Dinolords Monthly - January

New year, new Pterosaur! Wait, no, is that how the saying goes? Anyway, as the calendar year ticks up one and we all return from a well deserved Christmas break, we get right back to work on DInolords, and a bunch of cool stuff is going on right now. In this monthly, we will have a look at some new 3D models and go on a bit of a technical journey into navmesh and the intricacies of making our own bespoke navmesh system for Dinolords.

Dinolords Unscaled 7

In case you didn't know or hadn't seen yet, we put a new episode of our behind-the-scenes video series up on Youtube you can watch it here! We finally give a tiny tour of our new - slightly smaller but much newer - office and Michael talk about some of the new combat-units that have made it into the game as well as a little reflection on a year of development past.

Making the world 'lived in'

In Danish we say "Mange bække små gør en stor å", I guess the closest translation is "Little strokes fell great oaks", and making the world of Dinolords come alive and feel as it is actually lived in takes a bunch of effort. Loads of small touches ranging from making the layout of a level, placing just the right tree in a specific spot, to making and texturing the 3D models that can be found across the world make up a large bulk of work. We want to start out by showcasing some of the things that might seem like small things in isolation, but in reality are key to making the world tangible. Small cart in both a working and less-than-working condition. One of these I'd be careful before using. I wonder if this water is safe to drink? A small boat that has clearly seen better days. Models like the ones above really add a bunch of visually interesting elements to a level, but they also serve a more functional purpose. In a level that can be constantly changing with buildings being constructed or destroyed, trees getting cut down and walls be put up, having some sorts of 'landmarks' to help you navigate is critical so you don't have to consult the minimap every time you want to find your way back to a specific spot. It allows for much more fluid navigation of a level when you see something familiar and remember "Ah yeah, I had to go left at the old well", even if its subconscious. Details and smaller objects like the ones above can also be thematic and help to convey a story, and for that we are going to need some Viking encampment gear: Apart from the spear-rack, this looks cosy! Having different 3D models, all carefully made by our 3D team, helps us create interesting encounters that feel much more real and like they are part of the world, as opposed to the crude gameplay-test setups I have been messing around with consisting of enemy units standing in the middle of nowhere just waiting for a Lord to run by to fight.

Navigating treacherous terrain

All right, this next bit might get a little technical, but it is a super important integral part of Dinolords, and we are very proud of it so it definitely deserves its own segment here. But before we dig in, there is a little preface with some terminology and a description of some technical functionality