MILESTONE: DINODRIFTERS playable now on Steam!

DINODRIFTERS is available now on Steam Early Access!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1179190



Enjoy!

MILESTONE: Steam Page is Up

The DINODRIFTERS Steam page is now live!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1179190



It will be available in a little over two weeks time in November.

Almost there!

MILESTONE: Kickstarter Out Now!

The DINODRIFTERS Kickstarter is now live!

Dinodrifters Kickstarter campaign here!

Thank you to every reader who has checked out this development blog over the last few months. There are several rewards that are available, so be sure to check them out!

Here's to you!

MILESTONE: The Road Ahead

An Alectrosaurus mother stands guard around her nest in the Flaming Cliffs

DINODRIFTERS is now fully in private beta.

Currently, I am testing the game and making tweaks and small alterations to improve everything. Performance, graphics, balance, among other things.

All features outlined from the beginning are present and working well!

The timeline to come is as follows:

July will be all about tweaks, quality-of-life improvements and bug-squashing. The beta will be in private beta during this time. I need to record some voices for use in the text-to-speech system and perhaps tweak it a bit.

August will be big.

In August, DINODRIFTERS will begin to move towards release. There are additional things I know I can do to make DINODRIFTERS even greater. See here for details. More areas, more features and even more story. However... time is running out. It would take months of additional development to do everything I want to do. Not need, per se. Want. I'd want to add more dinosaurs. More areas. But as I am right now, I cannot.

However, the game is complete in the scope I iterated over a year and a half ago. It's my ambition that says I need to do more, but I am only human and reality is sometimes not what we want it to be.

Therefore, in order to develop past August, I would need to secure support.

While I always envisioned a straight release at the end of my timeline, I'm starting to consider the possibility of creating a either a Kickstarter or an Indiegogo to support an additional few months of development.

Subject to change!

There are several great boons to this idea:

• The bulk of the game is already done. Backers would be able to play the game from the beginning and see more features and maps and dinosaurs as they're added!
• Because of the amount of development already done, it means that I would not require much. Around $5000, including fees. Smaller than average and with a smaller timescale and sooner delivery date.
• It would provide the funds and resources needed to continue development post-August, up to January at least.
• It would allow me to hire individuals to create music for DINODRIFTERS. I lack the skills to compose. I tried several times, but it is beyond me! However, I have several people in mind whose style would fit the setting and ambience of the game.
• No promises, but if such a campaign is successful and drums up enough support, I'd think about creating ports of DINODRIFTERS after upgrading to GM2. I do not know how long it would take, but it would be possible to create Mac and Ubuntu ports easily and due to how DINODRIFTERS is designed, even Android and other tablets would work perfectly given enough time to make the change.

That's the plan I have in mind at the moment. For the next month, development will continue as normal and I'll announce the concrete plan by the end of July.

Until next time!

- Jane

MILESTONE: Chapter 3 and Story Mode, complete!

Featuring the Super Forms of the Dinodrifters!

Chapter 3 of DINODRIFTERS Story Mode:

Lowarn, the ancient creator of the Drifter Gear and the Timegate, has awoken!

Now Biall is on the run, still seeking to acquire the Time Cards.

However, the Dinodrifters, with Lowarn's help, have a plan.

To finish Biall once and for all, the Dinodrifters must build the Eternal Time Card by filling it up with the powers of all the Drifters. But to do so, they must conquer their pasts.

Can they do it? Can they save Cymreen and the world from the reign of Biall? Or will evil rule the times of earth?

The final battle of the Dinodrifters is about to begin!

--

I am overjoyed to announce that Chapter 3 of Dinodrifters' Story Mode is finally complete! As with the last milestone, the only thing missing is the animations - all gameplay, missions and dialogue are complete!

This leaves 3/3 chapters and 21/21 episodes done. The whole Story Mode, excepting extra material such as side quests and bonus scenes that will come later, is complete and fully playable.

Chapter 3 was both difficult and easy. Easy in that most the groundwork was already there, built up over two chapters, but hard in creating a fair but firm challenge for the player late in the game. I've added the final main character, Lowarn, upgraded sprites for the Dinodrifters and the Final Form of Drifter Green, the player character.

More on that another time.

Chapter 3 is all about finishing character threads that have been built in the previous chapters to that point. Gameplay-wise, Chapter 3 is where the whole game opens up, with all gatemarks unlocked for the player to explore.

It's so good to see all that space I allocated for the story and dialogue and missions to fill up to completion over the last month. When I animate the cutscenes in April, I'll share snippets! But for now, it's time to take a step away from Story Mode and work on Dinosaur Mode!


Stay tuned for more, for the next month of March is where the last gatemarks will be built and added!

See you there!

MILESTONE: Chapter 2, complete!

Chapter 2 of DINODRIFTERS Story Mode:

Biall has awoken!

The malevolent intelligence that has stolen the Time Cards and seeks to claim the rest.

With all of them... Biall would be unstoppable.

With the Roguedrifters split, Drifter Violet joins the Dinodrifters. With her help, can they defeat Biall, claim back the cards and save humanity from its touch?

--

I am extremely happy to announce that Chapter 2 of Dinodrifters' Story Mode is complete! As with the last milestone, the only thing missing is the animations - all gameplay, missions and dialogue is complete!

This leaves 2/3 chapters done and 14/21 episodes done.

Chapter 2 has turned out to be much harder than Chapter 1. I've added the Cometcopter, Super Forms for the Dinodrifters, Keytoucher codes, advanced Dinodriver mechanics and of course, new characters.

By the end of Chapter 2, the Dinodrifters are joined by a new character and Chapter 3 will be a hunt across all the gatemarks to complete a weapon to contain Biall, the ultimate villain of Dinodrifters.

Stay tuned for more as we near Story Mode gameplay completion!

See you soon!

MILESTONE: Chapter 1, complete! Enter... Roguedrifters!

Chapter 1 of Dinodrifters Story Mode:

Ravaging across time and space!

The team of opportunistic drifters who use drift technology with the goal of bringing back people from the dead.

Roguedrifters - Raiders in Time!

Comprised of Drifters Navy, Violet and Army, they oppose the Dinodrifters, who waste their gifts on primitive animals. They lack imagination or sight. The Roguedrifters seek to benefit humanity as a whole, especially those who suddenly died in the Great Cataclysm all those years ago.

They need to gather the Time Drift Cards to restore what was. Will they succeed, or will the Dinodrifters? When greater, darker forces rise with more insidious goals, how will the Roguedrifters and Dinodrifters react? Can what was, be again?

--

It is my great pleasure to announce that Chapter 1 of Story Mode is in its first playable state, from start to finish! All dialogue, gameplay, locations and links are complete and playable in their entirety. The only thing to finish are the animations for cutscenes.

This leaves 1/3 chapters done and 7/21 episodes done.

I plan to bring the whole campaign and story to a similar point during February, then do all the animations after that point. This will allow me to test the core gameplay as intensively as possible.

By the end of Chapter 1, the Roguedrifters cease to be be the main villains of the story, as the main villain reveals itself. In addition, Chapter 2 will feature new power-ups for the existing Dinodrifters and several new members will join the team. The whole world of the game expands beyond in says I'm certain will be exciting! More to come on this next month!

I will update the blog in the coming few weeks with some slightly spoilery posts (including the unmasking of Violet, Army and Navy). Stay tuned!

Don't forget to play DINODRIFTERS later this year to experience the full adventure!

See you soon!