R&D / PLAYABLE DINOS
“The D-Rex”
PLAYABLE DINOSAUR RESEARCH
Still processing all the feedback from the 25th Anniversary Fan Survey. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to share your thoughts!
(https://forms.gle/fxJWThvaT6Cv6NDM8)
// PLAYABLE DINOSAURS
One of the most interesting takeaways so far has been the support for Playable Dinosaurs from ORION: Prelude. This was a late addition and never the main focus of that game, so I’ll admit it was a bit surprising to see how strongly it resonated.
That’s exactly why your feedback is so valuable. It helps us see the impact of features we may not fully appreciate from the development side, and it plays a real part in helping shaping the future.
THE GOOD NEWS
// SHARING IS CARING
I had previously completed some early Research & Development on what Playable Dinosaurs could look like in Zeus. This is purely experimental research (not a promise or confirmation) but I thought it would be fun to share a little sneak peek of what might be possible.
// R&D GOALS FOR THE PROTOTYPE:
1. 3C (Game Feel)
= controls, camera, character
2. Mass (Physics)
= presence and impact in the world and with objects
3. Fidelity (Quality)
= animations, procedural systems, and fine details
Hope you enjoy the sneak peek!
LEGACY
As some of you may remember, this is what a Playable T-Rex looks like in ORION: Prelude.
NEXT GENERATION
This is what a Playable T-Rex appears like running on a modern slice of Zeus.
LOCOMOTION
Exploring the locomotion techniques including keyframed animation data in addition to procedural detail layers.
PHYSICS
Exploring weight and mass for player world impact, both with the Dinosaurs themselves but also the objects around them.
FIDELITY
Exploring cinematic graphics for both gameplay and cutscenes for a seamless experience.