Hi everyone, The Worldly Events Update (V.0.8.0.3) is now LIVE!
This update brings a new mission system to the campaign mode and a major rework to the current UI system, making it more unified and streamlined, which makes it easier for players to navigate and keep track of their progress.
This update however, Does Not include the upcoming Survivor Mode, as the Survivor Mode Update is currently being delayed. To find out more about the delay and the reasoning for this update, we highly recommend that you read our recent Devlog 24.
With that said, lets get started. As always, we’re only going to highlight the general elements.
Major Additions and Improvements
Worldly Events type missions have been added to the campaign mode. Worldly Events missions are designed to help players gain experience points (XP) more conveniently and are automatically generated yet can also be generated manually so that players can choose which missions they feel best suit their needs.
Major UI Overhaul. The UI for the game has been greatly overhauled, this includes a new main menu, loading screen, character selection scene for the campaign mode, and most importantly a new player stats menu.
World Map has been integrated to the campaign mode, which makes it easier for players to keep track of their location when exploring the world.
Background music has been added to the main menu.
Fixes and Balancing
Reduced AI and Resources XP output. XP is now rewarded by completing missions.
Improved AI rotation. This makes AIs more difficult to flank during combat.
Lowered AI attack damage. The attack damage for AIs have been lowered to make combat more feasible.
Population report bug has been fixed. Population report will now give an accurate report during non growth stages.
Minor locomotion and attack animation improvements for Bipedal dinosaurs.
Improved Performance. Now the game runs more stable on systems with 4Gb of RAM.
Unique region AIs have been optimized.
Hints have been moved from the pause menu to the loading screen.
Note: You may need to restart Steam for the update to take into effect.
That’s currently it for now. More updates coming soon!
Be sure to follow us on Twitter to check out our work in progress, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos. Also be sure to check us out on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at development.
Devlog 24
Hi everyone,
Over the past few weeks we have decided to temporarily shift our focus regarding the development of this game. This has resulted in a new update for the game that focuses more on improving the campaign mode, The Worldly Events Update (V.0.8.0.3), to be live and the Survivor Mode update to be delayed. Because of this we wanted to share a bit of insight regarding the development of the game, and also the reasoning behind this decision. So lets get started.
The Delay
Lets start with the bad news, over the past few months we have been focusing much of our attention to the Survivor Mode. We have done this with the initial goal of having the update be live during summer time of this year. Although several core elements have been implemented, there are additional elements that needed extra work before the update could go live and ready for the public, which resulted in more time being required that anticipated.
However, we have also realized that it has been almost a year since we have updated the game, which is the longest time the game has ever been without updates. Because of this, we have decided to give an update that focuses on improving the current campaign mode while postponing the survivor mode update for a later date.
We feel this is the best course of action for not only our players but also for us as it would generate more feedback that would help us improve the game further.
With this in mind, lets get into the update.
The Worldly Events Update
The Worldly Events Update (V.0.8.0.3) is now Live!
As mentioned, this update focuses more on the current campaign mode. Although our main focus for the past few months has been with the Survivor Mode, we have also made several general elements that are non exclusive to the survivor mode, therefore can be shared with other modes of the game. Most of them are internal elements, however, these elements help us greatly as it shortens the time required for us to develop and get this update ready for the public.
Because of this, we were able to integrate new elements while also reworking on some of our old elements in order to give a noticeable improvement to the campaign mode. Some of these more noticeable elements are a heavily reworked UI and a new Missions System.
The UI Rework
Over the course of development, the UI system has been one of the most overlooked element, however, upon developing the game further, we realized that having a good UI system is crucial as it improves how information is conveyed to the player.
Because of this we have decided to rework the UI system and make it look more unified so that it would be much easier and more convenient for players to navigate and keep track of their progression. This rework includes a new main menu, loading scene, character selection scene, and the most important of all, a new player stats menu.
[previewyoutube="qmdBD8d7cZI;full"]
The Mission System
Aside from a reworked UI system, we have also integrated a new element to the game, a new missions system. For this update only one category of mission system is available, the Worldly Events mission.
Worldly Events missions are designed to help players gain experience points (XP) more conveniently. Worldly Events missions are automatically generated but can also be generated manually by pressing the generate button so that players can choose which missions they feel best suit their needs and play style. Worldly Events missions are tied to the population system, this means that players will encounter new and more challenging missions and achieve greater rewards as they progress further.
With the addition of missions, we have also integrated a world map into the game in order to make it easier for players to keep track of their location while exploring, and also to make explorer type missions more convenient.
That’s currently it for this devlog. With the Worldly Events Update being Live, its full steam ahead for us to work on the survivor mode.
More updates coming soon!
Be sure to follow us on Twitter to check out our work in progress, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos. Also be sure to check us out on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at development.
Devlog 23
Hi everyone,
Over the past few weeks we’ve been working on a couple of elements that furthers the development of the Survivor Mode. So lets get started.
The Burning Path
One of our main focus was creating this environment, the Burning Path. The burning path is set in a volcanic region, which made this area filled with toxic smoke and flowing lava.
This environment was by far one of the most challenging environment we’ve ever created, both from a visual and performance standpoint, due to the amount of particles and visual effects involved.
Thankfully after much tinkering, we’ve managed to balance things out so that it would still look the part without making it too performance intensive.
The addition of the Burning Path has also enabled us to focus our work on environment hazards for the game. As its name implies, environment hazards are hazardous elements that are scattered throughout the environment that could either damage or kill the player. There are several types of environment hazards, with each of them being tied to a specific region.
NPCs
Aside from environments, we’ve also worked on additional NPCs to make the environments feel more dynamic and immersive. One in particular is the Dsungaripterus, a Pterosaur from Asia.
The Dsungaripterus will by far be the most notable NPC for this mode, as it not only makes the environment look more dynamic, but also acts as a visual guide for highlighting potential edible resources.
Aside from the Dsungaripterus, other NPCs are currently in the works and would be revealed as development progresses through future devlogs.
That’s currently it for this devlog, and more updates coming soon.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter to check out our work in progress, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos. Also be sure to check us out on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at development.
Devlog 22
Hi everyone,
Over the past few weeks we’ve been working on a couple of things that would further the development on our new Survivor Mode, so lets get started.
The Mountain Pass
One of the things we’ve been working on is the environment for the game, and one environment in particular is the mountain pass region.
The mountain pass is the second region that will be available for players to explore. This region consists of mossy cliffs and dried riverbeds and is home to small to mid sized herbivores looking for edible resources such as shrubs.
Aside from environments we’ve also been working and refining additional gameplay elements such as player locomotion, jumping, and diving to further enhance gameplay and user experience.
Gameplay Mechanics
In order to improve player experience, we’ve decided to refine our locomotion system.
Having a solid locomotion system is crucial as it would dictate how the character moves and feels in the game. Because of this we’ve added a few elements to the locomotion system such as an acceleration system that would further smooth out the transition from idle to walking to running, a better rotation system and animation to improve turning, and a new IK system that is more responsive.
Aside from the base locomotion system, we’ve also added several mechanics that are dinosaur specific to further differentiate their overall gameplay experience, one of which is the jump mechanic.
The jump mechanic enables players to climb steep hills and traverse through narrow gaps.
[previewyoutube="OV_0pqYfRLY;full"] The jump mechanic is also useful for players who would like to explore alternate routes and to escape deadly encounters.
Underwater Gameplay Mechanics
Another gameplay mechanic we’ve been working on is the underwater gameplay system.
As mentioned, having a solid locomotion system is crucial, therefore we’ve decided to develop the underwater locomotion system first which would later be a foundation for other systems to be built upon. The underwater locomotion system mainly consists of swimming and diving mechanics.
[previewyoutube="s91ereI1fuo;full"]
Underwater Creatures
The addition of underwater gameplay would inevitably come with additional underwater creatures. These creatures ranged from small fishes to large sized marine reptiles.
One of these creatures is the Yaguarasaurus, a mosasaurid who hunted in shallow waters.
Unlike small fishes that would swim away from players, the Yaguarasaurus would try to hunt and kill players that come across its line of sight, making them dangerous for players who choose to explore shallow waters.
That’s currently it for this devlog, and more updates coming soon.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter to check out our work in progress, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos
Devlog 21
Hi everyone,
Since our last devlog we’ve been heavily working on the environments for the game and we would like to showcase some of our work, so lets get started.
The Forgotten Coast
The Forgotten Coast is the first region that will be available for players to explore and is the environment we’ve mostly been focusing on since our last devlog. The Forgotten Coast is a small island with rocky beaches and is home to scavengers looking for washed up carcasses.
With this environment being a coastal environment, the shoreline is only half of the things we’re working on, which leads us to the next half of the environment.
Under The Sea
The other half of The Forgotten Coast. Aside from the shoreline, players will also be able to get into the water and experience underwater gameplay, provided they use dinosaurs that are capable of diving.
By having multiple paths, a land based and an underwater based pathway, players will be presented with different challenges based on the path taken.
That’s currently it for this devlog, there’s still plenty of work to be done and we will be showcasing more of them as development progresses. More updates coming soon.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter to check out our work in progress, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos
Devlog 20
Hi everyone,
Over the past few weeks we’ve been working on a bunch of core elements for our new survivor mode, and we would like to showcase some of them, so sit tight because this will be a lengthy post.
The Dinos
By far the first task we did as soon as the previous devlog went live was to model and animate the new roster of dinosaurs.
As mentioned in the previous devlog, the survivor mode will feature dinosaurs from Cretaceous Asia, and because of the major difference in theme between the current modes and this new mode, it has become necessary for us to build these models from the ground up.
These base models have been rigged and animated and will serve as a foundation for additional dinosaurs for this mode. However, aside from our Alioramus, these models have not yet been textured as of now.
We feel that texturing is a very important step in order to make our dinosaurs look unique and interesting, yet only does little to propel development further. Because of this we have decided to postpone texturing the dinosaurs into the polishing stages of development, and focus on elements that would further the development of this mode.
Which brings us to the next core element, the environment.
The Environment
Aside from the models, the look and feel of the environment is just as important in order to give an immersive experience for players to enjoy. And one of the most important piece of this puzzle is by using great quality assets, which is why for this mode we’ve decided to use assets from one of the best asset library available, Quixel Megascans.
The picture above shows an in engine render of some of the assets we’re currently using for the creation of our environment.
By using Quixel assets as the foundation to build the environment for this mode, we not only have access to create stunning looking worlds, but also have visual consistency, which makes it easier to develop multiple biomes.
Here is a quick preview of how these assets were used to create the environment.
[previewyoutube="uzUd3S5253g;full"] Aside from the visual aspect, we’ve also taken into account the performance of these assets as well and we are committed to having this game being playable on our current minimum system requirements.
Because of this it would take some time to develop the environment as we would need to implement additional elements to insure the game runs smoothly.
That’s currently it for this devlog. There is still much to be done and as always, more updates coming soon.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter to check out our work in progress, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos.
Devlog 19
Hi everyone,
Since our last post we’ve been testing and working on a couple of new elements, and we’re excited to finally be able to share some of them. So sit tight because this is going to be a lengthy post.
The Squad Mechanic and Home Base System
The squad mechanic is a mechanic where you could take members of your own species to help you during combat.
[previewyoutube="53hONyDMz4w;full"] The video shows how the player, which is a Tyrannosaurus, can form a pack of Tyrannosaurus AIs to take down a group of Triceratops, something that would be difficult if done individually. Because of this, the squad mechanic will be helpful when taking down multiple or more powerful foes such as unique AIs. At this moment, the squad mechanic can only be used in the unique regions of the campaign mode, however, this mechanic will be worked on further throughout development.
Aside from squad mechanic being used for combat purposes, we wanted the squad mechanic to help bring a sense of progression for players to experience. Which brings us to the next mechanic that we’ve been working on, and that is the Home Base system.
The picture shows a currently work in progress home base system that will be further refined throughout development.
The home base system basically act as the player’s home, or nest, a safe haven for the player to go to after roaming the region. In the home base the player can interact with squad members to boost their effectiveness when they are taken into battle. The home base also act as a place for players to regain strength and obtain temporary bonuses before venturing out into the world.
With the foundation of these two mechanics established, we are now ready to move forward with something that we’ve been drafting for the last few months, something that is rather ambitious, a new mode that focused heavily on survival, the survivor mode.
Survivor Mode
Much like its name, the survivor mode focuses on giving players a more conventional dinosaur survival experience.
Contrary to the campaign mode where the player is provided with information about the world through UIs and menus, the survival mode only gives information regarding gameplay mechanics for players to rely on in order to survive, pushing players to learn and overcome challenges presented from the world itself and its inhabitants. Therefore UIs and notifications will be extremely limited in this mode.
Aside from information presented, there are several key differences between the survival mode and the campaign mode.
One of the major difference is that the survival mode will be relatively smaller than the main campaign, both from the size of the map, and the roster of dinosaurs presented. This is because the world is built in a way to push players forward, taking them deeper and deeper into the world.
Another major difference is the setting and overall atmosphere between the two modes. With the survivor mode focusing more on survival elements, we’ve decided to make it look aesthetically different compared to the campaign mode.
Where the campaign mode is made to look more colorful and vibrant, the survival mode in contrast will be less colorful and bleak, giving a much more realistic tone and feel to the overall mode. And unlike the main campaign where the dinosaurs are based on Cretaceous North America, the dinosaurs of the survivor mode will be based on Cretaceous Asia.
Because of this difference in overall tone and aesthetics, most of the dinosaurs presented for this mode will be made from the ground up in order to capture the overall theme of this mode.
The picture above shows a currently work in progress Alioramus model for the survivor mode, one of the first playable dinosaurs of this mode.
From the picture above it can be seen that the overall look and tone of this model is very different from models presented in the campaign mode, as this model is made with some form of realism in mind. For the case of this Alioramus, it is heavily influenced by North African ostrich and vultures.
Why Survivor Mode?
One of the primary reasons why we have decided to integrate this mode to the game is that we’ve realized that additions such as squad mechanic, and home base, along with previous additions such as dynamic environments, unique AIs and special abilities, have tilted the campaign mode heavily towards its RPG elements to a point where it overshadows the experience given by its survival elements.
Because of this, we have decided to create a mode that revolves heavily on survival elements in order to give players the option for a survival centered single player experience. This mode is called the survivor mode.
Closing Remarks
If you’ve read up to this point, you’re awesome and I thank you.
Its clear from this post that there are plenty of things that we would need to do in order to integrate much of these elements into the game. And with much of its core elements still needed to be integrated, we will be focusing our efforts more towards developing the survivor mode before finally working, integrating, and polishing remaining campaign elements.
Because of this there will be quite some time before the next major update is able to go live for the public. But we can confidently say that the next major update is going to be huge.
That’s currently it for this devlog, and more updates coming soon.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter to check out our work in progress, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos.
Dynamic Environment Update (V.0.7.1.1) LIVE!
Hi everyone, The Dynamic Environment Update is now LIVE!
This update brings dynamic environments into the game. Dynamic environments are environments that are tied to the population system, which enable them to change from one state to the next based on the player’s progression.
Before we get into the actual update, we wanted to give a slight insight to development and some of the challenges we’ve faced.
During development we’ve noticed that dynamic environments tend to be more performance intensive compared to their static counterparts. This is mainly due to them having properties that are not available in static environments.
Because of this we have spent much of our time optimizing and refining these environments to a point where they are relatively stable.
This is however, also the reason why this update is smaller compared to previous updates.
With that said, we’ve decided that its best to publish this update nonetheless as it would help us gain feedback to anticipate potential challenges when working on future elements.
So lets get started. As always, we’re only going to highlight the general elements.
Added:
Two dynamic environments, Mud Lake and Charred Forest, have been added for both Campaign and Free Roam Mode.
Dynamic environments have been tied with population system for Campaign Mode. This enables dynamic environments to change from one state to the next based on player progression.
Dynamic environment state control have been added for Free Roam Mode. This enables players to choose the state of a dynamic environment in the Free Roam Character Selection.
Improved:
View distance has been increased.
General performance has been improved to further accommodate dynamic environments.
Additional gameplay balancing to facilitate the addition of dynamic environments.
Water shader has been improved for the Mud Lake region.
Fixed:
Mountain unique region not being fully isolated has been fixed.
Note: You may need to restart Steam for the update to take into effect.
That’s currently it for now. With dynamic environments established we are now ready to move forward and work on other elements that would further enhance the game.
More updates coming soon!
Devlog 18
Hi everyone,
We wanted to give a bit of insight to what we’ve been working on since the last update, so lets get started.
Since the biome update, we’ve been working on fixing some of the know issues found in the game while also working on elements that would further improve the game. One of the main elements that we’ve been working on is the addition of dynamic environments.
Unlike static environments where everything generally stays the same, dynamic environments are tied to the population system, which enable them to change from one state to the next based on the player’s progression.
Here is an example of one of the dynamic environments we’re currently working on, the Charred Forest region.
The pictures show how the look of the region changes from one state, where the trees are dry and charred, to another state where the trees have regrown. Currently this is still a work in progress, and would need further refinements such as the addition of ground objects and others in order to make this look better.
Aside from visuals, other parameters will also be tied to this, such as resource and dinosaur type and availability. This means that when a dynamic environment changes from one state to the next, everything in it will also change, giving a fresh and new experience for the player to explore.
Anyways, that’s currently it for this devlog. There are still a couple of things that we would need to work on and would hopefully be shown in future devlogs.
More updates coming soon! And stay safe everyone.
Biome Update (V.0.6.8.2) LIVE!
Hi everyone, The Biome Update (V.0.6.8.2) is now LIVE!
This update brings several new biomes into the game while also refining some of the biomes that have already been established. Aside from additional biomes, this update also fixes some of the errors found in the previous update. As always, we’re only going to highlight the general elements, so lets get started.
Overhauled
The map layout has been mildly overhauled to facilitate the integration of additional biomes.
Added
Several new biomes such as the Coastal Redwood, Boneyard, Red canyon, Palm Beach, and Long Coastline have been added to the game. While established biomes such as the Cypress Major, Cypress minor, and Rocky Stairway have been refined.
Remaining Unique AI Skins have been added. All Unique AIs now have unique skins compared to their default counterparts.
Improved
Edible plants distribution has been improved, now edible plants are distributed based on available biomes.
Edible resource and AI XP output have been adjusted.
All dinosaur skins have been improved using the new texturing method. Now all dinosaur skins will look more detailed.
Image effect has been improved. Image effect is now more mild and less bright.
Water shader has been optimized.
AI Behavior has been improved. Now carnivore AIs will be more hostile towards herbivores and vice versa.
Unique locations blocker have been improved and will now show level requirements.
General performance has been improved to further accommodate new and refined biomes.
Fixed
Adult tyrannosaurus skin not applying in the main campaign have been fixed
Several sound effects overlapping issues have been fixed.
Edible plants XP output have been fixed. All edible plants now will give XP when eaten.
Hovering trait arrows in the skills menu has been fixed. Hovering trait arrows in the skills menu will now show their descriptions.
Removed
Color grading tick has been removed from the options menu
Note: May not be compatible with previous Save File. If issues are encountered, make sure to click the delete save button in the main menu and start a new game.
That’s currently it for now. With the major biomes established we are now ready to move forward and work on elements that would further make use of our population system. As always we’ll be showcasing these in future devlogs.
