Echoes of Extinction News

[h2]Islander[/h2] - Project Lead

Hey Extinctioneers!

This month has mostly focused on refining models and animations to ensure they all meet our quality standards. Below, I have some images showing the before and after of our Dryosaurus and Eocarcharia. We also present our new concept for the AI Gallimimus, which our tribals will be able to tame and ride, as well as serve as a nice snack for some hungry carnivores—these can be found in RAR's section. Additionally, we have announced the addition of a new dinosaur and the removal of another, which you can read about in Furious's section.

On another note, we have decided to start doing monthly dev-blogs via videos, which will be posted on our YouTube channel at the end of every month. You can expect the first one tomorrow, though normally they'll be posted at the same time as the Steam dev-blog.

Thank you all for sticking around and supporting us through this journey. It's been one year since we started, and we've made incredible progress, pushing us closer and closer to our vision. We hope you're as excited as we are to see what we can achieve in another year of development—don't blink!

Eocarcharia Before and After:



Dryosaurus Before and After:



[h2]Adrian[/h2] - Retopologist

Why hello there, been a long while since I gave an update but I have returned for more with new assets to retopologize once more for the project. We bring you the cute dinosaur of the Jurassic that would later become the key to all ornithopods onwards throughout the Mesozoic. It shall squeak around the wilderness as the first A.I. to fulfill the needs of the players in the game. Will be back soon at a later date.

Retopologized Dryosaurus Model:



[h2]HematoSalpinx[/h2] - 3D Artist

This month I wrapped up Coelophysis and handed it off to RAR to refine the sculpt. With Dryosaurus and Coelophysis getting ready to enter the next stage of development, I am looking forward to seeing these creatures come to life!

[h2]AirSickLowLander[/h2] - Level Designer

This month I've been hard at work improving performance and adding more details to the cove area. I have optimized tons of foliage that wasn't quite where it needed to be, converting them to full geometry to make the best use of Nanite as possible. The memory usage of textures is now down to 1/3 of what it was a month ago as well! There are new areas to explore on the map that no one has seen yet, and there are many other smaller optimizations and details that have been added to the game recently. Height mapping of the landscape has also significantly improved, looking much more realistic than it did before.











[h2]FuriousSmaug[/h2] - Programmer

This month I've been working hard on the turn-in-place system and it's coming along great, and the final iteration (fingers crossed) will be making its way to QA soon. A short video showcasing how progress looks so far is available below. Aside from turn-in-place, I have spent some time continuing to balance the next two playables on our roster, as well as swap out three others for three new ones to create a better balance between herbivore and carnivore. Unfortunately, Afrovenator was unable to make the cut due to playstyle overlap and will be removed. However, with its removal, we can introduce a new, unique playstyle of an herbivorous dinosaur known as Mussaurus. That's all for now—happy one year in development to the rest of the team, you guys are fantastic!

Turn In Place: [Work in Progress]



[h2]RAR[/h2] - 3D Artist

This month was spent providing support on the design and sculpts of Dryosaurus, Gallimimus, and Coelophysis. I did a pass on the Coelophysis and passed it on for retopology. Ouranosaurus has also been prepped for retopo, and I've begun some explorations for skin patterns and coloration on it and Dryo. Additionally, we have started work on the Gallimimus concept art and have come up with two different variations. Concept B will be available as a customization option.

Ouranosaurus Skin A Concept:



Refined Coelophysis Model:



Dryosaurus Skin A Concept:



Gallimimus A:



Gallimimus B:



[h2]MiaMia[/h2] - 3D Artist

This month has been focused on reworking some of the current tools and weapons to ensure they are engine-ready and efficient for the game! Am hoping that with this next month, I can move onto focusing on the icons and newer models!

[h2]SadEch[/h2] - 3D Artist

This month, I've refined some animations to fit our standard and reworked some of the locomotion for turning, while also exploring ways to achieve the best feeling and looking movement possible. Hopefully, next month, a few new animations will be shown off!

[h2]Islander[/h2] - Project Lead

Hey Extinctioneers!

This month has been a very busy one. While our level designer has been working on the foliage and new biomes, I’ve been focused on building the first major village. This village will serve as a safe zone where players can trade, socialize, and, most importantly, embark on quests to enhance their skills or gain a head start before venturing out into the unforgiving world. This location is set to be one of the major villages in the lore, owned by one of the tribes we’ll be introducing soon. These tribes will play a crucial role in the island's story. I’ll share more details about the buildings and their purposes soon, so stay tuned!











[h2]Danik[/h2] - Programmer

Hello Everyone,

This month, I've been primarily focused on enhancing the melee combat mechanics for the tribals. We've implemented a series of melee actions, using temporary animations and VFX to test and refine the system. Alongside this, I conducted a general cleanup of tribal functionality to ensure smoother gameplay.

Key updates include the addition of a shared damage pipeline for both tribals and dinosaurs, as well as integrating stamina costs for most tribal actions. Hit reactions and death states were also introduced to bring more depth to combat. Improvements have been made to the bow mechanics, enhancing its overall functionality.

I've attached a video showcasing the current state of the tribals.



[h2]MiaMia[/h2] - 3D Artist

Hey everyone! Wow, it's been quite a busy month around here! We've been making some fun tweaks to our existing tools, and we've got some awesome new weapons to add to the inventory. You'll have some fantastic options to defend yourself in the game!

I'm also working on designing the inventory icons for each item, which has been a fun little challenge for me. While I'm still in the process of creating them, I’ve shared a few that are ready for you to check out!

I can’t wait to see what we’ll be able to show you next!











[h2]FuriousSmaug[/h2] - Programmer

Hey all!

This month, most of my time was spent optimizing dinosaur and AI code. We've converted much of the heavy math to C++ for improved performance, with only a few remaining tasks. Other functions were optimized to work with the gameplay ability system, ensuring cleaner replication and tidier blueprints. We've already seen a 50% reduction in editor compile times, significantly speeding up our workflow.

In terms of new features, I've been working on turn-in-place and turn-and-slide mechanics. We’re on the second iteration, which is decent but still needs some refinement. Additionally, the code and animations for the horseshoe crab AI have been completed and are ready for testing.

Behind the scenes, Islander and I have been discussing upcoming content, including the introduction of Tropeognathus and Purussaurus. These additions will cover all major playstyles—carnivore, herbivore, flyer, and aquatic—bringing even more diversity to our game. We’ve also been busy balancing stats, crafting recipes, and gathering mechanics for tribal players.

[h2]Vittoria[/h2] - Concept Artist

Hi everyone!

This month, I finished the concept for the Europasaurus. It’s been exciting to bring this unique dinosaur to life!



[h2]Chikangia[/h2] - Programmer

Hi everyone,

This month, there’s not much to show visually, as most of my work has been on the code side. I started converting the framework to C++ and continued to refine the inventory system. I also introduced a "Radial" Action Menu for quick access to items.

Players can now loot the inventory of sleeping players and collect vegetation and other items in the world.



[h2]RAR[/h2] - 3D Artist

This month, I continued to assist with feedback on concepts for Europasaurus, Coelophysis, and the Dryosaurus sculpt. HematoSalpinx passed the Dryosaurus to me for final adjustments before retopo and texturing. I've also made significant progress on the Ouranosaurus sculpt, focusing on developing the skin texture, wrinkle passes, and making anatomical changes to the sail, stance, and hand structure.





[h2]AirSickLowLander[/h2] - Level Designer

This month, I’ve been expanding the map further, focusing on new biomes and adding more detail to existing areas. I’ve placed tens of thousands of meshes, including large cliff faces, dense forests, and ravines.

As always, I’m keeping a close eye on performance to ensure the environment is both stunning and smooth to navigate.







[h2]HematoSalpinx (Fortress)[/h2] - 3D Artist

This month, I wrapped up the Dryosaurus sculpt and handed it over to RAR for final adjustments. I then began work on Coelophysis, a small theropod dinosaur. The sculpt is currently undergoing a muscle pass before moving to the next stage.



[h2]johnolofz[/h2] - Sound Designer

Hi!

This month, I worked on integrating sound assets for tribal weapons and basic movements. I’ve set up various sound effects for the stone axe, bow, and torch, including attack sounds, block impacts, and more. Footstep sounds are also in place, currently working with a single surface type but prepared for multiple in the future.

[h2]SadEch[/h2] - Animator

The turn-in-place animations have been completed but will need some tweaks for a smoother experience. I’ve also started working on tripping and falling animations when running, both in normal and injured states. Below is a work-in-progress of the stumble when running injured.

[h2]Islander[/h2] - Project Lead

Hey Extinctioneers!

This month has been an exhilarating journey, marked by the release of our Tech Demo. First and foremost, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who supported and continue to support us on Patreon. Your feedback and enthusiasm have not only driven us to keep pushing out updates but have also been a constant reminder of why we’re so dedicated to making this project reach its full potential.

This month, I’ve been deeply immersed in expanding the lore of our world. It’s becoming quite extensive, with intricate backstories and key characters that will make the quests you undertake as the tribals even more engaging and thrilling. We’re also planning to adapt the map in response to the evolving story, so you can look forward to a world that changes and grows as the lore unfolds!

Progress has been substantial, and we’re eagerly preparing for Part 2 of the Tech Demo Update. This upcoming update will introduce a revamped Tribal experience, packed with new mechanics, the majestic Ouranosaurus, the new Dryosaurus model, and the Horseshoe Crab AI. There’s so much to be excited about, and we can’t wait to share it with you all!

Thank you again for your incredible support, and stay tuned for what’s to come!

[h2]FuriousSmaug[/h2] - Programmer

Hey all!

This month I spent a bit of time everywhere. The start of the month was, of course, our demo release (hope you all are enjoying it!). After that, I worked on several of the bugs and read through the feedback, taking it into consideration for the next patch. We also upgraded from Unreal Engine 5.2 to 5.4, giving us access to a few more features, fixing old ones, and improving performance. During the engine upgrade, I’ve been spending time converting several functions to C++ and optimizing them along the way to ensure the dinosaur playables will run as smoothly as possible. This also involved conversions to the gameplay ability system from the custom one that was set up. I’ve also added the horseshoe crab AI; however, it still needs a few more things (like a walking animation and fleeing logic) before being ready for the public. Overall, while there are still a few bugs and there were hiccups along the way, progress has been going great so far.

Looking forward, we are hoping to get another update to address the issues that were present in the first release to our backers as soon as possible. After that, our focus will be solely on the first major update, Backer’s Build part 2. For me, this will involve implementing the Ouranosaurus and any AI we have ready by then, as well as further optimizations and conversions in the code.

[h2]MiaMia[/h2] - 3D Artist

Hi Guys!

This month hasn't had anything massively new. I reworked some of the previous tools, improving the textures and refining some small details so that they can really capture the quality of the game. I've attached some small snippets to show this. I also created editable textures that can be used across the board for a lot of the other models, which should hopefully save me time in the future when creating more tools and weapons.

We did create some weapons, which I might still make some alterations to, but I'm happy with the look that's coming across!

I'm also excited to say I got my hands on some software that should really improve the presentation of the models, and will really enhance how they look from this point onward!!















[h2]RAR [Raul Ramos][/h2] - 3D Artist

Hello,

This month I've made some progress on the Ouranosaurus model. I completed the muscle block-in phase over the simple skeleton I made, and I've begun to refine the surface anatomy after merging all the underlying layers. In addition, I've been providing support by reviewing the other Dino concepts and models like Coelophysis, Achillobator, and Dryosaurus.



[h2]Chikangia[/h2] - Programmer

Hola everybody!

This month, I spent most of the time on tribal, reworking the stats and animation systems, and adding a few new techniques like animation warping and basic IK. Afterward, I worked on several things, like the HUD, and changed and optimized the menus. I added a new saving system that works with all characters and updated the spawn system to be more reliable.

As tribal, your body persists on the server when logging out, so make sure to hide before.



Then I started working on the inventory, equipment, and interaction systems.

There is still a long way to go, but I look forward to it.



[h2]Danik[/h2] - Programmer

Hello all,

This month I've spent time on project cleanup and code refactoring to make it easily extendable in the future. Most of the work is done, and the project is ready for more new features.

I started work on the first melee weapon: Axe. It will have different kinds of attacks to trick opponents as well as block & parry.

[h2]HematoSalpinx (Fortress)[/h2] - 3D Artist

Hey all,

This month I spent refining Dryosaurus, nearing the next stage of the sculpt. I've spent a large part of the month exploring animal anatomy.

Here is the latest on Dryosaurus!



[h2]Rospaw[/h2] - Animator

Hey everyone!

This month I've made the idle and walking/crawling animations for the horseshoe crab AI.



[h2]SadEch[/h2] - 3D Artist

The last animations for the Eocarcharia are being worked on. The turn in place movement! Along these turns, there will be attack turn animations as well as other attack variants to help spice up the hunt!





[h2]Vittoria[/h2] - Concept Artist

Hi everyone!

This month I finished the concept of the Coelophysis and started the first frontal version of the Europasaurus.



[h2]MinizepWolf[/h2] - Tech Artist

Hello everyone!

First and foremost, we’ve recently upgraded our development environment to Unreal Engine 5.4! This latest version brings a host of new features and improvements that we’re thrilled to leverage. From enhanced graphical fidelity to improved workflow efficiencies, we’re eager to see how these updates will elevate our project.

At the beginning of this month, we had the opportunity to showcase a tech demo of our game, and we’re pleased to report that it was a great success. The feedback we received was incredibly valuable, and it’s clear that our hard work is paying off. We demonstrated key features of our game and got some fantastic insights that will help guide our development moving forward.

Looking ahead, our focus will be on integrating the latest engine features into our project. I plan to work on the night vision ability to better fit how we intend for that feature to function.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in our project. We’re excited about the progress we’re making and look forward to sharing more with you soon!

[h2]AirSickLowLander[/h2] - Level Designer

Hey everyone!

This month I’ve been focusing on designing and optimizing the new Redwoods area. I’m taking full advantage of Nanite and the new features in Unreal Engine 5.4.3 to make the forest (and the rest of the map) as dense and realistic as possible without sacrificing performance.

Along with the Redwoods area, there are more biomes nearby that will receive some updates very soon. We are making the world as interesting and filled with life as possible, so that the environment can truly stand out and not just be pretty to look at.

Thank you to everyone who has given us feedback and supported us! I’m very excited to get to show everyone what we have in store.

Watch some of our content creators play on our very first Tech Demo!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Hello Extinctioneers!

The moment we've all been waiting for is here. Our tech demo is now live, and the server will be up in a few minutes.

For Patreons at Sub-Adult tier and above, you have access to this build. Join us on patreon to gain access: Patreon (Make sure to link your discord to your Patreon account to receive the role)

Once you have joined the discord: Discord Server Make sure to verify your Steam ID in #demo-verification to receive your key (this may take some time). Once verified, use the command /mykey in the same channel to obtain your Steam ID.

Please note, we've locked the settings to High (you can change them via game config save files if you know how). For Keybinds, hit ESC to pop up a menu. Report any bugs on Discord in #bug-reports and leave feedback in #game-suggestions.

A huge thank you to our Patreons for your support and to the Content Creators for showcasing and supporting us. To the rest of our community, your dedication means everything to us. Thank you!



[h2]Additions:[/h2]
[h3]New Features:[/h3]

• Weather control for Developers, solar eclipse, and moon phase changes.
  
• Day/night cycle with corresponding music, ambiance, and sound effects.
  
• Swimming and drowning mechanics.
  
• Main menu, settings, escape menu, and save system.
  
• Night vision, admin commands, and player list integration.
  
• Various new animations, sounds, and tribal features (bow, torch, axe).
  
• AI improvements including wandering tribals, aggressive groups, and AI avoiding water.
  
• New areas on the main map with added foliage, water, ruins, and player/AI spawns.
  
• Enhanced character selection, primary attack for tribals, and tribal HUD.
  
• Growth influenced by stomach fullness and well-being.
  

[h2]Removals:[/h2]

• Removed redundant or outdated features such as old animations, coastal sounds, first-person view for Eocar, and some ambient sound effects.
  
• Simplified admin system and removed unnecessary requests (e.g., player name request).
  

[h2]Enhancements/Changes:[/h2]
[h3]Gameplay and Mechanics:[/h3]

• Adjustments to Eocar stats, size, and health/stamina regeneration.
  
• Improved swimming, eating, drinking, and endurance mechanics.
  
• AI behavior changes making Dryo less skittish and enhancing overall AI system.
  
• Enhanced combat system with weight and stats affecting damage.
  
• Changed night vision for better visibility and adjusted night brightness.
  
• Enhanced and optimized map with multiple revisions, including improved beach and pond areas.
  
• Tweaked various environmental settings for better performance and visual quality.
  

[h2]UI and Controls:[/h2]

• Enhanced UI with new admin panel, keybind list, and updated character models.
  
• Optimized HUD elements and added new in-game notifications.
  
• Adjusted camera controls during gameplay, including auto-adjusting when growing.
  

[h2]Fixes:[/h2]

• Numerous bug fixes improving overall game stability and performance.
  
• Fixed replication issues, AI movement, and swimming mechanics.
  
• Corrected several HUD and UI glitches.
  
• Resolved issues with player actions such as eating, drinking, and interacting with the environment.
  
• Fixed various sound and animation problems.
  
• Addressed multiple collision and physics bugs.
  

We look forward to seeing you in-game. Have fun exploring the demo as much as we had creating it!

We have been working tirelessly this month to finalize the Tech Demo for our content creators and Patreon supporters. We are extremely close to releasing it, with only a few minor bug fixes remaining. Expect it to drop at any moment! I recently streamed a preview of the Tech Demo, so if you missed it, be sure to check it out after reading about the amazing progress our developers have made this month.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

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[h2]AirSickLowLander - Level Designer[/h2]

This month I replaced the landscape with a higher res version that is scaled proportionally to the size of the world. I’ve also been working on reducing memory usage, as well as other general optimization. The beginning of a waterfall and pond have been added (Still work in progress), and collisions improved in the jungle to reduce interruptions on the surface. There have been many smaller details added/modified along with these bigger changes.



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[h2]HematoSalpinx (Fortress) - 3D Modeler[/h2]

This month I've been working with RAR and Vittoria in bringing Dryosaurus to life with an improved model, it's not yet complete, but this is the progress so far!



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[h2]FuriousSmaug - Programmer[/h2]

Hey all! This month has been filled with lots of bug fixes, tweaks, and builds. The QA team has been hard at work ensuring as many bugs as possible are found and squished before being released to the Backer’s Build. Speaking of such, it should be releasing very shortly or has already released at the time of writing this. There have been a few issues that have delayed it, but luckily they are fixed up now. Several bugs have been fixed, as well as several adjustments made based on feedback.

Asides from bug fixes and tweaks, a few final things were added to the Backer’s Build, with the biggest being saving. A strong save system (and community friendly) is extremely important for the game’s success, so we wanted to ensure it was built properly and worked properly. There were a few hiccups in its creation process, from saves spawning the player in the wrong place to not deleting your save on death, allowing players to respawn without losing progress. However, they have been mostly resolved and the system is soon ready for testing. Unfortunately, it will not make it into the first iteration of the Backer's Build, but it will when it is fully ready for public usage.

Finally, the winner of the next AI species: Europasaurus. While still a few AI away (we will need to implement Gallimimus and a new species, Coelophysis first), Europasaurus will be featured as a relatively gentle herbivore roaming the lands of Akura. Our intent is to make it behave similar to that of an African Elephant, in that it will have thick skin, strong bonds, and be very defensive, not standing back from a fight. The Europasaurus will be capable of kicking, rearing and stomping, and charging/slamming into predators. Its thick skin will give it a slight armor and high bleed resistance, meaning it’ll take quite a bit to take down this impressive little sauropod. As a quick note, all species that were featured in the vote will be added in time.

That’s all for now. I hope you guys have been enjoying the progress we’ve made so far, I know we have. As always, thank you to our Patreons, super excited to roam around with you all soon!

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[h2]Raul Ramos [RaR] - 3D Modeler[/h2]

Started in on the Ouranosaurus this week. I'm currently working on the block-in using a simplified skeleton and muscles. There is still some to go but I should be done with this fairly soon! Here is a preview of the Skeleton and Muscles:



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[h2]SadEch - 3D Artist[/h2]

For this month, I've made all the swimming animations such as swimming idle, swim forward, and swim sprint for the Eocarcharia, the limping idle, the limp walk, and limp run as well. Can't forget the sniff to find your prey, too! Oh, and the majestic horseshoe crab! Currently, I am working on the precise movement, such as turning in various degrees and ways to ensure a smooth and realistic experience, so that would most likely arrive in time for the next devblog.



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[h2]Minizep Wolf - Tech Artist[/h2]

Hey everyone! This month has been a busy one. A large portion of it was putting together the server/clients for testing. Not a lot to talk about with that one except that we hope we have solved all the floaty dino/human issue and a bunch of little bugs fixed along the way. I've also implemented all the human animations for crouch/walk/run for unarmed, bow, and torch poses with some help from the new members on our team.

I've just started creating a working server browser to be able to choose servers during the tech demo. So at the start of the month, I'll be working on that as well as tidying up things like the (night)vision and other little things we want working in the Tech Demo.

I'm getting excited to share what we have all made together! 😄



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[h2]MiAmor2003 - Modeler[/h2]

This month has been dedicated to creating the basic tools for the tribal characters, such as the pickaxe, hammer, and spade! These models have now been completed, and I've started creating some of the weapons, like the Longbow!



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[h2]New developers joined our team this month![/h2]

• DiegoFergar67 - Sound Designer
  
• MiAmor2003 - Modeler
  
• Chikangia - Programmer
  
• Johnolofz - Sound Designer