Cool! Where can I download the latest version?Simply check out this topic,
About the Latest Version of the Game and go to the last page until you find a link in a post, to download the latest version! If you don't see a link on the last page, go back a page and keep looking. I simply post updates in a new post so you just want to find the most recent post from me that has a link in it.
That topic talks about the overall progress being made, as well as the latest changes.
Okay, so we have this 3D LBT RPG...how does all the the stuff work? Playing by yourself and playing online First of all, there is no "Single Player" mode in this game.
To play by yourself, simply click "Host Game" on the main menu. This takes you to a screen where you can choose a character. Choose your character and click "Start" in the bottom-right corner and you will immediately be taken in the game!
To play multiplayer:First of all, you need to get somebody to host a game. They will start a game, just like they would if they were playing on their own. Every other person will choose "Join Game" on the main menu. From there, you still see two boxes:
IP
Name
You will need to know the host player computer's IP address. I should point out that internet play hasn't been tested yet and I don't know how well it works. My code so far is only designed for playing over a Local Area Network (LAN) like a home network. If you're having trouble playing over the internet, download
Hamachi on all of the computers that are trying to play. Hamachi is a free program that will let computers across the internet connect just like they were on a home network. You can then use the IP addresses that Hamachi gives you to play online together.
Type in the host's IP address and the name of your character. From there, you will be able to go to the character select screen and start playing together!
If anyone really cares, I can code in a way to make it possible/have an option to force Single-player by disabling all the code that opens up or uses the net connections.How will players be able to chat in-game? For now, pressing the / key will switch you to chat mode. Every character you type will appear in the chat window in the bottom-left. Press ENTER and every player in the game will see your name and your message in that chat window.
Eventually, we will have the option to only talk to certain players or groups of players, but for now, this is the extent of the chat system.
What strengths and weaknesses will each dino type have? Each playable dino will have the following stats that affect how their character functions:
Basic stats:Level:
A new character starts at level 1. Each time you do something significant in the game, you gain experience points. After enough points, you gain a level. Your level is a rough measure of your character's overall development, as you gain points in all of your other stats every time you gain a level.
I will point out the basics of what each stat does here. Details can be found
HereStrength: For moving objects and improving attack power.
Resilience: For resistance to harsh conditions.
Agility: For climbing, stealth and efficiency.
Toughness: For improving defense, HP and stamina.
Size: Overall functionality of your dino: Small, medium or large.
Health Points (HP): When they run out, you're dead
Stamina: Explain in the above post.
Other Stats:These are some other values that will vary depending on your dino. They are less obvious to the player but do have an effect on the game so I'm mentioning them here. Most of these values are determined by your abilities, calculations from your basic stats, your size and your dino type. There will be others as well.
Maximum slope: The maximum steepness a slope can be for your character to climb it.
Breath: How much energy your character gets from the air in their lungs while underwater. Basically, it affects how long you can spend underwater and how fast underwater abilities consume this breath.
Damage: This will be a very complex number to calculate in this game and we have not yet determined how we will do so. It will depend on how realistic we will want to make combat.
Thresholds: The values that your Stamina must be at for your abilities to function. Your dino type and toughness stat will determine these values. The lower your Toughness stat, the harsher these thresholds will be. You will have probably 5 or so threshold values. The actual % values will depend on your stats but these are some examples.
100% of your stamina: Abilities are functioning at full potential.
If you have less than 100% of your stamina, you will fall into the threshold of:
70% of your stamina: Abilities are functioning at, say, 85% of their potential.
If you have 70% of your stamina or less, you will fall into the threshold of:
50% of your stamina: Abilities are functioning at, say, 60% of their potential.
If you have 50% of your stamina or less, you will fall into the threshold of:
25% of your stamina: Abilities are functioning at, say, 35% of their potential.
If you have 25% of your stamina or less, you will fall into the threshold of:
0% of your stamina: Abilities are functioning at, say, 10% of their potential.
If you have absolutely Zero stamina, your abilities typically won't be available at all, with possibly the exception of a few, which will function poorly.
These numbers and concepts are *not* absolute but you can see the idea we're going for.
Each dinosaur type will also have a number of abilities unique to them, such as a Threehorn Charge, or flying for flyers (
)for example.
How will inventory work? To explain it simply:
Items are divided into "weight classes", from very light to very heavy.
Small dinos can carry small objects in their hands, as well as in their mouth.
Large dinos can carry small objects in their mouth and *some* small and large objects on their back.
A team of one large dino and at least one small dino can work together to carry a relatively large amount of relatively heavy stuff on the large one's back, with the small one riding the large one, balancing the load.
My post about halfway down
this topic explains it in detail.
Will there be a reputation rating with NPC dinosaurs? Yep!
Each group of dinosaurs will be considered as part of a "herd". Your character has a reputation value for each herd in the game. As you complete adventures, these reputations will change accordingly. Reputation will let you earn safe places to rest and stay with friendly herds, as well as open up new adventures for you to take on!
Our discussions about reputation can be found
HereCool so...what can you do so far in the game? As of now, you are able to:
- Host or join a game. Multiplayer is functional, but still very basic.
- Choose a dino type, which all have unique stats. 3D models and animations are still being developed so we have a cube as a placeholder for now.
- Explore the tiny portion of the Great Valley map that we have completed.
- Swim, both on the surface and underwater.
- Talk to one of 6 NPCs.
- Complete a simple task, determined by the dino type that you are.
- Press the C key to open your character stats
- Press M to view the map, showing your location, direction and NPC locations.
- Press ESC to view the in-game menu, which changes in style depending on whether you're above or below water.
If you have any questions, feel free to post them and I'll be happy to answer!
