Dino D-Day: The Real Deal news

The last several months have seen a flurry of activity on Dino D-Day and we're finally getting to the point where we feel like we can start unveiling what we're working on.

As you recall, we called the last release a "prototype." Lessons were learned, failures were isolated, progress was made. Based on the general feedback from that release as well as our own feelings about the game we came to a momentous decision at the beginning of the year. We decided to shift the focus of Dino D-Day from singleplayer to multiplayer. Initially, the idea was to release a singleplayer game with multiplayer as an add-on. Instead, we'll be slowly unveiling a multiplayer version of Dino D-Day over the next several weeks.

Just to wet your appetite, here's a screenshot from the game:

We've got three screenshots ready right now but more will be following in the near future. So let me take a minute to answer all of your burning questions about this new version of Dino D-Day.

1) Hey, I like the singleplayer...why do you have to be like everybody else and go multiplayer?
We've found it much better suited to the talents and size of our team at this point in development. But let me go a little further to assuage your fears. Singleplayer/co-op game modes will eventually be included in Dino D-Day...just not at the beginning. Usually, this will take the form of a story-based "episode" whose point of view is one of the characters you play as in the multiplayer game. It'll be fun, story-based gameplay that adds depth to the multiplayer characters. Trust us, it'll be fun when we get there.

2) What's going to happen to the mod you released in November?
That version of Dino D-Day will go the way of the do-do -- er dinosaurs. But don't worry, a lot of elements from it are being rolled into the new game.

3) All right, you win. Tell me about this multiplayer.
It's a class-based, team-oriented multiplayer game. The game will have multiple playable dinosaurs that you can choose to play as. The first ones are: a Velociraptor (a more scientifically accurate one than in Jurassic Park), a Desmatosuchus (not a dinosaur technically, look it up!), and a Dilophosaur. The Velociraptor is a scout class type player with wicked claws and a really fun pounce attack. The Desmatosuchus has a 20mm gun on his back -- sort of a walking tank. The Dilophosaur will be an assault class dinosaur who can charge a control point and make a mess of the place. The dinosaur classes use a mix of first and thirdperson points of view which we find mixes up the gameplay in fun ways.

The Nazis also have human classes with NPC dinosaurs that they "handle." For instance, one Nazi we call the "Falconer." He can dispatch kamikaze pterosaurs to an area target or a specific player. A pterosaur will swoop in and attack whatever target he was given. Other German classes will interact with dinosaurs in cool ways...more on this in later updates.

4) I don't want to PLAY as a dinosaur...I want to KILL Nazi dinosaurs.
I don't blame you, that's what I like to do too. For you, we have a cool cast of Allied characters - each with unique skills and abilities they can use to kill Nazi dinosaurs. First and foremost is Jack Hardgrave who we've promoted to Captain because it works better for our mythology. Then there's Hardgrave's British colleague, fellow paleontologist/warrior Nigel Blithe-Crossley. Joe Spencer, a young GI rarin' to take on Hitler's dinosaur army. Irina Vike, a Latvian peasant girl who's a crack shot with her Mosin-Nagant. Jakob Frank, a German Jew drummed out of the Wehrmacht by Hitler's race laws seeking revenge against the country that rejected him. Camille Brun, a French partisan who watched her beloved homeland trampled by Nazi dinosaurs.

As you can see, Allied players have an international flare. More to come!

5) I'm sick of reading text. How about another screenshot?
Here you go:

6) When do we get to play???
We're prepping the multiplayer version of Dino D-Day for a release of some sort that will precede release of the commercial version. You will be hearing more about this in the near future.

Once we release the commercial version we hope to continue building the game, adding characters, dinosaurs, maps, game modes, and features. You can think of TF2 as a model for what we plan on doing.

7) The singleplayer mod is broken, are you going to fix it?
Like a lot of other mods, I'm pretty sure Dino D-Day was broken by the latest SDK update. When I get a chance to update the game I'll try and get a patch up for you all. Sorry, been totally focused on the multiplayer.

8) Now that I think about it, you didn't mention the T-Rex or Triceratops as playable dinosaurs? They're already in the singleplayer, what gives?
We've got special plans for big dinosaurs like the T-Rex and Triceratops. More on that later...and by later I mean the commercial release of Dino D-Day. You're gonna love it!

9) I waited months for news on this game, are you going to go silent again now that you've given us an update?
Now that the game is in some kind of state where we can put out some screenshots, gameplay, and so on I'll do more regular updates as we get new stuff in. Keep checking in for new screenshots. A new trailer is on the way too.

I hope that answers most of your questions. You've got my email if you're curious about anything else. We're very excited about this new version of the game and can't wait to share it with the community. Thanks for hanging with us. Here's a final screenshot for you...there's more on the way!