A new Semi-Aquatic Apex has been completed! - New Dev-blog #24 is Out!

[h3]– Project Lead[/h3][p][/p][p]Hey Extinctioneers![/p][p]This month was a test and we passed it. We rebuilt the entire map from scratch (keeping the same layout but correcting the scale that used to cause issues as well as getting rid of old bad references that were causing some crashes). The new size feels right in playtests and has improved performance, stability as well as making the game project file a lot smaller and less memory intensive (As well as the server) the map is already close to where we left off originally, missing only some of the human structures we need to copy back in and some rivers. We also had a scare when our main PC wiped all our work, but because we keep redundant backups, nothing was lost, just a brief pause of a day or two while we moved TBs of data and spun up a new work pc. On content: I built an ancient walled city in the desert with is own majestic bridge and a pond in the middle, it's not fully complete but it's quite the wonder. With the world now a bit smaller, and better optimized, I’m confident we’re still on track to release the Tech Demo this year. See you on the island soon!
[/p][p]If you prefer a summarized Dev-Blog video as well as some sneak peak clips of the map check out the YT video:[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– Animator[/h3][p][/p][p]I continued work on Ouranosaurus calls and made small polish passes on existing Eocarcharia animations to tighten timing and blend consistency.[/p][p][/p][p] I'm currently also re-working the precision attack on the Ouranosaurus as I felt it was too exaggerated and wasn't smooth enough for my liking, so expect to see an updated one as well as all if not most of the Ouranosaurus broadcasts next month![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– Programmer[/h3][p][/p][p]Pre Tech Demo polish everywhere: we implemented new Ouranosaurus animations on stream, refreshed/added multiple footstep sets, and spent extra time optimizing, especially around the nutrient system. I also staged early stat setups for future playables (Deinocheirus, Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Utahraptor) to accelerate balancing later. [/p][p][/p][p]Finally, we realigned focus: Toño will spearhead dinosaur AI while I stay locked on playables and overall balance so we can ship content faster. We are also working on herbivore and carnivore AI spawners, so you can expect to see them in action soon![/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– UI/UX Designer[/h3][p][/p][p]Deep in the UI revamp: the Dinosaur panel is nearly there, and I’m building out the Tribals tab plus additional Dino sub-tabs. The refreshed look/flow fits the game’s tone and should be ready to show soon.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– Programmer [/h3][p][/p][p]More systems migrated to C++ with performance and networking in mind.
• Inventory System: fully ported for faster, more reliable multiplayer item handling.
• Interaction System: sturdier, leaner, and more responsive, especially helpful so tribal looting feels quick and frustration-free.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– 3D Artist[/h3][p][/p][p]Wrapped the female variant of the leather armor set (model + textures). It slots cleanly into our current pipeline and is ready for gameplay integration, this will be the first armour set you can craft.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– 3D Artist[/h3][p][/p][p]Reworked the first human building players will use, this is a quick pop down hut, somewhere you can temporarily store your items and respawn before you build your base. I also expanded the modular wooden kit, and began production ready bonfires. The kit is tuned for quick iteration and clean placement.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– Sound Design[/h3][p][/p][p]Real life pulled me away a bit, but I still knocked out three core Ouranosaurus calls and did a round of concepting for upcoming sets. More to come as we lock gameplay beats. You can hear the calls I made in the YouTube video.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– Level Designer[/h3][p][/p][p]Massive map renovation: fixed a long-standing crash zone, adjusted world scale for better exploration feel (necessitating a world rebuild), added mountain erosion for realism, improved landscape component counts, and introduced RVT height blending across key meshes. Rebuilding legacy areas now with targeted upgrades—cove village received a full overhaul, with more landmarks in progress. Performance and loading both benefit.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– 3D Artist[/h3][p][/p][p]Iterating Purussaurus skins (moving from roughness into color, these are not all fully complete yet and need some cleaning up) and making steady progress on Spinosaurus splash art for the crowdfunding push. Also teamed up with the team to troubleshoot skin customization edge cases.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– Tech Artist[/h3][p][/p][p]Tuned the night-vision pipeline and exposed controls so engineering can give each dinosaur a distinct look/feel at night. Also coordinated with Air on spinning up the new Perforce server after the wipe—smooth migration, clean baselines.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– Programmer[/h3][p][/p][p]Implemented performant boid flocking based on Reynolds’ algorithm. I built a lightweight container where agents register for fast neighborhood queries and distance checks, making flock behavior efficient and easy to extend, more work on AI continues to make them feel more immersive. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]– 3D Artist[/h3][p][/p][p]Female character is now complete: final details, textures, eye placement the full pass is done and ready for rigging/animation steps.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p]