DINODRIFTERS Dev Diary #15: Saving Progress

Hello and welcome to another DINODRIFTERS dev diary!

DINODRIFTERS is a big game. With 21 story episodes and at least 25 areas to explore, from the beginning I knew that a reliable save system would be needed. One I, as developer, would need complete control over. Let me briefly talk about this today.

The top-left button lets you save, load and restart the game. Saving is only allowed when not in battle or in an event.

Firstly, saving is as simple as it should be.

You press the button in the top-left corner and it opens up the file menu. Here you can save (if free in game), load and restart/go back to the main menu.

Save files are .ini files that can be easily edited (I might create a tutorial for such in the future) and are structured thusly:

- Core save data (stats, character details and story progress)
- Blackhill animal data [only for Story Mode files] (the details of all the saved animals the file has saved on Blackhill Reserve)
- Temporary save data (the animals, plants and objects in the game world that are not permanent)

In theory, there is no limit to how many save files the player can have at once, but I'll probably limit it to a number below 20 at a later date when I make a final UI for it. That way you can have multiple Story and Dinosaur files at once.


Next diary, I will talk about the Dinodriver - the most powerful piece of Drifter Gear in DINODRIFTERS!

Until next time!

TIME FILE: Hell Creek Formation - Montana, 66 million years ago

"The toxic lands of a dying dynasty"
(based on the Hell Creek Formation)

Description
Volcanic and hot, the plains of Hell Creek are poisoned by noxious fumes and the shadow of a rumbling mountain. In addition, a threat from beyond earth stalks the sky, ticking down the seconds until the end of the Cretaceous and the beginning of the Paleogene. Tar pits pose a danger to those seeking an easy drink and toxic rain from volcanic ash can poison fresh water sources.

Geography
Contained on the western portion of North America, separated from the rest via a great inland sea. A massive volcano stands to the north with a lush forest to the south with groups of lakes dotted in the green.

Features
Volcanic plains, highlands, forests, lakes and tar pits

Rock Type
Volcanic rock and mudstone

Fossilisation Extent
Found both around silty areas such as the lakes and the inland sea to the east.
 
Animals
Theropods – Tyrannosaurus
Ankylosaurids – Ankylosaurus, Denversaurus
Pterosaurs – Quetzalcoatlus 
Pachycephalosaurids – Pachycephalosaurus, Sphaerotholus 
Ceratopsians – Triceratops, Torosaurus, Leptoceratops 
Hadrosaurids – Edmontosaurus, Thescelosaurus
Ornithomimids – Struthiomimus
Oviraptorsaurids – Leptorhynchos, Anzu Wyliei
Dromaeosaurids – Acheroraptor, Dakotaraptor
Crurotarsans – Borealosuchus, Brachychampsa, Thoracosaurus
Lizards and Snakes – Boid, Palaeosaniwa, Obamadon
Choristodera – Champsosaurus
Turtles – Adocus, Trionyx
Mammals – Didelphodon, Alphadon, Purgatorius
Birds – Aviasaurus, Brodavis, Potamornis
Other – Termites, Crayfish, Clams, Dragonflies, Scorpions, Millipedes, Dung Beetles, Snails, Slugs, Jellyfish, Wasps, Flies
 
Plants
Conifers, cycads, tree ferns, horsetails, redwoods, palm trees, laurels and angiosperms

Most plants were riparian, living near the water sources like lakes. Only tough conifers and ferns could live away from direct sources of hydration.

 

DINODRIFTERS Dev Diary #14: Transformation Mechanics

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.

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!

FACT FILE: Alectrosaurus

Name origin: Greek aetos (eagle) and sauros (lizard)

Short Description: Medium theropod predatory dinosaur

Height (adult): 2 metres

Length (adult): 5 metres

Weight (adult): 800kg

Temporal range: 74-83 Mya

Distribution: Central Asia
Sexual maturity (in years): 8-9

Description: Alectrosaurus was a solitary hunter that preyed on smaller dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs, like Protoceratops and Plesiohadros. A smaller Tyrannosaurid dinosaur, Alectrosaurus were fast and active hunters capable of tracking prey across vast deserts almost effortlessly.

CHARACTER FILE: Drifter Violet

Drifter Violet

"Humans have longed to live beyond death since before my time. I am a testament to the will of my species. Even fractured, I'm still more whole than any of you."

Name: ???
Age: ???
Sex: Female?
Gender: ???
Date of Birth: ???
Place of Birth: ???
Time Drift Card: Quaternary

A concluded renegade who stalks the Dinodrifters with the goal of collecting all the Time Cards. Violet can travel through time seemingly independently of the Timegate and possesses the Dinodriver – a new form of Drifter tech that the Dinodrifters lack, allowing her to transform into dinosaurs.

Violet's motives can only be guessed. Violet's identity is unknown, as there have been no sightings outside of Timegate excursions. Judging by several factors, Violet is guessed to be female, but this is not certain. This rogue drifter is highly dangerous and capable of levitation, shapeshifting and time-travelling beyond the use of the known Timegate.

Beware!

DINODRIFTERS Dev Diary #13: Creating a Character

Hello and welcome to another DINODRIFTERS dev diary!

In Story Mode, you don't play a pre-made character. Rather, you will create your own avatar that will appear in both gameplay and cutscenes. You are Drifter Green, and Drifter Green is you. Who they are, what they do and what they look like is entirely in your hands.

You can choose between pre-made colours or mix your own for hair, skin and eye colours using the colour sliders!

Firstly, you name your character and give them a birthday (this is to be used for in-game events only). Then you move on to the physical, where you customise your human avatar.

Colour is purely for visual distinctiveness, same with eye and hair colours alike. Almost all the options are entirely visual, save for sex. Some characters in the later portion of the game will speak differently and give you different options based on your character's sex and your relationship with them. More on this will come at a later date when I talk about relationships with characters and how they work. For now, understand that you can't romance every person under the sun without considering their preferences.

After this, you will pick what background your avatar has. Are they military? A scientist? Perhaps a criminal? Each path offers unique game dialogues and options based on what you pick. In addition, starting relationship status will be based on what selection you make.

After this, the game starts.

When you become Drifter Green proper, you will gain access to Blackhill. There you can find a barber and style your hair (with some secret selections later on), after starting the game.

Clothes can be changed at anytime using your dresser in your room in Blackhill. New clothes can be acquired in several ways in the story. More on this to come later.

A few other things can be changed after creating your character... but you'll have to find these out for yourself.


Next diary, I will talk about transformation in DINODRIFTERS. Not just from human to drifter, but with the power of the Dinodriver, from human to animal!

Until next time!

TIME FILE: Morrison Formation - Wyoming, 153 million years ago

"The fragile land of the Allosaurus"
(based on the Morrison Formation)

Description
The overall climate was dry, like a modern grassland sans the grass. Flowering plants have yet to evolve, leaving ferns and horsetails to dominate the earthy landscape.

Geography
Sundance Sea, an extension of the Arctic, bordered the north and a massive desert to the south that we know existed due to aeolian processes, with dunes and one massive salt pan called Lake T'oo'dichi' evident from siltstone deposits.

Features
Swampy lowlands, lakes, rivers and floodplains

Rock Type
Mudstone, sandstone, siltstone and limestone

Fossilisation Extent
Found mostly in green siltstone and lower sandstone layers, in former rivers and floodplains, ideal for fossilisation.
 
Animals
Theropods – Allosaurus, Torvosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Marshosaurus, Strokesosaurus, Ornitholestes, Tanycolagreus
Sauropods – Diplodocus, Camarasaurus, Brontosaurus, Apatosaurus, Barosaurus, Supersaurus, Brachiosaurus, Suuwassea, Haplocanthosaurus
Ornithopods – Camptosaurus, Dryosaurus, Othnielosaurus
Heterodontosaurids – Fruitadens
Ankylosaurids – Gargoyleosaurus, Mymoorapelta
Stegosaurids – Stegosaurus, Hesperosaurus
Pterosaurs – Mesadactylus, Harpactognathus
Crurotarsans – Amphicotylus, Hallopus, Fruitachampsa, Hoplosuchus
Lizards and Snakes – Dorsetisaurus, Diablophis
Sphenodonts – Eilenodon
Choristodera – Ctenigenys
Turtles – Glyptops
Amphibians – Rhadinosteus, Iridotriton
Fish – Ceratodus, Morrolepis, Leptolepis, Hulettia
Mammals – Triconolestes, Docodon, Glirodon, Dryolestes, Tinodon
Other – Termites, Crayfish, Clams, Dragonflies, Scorpions, Millipedes, Dung Beetles, Snails, Slugs, Jellyfish, Wasps, Flies
 
Plants
Conifers, ginkgos, cycads, Tree ferns and horsetails

Most plants were riparian, living near the river and other water sources like lakes. Only tough conifers and ferns could live away from direct sources of hydration.