Suggestions?

[AndySchatz]

I know there's not a lot of details on Dinosauria yet, but if you have any suggestions, we'd love to hear them! Feel free to reply here or start new topics.

[monkeyboy]

I for one would like just a quick summary of the game so far, and what you would like to do. Then give us some time to think about it and we'll sahre are ideas.

[Rain]

Well if it suggestions you want for the game heres one when people think of dino's they thing off fighting monsters (well most poeple) but i dont want the game to be dino's fighting and killing each other

[skowdey]

cheats

[amishmonster]

I guess I'd have to counter that I'd like to see dinosaurs "fighting", when appropriate - i.e. if you're playing an herbivore, maybe sometimes you have to circle your herd of ceratopsians to protect the young and fend off a hungry predator, or vice-versa if you're playing as the predator (I'd love to have both options!) But certainly not a dinosaur pit-fight kind of thing (though that would be a fun flash game or something )

I'd like the option to manage a small herd or family of a number of different kinds of dinosaurs. Basically, lots of options and replayability.

Also, I'm not that fond of the marine creatures of the era, they just never grabbed me the same way as the land-based ones did.

[Dilong Paradoxus]

Well if you are controlling something like a Deinonychosaur or other pack hunting animal you need to be able to control the whole pack. Maybe it could be made so whichever one you are controlling is the leader and the others follow and do what it is doing (I.E. Hunting for prey)

And one thing I just think is imperative are feathered Deinonychosaurs (The raptors and Troodonids) Also it would be good if baby T. rex had feathers, and maybe even sparse feathers as adults.

[AndySchatz]

Well if you are controlling something like a Deinonychosaur or other pack hunting animal you need to be able to control the whole pack. Maybe it could be made so whichever one you are controlling is the leader and the others follow and do what it is doing (I.E. Hunting for prey)

And one thing I just think is imperative are feathered Deinonychosaurs (The raptors and Troodonids) Also it would be good if baby T. rex had feathers, and maybe even sparse feathers as adults.

s there evidence that young dinosaurs had more feathers than adults?

I know that the feathers were really only found in Asia, but that's just because they were better preserved... nothing precludes north american dinos from having feathers too.

[Dilong Paradoxus]

Yes I beleive that there is some form of evidence to show that hatchling Tyrannosaurus were feathered. I am currently looking at one of the most up-to date Dinosaur guides and I am yet to find a picture of a baby T. rex that lacks some form of feather. The adults however are not shown with any

[monkeyboy]

I must agree about the feathers. I'm not sure about any concrete evidence, but I'm pretty certain it's considered pretty true. Feathers would be nice though.

The one thing, is that it should vary from other animal games, were the others just follow. I think some actual pack member to member interactions would be nice. For this, I would examine not just wolves, but Bush dogs, African wild dogs, and Lions among several others. African wild dogs I think would have some neat behaviours, especially considering they have one of the most succesfull hunting/capture ratins of any predator in africa. (So I hear.)

Things like:
-keeping dominancy
-peeking order
-nesting/litters (Dominant must have young, subordinants are, well, secondary when it comes to having kids)
-carring for young
-mates (fiding, keeping)
-Defending territory

[AndySchatz]

Monkeyboy, this is great input! Just the sort of thing that's helpful to me!

[skowdey]

monkeyboy those are really great ideas
i got one more than cheats
that with carnivores that the pack ones have a dominant leader and they eat first

[monkeyboy]

I would really like to have some pack interactions.

Now I just would like to point something out. I think that the player should be able to take it at his own pace. One of the biggest I have with Spore right now is that I'm still trying to figure how the game is played when a thousand other things are thrown at me. So either a pop up message saying "are you ready to continue" or some thing like, the player has to make his own pack.

Now a metriarcle system would also be cool with herbivours.

[Snares Penguin]

Andy, I remember you metioning a forest tool earlier... is that going to be in use with Venture Dinosauria?

[Aniu]

Oh geez...I can't wait to be a Pterosaur and fly through the skies. WOO! I have a suggestion for the flying/controlling an animal mechanism: arrow keys to move, Spacebar for flying/jumping, and maybe hit a preset button on the keyboard to switch between walking/running/fast or slow flying, depending upon the animal you are controlling at the moment.

Erm...I did sort of get the ideas of controls from Spore...but those controls are REALLY convenient for me. It's hard for me to move an animal with just the mouse, or having to use multiple key combos.

If there are to be day/night cycles, I'd also suggest slowing down the rate of day/night, and slow down the clouds a bit. I'm a bit of a nitpicker in that respect. Either that, or make the day/night cycles, cloud speed able to be set by the user(1x, 2x, 3x, speed, etc., with 1x being the slowest, and any x's beyond being faster speeds).

If none of this is possible and/or already set in stone, just ignore me.

I need to go brush up on my Cretaceous-period dinosaur knowledge..I LOVED dinosaurs as a kid, still do, but it's been ages since I've done any research.

[skowdey]

i dont think you can BE the animal