EchoQuest v0.19.0: Forest Trails & Multi-Hit Harvesting
Two changes today that make EchoQuest’s world feel more alive: forest maps now have proper dirt trails, and resource gathering has real weight to it.
Meandering Forest Paths
Until now, forest maps connected clearings with straight L-shaped corridors — functional, but lifeless. The ground was uniform grass everywhere, and the only hint of a path was the absence of trees.
That’s been completely replaced. The forest generator now carves a winding dirt trail from the map’s entry point on the left edge to the exit on the right. The path curves organically through the forest, attracted toward nearby clearings so it naturally guides you through points of interest. One or two dead-end branches split off the main trail, rewarding exploration without leading you astray.
The real visual improvement comes from the blob autotile system. Each tile along the path edge is selected from a 49-tile grass tileset based on its neighbors — cardinal directions for outer edges, diagonals for inner corners. The result is smooth, natural-looking grass-to-dirt transitions instead of hard pixel boundaries. Clearings remain grassy; only the trail itself is dirt.
Multi-Hit Harvesting
Resource nodes used to disappear in a single click. Now they have hit points. Mining nodes take 3–6 swings to deplete; herbs take 2–4. Each swing is validated server-side with damage calculated from your gathering skill level.
Higher skill doesn’t just unlock better nodes — it makes you faster at the ones you already know. Every level above the node’s requirement adds bonus damage per swing, so experienced miners chew through copper veins noticeably faster than newcomers. Rare drops also get a small chance bonus per skill level, giving long-term gatherers better luck on valuable materials.
What’s Next
The forest path system opens the door for proper map transitions — following a trail from one map to the next. Multi-hit harvesting sets up future gathering tools (pickaxes, sickles) that could modify damage and swing speed. Both are groundwork for making the world feel more connected and the professions more meaningful.
Play EchoQuest — free in your browser.