Hi everyone,

So during the soft-launch we have been diligently attacking bugs and rebalancing the game. The result is this latest version that I have uploaded: 1.00.05.

Note that we have delivered this version to all the other distributors (Big Fish Games, Real, Yahoo, etc), so if you bought the game at another game site, you should contact them for the status of the game update. If you bought your Virtual Families game from one of the other game distributors, DO NOT download and install the updated version from our site. Doing so will cause your game to revert to a demo, since other game site's activation methods will not work with our version of the game.


If you bought the game directly from LDW before May 5th, and your game's menu screen indicates that you have 1.00.04 or earlier, here's how to update your build:

PC USERS:
- Download the free trial of the game again from www.VirtualFamilies.com .
- Run the installer and let it install right over your current version.
- The download link says 1_00 but when you install it you can confirm on the main menu in the game (bottom-left) that it is version 1.00.05.

MAC USERS:
- Since the full version download link will need to be refreshed, just go to our Support Form and send us a note that you want the new full version 1.00.05. Make sure to include your email address that you used to purchase the game, so we can look you up and reactivate the new download link.
- If you have already requested a version 1.00.04, you do not need to do anything, Heather will be reactivating you to the newer 1.00.05 automatically!

NOTE for PC/MAC: If you update your build and your pet now appears graphically broken, then your image files did not update correctly. You should UNINSTALL then reinstall the game (using 1.00.05).

Thanks everyone! Some notes about the update below...

Highlights from 1.00.02 to 1.00.05:
- Life event notifications were sometimes mixing up people's names when it coincided with someone going off to college. Fixed.
- People will sleep to a higher level of energy replenishment
- Adjustments made to offline food consumption, in-game hunger and eating. People will overeat less in game-off, and will never starve if there is food available. Expect to see slightly hungrier people when you turn on the game, and much more food in the fridge.
- Adjustments made to allow greater player influence on longevity
- Failsafe put in for refusal to breed
- Adjustments made to a couple of the more difficult trophies
- Working is a bit less tiring, other changes to energy usage and recovery
- Fix to prevent glove loss/corruption
- Emails-to-player now correctly reflect customized names
- New pet behaviors
- Pets no longer show up in store rotation once purchased
- Store rotation now every 4 hours instead of 8
- Story book shop item works now

To all Mac Users who have purchased Virtual Families:

I'm sending out Mac activations as quickly as possible. If you have not received your Mac activation from me in 4 hours, please send me a support form so that I can get to you ASAP.

Many thanks in advance for your patience,

~Heather