Hello and welcome to another DINODRIFTERS dev diary!
One of the most technically demanding parts of Story Mode is the ability to transform from human form to animal (usually dinosaur) form and back again. Today I will talk about how this works.
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| The red button to the right is used to transform back into a human. It replaces the inventory button. |
Humans are not very physically strong, nor are their senses that good. Sometimes the best way to travel across a prehistoric environment is through the eyes and body of one of its inhabitants.
In Chapter 2 of Story Mode (which starts after episode 7), the Dinodrifters gain access to the Dinodrivers - powerful belts that enable them to transform using Animal Drift Cards into dinosaurs, large mammals, amphibians and many other useful forms. Some strong, some fast, some to fly, some to swim and some for very special situations.
Humans are classed as animals in the code, much the same way as any other animal, from bugs to Tyrannosaurus. So, when the human drifts into another animal, all of their stats are recast using the biological template of the target animal. Some things carry over to the new body, like colour and sex, but most do not.
The core stats of the human do not change, so when they drift back, they lose none of their identity.
Animal Drift Cards are powerful and require a full three quarter-charge to use, so you cannot drift over and over without thinking it through. In addition, Drift Charge does not increase when in an animal's body.
Animal Drift Cards only work when placed in the Dinodriver's second input slot (more to come another time).
The animal's brain is different than a human's so if the animal needs something (like food, water and even a mate), it pushes against the controlling human mind. If this push is too high, the animal can wrestle control from the human. If it gets too bad, it results in death, so be careful.
Transforming from human to drifter to animal is a core component of DINODRIFTERS. It widens the possibilities of the player. Want to fly? Become a Quetzalcoatlus. Explore the oceans? Become a Liopleurodon. Want to fight? A Giganotosaurus will do the job.
Who will you become during your time as a Dinodrifter?
Time shall see.
Next diary, I will talk about saving and loading in DINODRIFTERS!
Until next time!
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