We’re excited to announce that a beta branch is now available for this game!
If you’d like to participate, here is the Beta Access Code: gamescientist
The branch is called the devlab branch, and we’ll be using this branch to post new features in between major updates, so that you don’t have to wait too long for a major update to go live.
To find out more about this, make sure to read our Devlog .
We also have a Guide ready for you if you’re having trouble setting up the devlab branch. And make sure to subscribe to this Discussion to not miss out on new features available for the devlab branch.
Devlog 5
Hi everyone,
We have a bunch of things to show in this devlog and we’re also going to give a major announcement, so this is going to be a lengthy post.
Over the past few weeks we’ve been vigorously overhauling the environment, mainly the terrain, so that it would look better, help the flow of resources much more naturally, and much more interesting to explore.
In order to give variance to the environment, we’ve included several biomes, like the redwood swamps, conifer forest, and more, with each having different types of resources, ranging from their toxicity, availability, regrowth rate, etc. For example, edible plants in the swamp is plentiful and have high regrowth rate, however, their toxicity is higher compared to the mainland resources, and also offers fewer nutrition. Because of this, each biome offers unique rewards and challenges depending on the type of dinosaur, playstyle, and circumstances. The resources will also be integrated with the population system, which will give a truly dynamic experience.
Another exciting thing we’ve managed to include is weather. The inclusion of weather greatly improves the overall visuals of the environment, making it less stale and more dynamic. We’ve also managed to make objects respond to the change in weather, so objects will get wet during the rain, and gradually dried up when the rain stops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui3LAJdkwig
Because of this, the inclusion of a weather system not only adds weather into the game, but also significantly improved lighting and shader quality.
And now the Announcement!
We realized that working on major updates take a significant amount of time, so we decided to make a branch for people who wanted to test out new unfinished features early. We called this branch the devlab branch.
Beta Access Code:
gamescientist
The devlab branch is basically a beta branch of this game, and with it being a Beta to an early access game, this branch comes with a lot more bugs and unpolished works, which is also one of the reasons why we separated it from the public branch.
We also have a Guide ready for you if you’re having trouble setting up the devlab branch. And make sure to subscribe to this Discussion to not miss out on new features available for the devlab branch.
That’s currently it for this devlog! More updates coming soon
Devlog 4
Hi everyone,
In this Devlog we wanted to let you know what we’ve been working on and the status for our next major update. We have a lot to share with you in this Devlog so buckle up.
Okay so let’s start with a bit of a bad news, over the past few weeks we’ve been struggling with a few core issues, because of this, our next major update, the rhino update will most likely be pushed back after a big update, we’ll get to that in a bit, but before that let me explain why we made this decision.
The rhino update, at its core, is integrating the Triceratops as a playable character in the main campaign. Based on our initial plan, we would simply add edible plants to the game, add the Triceratops, and done, you can play as the Triceratops from juvenile to adult! This however, did not go according to plan because of 2 reasons.
The first problem is growth. When you play as a carnivore, you can simply kill, gain XP, level up. The thrill is given through combat, overcoming foes, and hunting your prey. This is very much not the case with herbivores because for herbivores to hunt, kill, gain XP, and level up just make no sense. The only time herbivores will do combat is when they are attacked or feel disturbed as it is not required for them to kill to survive since they eat plants. This is a bit tricky for us to pull off, but we do have plans to make this work. One of the ways is for us give XP points to the edible plants, so that when they are eaten they will give XP points. We will also increase the wait time for them to grow back, encouraging players to explore in order to obtain resources. This however, leads to the second problem, which is the placement of edible plants.
With edible plants (resources) as a mean for exploration in mind, it is clear that the edible resources are heavily tied to the terrain, what I mean by this is that, let’s say that there are several edible plants that can only be found in a particular place, and if that “place” is not ready, then putting the edible plants there would look visually awkward. This issue is illustrated in the pictures below.
From a functional standpoint, the picture on the top, though visually awkward, does the job, however, interacting with it feels like you’re grabbing a health kit. With the picture on the bottom, the resources are placed in a suitable environment, making them look more natural. This will not only make exploration a lot more interesting, but will also make resources act as a reward for that exploration. Given our terrain is still very much a placeholder, we would need to improve upon it first and make these “places” before integrating the edible resources in so we don’t have to rework on a lot of these areas later on. We’ve also increased the number of edible plants to improve variety with each having different nutrition level, toxicity level, and rarity level.
Aside from integrating edible plants in preparation for the rhino update, we’re also working on fixing some of the bugs, which mainly revolves around the AI. One of the things that we’re currently adding is a stamina system to the AI, this will make sure that after a long chase, the AI will get tired and walk instead of run, decreasing its speed in half, making it easier for an escape.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9GcEj-ey4I
This is still very early, and we will add some sort of UI so that you could see the AI’s stats. We’re also heavily revising the AI’s algorithm because we realized a lot of components can be trimmed down, making it less performance intensive. This will also make it easier for us to add new functionalities to the AI later on.
Another thing that revolves around the AI that we are currently tinkering with is the spawning system, we wanted it to be a bit lighter and to spawn AIs more naturally than before. So far our new spawning system managed to do so decently, however there are still several things that needs to be refined before its ready, such as integrating it to our population system.
So, we finally come to the end of this Devlog and based on these reasons, we’ve decided to give a big update before getting to the rhino update. This update will feature the new AI system, new spawning system, the addition of edible resources, and special zones. There is still much to be done before we could make this update live though and we will definitely keep you informed of our progress. Thank you so much for your understanding and exciting times ahead!
More updates coming soon!
Devlog 3
Hi everyone,
In this Devlog we wanted to show some of the things we’ve managed to integrate to the game and also some experiments we’ve been working on to help improve the game later on.
One of the things we’ve been working on for the next major update is integrating edible plants. Unlike the Tyrannosaurus, the Triceratops is a herbivore, therefore it eats plants. Because of this, we’ve integrated several types of plants into the game as edible resources for the Triceratops to eat.
Each of these plants will have different nutrition level, toxicity level, rarity level, and some can only be found in particular areas. These plants will also be influenced by the population system, which would change dynamically as the player grows.
Aside from working for the next major update, we’re also running some experiments to find other methods that can help us through development and enhance major gameplay elements. Here’s a look at one of our most recent experiments, Ragdoll Physics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUftKwUIBxo&t=0s&list=PL71eMNJU8050skYtGxCQhdhL9uJcbcHWb&index=6
If implemented properly, ragdoll physics would make creatures look more realistic when killed or dead. However, we would still need to test this out further to make sure that it works properly and doesn’t give too much of a performance hit due to its physics calculation.
That’s currently it for this Devlog, and more updates coming soon!
Devlog 2
Hi everyone,
For this devlog we wanted to show you some progress for our next major update the “Rhino Update” which would include the next playable dinosaur, the Triceratops, in the main campaign. As was stated in the previous devlog, the models are ready however the animations for the juvenile and sub-adult has not been made. Because of this, we wanted to let you know that the remaining models have been animated and is now ready to be integrated into the game.
Aside from animations, we are also working on fixing some of the problems encountered by players and additional elements that will hopefully be ready to be shown in the next devlog. So make sure to tune in.
That’s currently it for now and more updates coming soon!
Quick Fix - Patch 0.0.9.11
Tiny patch to fix a game breaking bug:
• Enable to Press Spacebar when finished loading, apparently sometimes the continue button doesn’t activate, pressing the Spacebar will make sure that you’ll be able to continue to the next scene.
Quick Fix - Patch 0.0.9.10
Hi everyone,
Wanted to give you guys a little quick fix to help improve gameplay,
here are the fixes:
• AI Spawn time decreased, will make the world less empty
• Dynamic target highlighter. Target highlighter will adjust its size based on
target size
• Fur shader implemented
Devlog 1
Hi everyone,
Welcome to the very first devlog for Dinosaurs Prehistoric Survivors. During the early access period, devlogs will be our official way to give information about our progress, planned content, and generally everything related to the game. For our first devlog, we will mainly talk about how we plan on doing updates for the game and also giving information about our next milestone.
For our next milestone we are working on adding the next playable creature to the main campaign, the Triceratops.
To give a little bit of insight about the triceratops, the models are ready, however, we would still need to animate the juvenile and sub-adult. Aside from animation, we are also working on edible plants for our triceratops to eat and further integrating them with our population dynamics so that they will change when the creature grows. We will definitely give you more info once the animation has been finalized.
This will all be included in our next major update, the “Rhino” update.
So, updates. I’m not going to lie, there are many things that we need to do before this game reaches its true potential, from content, to polish, to optimizations, you name it. Because of this, in order to keep this game on track, we plan on doing fixes alongside major updates, so if you found a bug or two that doesn’t generally affect the overall gameplay experience they will be fixed alongside the next major update. However, if the bug is severe and breaks the game, we will immediately work on it and give you a quick fix before working on the next major update.
Major updates are updates that are given once a milestone has been reached, while quick fixes are patches that are given if any game breaking bugs occur.
After the feedback given for our previous game, which in a lot of ways helped us shaped this game, it is absolutely clear that with your support, this game could be so much more than we could have ever imagined.
Because of this, once this game has enough financial and community support, we plan on taking an extra mile beyond our initial scope.
More updates coming soon and have fun!
DPS - Pre Release Post 3
Hi everyone,
Over the past couple of days, we’ve been working on a new mechanic, the tracking system, and we’re happy to report that we’re able to integrate it to the game, making it available for the early access release. Have a look at the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsGt96jm5gg
The tracking system allows the highlight of multiple creatures that are near to the player, making it easier for players to see potential prey or predator. The tracking system is still very basic and currently only works for living creatures. The tracking system will heavily be improved during the early access period, we wanted this to look better and be able to highlight more stuff later on.
More updates coming soon!
Pre-Release Post 2
Hi everyone,
For our second Pre-Release post, we wanted to show you an updated version of our population report. We’ve made some improvements to it, enabling you to see more information for the current inhabitance and their behaviors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgCsoGsoDY0
As mentioned, the behavior for these creatures inhabiting the region changes as you grow, so with this new improvement, it’ll be easier for players to assess the situation and craft a suitable build for their creatures.
One last thing,
The new Utahraptor skin is done! Currently implementing it to the game. A little bit of side note, unlike this preview, the fur shader is currently being disabled in the main game due to some performance issues, hopefully we’ll get this sorted out so that you could see its fluffiness at release.
