This IS a dinosaur game!

[x4000]

So... robot dinosaur dating sim, right?

Right.  It's a simulation where try to match two lovely batchelorette twin talons and their many smaller sisters up with unwilling robot parts for "dates" that don't last very long and are euphemistic but not in the usual way.

I always find that kinda neat, that code from your previous games very often is then usable in your later games.  That must help a TON in getting things going faster.  As far as I know, many devs rewrite from scratch every time.  Well, the ones I'm familiar with anyway.

I'm not aware of too many that do that, honestly!  Generally speaking they have an engine that they are developing, and that evolves over many games.  I know that Squaresoft always did that.  Every so often you toss everything out and start again, but you still bring in ideas and whatnot from before.

With a lot of strategy game developers, they brought things across, too.  The codebase from Empire Earth II was the same as the one from Empire Earth, except with a ton of improvements and what they touted as a 400% speed improvement despite the added detail and whatnot.

We all know what Valve does with the Source Engine.  And so on....

Now, my big question on this one:  Replay value.  What kinds of things might this one do to increase that?  That's probably something people are going to be definitely wanting out of this, and I think alot of fans of Arcen expect it at this point, as that's usually how these games go.

That is my one big question, too.  I'll be honest: if I can give you an awesome one-time experience of sufficient value for $5, I'd rather do that with this game than give you a long list of less-fun things that nonetheless are repeatable.  THAT said, I do have a number of ideas for ways to make the game different every time, at least somewhat.

My hope for this game is that it's the sort of game that people will want to pick up for 5-30 minutes at a go every now and then and just have a blast with and then put it down for a while.  It's how I've been playing SUPERHOT, and I've just been loving that.

Anyhow, this bit is something I have a variety of ideas on, but I'm not yet to the point of being able to fully figure that out yet.

[ptarth]

So... robot dinosaur dating sim, right?

Another believer!
Welcome, Welcome to the fold.

[crazyroosterman]

So... robot dinosaur dating sim, right?

Another believer!
Welcome, Welcome to the fold.

wait so that's what 3 of us now? I'm sure if we gathered enougher people that we could force Chris to make robot dating sim.

[Aklyon]

Is it the same thing or related to the previous spire one?

[wwwhhattt]

It's the same universe, so maybe the spire are the DLC?

Aren't the spire huge? Was the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs a spire thing that loved too much?

[keith.lamothe]

Aren't the spire huge? Was the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs a spire thing that loved too much?

Nah, poor ol' Rocky was just three sheets to the wind. Terrible mess...

[Cyborg]

Huh, interesting.

I always find that kinda neat, that code from your previous games very often is then usable in your later games.  That must help a TON in getting things going faster.  As far as I know, many devs rewrite from scratch every time.  Well, the ones I'm familiar with anyway. 

  Really? I don't believe you.

Most game companies don't rewrite a new engine for every single game.
Most developers use libraries. By definition, every library is reuse.
starward rogue boss creation is easy to create from pre-existing code.
The very existence of compilers is about creating machine-readable code from known components (languages).

Frankly, the entire existence of computing is about reuse and building on the shoulders of what came before.

[Cyborg]

I did not like the name.

It is too long to be catchy.

Emergency Raptor is a better name I think.

I'm not sure if English is your native language, but the meaning behind emergency raptor is that raptor is modified by the emergency. So, a raptor that occurs when there's an emergency, a raptor that's used for emergency purposes, etc. In case of emergency, release raptor, implies that there is some need or necessity for a raptor in the event of an emergency. Perhaps for no other reason than chaos, but the meaning is different than emergency raptor.

Also, I think the game plays off of Internet meme speak a lot better. Anyone who reads RPS knows how much some of their authors do all of their intros as memes or intentional internet joke speak. I have even met people in person who speak like that, but normally it comes off as a defense mechanism to avoid the vulnerability of direct, honest communication. So, I don't think it's a bad name at all, and I think it's going to speak to the fun, not serious nature of this game.

[Draco18s]

Also, I think the game plays off of Internet meme speak a lot better. Anyone who reads RPS knows how much some of their authors do all of their intros as memes or intentional internet joke speak. I have even met people in person who speak like that,

This.

[x4000]

Also, I think the game plays off of Internet meme speak a lot better. Anyone who reads RPS knows how much some of their authors do all of their intros as memes or intentional internet joke speak. I have even met people in person who speak like that,

This.

Oh my goodness that is a hilarious video.

In terms of meme speak, that's not exactly what I was going for -- although Keith came up with this particular name, not me.  Keith and I (and my wife, and I suspect his must as well) seem to share a love for "humor of the absurd."

My wife's favorite birthday card (that she gave to someone else) ever: http://shop.hallmark.com/cards/greeting-cards/grew-you-a-cat-349ZZB5227.html

Cracks us both up every time.  It's funny because it's surprising and sideways.  Like a Monty Python sketch that isn't yet a meme.  If it's the sort of humor that could show up in a Far Side comic, I probably like it.

Yeah, those things also wind up being compatible with internet meme culture sometimes, which I certainly won't deny.  And yeah, when picking a title we definitely try to go for one that will appeal to the most possible people and get clicks, etc.  I learned my lesson with Bionic Dues.  But at the same time, it's got to be something that we enjoy as well.

Originally I was thinking "Raptor Simulator" for the name of this game, which I was only able to stomach by adding the subtitle "A Reverse Horror Game."  Even so, jumping on the "X simulator" bandwagon felt pretty dirty, and people talked me out of that pretty fast.  "A Very Bad Plan Involving Raptors" was my next thought, which I also still think is funny, but it's not a catchy title in the same way.  Keith popped out with "In Case Of Emergency, Release Raptor."  After trying to tweak that a number of times for some reason, I realized the original was the best and here we are.

[Draco18s]

Oh my goodness that is a hilarious video.

In terms of meme speak, that's not exactly what I was going for -- although Keith came up with this particular name, not me.  Keith and I (and my wife, and I suspect his must as well) seem to share a love for "humor of the absurd."

I figured it wasn't what you meant, but that's what it reminded me of, glad you liked it.

And that's a hilarious card, btw.

[x4000]

You bet.

[crazyroosterman]

hey I've been wondering in regards to the base will you be building it up from the ground up with raw materials or will there be a system in place that builds it for you? also will you literally be able to put it any were you want? unless these things haven't been decided yet of course.

[TheVampire100]

I'm also curios about this. is this more RTS/Sandbox base building or is it rather like Heroes of Might and Magic where you build stuff on specific spots and you can only build this stuff and nothing else.

[x4000]

That's the other game -- the survival game.  This game, about being a raptor, has no base building or survival (genre, I mean) elements at all.

In the other game, it's definitely not like an RTS at all -- you're playing from the first person.  In that one you'll both find bases and buildings of enemies that have been procedurally seeded/generated and that you can take over and augment, as well as you being able to build some form of freeform bases wherever you want.  Exactly the style of freeform building I'm not yet sure on; there are a couple of ways that I can 100% definitely do it from a technical sense, but I'm not sure which will feel fiddly versus fun.  So that bit remains to be seen on the survival game.