Welcome back to another Dev Blog!
It's been a few months since our last update. A lot has happened in that time. Those of you who are active in our discord server already know, but our Lead Developer, Jon, had a serious accident in August leading to multiple broken ribs and a punctured lung. After multiple hospital visits and some close calls, he is finally able to get back to work. While he is not yet completely healed, he is well enough to begin working on the game once more.
Due to the accident, we have had to delay the release of the 1.0 update. However, we now have an definitive release date!
Day of Dragons will be releasing Saturday, February 17th, 2024!
The release will include four new playable dragons, one new playable elemental, new AI, the new skin crafting/nesting system, updated UI, game features, a new dragon pearl loot and inventory system creating a player economy, new game modes such as CvC and DvE, anti-hacking variable encryption, new emotes, new animations, new skins, new eldering mechanic, new maps, new UE5 engine features such as Lumen lighting, updated dragon models and textures, new/updated sfx, and much more.
We are very excited and we hope you are, too! Now let's see some of the awesome stuff we have been working on these last few months...
New UI and Systems
Coming in the 1.0 update will be a new Character Panel UI design. This new design, shown as a early work-in-progress in the image above, will use tabs at the left side of your screen to open different information boxes. These boxes will contain the important information you can find in the current Character Panel, as well as additional information such as nesting and your new inventory.
We are currently working on crafting the inventory system for Day of Dragons. "An inventory system?" you say. "But dragon's don't have purses, silly developers," you say. Well, dragons don't need purses to carry their loot. They already have a built in one. Our dragons have an extra organ known as a crop that is used to store useful items such as dragon pearls.
Dragon pearls, as depicted in the above image, will be a new feature to the game. Players will be able to loot these from aggressive AI and player carcasses and equip them onto their characters. These pearls will have a variety of benefits, including stat boosting or cosmetic effects. Unless the pearl is from an exclusive cosmetic (i.e. from Patreon rewards packs), you will drop the pearls and your inventory once your dragon dies and other dragons will be able to loot your carcass.
Players will also be able to trade or drop pearls at will. And if you are wondering how, it is probably exactly as you would expect. With the new pearls, we will also be adding the regurgitation animation for each dragon.
Flame Stalker Regurgitation Animation
Animation And VFX Update
Brood Watcher Mating Display
Our sixth dragon's animation set is completed! The Brood Watcher will be joining the Biolumin and the Blitz Striker as the new dragons coming in the 1.0 update. With the Brood Watcher will come major updates to the nesting system as well as skin crafting which we will talk about in more detail in a future dev blog. The Brood Watcher will function as a caretaker to young dragons and will be able to carry and incubate eggs in their throat pouches.
With the overall animation sets for the six dragons and first elemental that will appear in 1.0 completed, our animation and vfx teams are working on polishing content and looking ahead. Some of our animation team is already moved to working on content found in our next update. Check out some of the content and when it is to be expected below.
Update Biolumin Bile Attack VFX (1.0)
Feathered Zygovo Rig (1.2)
Singe Crest Flight Animation (1.1)
Polished Swamp Snapper Turn-and-Bite Animation (1.0 or following patch)
Shadow Scale Dynamic Idle (1.0)
Flame Stalker Dynamic Idle (1.0)
Welcome back to the Forgotten Forest
We have a new developer who has joined the team! Echo will be our Level Designer and has already begun work on the map that will be featured in the 1.0 update.
With the delay of the Mega Map, we have turned our focus to the Forgotten Forest map that is currently in the game. We will be starting from scratch and redoing the entire map for the 1.0 update. The update map will feature new landmarks, micro biomes and more. Echo has already begun working on the river section of the map and has created some beautiful new areas for our players to explore.
The Forgotten Forest iwon't just be one giant forest biome. Instead, it is a temperate rainforest ecosystem which includes multiple types of micro biomes that you would find in areas with temperate climates. We plan to include multiple forests (coniferous, temperate, redwoods, birch), grasslands/meadows, snow caps (on mountain region), and wetlands. There might even be some volcanic activity that fire bile dragons can call home.
We can't wait to explore this new environment with you all!
Dev Q&A Livestream
Our next Q&A livestream has not yet scheduled. Stay tuned and watch for updates to find out when the next one will be!
From the Community
Each blog post, we pick some of our favorite screenshots and artwork posted by the community to showcase here. Want a chance for your submission to be showcased on our next blog? Post it in the appropriate channels on our discord!
Some of our favorite recent screenshots...
by nicknetted
by lusewing
by birishlove
Some of our favorite artwork from the community...
by optimisticp08
by mykamila
by kemikel
Thanks for reading!
~The Day of Dragons Development Team
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