Saurian (Game Project)

[acro-man]

Guess what, I am preparing $1500 budget for a new PC only to play Saurian and the rest of dinosaur featured games upcoming, such as Beasts of Burmuda, JW Evolution.
My laptop is 8 years old and I can only play those games before its production date, not to mention all the fancy games in these years.

[Archosauria]

A PC just for dinosaurs is the best kind of PC.

[Faelrin]

Not sure if I should really be bothering to do this, since discussion here has died, but I'm going to share the most recent Dev Logs. They've been working on the Anzu, and Pectinodon. At least some more dinosaurs are in the works.

https://sauriangame.squarespace.com/blog/2017/11/30/saurian-devlog-32
https://sauriangame.squarespace.com/blog/devlog33

[stargatedalek]

They're still getting the fingers completely wrong. And I actually fell for thinking these devs cared about accuracy.

[ITdactyl]

Genuinely curious @stargatedalek, what's wrong with the fingers? (Are we referring to the Pectinodon virtual maquette?)

On the subject of the game, 'lost interest since I won't be able to play it on my new PC without massive upgrades (not the Saurian team's fault, my "new" pc, in hindsight, is massively outdated).  However, I do appreciate the updates and am a fan of the art.  I didn't even know about Pectinodon until this last devlog.

Which begs the question(s), if you were a game dev and wanted a game that centers on a [close to] accurate depiction of Saurian life, how would you implement it?  Consider, some "fans" are now demanding the team pluck the Rex since they weren't really feathered (accdg. to the latest popular press releases).

[Arioch]

Saurian's devs are obsessed with accuracy, or at least their own version of it. I'm sure they have an explanation for every minute anatomical detail wether you agree with it or not.

Also the T. Rex model is getting an update as confirmed on their discord, but not before the game is officially released. I'm not sure how much are they gonna pluck it, but the feathers over the hips and maybe the neck are most certainly a goner. Knowing them, they will leave as much feathers on as they can possibly justify without stepping on direct evidence of scaliness.

[stargatedalek]

It's not a matter of "agreeing" with it, the fingers are wrong based on the fossil evidence. The outer and middle finger should be fused.

There are also a lot of other statements the developers have made that were ridiculous, such as Dakotaraptor's muscles tearing apart if it crouched, or dinosaurs being unable to walk backwards.

Member HD-man made a nice summary of most of the issues associated with the Dakotaraptor.

http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=6116.0


As for Tyrannosaurus, we don't have any empirical evidence of scales. We have some indeterminate impressions, of indeterminate location, that a small group of people (several of which had expressed before that they didn't like the idea of feathered Tyrannosaurus) said they thought were scales and should go in those specific locations. The paper did not provide enough evidence to prove that the impressions were from the locations that the authors suggested, any number of factors can move dermal surface relative to the animals bones. And I'm far from the only one not at all convinced that the impressions are even of scales to begin with and not of skin.

[ITdactyl]

the fingers are wrong based on the fossil evidence. The outer and middle finger should be fused.

Oh, that.  Thanks.  And here I was thinking:  "What am I not seeing?"

Not sure if they'll aim to correct that along the way, but it seems the plan is to make it appear as a full wing all along, so the separation of the 2 digits probably won't be so obvious.  Then again, that's just my guess based on the last dev log.

[Faelrin]

Yeah I was thinking about the finger thing too last night. I did post about the shrinkwrapping though. While there are many other issues, as have been pointed out so far, these are still probably the most accurate dinosaurs in any game so far (not sure about Prehistoric Kingdom), as far as designs go. I'm glad the ai is still being worked on, since behavior also goes a long way with depicting this creatures as animals and not monsters.

[HD-man]

Member HD-man made a nice summary of most of the issues associated with the Dakotaraptor.

http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=6116.0

Many thanks for the kind words.

[Arioch]

Oh, I'm not saying they're right with that portrayal. Just that any anatomical detail we can disagree on, like the Dakota's hand is not a product of obliviousness, but a conscious decision based on data and conclusions they consider to be reliable. They do care, even if they're wrong. Its not like Mesozoica were they go "stuff it"( Edited for profanity by Admin). These Saurian guys are really anal with their stuff.

[Faelrin]

So as of the most recent dev log, they've decided to completely de-feather the rex. Can't say I'm too fond of how it looks now. Aside from it having lips, it just seems like another generic T. rex design that's been done to death at this point. I suppose the plus though is that the artbook is getting worked on (and will hopefully be finished some time this year). I don't know, maybe it will be better in the end if this is just a wip, but I feel like they dropped the ball on it.

https://sauriangame.squarespace.com/blog/2018/5/2/saurian-devlog-43-mini-log

[Neosodon]

So as of the most recent dev log, they've decided to completely de-feather the rex. Can't say I'm too fond of how it looks now. Aside from it having lips, it just seems like another generic T. rex design that's been done to death at this point. I suppose the plus though is that the artbook is getting worked on (and will hopefully be finished some time this year). I don't know, maybe it will be better in the end if this is just a wip, but I feel like they dropped the ball on it.

https://sauriangame.squarespace.com/blog/2018/5/2/saurian-devlog-43-mini-log

Awesome! 

Personally I don't care for feathered T. rex depictions to much. But Saurian's was particularly bad. Made me think of a rat.

[Nanuqsaurus]

So as of the most recent dev log, they've decided to completely de-feather the rex. Can't say I'm too fond of how it looks now. Aside from it having lips, it just seems like another generic T. rex design that's been done to death at this point. I suppose the plus though is that the artbook is getting worked on (and will hopefully be finished some time this year). I don't know, maybe it will be better in the end if this is just a wip, but I feel like they dropped the ball on it.

https://sauriangame.squarespace.com/blog/2018/5/2/saurian-devlog-43-mini-log

To be honest I didn't expect them to completely de-feather it. Their previous rex might have been a bit too fluffy given current evidence, but I was expecting they would keep some light feathering on the neck, shoulders and back.

[Appalachiosaurus]

The "GrizzlyHawk" design will always have a place in my heart, but with current evidence it's just as outdated as the kangaroo-lizards of old. While the new design may not be as iconic, I have to commend them for keeping science first at all times. Plus, to be completely honest, I like scaly rexes a bit more.

[Faelrin]

Yeah I really would have preferred something on the neck and back, even just a few sparse proto-feathers akin to the hairs on elephants. It's a bit jarring to go from something truly unique to just another one of the same again, especially with that bland color scheme. I hope the finished design has something to make it stand out, but I'm kind of doubting it. I also don't buy into the whole sensationalized media hyped 100% scaly T. rex thing either with the current evidence, but it's their game, and they'll do what they want with it.

Edit: Okay so I've seen the finished design (I think?) and it isn't so bland as I thought it would be. Very nice dappled pattern on it, assuming that isn't some lighting effect being applied to it (like light shining through the leaves type thing). I also think I understand why there's no sparse protofeathers either. It wouldn't work too well, or just be performance taxing in regards to the 3D model. Still seems to be some shrinkwrapping (arms and tail) though, but it is more accurate then the JP T. rex for sure.

[John]

The Saurian team looks to be making some much needed improvements to their Tyrannosaurus rex design.Finally,one that looks right,and not like a a giant chicken!

[Patrx]

Yeah, I like the design well enough, it still has lips, and I like the inclusion of the raptor-style tongue from one of RJ's other designs. But, no feathers at all? That looks a little off. This being WIP, I have to assume that some degree of bristly integument will be added in the future.

[John]

Yeah, I like the design well enough, it still has lips, and I like the inclusion of the raptor-style tongue from one of RJ's other designs. But, no feathers at all? That looks a little off. This being WIP, I have to assume that some degree of bristly integument will be added in the future.

I would love to see a tyrannosaurid in the same kind of mummified state much like some hadrosaurids.I would love to see what the head was like in life.That way we could really see whether or not they had "lips".I take a lot of indirect inferences from skulls like those on popular blog sites with a ton of salt.
In much the same way that the internet fans "knew for sure" tyrannosaurids were extensively covered in feathers 2 years ago,the same internet fans now just "know" they had "lips" when it is still something they may or may not have had in life.

[Jose S.M.]

I agree with John, I think we have to be open to a lot of possibilities in the interpretation of soft tissue of these animals, as long as there's obviously some kind of base for that. Like I said in another pose to me the only way yo settle these debates once and for all is with a mummy like Dakota the hadrosaur.