Well, hello there! Welcome to the last DINODRIFTERS dev diary and blog post of 2018!
Today, I'd just like to talk about the past and future of DINODRIFTERS. With the new year almost here, I'd just like to take stock of what is to come to DINODRIFTERS in the coming months, including how I got here.
Development of the first prototype of what I'd later call DINODRIFTERS began in late 2017. The scope of it was simple: a remake of an old flash game once hosted on a certain website called the Big Al Game. You played an Allosaurus and progressed from a baby to adulthood, surviving hazards and eating to grow. I remember it being very difficult (I don't remember if I ever beat it), but growing up with computers in school, it was one of a few games we could play as most websites were blocked by the school censors. So many good hours were spent playing that game and hiding it before the teachers could see...
Anyway, I wanted to recreate it, as the original is now gone and impossible to play. I could only find 4 or 5 screenshots of the game across the whole internet that prove its existence, but I managed to recreate it within a month. However, I added improvements to the formula - sprites, animations, multiple playable dinosaurs, more dinosaurs, until finally, I decided to add a story mode and additional areas outside of the Morrison Formation. I added more and more until it evolved into a sandbox of prehistory.
That is how DINODRIFTERS come to be.
The two modes in the game, Story and Dinosaur Mode, are basically two different games that use the same assets, but under different rules. I plan to have an scenario in Dinosaur Mode that sets everything to be like the Big Al Game - play as Allosaurus, as a hatchling, with unique events to match those in the inspired game (remember those poor injured pterosaurs anyone?).
For DINODRIFTERS, 2017 was the year of birth, 2018 was the year of evolution, and now at the end of 2018, I can say that 2019 will be the year of release. The year of DINODRIFTERS.
By the end of February, I hope to have Chapter 1 of Story Mode and at least 10 game areas complete. Enough for a playable release of some kind. More will be announced in the coming weeks. Chapter 2 will follow in April-May and Chapter 3 and the game as a whole will be complete by August-September. That is my tentative plan as long as nothing nasty happens. Delays may happen, but the game will release in 2019 no matter what.
Beyond that, I have additional plans for DINODRIFTERS - new areas and additional content to come after release, free to anyone who purchases the game - none of that DLC nonsense. I even have a massive plan for a third game mode that would be incredible to do. I'll be updating DINODRIFTERS beyond 2019 for sure - you can count on it!
But first, we must get to release! The road goes ever on and on after all!
Be ready to drift into the past and beyond in 2019 and of course have a
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
See you later!
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