Version 0.2 of Anglers' Archipelago is out to testers on TestFlight. It brings a new look, new light, shipwrecks to find and 35 new fish. If you played 0.1, your save carries over.
What's new
A fresh look. The sea, beaches, trees and reef have new detail. Boats, your angler and every outfit got a makeover, and the alien set is now a spacesuit.
New light through the day. Sunsets are warm, moonlit nights are dim and blue, and shadows follow the sun. The fight screens follow the time of day too.
Rain dims the light to match the hour, so a rainy night is the darkest of all. The rain falls in thin streaks, with little ripples on the water.
Your campfire burns all day and glows after dark.
35 new fish to find, each with a rare mythical version.
Shipwrecks hide at sea. Fish over one, or find it with a sonar, and it goes on your map.
Wreck quests mark an area for you to search. Start the dockmaster's first one, and he'll sell you a sonar.
A sonar map. Tap SONAR on the world map to see the sea floor you've mapped. Rare and unique fish are a little more likely there.
A talk that pays you for a quest no longer starts a new one too. New quests wait for your next talk.
A new layout. Hunger, thirst, your flask, gold, the day and the time of day sit in a strip at the bottom. Your level bar is at the very top.
Pinch to zoom now works on land too, and goes closer, up to twice the normal size.
Seaweed is now big floating mats, and your boat cuts a path through them.
Gulls fly overhead, in white, gray and black.
Sail up to a dock and you step ashore on your own. Reel in first if you're trolling.
A blue flag marks your waypoint, and a gold flag marks your quest goal. Arrows around you point the way.
Crab pots are easier to use. Pins show where they are and when they're ready, and you can reach them from twice as far, on foot or by boat.
Rod outfitting shows the rod in your hand, the ones in rod holders, and your spares. The rod in hand and the rods in holders have Unequip. An empty spot has Fill, which lists the rods that fit.
Every rod needs line, trolling rods too.
On land you hold a shore rod. Boat rods stay on the boat. Your rod switches if it can't be held there. If you empty your hand, it stays empty.
Only trolling rods in rod holders troll. You can't hold a trolling rod, but you can troll while you hold another rod. The raft comes with one holder.
While you troll, a holder with a boat rod says NOT TROLLING.
A trolling rod you held in 0.1 is now in a holder or with your spare rods.
After you cast, the action button reads REEL IN. Tap it to bring your line back.
The dockmaster arrives with your raft. He sells rod holders and the spyglass.
In Angler mode, your stamina drains a bit faster against small and medium fish.
Fights sound like a real fishing reel, a little quieter than before. The drag screams when a fish runs, and the reel clicks softly as you wind in. You hear a splash when you hook a fish.
Rain sounds quieter, with soft drops.
Once you catch a fish, its bestiary page shows what it likes and what it doesn't.
Out of line or bait? The game tells you where to get more.
Your first steps lead you to your first cast, with markers and a goal.
The request board gets new jobs every dawn.
Tutorial tips sit on the right, with an X to close them. Most tutorial pictures show the new look.
Clearer, friendlier text all through the game.
What to test
Sail the coast and the reef. Does it run smoothly, or does it stutter or warm your phone?
Watch a full day go by, and a rainy night if you get one. Does the light feel right?
Find a shipwreck with the sonar. Was the ping easy to follow?
Pinch to zoom in, on land and aboard. Does it feel smooth?
Fit a trolling rod in a holder and troll. Was it clear where each rod is?
Fight a few fish. How do the new reel sounds feel?
Tell us about anything confusing, any text that seems wrong, and any crash. If TestFlight asks to send a crash report, please say yes.
Still to come: music (the Music switch does nothing yet), seasons, the museum, some village shops, and the biggest boats with the deepest water and deep-drop fishing. Some of these show TBD for now.
Testing 0.2? We'd love to hear what you think. Send feedback from the TestFlight app, or email operations@mlmappsolutions.com.
Build 37: footsteps are quieter, a tree you cut down no longer leaves a shadow, a new tutorial card shows how to rig a rod, the action button sits above your rod's name and bait so it's easier to hit, and Unequip fits on one line on small phones.
Build 38: a full day now lasts 40 minutes. Crab pots, hunger, thirst and storms keep their own pace. New at fishing level 10: Subtle Signs, a light buzz just before a fish runs. Pinch to zoom now works on land, and the tracked quest no longer covers your level bar.