DevBlog #16: Field Observations
[h2]Filipe - Lead Programmer[/h2]
This month I worked more on fracture and diets, mainly additional mechanics, effects or behaviors based on feedback, but of course, bug fixes provided by QA tests, since those mechanics, specially diets, has several “roots” to the game core, which forced me to change other mechanics, creating bugs if not being careful. Besides that I also made changes to several other mechanics in game, such as group invite that work only if holding the key, which you have already experienced in the latest hotfix, but also the same principle with pickup, while tap allows to remove a meat chunk from the body and holding will perform the carry/drag (if possible). The Eating mechanic was expanded to provide the herbivores the ability to eat from fruits, being on the tree or on the floor, those are going to be able to be picked up by herbivores. Pickup is now in sync with the eating ability´s distance check, so if you can see the eat hint, you should also be able to use the pickup ability.
More changes to the game core system, which are simpler, cleaner and more reliable now, avoiding unnecessary extra work by the server, increasing it´s stability. More changes to rivers and their sound system, ocean now should have wave sounds and also modified the Ambient zone system, fixing some weird behaviors and done some modifications to distance and landscape check before spawning an ambient sound.
Added the DLSS plugin, as requested by popular demand, with settings that can be changed in the title menu. Also added a “lag compensation” system to pounce, which is still experimental, and under heavy testing as you read this. This system is going to be the basis to help fight bugs and issues with abilities related to high latency.
Besides that, the usual bug fixes and more work on the Pachy’s headbutt attack, which also allows parrying more easily now.
[h2]Amar0k - Programmer[/h2]
It’ll be brief post from me this month as the majority of my work during August has been developing various backend stuff that I can't really talk about just yet, as well as setting up the new ambient AI animals that will be coming as part of the Diet System in Update #4. They’ve already gone through a variety of balance changes via playtesting with our dedicated Quality Assurance team.
Besides that I have been working on getting Linux support for our servers which is going extraordinarily well and is currently under heavy testing.
[h2]dmIV - Programmer[/h2]
This month I continued development on an upcoming Pteranodon mechanic. It is now more reliable, works and looks better as well. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it once you get your hands on it. I’m not saying more for now, but it’s looking real good in Seiza’s upcoming Update #4 trailer!
I’ve also made improvements to the movement, specifically trying to turn while sprinting. The animals now have a bit more weight behind them, meaning that it will take them a little bit longer to change directions at full speed. This actually made it into the patch that went out recently, so you should be able to experience it already. I made some further improvements since then and I feel it’s become one of those small things that you might not even notice but it really helps with providing a realistic movement for our animals.
Additionally I took a picture of something that you will see in a future update. Here’s a little preview:
[h2]Tapwing - 2D Artist[/h2]
Outside of finalizing plans for the dockyard, and drafting any remaining concepts for this, I’ve been experimenting with a little side project to brainstorm building ideas. My goal is to use our work-in-progress map and think about the scenery from a first-person point of view. For instance, what would it be like to come into a clearing? Then I’d develop some concept art depicting what I might expect to see there.
I would take screenshots and create a rough paint-over to see how the structures might look integrated into the environment. In addition to these building concept studies, I’ll also be developing more nature sketches. So stay tuned.
[h2]Wedge - Sound Designer[/h2]
This month I have mostly completed the vocal sounds for both Pachycephalosaurus (including juvenile vocals) and Compsognathus. The Compy’s vocals consist of a variety of chirping, croaking and squeaking sounds to achieve a diverse vocal range and now just need to be critically tested until satisfied. The Pachy has the majority of its vocals bar some breathy grunting, bellowing and chuffing, to fill in the gaps between actions to make it really come to life.
Improvements have been made to the ambiences that are currently in Spiro, birds and fauna heard at night are more spaced out, tree creaks have been added into the jungle, wind is louder at night and the volume and tonality (especially at night) of loops have been balanced some more.
To accompany the weight of the blunt force impact sounds, I recreated the body fall sounds to give a satisfying thump as victims of blunt force trauma tumble to the ground, just need a system set up to switch between surface variants.
As well as the above, I have made some progress on ambient animal audio, however there is plenty more to edit and set up. On the side I also added or replaced some supplementary vocals for both the Dryosaurus and Tenontosaurus as I felt these two were lacking any extra vocals compared to the rest of the roster however there is always room for more. Additionally I ensured every playable has a more noticeably different vocal for 1 and 3 call when the key is held with the exception of the Pachy which is in progress currently.
[h2]Hypno - QA Lead[/h2]
Recently, a lot of the quality assurance team’s time has been invested in tightening up on the game’s balance. The goal with our balance is to move away from the feeling of being a large deathmatch and lean more into the survival game it’s supposed to be. This means that when you go into a fight with a juvenile, you know that it’s just that, a juvenile. It means that when you kill and bring down a large animal, you know that it’s going to feed your pack for days to come. It is very important for us to prepare the balance of the game this way now, rather than later, as character stats would have become increasingly artificially inflated and the previous balance wouldn’t have fared well with future mechanics. It’s important to keep in mind that everything is always subject to change.
Fractures are proving to be a game changer in combat. Character’s heads, bodies, and legs can be specifically targeted in order to impose various negative effects. Get a head fracture? Your character doesn’t deal as much damage from their head related attacks (bites, headbutts, etc) and your screen becomes clouded to simulate a concussion. I don’t want to spoil the effects of the other types of fractures, so you’ll just have to learn those the hard way. :)
Progress on the Diet System is coming along really well, despite not many testing disciplines being ticked on the public roadmap. This system intertwines with almost all mechanics that came before it, so it’s definitely taking a bit longer than other mechanics to test for bugs. That being said though, I’m happy to say that the system is almost in a position to be tested publicly. Not long now!
The public testing of the Diet System will be paramount in ensuring that the mechanic works as we have intended. While the QA team has been able to find a vast number of bugs related to the system, the balance of the system has gone mostly unaltered. Due to the lack of QA testers we have, we simply wouldn’t have the data required to properly set up the values for the system. That’s where you, the players, come in to help us!
During the public test we will be closely monitoring player feedback - we will need to know absolutely everything about it. Growth for a certain species is too easy/difficult? Buffs/debuffs are too strong/weak? Preferred diet doesn’t make sense for the character? The system just isn’t fun and it’s tedious? This is your time to shine and assist us in creating the foundations for a gameplay loop that is fun, engaging and rewarding.
[h2]KissenKitten - Producer[/h2]
Lots and lots of animating this month in preparation for diets and fractures. Some new content to the game will include new eating animations for herbivores that will be eating from various heights. Since eating is such a large part of a creature’s day, we want to ensure it’s a visual treat as well as a sustaining one. Something tasty out of reach? Just rear up and grab it if your creature has that capability. Something underground? Dig it up! Depending on your species and your diet, you may have several ways to dine.
Bryan and I have also been toiling away on fracture animations. As I have mentioned previously, the fracture system is intended to right some of the frustrating wrongs of bonebreak from Legacy and stepping the general idea into modernity. No longer a death sentence, when fractured you’ll still be able to get around at varying speeds and also defend yourself. The system aims to give you the player, more visual feedback of cause and effect interactions. The fracture system is but one of many ways we intend on making combat more dynamic and readable. We want to slowly do away with guessing games of how hurt your opponent actually is. In the not so distant future, you’ll be able to tell at a glance. Moreover, if you are on the receiving end, your opponent would be wise not to underestimate the amount of fight you have left in you.
The Pachycephalosaurus is in the locker room getting ready to come out swinging in Update 4.5. One of EVRIMA's first creatures to go through a dramatic transformation as it ages. The Pachy is a robust powerhouse that no longer feels stale and generic but stands on its own two feet, primed to lift you off of yours.
This month has been particularly weighted since the diets are so very important to the foundations of the dinosaur gameplay loop. There’s a lot of new plants coming into the game and more to come even after we release Update 4. In addition to the teams working directly on Update 4, the rest of the team has been revving their engines in preparation for Update 5 and on working on some perennial tasks. We’re getting the hatchlings ready to face the world! Yes, that will include Hypsi. Lots of work on human areas that we haven’t quite revealed just yet and some explorations on how we want our soldiers vivisected. Poor guys. All in all, despite this update being production heavy and very foundational, it has been a relatively clear path considering the amount of work that has gone into it. Some artists have been preparing for months for you to finally see what they’ve been working on all put together and in-game. Some will have to wait longer still but we’re all primed and ready to get your feedback on the systems we are dropping with Update 4 so we can really deliver on some interesting gameplay!
[h2]Closing Remarks[/h2]
And finally, I'll leave you all with a little teaser of things to come...
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
This month I worked more on fracture and diets, mainly additional mechanics, effects or behaviors based on feedback, but of course, bug fixes provided by QA tests, since those mechanics, specially diets, has several “roots” to the game core, which forced me to change other mechanics, creating bugs if not being careful. Besides that I also made changes to several other mechanics in game, such as group invite that work only if holding the key, which you have already experienced in the latest hotfix, but also the same principle with pickup, while tap allows to remove a meat chunk from the body and holding will perform the carry/drag (if possible). The Eating mechanic was expanded to provide the herbivores the ability to eat from fruits, being on the tree or on the floor, those are going to be able to be picked up by herbivores. Pickup is now in sync with the eating ability´s distance check, so if you can see the eat hint, you should also be able to use the pickup ability.
More changes to the game core system, which are simpler, cleaner and more reliable now, avoiding unnecessary extra work by the server, increasing it´s stability. More changes to rivers and their sound system, ocean now should have wave sounds and also modified the Ambient zone system, fixing some weird behaviors and done some modifications to distance and landscape check before spawning an ambient sound.
Added the DLSS plugin, as requested by popular demand, with settings that can be changed in the title menu. Also added a “lag compensation” system to pounce, which is still experimental, and under heavy testing as you read this. This system is going to be the basis to help fight bugs and issues with abilities related to high latency.
Besides that, the usual bug fixes and more work on the Pachy’s headbutt attack, which also allows parrying more easily now.
[h2]Amar0k - Programmer[/h2]
It’ll be brief post from me this month as the majority of my work during August has been developing various backend stuff that I can't really talk about just yet, as well as setting up the new ambient AI animals that will be coming as part of the Diet System in Update #4. They’ve already gone through a variety of balance changes via playtesting with our dedicated Quality Assurance team.
Besides that I have been working on getting Linux support for our servers which is going extraordinarily well and is currently under heavy testing.
[h2]dmIV - Programmer[/h2]
This month I continued development on an upcoming Pteranodon mechanic. It is now more reliable, works and looks better as well. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it once you get your hands on it. I’m not saying more for now, but it’s looking real good in Seiza’s upcoming Update #4 trailer!
I’ve also made improvements to the movement, specifically trying to turn while sprinting. The animals now have a bit more weight behind them, meaning that it will take them a little bit longer to change directions at full speed. This actually made it into the patch that went out recently, so you should be able to experience it already. I made some further improvements since then and I feel it’s become one of those small things that you might not even notice but it really helps with providing a realistic movement for our animals.
Additionally I took a picture of something that you will see in a future update. Here’s a little preview:
[h2]Tapwing - 2D Artist[/h2]
Outside of finalizing plans for the dockyard, and drafting any remaining concepts for this, I’ve been experimenting with a little side project to brainstorm building ideas. My goal is to use our work-in-progress map and think about the scenery from a first-person point of view. For instance, what would it be like to come into a clearing? Then I’d develop some concept art depicting what I might expect to see there.
I would take screenshots and create a rough paint-over to see how the structures might look integrated into the environment. In addition to these building concept studies, I’ll also be developing more nature sketches. So stay tuned.
[h2]Wedge - Sound Designer[/h2]
This month I have mostly completed the vocal sounds for both Pachycephalosaurus (including juvenile vocals) and Compsognathus. The Compy’s vocals consist of a variety of chirping, croaking and squeaking sounds to achieve a diverse vocal range and now just need to be critically tested until satisfied. The Pachy has the majority of its vocals bar some breathy grunting, bellowing and chuffing, to fill in the gaps between actions to make it really come to life.
Improvements have been made to the ambiences that are currently in Spiro, birds and fauna heard at night are more spaced out, tree creaks have been added into the jungle, wind is louder at night and the volume and tonality (especially at night) of loops have been balanced some more.
To accompany the weight of the blunt force impact sounds, I recreated the body fall sounds to give a satisfying thump as victims of blunt force trauma tumble to the ground, just need a system set up to switch between surface variants.
As well as the above, I have made some progress on ambient animal audio, however there is plenty more to edit and set up. On the side I also added or replaced some supplementary vocals for both the Dryosaurus and Tenontosaurus as I felt these two were lacking any extra vocals compared to the rest of the roster however there is always room for more. Additionally I ensured every playable has a more noticeably different vocal for 1 and 3 call when the key is held with the exception of the Pachy which is in progress currently.
[h2]Hypno - QA Lead[/h2]
Recently, a lot of the quality assurance team’s time has been invested in tightening up on the game’s balance. The goal with our balance is to move away from the feeling of being a large deathmatch and lean more into the survival game it’s supposed to be. This means that when you go into a fight with a juvenile, you know that it’s just that, a juvenile. It means that when you kill and bring down a large animal, you know that it’s going to feed your pack for days to come. It is very important for us to prepare the balance of the game this way now, rather than later, as character stats would have become increasingly artificially inflated and the previous balance wouldn’t have fared well with future mechanics. It’s important to keep in mind that everything is always subject to change.
Fractures are proving to be a game changer in combat. Character’s heads, bodies, and legs can be specifically targeted in order to impose various negative effects. Get a head fracture? Your character doesn’t deal as much damage from their head related attacks (bites, headbutts, etc) and your screen becomes clouded to simulate a concussion. I don’t want to spoil the effects of the other types of fractures, so you’ll just have to learn those the hard way. :)
Progress on the Diet System is coming along really well, despite not many testing disciplines being ticked on the public roadmap. This system intertwines with almost all mechanics that came before it, so it’s definitely taking a bit longer than other mechanics to test for bugs. That being said though, I’m happy to say that the system is almost in a position to be tested publicly. Not long now!
The public testing of the Diet System will be paramount in ensuring that the mechanic works as we have intended. While the QA team has been able to find a vast number of bugs related to the system, the balance of the system has gone mostly unaltered. Due to the lack of QA testers we have, we simply wouldn’t have the data required to properly set up the values for the system. That’s where you, the players, come in to help us!
During the public test we will be closely monitoring player feedback - we will need to know absolutely everything about it. Growth for a certain species is too easy/difficult? Buffs/debuffs are too strong/weak? Preferred diet doesn’t make sense for the character? The system just isn’t fun and it’s tedious? This is your time to shine and assist us in creating the foundations for a gameplay loop that is fun, engaging and rewarding.
[h2]KissenKitten - Producer[/h2]
Lots and lots of animating this month in preparation for diets and fractures. Some new content to the game will include new eating animations for herbivores that will be eating from various heights. Since eating is such a large part of a creature’s day, we want to ensure it’s a visual treat as well as a sustaining one. Something tasty out of reach? Just rear up and grab it if your creature has that capability. Something underground? Dig it up! Depending on your species and your diet, you may have several ways to dine.
Bryan and I have also been toiling away on fracture animations. As I have mentioned previously, the fracture system is intended to right some of the frustrating wrongs of bonebreak from Legacy and stepping the general idea into modernity. No longer a death sentence, when fractured you’ll still be able to get around at varying speeds and also defend yourself. The system aims to give you the player, more visual feedback of cause and effect interactions. The fracture system is but one of many ways we intend on making combat more dynamic and readable. We want to slowly do away with guessing games of how hurt your opponent actually is. In the not so distant future, you’ll be able to tell at a glance. Moreover, if you are on the receiving end, your opponent would be wise not to underestimate the amount of fight you have left in you.
The Pachycephalosaurus is in the locker room getting ready to come out swinging in Update 4.5. One of EVRIMA's first creatures to go through a dramatic transformation as it ages. The Pachy is a robust powerhouse that no longer feels stale and generic but stands on its own two feet, primed to lift you off of yours.
This month has been particularly weighted since the diets are so very important to the foundations of the dinosaur gameplay loop. There’s a lot of new plants coming into the game and more to come even after we release Update 4. In addition to the teams working directly on Update 4, the rest of the team has been revving their engines in preparation for Update 5 and on working on some perennial tasks. We’re getting the hatchlings ready to face the world! Yes, that will include Hypsi. Lots of work on human areas that we haven’t quite revealed just yet and some explorations on how we want our soldiers vivisected. Poor guys. All in all, despite this update being production heavy and very foundational, it has been a relatively clear path considering the amount of work that has gone into it. Some artists have been preparing for months for you to finally see what they’ve been working on all put together and in-game. Some will have to wait longer still but we’re all primed and ready to get your feedback on the systems we are dropping with Update 4 so we can really deliver on some interesting gameplay!
[h2]Closing Remarks[/h2]
And finally, I'll leave you all with a little teaser of things to come...
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]