Although today marks a public holiday here in Korea, I wanted to honor my commitment to providing you with a fresh development update. In full transparency—I actually penned this yesterday, but I like to pretend I’m working around the clock!
I say that in jest, though the sentiment is sincere: showing you the extent of our hard work helps illustrate why this game is still evolving and why your patience is so deeply appreciated. This week, I want to pull back the curtain on our current development focus.
Much of this month has been dedicated to polish—rigorously squashing bugs and refining our existing systems. Having spent four years navigating the complexities of the life simulation genre, I’ve realized that its heartbeat is the autonomy system. It is the core engine that grants Zois the illusion of genuine life and individual agency.
When we began, we performed a deep dive into industry staples and consulted with robotics experts. However, we quickly discovered that existing frameworks couldn’t capture the vision we had in mind. We had to build it from the ground up, making it the most formidable challenge in our development cycle thus far.
Currently, the system functions by having each Zoi scan their environment, evaluating potential interactions based on needs, traits, and personality quirks. They assign a numerical score to every possible action within a 40-meter radius, ultimately selecting the one with the highest value. While this logic has served us well, I’ve recognized its inherent limitations.
Consequently, we are heading back to the drawing board to reimagine how autonomy functions. The goal is for Zois to transcend simple score-chasing. Once their baseline needs are met, I want their actions to feel like authentic expressions of their personality rather than a calculated, repetitive algorithm. We are shifting toward a rule-based decision-making process that mirrors real human behavior.
For example, an extroverted Zoi should gravitate toward social interaction, while a family-oriented individual should naturally prioritize time with their partner and children. If a couple visits a park, they shouldn’t drift apart; they should feel tethered by the intent to chat, walk together, and share the experience.
I realized I had temporarily overlooked that autonomy is the true pulse of a life sim. It is the foundation that binds every other system together. As these plans solidify, I intend to keep you involved and seek your input, which has consistently shaped our trajectory for the better.
Writing this serves as a reminder that I am sharing a work-in-progress, and I am sincerely grateful for your continued patience. My primary mission is to channel that gratitude into tangible, rapid updates.
Throughout July, the autonomy overhaul is our North Star. Following that, next month will be dedicated to weaving our various game systems into a more cohesive, organic experience. We are moving forward, one deliberate step at a time.
— kjun
P.S. We are planning to reorganize our Discord channels to make navigation more intuitive. Nothing will be deleted, but we want to make the server feel more organized. We’ll share the proposed structure with you for feedback before making any major changes.
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