Welcome to June’s development update!
We’re back again with another monthly development blog post. The team’s eagerly been working on more behind the scenes planning and content in preparation for a certain convention in the US, so perhaps it’s time to reveal more about it. Tune in below, park builders!
New Logo & Rebranding Discussion
After using our previous logo design for almost five years, we felt it was time to update the game’s identity and bring it closer to modern zoos with a simpler, more readable aesthetic. Showcasing our new iconographic sauropod, Crowny, she’s quickly become a fan favourite on our Discord server.
This logo will be present in all future media (both in-game and promotional), so with in-game environments taking on an inviting and colorful aesthetic, the updated logo better compliments the extended periods of relaxed park building gameplay amongst the island’s atmosphere and cheery music.
PAX West!
Thanks to our lovely friends at Crytivo, Prehistoric Kingdom is heading to PAX West this August!
Featuring a small playable build of the current game at Crytivo’s booth, attendees will be able to snag some physical goodies and meet our very own animal texture artist, Cindy! Tickets are running out quick so make sure to grab them while you still can!
Development Progress
To keep it brief, we finally fixed our issues with Unity and are now continuing to prepare our show floor demo for PAX. Please understand that all of our focus will be on PAX itself, so upcoming devlogs may not feature animation reels and lengthy content reports. Without our supporters and Crytivo, we wouldn’t be able to take on such massive conventions and we’re extremely grateful to receive offers like this because of that.
Not a whole lot has changed since last month from our milestone chart so we won’t show an updated graphic due to redundancy. However, basic animal AI is currently getting worked on, so please look forward to some early tests of the creatures walking around soon!
Animal Implementation
The continued implementation of animals in-engine was furthered with the introduction of basic animal selection, animation states, sound cues and particle effects!
Below is a quick test for a key behavior many of our animals are going to display – broadcasting. This is going to be employed as an effective warning/alert call, usually by the alpha member of a group. Bear in mind the effects and sounds are still WIP, and will be replaced with time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuVr1Uy3onw
This month we have started laying the ground work for animal locomotion – making sure AI navigation is not only realistic in the way it chooses its walking paths, but also looks good doing so. In order to be able to accomplish that, we have started looking into Inverse Kinematics systems (IKs for short) for our animals’ limbs, which should considerably reduce jitter while walking and running. While these developments aren’t ready to be showcased yet, you can be sure we’ll show more in the following months, as the AI and pathing progress.
Preparing not only for the PAX preview, but also for the first pre-alpha build, we started implementing some of the animals you’ll be able to play with. Here’s a preview of just 3 of them:
This month saw the reveal of four brand new species spotlights featuring unique habitat specifications. From the woodland dwelling Bos to the tight family packs of Yutyrannus – which one is your favourite?
Temperate Oceanic Foliage
Due to this month’s heavy workload when it comes to engine work and animation, we weren’t able to put much focus on map creation. Even so, we have readied all the assets needed for the 7th climate of Prehistoric Kingdom, the Temperate Oceanic climate. As one of the game’s most ancient looking climates, its foliage includes classic staples such as the towering redwoods and ground-dwelling ferns. Even the mightiest of sauropods are dwarfed beneath these trees!
Placed together, these vegetation assets make for great scenic environments, fit for the majority of your prehistoric exhibit needs!
Animation
Animation galore! We’ve got two brand new previews to show off this month featuring our slow rocky friend and a slightly more hairy critter. As with all of our animation showcases not every animation is shown so please don’t be alarmed to see things missing; they’ll definitely be there!
Kicking off with the promised preview from May’s DevLog, Mau finished up our Ankylosaur rig! Decorated with shoulder spikes and bony osteoderms, Sauropelta’s defensive nature allows it to ward off oncoming threats. Adapted to its heavy and tank-like build, this nodosaur is a formidable foe to any hungry carnivore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUJ7Fsfu784
Through June, Nathan got to work on the elephant rig using a variety of real-world references. Arguably the most well-known of the ice age creatures, Mammuthus primigenius or the Woolly Mammoth, is a true titan of the Pleistocene epoch. Featuring sturdy tusks and an elegant trunk, this is one five star attraction that time didn’t leave behind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_SZN7PEX-M
Animal Redux
Proceeding with the feathers and hair overhaul, the Bos received a huge update to its anatomy to provide a correct restoration of the animal. In addition to the long-horned bison, the Mammuthus received some new shampoo and conditioner to tidy up the various body to alpha transitions and present a much nicer look!
Building across various islands around the world, it’s expected to come across some unfavourable conditions. Weather pushes the player to prepare for their environment by affecting the way the park responds due to changes in animal and guest behaviours.
Weather
Each island comes equipped with its own unique set of dynamic weather conditions. Naturally, normal weather events aren’t particularly damaging to the park but can alter the effectiveness of resource production, which plays into park management and layout e.g. solar panels are better suited to long sunny days than rain or fog. At the same time, wind turbines function better under windy conditions.
Disasters
At launch, two natural disasters will be available: hurricanes and blizzards. These two events are all around pretty similar, but because they are based on varying temperature, they diverge the most when it comes to visuals. Regardless, these disasters pose a great threat for your park as they render it more inhospitable, scaring animals, exponentially slowing transportation, and putting power production to a halt.
Later on, we plan to expand our disaster roster across maps, with 2 new disasters: tornadoes and earthquakes. Once again, these are map specific (as there can only be one disaster type for each map). While shorter in duration than hurricanes and blizzards, these two extreme cataclysms have the opportunity to be more destructive, as they directly affect your buildings and fences.
Note that until the latter 2 disaster make it into the game, the existing maps are gonna use the first 2 disasters.
Avoiding the Unavoidable
Reading this, you are probably left wondering: “What can I do to prevent my dear Scruffy Rex from being obliterated by a tornado?” While we want to fill the player with a sense of urgency during these events, we don’t want to render them as complete deal breakers, given the proper insight and preparation. We plan to include researchable items that can upgrade buildings, services and animals alike to shield them from especially bad weather. At the same time, smart park layout can be employed, assuring a constant input of energy by placing varying power options.
Thank you for reading June’s Devlog!
Like mentioned above, July and August are going to be incredibly busy months for us as a team, as we have to prepare what is perhaps going to be the first playable version of the game, for a larger public. We might not as be as consistent with updates, but that shouldn’t take away from summer’s excitement! Until next time!
– The PK Team