Draconia
Patch 0.3.3.3
Fixed: Server crash
Fixed: Ka'sai mid petting animation being the same as the low version
Fixed: A few minor texture issues affecting level art and consumables
Fixed: Water disappearing
Fixed: Water trough and carcasses being carriable
Fixed: Characters not being able to step upon beds
Fixed: Wooden fishing dock collision
Updated: To UE 5.3.1
Updated: Chat font colors to be more readable
Updated: All character stats based on the character type. Note: Wildlife/side characters have lower stats than the main characters (Euro, Lindy, Eastern, Ka'sai) so be careful who you are challenging. :p
Improved: Collision of several level assets
If you want to see more frequent news on upcoming game updates make sure to join us on Discord!
Want to report a bug or want to know what other things we have on our to-do list visit our Trello Board!
Known Issues
We are aware of the issues that cause the server to crash or to disconnect players and we are trying to resolve these issues as soon as possible!
Please keep reporting all other bugs you might encounter through our bug report form!
Thank you for your patience! <3
Patch 0.3.3.1
Added: 3 Kasai emotes
Added: Support to load/create different player action UI based on their character type
Updated: to Unreal Engine 5.3
Updated: New azulite cave is now slightly brighter
Updated: Notification, server list, waypoint & interaction UI
Updated: Aphtaria's Hope waypoint is now unlocked by default
Updated: Totem compass marker
Updated: Player carrying (test update for improved attachment location)
Updated: How client queries the number of owned (clan) constructions to avoid construction blocks/errors
Fixed: Interactions not working after transferring carried item into inventory
Fixed: Ipomo plant blocking players
Fixed: Some volcanic rock texture issues
Fixed: Some floating and clipping level art
If you want to see more frequent news on upcoming game updates make sure to join us on Discord!
Want to report a bug or want to know what other things we have on our to-do list visit our Trello Board!
Patch 0.3.3.0
Added: Totems now marked on the compass UI by default
Added: Simple in game loading screen while teleport code is waiting for level streaming (if needed)
Added: Sort by name support to waypoint UI
Added: Search by name support to waypoint UI
Added: Search by name support to server list UI
Added: "ServerPassword=" config variable to ServerSettings.ini, dedicated servers now can be locked by password
Added: Support to unlock waypoints when character is spawned and where it is enabled via DT
Added: New fast travel point to the lava biome
Added: back player carry & player carry release code
Added: Carried player can now also exit carry mode by pressing the "use" [def: E] button
Added: Proper carry request notification + system message
Added: Clan / group / carry invites can be accepted or declined via Player Interaction Radial menu (holding v activates player interaction radial)
Added: Experimental code to try restart/reload server and map after 1 day uptime when no online players to avoid networking issues caused by uptime
Added: Auto move to options (pressing WASD gonna start/stop movement - if opposite direction)
Added: Auto run key bind, press numlock to run forward continuously
Added: Show construction placement result / return text via construction placement UI
Updated: Destroying constructions now returns 100% of the needed materials if they get destroyed 5 minutes after placement, it returns 50% of materials after the 5 minute timer has run out
Updated: Hot springs assets and textures
Updated: Pawn teleport code refactored
Updated: Carry / Grab Refactor #1: added new inheritable carry component class to replace old grab component uber class; reimplemented / re-added generic item grab which works like it worked before, multiple grabdata assets are now supported to support different carry types in the future (like head, leg, arms); cleaned up and removed old grabcomponent files / code
Updated: First and second island
Updated: landscape textures
Fixed: Character HUD / chat UI showing when exiting from photo mode and UI's are hidden by option
Fixed: Various carry issues known from an older build which included the first version of the carry mechanic
Fixed: Smell / scent spawn in single player
Fixed: Set global chat as default chat instead of local
Fixed: Fast travel teleports, unstuck teleports and teleport admin command
Removed: Various debug logs
Also a few peeks at some of the other things we are working on:
Wyvern
New Foliage
Eastern Dragon Re-Work
If you want to see more frequent news on upcoming game updates make sure to join us on Discord!
Want to report a bug or want to know what other things we have on our to-do list visit our Trello Board!
Wyvern Model & Territory, Goliath Crabs & more
Most of us are or have been taking some time off this month so we have been taking things a bit slower.
But we hope you like what has been worked on since the last dev update.
Game Soundtrack
4 new ambient tracks have been finished and will soon make it onto the game with 2 other tracks that have been on the shelf for the while now.
Goliath Crabs
The model of our large goliath crab has been finished and is now waiting to be textured and animated!
Ka'sai Animations
Our lizard boys have gotten more animations.
Social/Emote Wheel
We are also working on adding a new social wheel which will replace the V call in the future. Here you will choose all the social interaction and emotes that will come to the game.
This includes group and clan invites, carrying/grab requests (yes, it's coming back, woo!), the default call and 6 emotes per (reworked) character.
Concept art
The second island is under heavy construction but we are already making plans for the third island which will be wyvern territory for the most part. Island 3 will be quite different from the other islands in the game as it will mainly consist of the floating islands, beaches with strange formations and a large underwater biome.
Wyvern
Since the large Goliath Crab model has been finished our modeler started working on the new wyvern so we can replace the old model as soon as possible and speed up its development process!
Here is the first work in progress image of the wyvern head.
That's it for this weeks mini dev blog.
We hope you all have a great week!
If you want to see more frequent news on upcoming game updates make sure to join us on Discord!
Want to report a bug or want to know what other things we have on our to-do list visit our Trello Board!
Developer Q&A
How many different playable species do you currently have plans for?
On our roster are currently:
Main Species:
- Wyvern
- European Dragon
- Lindworm
- Quetzalcoatl
- Behemoth
- Eastern Dragon
Wildlife:
- Dragonturtle
- Kirin
- Goliath Crab
- Drake
- Griffin
- Golem
- Fae Dragon
We might add more after the 1.0 release.
Do you intend to add a main questline at some point, or is the game going to be more "explore at your own pace"?
Draconia is going to be a mix of both. You can either go out and just explore, hang out with your friends or do quests which you can get from various sources like NPCs or items.
Are there any plans to add baby models?
We do have baby versions and transitions from baby to adult as you level up/grow on the list but it's a feature which might be added after the 1.0 release.
Will there be AI companions with their own stories and quests?
There will be various companions which you will temporarily acquire through story quests or events. Permanent companions (e.g. hatchlings) will have a couple of quests which are needed to help them grow and become stronger.
Will the Ka'Sai have the ability to ride dragons?
Yes! :)
Are the Ka'Sai more civilized than the dragons in the game?
Ka'sai can have different characters and their own ideas of what their life should be just like our dragons. While a large part of them prefers to live together peacefully there are also those who prefer a "different" way of living.
Are there any plans on adding a story mode/campaign mode?
Draconia will have a single mode that can either be played online or in single-player which contains the lore as well as the exploration part of the game.
In the long term, do you plan to have a subscription to support the maintenance of the game servers?
We don't plan on adding a subscription model or any P2P models in the future.
When could we expect a more in depth combat system?
We generally don't give out any ETAs on character or feature releases but there will be a skill tree system which allows the player to choose different playstyles and elements as well as other character perks to customize their dragons beyond the visual aspect.
What inspired you?
Many things! Mainly mythology and the modern perception of what dragons are or could be which is why our characters tend to be a mix of both.
Will the game be translated into Russian/Chinese/other languages?
There will be various translations but we are far away from adding them and haven't decided yet which translations we will go for and which we will leave out since the game will have a lot of content that will need translation work.
Will there be more interactivity in the game? (For example, various sounds, animations, suggestions for groups and clans)
We have an emote/social menu in the works!
Will there be exclusive skins for those who have been in the game for a long time?
As we have always stated, there won't be any exclusive content which is part of the Draconia universe. Everything we add can be acquired by anyone at any time. We do not support the idea of adding content which can't be obtained anymore by people who joined the game later as it also generates a toxic environment. Instead we prefer to add content players have to work for. Even if it takes some effort to unlock something, it IS possible for them to unlock it.
Will you add Human or Ka'Sai NPCs to the Villages / Will NPCs be added?
Humans won't be part of the game since they don't exist in Draconia's universe but the Ka'sai, dragons and other wildlife will gradually populate map.
We've seen several animations for different movements, eg sitting. Will they be implemented and be doable by key or are they "stand by" actions which the char will do eventually if not moved?
Most of the animations we have shown are actions which have to be initiated by the player.
Will there be lore?
Yes, lots of it! (We also want to take this opportunity and apologize to our proof-readers.)
Will an in game currency be implemented?
There will be various currencies which are part of the lore but none of them will be obtainable by spending real money!
Players will have to play the game to earn them.
How about cosmetics will there be some and how customizable does it get?
We already have various cosmetics but the majority will be obtainable through in-game tasks and events. We plan on adding more later down the road but they are not our main priority for now.
The customization system will receive an overhaul and add customizable body parts on top of what we already offer in our current character creator.
Will the game support some form of plugins for private servers?
Right now, we don't have any plans for plugin support.
How about its ability to be modded?
We do plan on adding mod support though. :)
Most importantly will you be able to pat or boop other players at some point?
Biting them in their face does count a booping, right? Beyond that we don't have any plans for patting or booping specifically.
Will AI creatures have the same amount of customization and playability as regular draconids?
Our AI creatures share customization options with our playables so, yes, what the player has could also be found in the AI characters.
How far off is the development cycle to a full release state? (What metrics can you provide that would alter the release schedule whether that be faster and slower) / How far has the development process progressed throughout early access? (What Draconia started off with and to the current build of the game)
As of right now the game is in early alpha state but the state can quickly change as soon as a new major feature has been added to the game.
What Is the gameplay loop expected to be?
Due to the variety Draconia will have to offer everyone can create their own loop. They all evolve around the players characters but ultimately the player can decide if they want to go for a more story-based play-style, role-play, combat, survival or just exploration.
We do not want to limit the game to a single loop but rather give players the choice to create their own adventures.
What about picking up smaller players? With permission of course.
Has been a feature in the past and will make its way back into the game at some point!
Have you thought about making or sharing a roadmap of your development progress to display/list so people can see what is or will be worked on next?
We do have a roadmap which lists the main features which are coming to the game:
https://trello.com/b/oWDzi6Pp/draconia-bug-report
Have you ever considered putting fun little secrets under the map?
We always considered players to be the fun little secrets under our map. ;)
But you will find secrets ON the map!
Now that the AI is back, do you intend to finally put the non-dragon creatures of the character selection as wild creatures?
Our wild life creatures need further work to be added as NPCs which is unfortunately a task which takes a long time.
Why don't you open positions for new developers?
Because our team is awesome as it currently is. <3
Why isn't the development in the game in parts? For example "Let's focus on this feature now" > Launch the feature > "Let's focus on another feature now". Wouldn't that be better?
Many features depend on each other and sometimes we need to spontaneously prioritize something else to either improve the current player experience, because it is required to add another feature or it lays the foundation for a (potential) feature in the future. Changing already added parts of the game later requires much more work than thinking ahead and doing preparations before they are being added.
Can we expect an update on the game sounds in the future? Especially on the ambient stuff?
Yes, the ambient sounds will get a full overhaul to be more dynamic.
Will there be craftable or obtainable cosmetics (such as armor or necklaces)?
Yes, there will be a large variety which you can acquire through various tasks.
If so would would these crafted and/or obtainable cosmetics offer abilities and/or stat buffs?
Some of them will give you a little boost!
Will there be weapons for PVP and/or PVE
There will be weapons for the Ka'sai however dragons are already weapons themselves.
If so would these be craftable or obtained in game through other means such as trading with NPCs?
Both ways are possible.
How different can I expect the future updates to be from it's current pre-alpha version?
Did we mention our road map yet? :) https://trello.com/b/oWDzi6Pp/draconia-bug-report
If you have more questions or want to see more frequent news on upcoming game updates make sure to join us on Discord!
Want to report a bug or want to know what other things we have on our to-do list visit our Trello Board!
Wyvern, Ka'sai, Hot Springs and more
Here is another brief update on the latest work in progress news!
Wyvern
The concept art of (almost) everyone's favorite baby is done! We know, you are excited to get your hands on it but right now we can't give you an ETA on it's release. We would rather ninja, patch it in when it is ready instead of giving you a potential release date because gamedev is very much like life: Your plans get constantly overthrown by unexpected events or difficulties. But we can say this: Our modeler will work on the new wyvern model as soon as he is done with the crabs!
Ka'sai
A lot is happening with our lizard friends right now. They have learned many new moves some of which we want to show you here
Drinking animation (work in progress)
Various claw attacks
Bite attack
Falling
Jumping - Yes they are very bouncy bois!
Goliath Crabs
Our modeler has been going ham on the crabs details!
Environment
The hot springs from our legacy build have made a return and they come with a new cave too!
Music
4 new ambient tracks are currently in the making and will be finished soon.
A few sneak peeks have already been shared before so we will skip the preview part this time and start getting everything ready to add them to the game asap. We hope you will like the final versions as much as we do.
As always, we hope you enjoyed this little update.
If you want to see more frequent news on upcoming game updates make sure to join us on Discord!
Want to report a bug or want to know what other things we have on our to-do list visit our Trello Board!
Patch 0.3.2.2
Added: -MaxPlayers=65 command line parameter to control the maximum online player num (check updated dedicated guide)
Added: startwinserver powershell script to the win64 build
Updated: Save subsystem refactor
Updated: Save subsystem now saves everything inside the "draconiadata" dir
Updated: Dedicated servers are now using "serverfiledirectory"/draconia/saved/draconiadata + serverid as save location by default (instead of %appdata%)
Updated: World actor data saving (like available random quests etc.) now uses our save subsystem instead of unreal engine's save game system
Updated: Chatlog now disabled by default (dedi's can turn on/off via command line)
Update: Server/client (sp) now creates multiple serversettings.ini based on the launch mode (dedi, listen, sp) to make different server settings available if multiple servers launched (check updated dedicated guide)
Updated: maxplayers= cline arg now properly works, player gets kicked if server is full
Updated: Cleaned up old savegame related codes
Updated: Readable stories are now character tied (every player lost their previously unlocked stories)
Updated: Further minor refactors
Patch 0.3.2.1
Updated: Player admin flag loading / saving (removed from gameusersettings and moved to serversettings.ini) check updated dedicated server guide doc on our Trello board
Fixed: Rubenite granting 2 items per use
Fixed: Some minor level and vfx issues
Fixed: Glitching map parts
Dedicated Server Tool now available!
The dedicated server tool is now available in the Tool section of your Steam library.
You can find the dedicated server guide as well as all admin commands here!
Please let us know if you encounter any problems so we can take care of them as soon as possible!
You can also join our Discord to get in contact with us directly: https://discord.gg/draconiagame