Shorter, Easier, Leaner
Whether you missed out on the Act 2 action or whether you're stuck on a difficult quest (or in the jaws of fearsome predator), these quick walkthrough videos will get you up to speed!
October saw two large patches for Act 2 that make the Jumping Spider's lifecycle a much shorter, easier and leaner experience for players.
See for yourself!
Part 1 - The Silken Egg Sac
In part 1 you begin life in the cosy safety of your mother's silken egg sac. You will learn the ropes of your trade as you discover what it takes to become a successful Jumping Spider out in the wild.
After playfighting with siblings, stuffing yourself on Pollen Grains and Beltian Bodies and growing some more, you're ready to enter The Great Outdoors!
Part 2 - Ballooning Spiders, Massive Swarms & Colossal Dragonflies
In Part 2 you will disperse far away from your mother by ballooning through the skies (Spider Ballooning is a natural phenomenon that has gained widespread media attention in recent years after millions of spiders were found flying above Australia!).
You will then scout and track for massive swarms of Grasshoppers and Leafhoppers, ultimately finding one such swarm and setting up camp next to them.
After hunting the majority of the swarm and learning to build a silk nest of your own, you will be accosted by massively giant dragonflies and a fearsome Tiger Beetle all of whom do their best to make a meal out of you!
Part 3 - The Attack of Parasitic Wasps
This action-packed episode begins with an onslaught on the resident Grasshopper population. While investigating the newly arrived Ants and their mealybugs, you are plunged into a memorable confrontation with another Tiger Beetle. Large enough to defend yourself now (using the game's unique "Anatomy Combat" Brawler and spectacle fighing system), you undertake a detailed dissertation of the Tiger Beetle's vital organs while outwitting and outmaneuvering this giant predator long enough to escape to your silken tent.
Things get worse at night though, as an innocent stroll past bedtime culminates in an ill-fated confrontation with a team of notorious Parasitic Wasps who out-sniff you, paralyze you and promptly carry you back to their infamous mud nests and lay a large shiny egg on your person. The rest, as they say, is history. Watch the video to see for yourself!
Part 4 - Hunting Pollinators, Foiling Rivals
Having escaped from the Parasitic Wasps (via the timely assistance of a save file!) you will now undertake your greatest hunting assignment ever - "The Pollinator Quest".
Tasked with nabbing a Butterfly, a Bee and a dangerous Blue Wasp (also a parasite!), you will methodically proceed to hunt each one amidst a scenic and beautiful backdrop of Milkweed, Orange Lily and Knapweed flowers, followed by laboriously dragging them back to your silk nest for later storage.
Wish it were that simple though, as you end up being intercepted at every stage by rivals eager to snatch your prize and yourself in one fell swoop! You will conquer your first Tiger Beetle in a blistering Anatomy Combat match up followed by a handicap match with Two Tiger Beetles that is turned into a fair duel by the fortuitous intervention of a friendly (for now) Dragonfly, that proceeds to snatch away one of your rivals. Eventually the Dragonfly returns for you in the most crucial of moments as you strive to bring the final pollinator back home to your nest.
Be sure to follow the action in the video above!
Part 5 - Metamorphosis Victory is Yours!
Having arduously battled, survived and grown in the Great Outdoors, you are now close to being a 9th Instar, the final adult stage for the Jumping Spider.
Your rite of passage in claiming adulthood is the conquest of a mighty Dragonfly - the only rivals you haven't bested yet. Fueled by a feast of the ever-growing Leafhoppers and Grasshoppers (who, thanks to the game's "parallel lifecycles" depiction, have now grown large enough to sprout wings and fly to escape you!), you undertake a long and storied exploration of the game's lush and beautiful glades searching for a Dragonfly to best and conquer.
Developer antics and much celebration follows, as a Victory Ballooning Parade is preceded by drawing of Spirals on the screen, manic jumping in the air and a funny encounter with a diurnal Parasitic Wasp (who is duly sent scurrying away thanks to your fully-grown adult body's agility, size and strength!)
Shiny letters are shown on the screen as the developer thanks his audience for participating in this epic journey of a Jumping Spider's scintillating life story!
More Patches: Patch 3 on the way
While October's patches focused on bugfixing and improving gameplay, the next one (Patch 3) will focus on visual bugfixes, animation improvements and on beautifying the game in general.
As noted Part 4 of the series, a number of visual glitches have admittedly made their way into Act 2. While certain liberties were taken to accelerate the game's September release, the time has now come to fix all those issues and so rest assured, the game's next major update will be taken up only after all prominent visual issues have been properly addressed.
Minor visual bugs and glitches will probably be deferred to the game's EA exit cycle though, to keep its ongoing momentum and lifecycles foucs going strong.
Thank you!
Any and all feedback is very welcome! :)
If you're short on time please bookmark the full playlist for later viewing!
Thanks for watching :)
With ❤,
Venugopalan Sreedharan
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