Dragon: The Game
July Update
We’re getting close to the next update! Following up on the patch we released 3 weeks ago, this update will include the next generation of proxy meshes (another step towards beautiful, fluid terrain streaming) and will also fill out some more locations on our map, fix some of the bugs in the town, and whatever else we can squeeze in.
We’re also getting close to resuming recruiting for our team. We had some limited success earlier this year but ran into some technical debt issues that made it too difficult to coordinate. These issues are nearly resolved, we will reach out to those players who have contacted us expressing interest – we are so grateful for your enthusiasm and support!
Anyway, we wanted to have the patch ready today but were slightly delayed due to 4th of July holiday schedule. Expect to hear from us again late next week!
Dragon v9.5 Performance and Stability Update
*Players should see greatly improved frame rates as well as reduced stuttering and load times! Please be patient as we update lighting, NPCs, and other content.
Notes
+Some parts of the game have been slightly rolled back so that maintenance and upgrades can be made. Please be patient as we update lighting, NPCs, and other content.
+New map shows off terrain streaming tech.
+Fog, the camera, and other perspective settings are being adjusted to accommodate streaming terrains.
+Don't forget to try different graphic settings, as well as grass and tree options! These can have a major impact on FPS and visual presentation
As we update and rework parts of Dragon we've been constantly toying with the right balance of open-world vs modular zone design. Because Dragon has the unique character of being both a flight simulator and action-rpg - two vastly different kinds of games - we must find approaches that scale well.
To this end, we think we've found the right balance. Moving forward, we'll be using "zones" or "regions", bounded spaces that are composed of many streaming terrains. The game manages the streaming terrains for a (generally) seamless experience. This approach keeps the vast open-world experience while leveraging the reduced development and performance overhead which comes with bounded spaces.
This patch is just the tip of the iceberg! Thanks for being patient as we clean house and get Dragon in to shape.
Happy Holidays - Checking In
Update to the beta branch is live. This is one of many patches as we adopt the new 2D world map.
We've cleaned up the region selection menu and are looking at bug related to dragon save files and their upgrades persisting between saves/versions.
This week's next update will add more region details and some more UI adjustments. Next week we should be ready to share a new zone for you to explore and burnify.
November - Checking In
We’re almost through November and we wanted to post a quick update.
We’ve rolled back the main branch to an older version of the game while we work on patching the newest build (currently playable from the beta’s branch). We also met with our attorney to begin restructuring our company in preparation for bringing in new talent and capital.
Our team had a nice Thanksgiving break and we’re headed to a tech conference this week. We’ll resume work to complete the overworld/2D map when we return, anticipating a patch the first week of December for you, slightly behind our Thanksgiving day target.
Thanks for your support and patience. We're excited to be taking proactive steps to make 2018 Dragon's best year, yet!
November Update
We’re getting the next patch together and want to check in. There’s been a lot of discussion about how to make the game as playable as possible while we’re moving through this (admittedly slow) transition.
Fortunately, these growing pains are expected as we consolidate our code base, perform content inventories, and prepare for an expanded team in 2018.
Our goal is to have the next build ready before Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, we’re considering the three most stable builds for the rollback, which we will deploy based on your response.
Option 1: Circa 2015. Old world and graphics, but ran well. Missing recent content (dragon customizer, new dragon model, new terrain, skybox, shaders)
Option 2: Circa last summer. Open world and graphics update (Unity 5, new terrain), but runs slow. This build showcases Dragon’s capabilities but is not optimized for most machines. Some flight and UIX issues. Very pretty, but you’ll may have to manually adjust your draw distances and graphic settings if you experience hanging.
Option 3: Transition to world map and zones. Little game play ready. This is where the game is headed but there is admittedly not much to do. (Basically, no change)
A second consideration is whether you would prefer the rollback version to appear on the main branch (the default) or the beta branch (accessible via Steam console). The latest version of the game will be accessible through whichever branch is not used by the rollback.
We’d like to move away from expecting players to opt in or out of the beta branch. Not everyone knows how to access the beta branch through the Steam console, and Steam doesn’t notify players when the beta branch updates. We’re considering a new build which will allow players to choose between the current stable build or the beta in-game. This build would be uploaded to the main branch.
*Please share your preferences for the rollback - both your preferred option and which branch you’d like to see it on - in the “Making Dragon Playable” thread in the forum.*
The rollback will occur by Wednesday11/8. If no preferences are expressed or no consensus can be reached, we will push Option 2 to the main branch and leave the beta as-is.
Thanks for your help!
New Partner, New Funds, New Team
Sorry for the delayed updated, we’ve been working on a deal since late August and can (finally) share the exciting news! We’ve found a new partner who believes in Dragon’s future and wants to help us out.
As we all know Dragon has been stuck without a consistently resourced team for about a year. This has created a ton of headaches for you, the players, and us the devs.
Fortunately, we’ve found a new, mostly silent partner, who sees that our community behind Dragon is a huge indicator of this game’s potential. This partner wants to see Dragon’s development in proper hands; by scaling up our current team, or to pass development to a more experienced team.
Before we can make this transition, a few major changes have to be made. As a company, we need to restructure our cap table and line up our books so that we can accommodate another round of fundraising. We also need to re-scope the next 4-6 months of development so that we can effectively resource and achieve these goals.
Here’s how we envision the next steps.
+First Step (October): Community Update (this post you're reading), update the team and reestablish regular communication with players and Kickstarters.
+Second Step (November): Internal company restructuring. Audit formation documents and current shareholder agreements. Structure investments terms and $$$.
+Third Step (December): Revise development road-map and begin vetting new developers.
+Fourth Step (December/January): Release of funds, new hires, new development schedule.
We know seeing these milestones a few months out can be hard but please remember, we’re moving as fast as possible to lock down a significant capital contribution. This requires paperwork, banks, and lawyers, which all take time and patience.
Grant and Rhea are meeting this week to discuss community updates, Kickstarter announcements, and more. The current patch has taken a backseat to supporting this important fundraising effort.
We're looking forward to sharing our progress with you in the days and weeks to come.
Dev Blog Added
Grant here. I'm looking for ways to communicate more casually with everyone in-between patch announcements and the occasional crisis ;)
So for now, I'll be posting regularly here. Front page announcements will be used for major communications, patch notes, etc.
As we work to get the game back on track and communications open-up, I will be watching the community closely. We want people to feel free to express their opinions, concerns, and complaints but I won't allow rampant pessimism and trolling. Since we launched almost 3 years ago we've never banned anyone and have locked very few discussion. Let's keep it that way. If we're trying to attract investors and new dev talent, we need a strong community.
Thanks again for checking in on Dragon. We'll see you next week for our live stream
Mid-Week Check-In: Game Jamming This Weekend
Grant here. The last few weeks at my day job have been intense, luckily I've got the weekend set aside to work on Dragon!
I'll take a swing through the forums and post updates on Saturday and Sunday to keep you posted on my progress.
Also, is anyone following Game of Thrones? I get goosebumps watching Daenery's dragons torching Lanisters and destroying ballista :)
Beta Branch Update: Combat Crashing Bug?
I'm in-between implementing the 2D map but think I found a solution to the combat-crash-2-desktop bug that's been plaguing some of you.
If you're interested in helping out, please opt into the beta branch. Once in the game click through the single unlabeled button to the placeholder 2D map and load into Raythenholt.
This build isn't supposed to be clean or fun it is supposed to test if we've fixed the combat bug.
Thanks for your patience and help. I'm looking forward to the next general public release.
- Grant
New Map! But Behind and Working Overtime.
We're about to launch the pilot 2D map! While Dragon will remain a fiery 3D experience, we're putting together a huge, adventurous, top-down world map to explore as you move from region to region spreading terror or majesty in your wake.
We've got ideas for dozens of cool encounters and zones for your dragon and to keep the action going, there will be random encounters, other dragons, groups of men and monsters wandering the map and more.
While this does somewhat break the open 3D world feel, it's a necessary workaround for our little team and keeps the game running as fast as possible, not having to manage all of the regions "in-between" the major zones of the game. As development continues, we may pivot back to the fully 3D world space, if time resources and money allows.
Unfortunately, this patch didn't come out last month. At this time Dragon is in something of a holding pattern as figure out how to fund development. In the meantime, our contributors are working outside of their day jobs to continue to move the ball forward
We apologize for the delay but remain committed to Dragon! We're looking forward to devoting increasing amounts of time towards development later this summer.
Talk soon!