Success. I got the quest from Rexxar !
Fail. I walked around the desert so long I got a negative score for the map when I finally gave up the quest and finished the level.
I can't tell if I missed a clue or that part is not done yet.
BTW. Last night I noticed the way you have rigged the trees. Well done you.
Most indie games use trees that animate by swaying the whole thing which looks like there is a ghostly storm you can't hear.
Even in old Unreal 1 engine mapping I always used a fixed trunk and separate canopy. This also allows for more variety with less assets.
For further optimising it is possible to have distant objects be 2D sprites (a trick used in The Long Drive), then swap to the 3D asset when close enough.
Unless the dead animals will be used for food later, I suggest they also be removed from the mini-map when they die, or maybe change the colour.
AI balance needs tweaking. I watched the deer killing the bears in the winter map and so paid more attention.
The herbivores and small carnivores need to be more timid and move away from threats. It does not take too long before the landscape is covered in corpses.
They are just as likely to run into a new danger as away from one, so the landscape would become a bit more dynamic.
A chatroom would be useful for development and feedback. Do you plan on having a discord or something ?