Welcome back to The High Life!

In this edition, we're peeling back the curtain on the evolution of our iconic FOMO Ducks. These quirky characters may seem simple at first glance, but each one undergoes a rigorous design process—from the initial concept sketches to the final, lore-rich version you see in Highstreet.

You'll also get a sneak peek into the minds behind our upcoming battle arena, where innovation meets immersive gameplay.

And of course, we want to know: which new FOMO Duck would you like to see next? Cast your vote in this issue's community poll!

Evolution of a FOMO Duck

Anyone who encounters Highstreet immediately associates our project with ducks, specifically FOMO Ducks. Often yellow, though you can encounter Ducks with plumage of other hues, these creatures are always ready to become your warm companion and never fail to waddle into your hearts.

But how did the FOMO Ducks come into existence in the first place? Faithful readers already know that Dave Uzcategui, Highstreet's creative design lead, invented the first 12 FOMO Ducks. The team then developed backstories, personalities, and outfits for each member. There's a deliberate attention to detail too—we took into account the way each Duck matures after their maritime journey to Solera to make sure their hair and couture evolve with time.

Aurora the Naturalist, for example, starts out as an artist who traveled throughout her island to uncover its secrets and mysteries. With an artistic streak, Aurora mastered the techniques of line drawing. She starts out by donning her Clan's garb:

As part of the FOMO Explorer's Guild, Aurora was tasked with cataloging all findings. She was meticulous in her work and became an integral part of the first Duck settlement on Solera. As Duck society plants roots and advances in this land, Aurora's style changes too—she dresses in a more refined way, with a blouse and red neckerchief to signify her more professional role and her drive to discover and study the island's secrets.

It takes a team to make Ducks like Aurora come to life, from the artists who turn rough sketches into gorgeous character studies, to everyone who helps craft the lore about and around each character.

Meet the Team Behind Highstreet's Upcoming Battle Arena

For our rogue-like VR combat project, we're actively developing multiplayer features and gearing up for a closed beta. Behind the scenes, the team is busy fine-tuning game mechanics, avatars, and designs, while also crafting powerful robots to put your skills to the ultimate test. Stay tuned as we continue to shape the gameplay and announce the official title!

While we can't dive too deep into the technical updates just yet (lots of moving parts!), we wanted to offer an inside look at the types of roles that make up the Highstreet team as they work on creating this exciting new battle area within our metaverse MMO.

Here's an overview of our team—a true collaboration that spans the globe. ⬇️

At Highstreet, we have people in all sorts of specialized roles, all working together to bring our metaverse MMO to life. Our Loremaster carefully crafts the storyline, shaping the narrative that drives the player's experience. On the technical side, Unity Developers build the 3D environments, while Frontend Engineers focus on the user interface, and Backend Engineers ensure that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.

Our Concept Artists bring the game's visual elements to life, creating the look and feel of the world, and our Game Designers oversee the entire game flow. For those epic battle sequences, our Combat Creators and Lead Battle Mechanics Designers meticulously design the combat system, ensuring an exciting and balanced gameplay experience. We even have VR Compatibility Renderers to optimize the game for virtual reality, while our DevOps team keeps everything running seamlessly.

As we continue to develop this exciting new battle area, we're thrilled to bring our vision to life and can't wait to share it with our users across the globe. Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare for an early 2025 release!

Lore Fragment: Unifying Duck Culture

The 12 Ducks who made first contact with the Pelicans on Solera were intrepid explorers (and a stowaway!) drawn from distinct Clans.

All but one of those Clans, as we mentioned in The High Life #5, were at war with each other nearly 300 years before the Original Twelve set sail. (The fighting lasted for five weeks, but for the Ducks involved, it felt like a protracted war.)

When the conflict was at its most intense moments, how did the leader of Clan FOMO stop the fighting and unite the warring tribes?

It was by introducing a bit of splendor and spectacle. Clan FOMO were coastal dwellers. They watched the great waves roll in each day, slamming into seaside cliffs to kick up froth and foam. They moved with nature and had a calmer disposition. To the other Ducks, Clam FOMO lived at the edge of the world—the ocean was vast and could not be crossed, after all. Surely there was nothing out there?

In any case, the ocean calmed every Duck that had taken up arms against the other Clans, and Clan FOMO sowed the seeds of peace. Duck society blossomed into a culture that embraced all people, no matter what their differences were. The Clans returned to their respective territories, but they retained strong bonds. They not only became great trade partners, but also exchanged knowledge so all Ducks could prosper.

Highstreet Chronicles: Origins #8

Community Poll

In the previous edition of The High Life, we wanted to find out what you liked most about the way lore takes you deeper into a game's world. No surprise: most of you were after the deep backstories of characters in the game (27%), followed by the archeological bent to unravel ancient mysteries (22%).