Help Needed to Develop/Explore a Virtual Triassic World

[Everything_Dinosaur]

Everything Dinosaur has been approached by a student at Huddersfield University (England), who is studying for a Masters degree in computer related sciences.  The student, Daniel, has been building a virtual reality computer game based on players exploring the Norian faunal stage of the Triassic.

We have helped and advised and passed on a few contacts in museums, but we thought we would share this opportunity with forum members.

Daniel needs volunteers to help test his game.  He would also welcome advice on what plants and animals should be included in his Triassic environments.

Here's your chance to explore the Late Triassic.

Article on the game here, including how to volunteer and a link to a video fly through of one of the habitats: Volunteers Needed to Help Develop Triassic Themed Computer Game

If you email us at Everything Dinosaur, we will pass on your contact information to Daniel:Email Everything Dinosaur

Have fun exploring!

[stargatedalek]

Very interesting project, I do hope that it sees completion and that it gets released for home use as well as educational use. Triassic animals aren't exactly a specialty of mine, but that only makes me more hyped for a chance to see this in action! I can't say I have any experience with this sort of game development (visual novels are hardly comparable software), but I'd love to be of assistance regardless.

[E.D.G.E. (PainterRex)]

I would love to help out on this! I have some more knowledge about the triassic regarding animals, if you need that sort of thing than i would be more than willing. However it would have to be of a specific place. As for experience, I am an intermediate in Adobe photoshop and mid-beginner in adobe premiere. I would be ready and willing to test the game as well, I don't really care if anyone else sees my email so I will just post it here, you can contact me at; [email protected]

[Halichoeres]

He probably is already aware of this, but the book Dawn of the Dinosaurs: Life in the Triassic by Fraser & Henderson would be a tremendous resource for a project like this.

[E.D.G.E. (PainterRex)]

Hey everybody! Here are some in-game shots for those of you wondering what it looks like!









Here are some of the In-Game shots!

[Halichoeres]

I'm digging the ichthyosaur (?) skeleton!

[Loxodon]

I'm digging the ichthyosaur (?) skeleton!

Yup, looks like a Shonisaurus to me.

Anyway, this looks really neat, looking forward to seeing how it pans out. Any idea how many animals will be portrayed in the game? We have already seen 3, some form of prosauropod(probably Plateosaurus), Coelophysis, and that amphibian, which is probably some form of stereospondyl. I do want to note that the Plateosaurus appears to be quadrupedal, but this was proven to be impossible a few years back, so you should probably adjust the model.

[jooooo]

Looks great You just gotta love the triassic.

[E.D.G.E. (PainterRex)]

I'm digging the ichthyosaur (?) skeleton!

Yup, looks like a Shonisaurus to me.

Anyway, this looks really neat, looking forward to seeing how it pans out. Any idea how many animals will be portrayed in the game? We have already seen 3, some form of prosauropod(probably Plateosaurus), Coelophysis, and that amphibian, which is probably some form of stereospondyl. I do want to note that the Plateosaurus appears to be quadrupedal, but this was proven to be impossible a few years back, so you should probably adjust the model.

I will urge the creator to join this forum, but as of know, and as much as i know, models for coelophysis and kuehnosaurus have been made. The problem the creator is running into is foliage, I made a list of floral species that is pretty comprehensive, but it seems to be the main issue. He said that this game is set in the norian of the triassic. And you can choose to be in any continent, and as such is one giant continent.

[Halichoeres]

Did you/he use pbdb? I found that by filtering by the Norian and various plant phyla, I got a very long list of plants. I can post them here if you like, but no need if you've already done that.

[E.D.G.E. (PainterRex)]

Did you/he use pbdb? I found that by filtering by the Norian and various plant phyla, I got a very long list of plants. I can post them here if you like, but no need if you've already done that.

I have no idea what he used, but that would be great if you could list them here!

[Halichoeres]

Here's what I found from a few of the more common phyla in the Norian--lightly edited to remove duplicates (in many cases it was "gen. sp. 1" to "gen. sp. 9" etc.). I left out phyla mostly composed of small-statured plants, like horsetails and mosses (although I know horsetails were bigger then).

Acrostichopteris sp.
Araucarioxylon arizonicum
Araucarioxylon keuperianum
Arctobaiera sp.
Baiera sp.
Brachyphyllum sp.
Cladophlebis daughertyi
Cladophlebis remota aff.
Cladophlebis sp.
Classopollis cf. sp.
Coniferales indet.
Coniopteris sp.
Cupressinocladus sp.
Czekanowskia rigida
Czekanowskia sp.
Czekanowskia sp.
Desmiophyllum sp.
Dictyophyllidites harrissii
Elatocladus sp.
Ginkgo sp.
Ginkgoites sp.
Gleichenites sp.
Hausmannia sp.
Ixostrobus sp.
Leptostrobus sp.
Masculostrobus sp.
Pagiophyllum diffusum
Pagiophyllum duttonia
Pagiophyllum navajoensis
Pagiophyllum readiana
Pagiophyllum simpsoniae
Pagiophyllum sp.
Pagiophyllum zuniana
Phoenicopsis sp.
Pinus sp.
Podocarpus sp. 1 informal
Podozamites protolanceolatus
Podozamites sp.
Reticulatisporites jenensis
Sagenopteris
Samaropsis sp.
Taeniopteris sp.
Verrucosisporites sp.
Verrucosisporites tumulosus
Voltzia sp.

Hope that helps! If you want more from Gnetales or whatever, let me know!

[DinoLord]

This whole project looks very intriguing. I like the level of detail present in the environment - the Shonisaurus skeleton is a really nice touch! If the creator still needs testers two months down the line I'd be interested.

Halichoeres, is there any chance you could use that resource to research aquatic plants (or relatives of extant aquatic plants) present during the Mesozoic? If so pm me.