GeoNews #5 - Pixel Days

March 3, 2022

Introduction

GeoNews issue 5… Let’s go! We’ll hear about version updates, a feature look into a few of our ongoing projects, and info about our involvement with Vulcon 2 in Greece.

GEOCATS:V420 - Super Complimentary Edition

• Full steam ahead! More levels being created, code is being coded, and we’re getting ourselves ready for the future.
• Our lead developer has run a big overhaul of our code-base to make onboarding new team members easier. Finishing touches are going into the demo version.
• Our Jr. developer has been studying Godot and creating prototypes. The working name for this project? “NONACO Action RPG”
• Art team has completed a centrepiece level (Gjásara Headwaters), as well as finalising the overworld map for the game.
• Lot’s of groovy tunes coming out too. They’re posted in our Discord
• Qix-Mono, the Libre Typeface of Geocats is complete! There’s more details later in this issue.
• We’ve ordered some merch prototypes for prizes at Vulcon 2. Top secret though!

Arts & Culture

Around the world

Connecting the dots and compiling the Georing.

This was a project was a big one for Geocats. At 1800 pixels wide this world map is a massive undertaking. It contains deserts, jungles, mountain ranges, fjords, oceans, beaches, tundra, islands, wetlands… Everything we could think of. For now though, we feel like this map gives Geocats more than enough space to tell the stories that we’ve been writing over the last years. This map marks a big point in the project, and we’re very excited to explore this creation in greater detail over the next months.

Editors note: This map makes up only 1/3rd the total area of the inner Georing.

Diamond in the Rough

The waterfalls are also complete. Filled to the brim with eroded metamorphic rocks complete with exposed gemstones! Players can look forward to exploring this ecosystem in the coming update. This was a massive project, but well worth the effort. The team at NONACO can’t wait to share it with everyone in it’s entirity soon.

Research & Development

Qix Mono, Fun to Play with Easy to Read

Nonaco has been very grateful to be working with an incredible designer to create a custom typeface for our game and many others. This typeface is designed to be as easy to read as possible. It’s inspired by some of our favourite arcade games, and we think it turned out very well. The website for Qix-Mono is finished and ready to be shared with the world. You can try it out for yourself on their website!

”[qix mono] originated from the idea of designing a custom typeface for the video game Geocats. As a 2D pixel-art platformer, Geocats is a stylistic tribute to Arcade Games from the 1980s and 1990s. What sets Geocats apart is its integration of cutting-edge technologies and the teams’ proximitiy to the player community. The game offers players an exciting geocaching experience that leads through the multi-layered worlds of GeoTerra while holding rewarding surprises for cat lovers.

The team behind Geocats has a strong philosophy of openness and inclusivity, and is constantly looking for simple yet accessible design solutions to reach the diverse gaming community. In order to invite players to explore the worlds, an easy-to-grasp dialog system that encourages further reading is key. Realising this vision, resulted in the redesign of the dialog boxes and the implementation of [qix mono]. The dialog system thus aims to communicate the games’ story in an engaging way without overwhelming the players with text.”

Check out qix-mono.info to learn more about this awesome creation that anyone is free to use!

Editorials & Opinions

NONACO “Delicious Bites” recall!

For those that haven’t heard, NONACO “Delicious Bites” are full of plastic chunks of varying size. Still, they’re pretty tasty, and I’d totally recommend them to anyone who likes crunchy snacks.

— Crunch Expert Extraordinaire

ISO - Interdimensional Pixel Transmogrifier (420x Series, in Space-Grey)

I’ve been searching time, space, and everywhere in-between for this elusive machine… and I am completely at my wit’s end! Please contact me VIA tesseract-signal projection if this machine is in your possesion (Or will be in future alternate realities.). Thanks in advance!

— Charles Meoward Hinton

Communty Events

VULCON 2

Do you have your tickets to Vulcon 2 yet? We’ll have a chill setup for people to try Geocats out for themselves. Prizes to be won, including NFTs, geocats collectable pins, holographic Geocats stickers, and even custom Geocats rolling papers! (For catnip only.)

Additionaly, Kurtis will be a speaker at the event. It’s shaping up to be a pretty great time. We’re looking forward to seeing some of you there :)

Stray Cat Program

Do you have a stray or adopted cat in real life? Let us know, and we’ll happily send you a Geocat for being such a cool person! Send us a picture and note and we’ll get back to you… Please don’t dox yourself though. :)

NONACO “Fun-Zone”