduced an options slider so you can adjust the view distance if your computer struggles with it.

We really feel this makes where you place your lot feel important and the world of Vitare feels much more immersive. Not only will you see lots around you change over time, but now you can enjoy where you've taken up residence too.

50+ New Objects!

We've heard you - more objects are needed and this update is the first of many where we are introducing new objects across most shop categories.

This includes objects from decor - such as new artwork and plants, to miscellaneous items like party balloons and wedding arches.

Some of the new objects are only available from Shop Lots and you'll be able to see these in the catalog.

World Updates

We have made some visual changes to the world map so it feels more alive and immersive. This includes some new points of interest such as the lighthouse and wind turbines, as well as enhancements to improve the view distance and tree density.

Tree size is now more relative to the size of lots, so they're no longer towering over them, and we've also made some tweaks to terrain in some areas. You may find the terrain of your lot could tweak slightly in this instance.

Other Improvements

There are plenty of other changes to the game which we hope will improve your experience. These include:

New fridge interaction! You can grab a snack for V$5 which provides a quick hunger boost
New skills/money/repair UI appears above players heads
Updated login screen and loading screen visuals
Updated some slider names in the Character Editor
We have reduced some of the base prices in the catalog - dynamic pricing based on demand still applies

Bug Fixes

We have continued to make bug fixes, as we do with all updates, based on your feedback! Whilst we won't list everything (as they aren't always the most exciting), some call outs include:

Wall toggles no longer reset when you move to a different lot / wall toggle icon will not be out of sync
If you are idle and time out, the game camera controls will now work
When you buy a lot, you'll immediately see the lot on the world map grid and not have to wait
You're no longer able to move any object that is in-use
Some improvements to reduce "object inaccessible" messages for objects which are not blocked
If you login from another device, you'll no longer see a duplicate of your persona in a lot
Animations significantly improved including belly dance, yoga, telephone and more.

What's next?

We still have a backlog full of new things we want to add in the future - from multiple floors to in-game events. We are really keen to ensure the game remains fun, rewarding and engaging - not something where you feel the need to grind money objects & maintain skills.

Please keep your feedback coming and we're excited to keep evolving Vitare. We are getting closer to our Public Beta as well which we hope will introduce even more people to the world.