The community’s reaction has been mixed: While Spinosaurus, Parasaurolophus, and the new save feature have generated particular interest, the slow pace of development is once again being criticized on Reddit.
Migration System to Undergo Major Overhaul
Lead Programmer Filipe is currently working, among other things, on a comprehensive overhaul of the migration system.
The basic concept remains the same, but the way it works is set to change significantly. In the future, migrations will be more tailored to individual players. Instead of sending an entire species to a specific area at once, each player will receive their own migration.
For groups, however, it will still be possible for members to receive the same migration as their group leader.
Diet and migration will also be more closely linked: While herbivores and omnivores will retain their species-specific diets, their location within their current migration zone will affect how they absorb or metabolize nutrients. The existing patrol zones will also be more deeply integrated into the system in the future.
This could finally allow migrations to become a more substantial gameplay system, rather than simply marking another point on the map.
Entomb Save: Saving a Dino for Later
One of the most interesting new features from DevBlog #71 is the planned Entomb Save.
After entombing a dinosaur, players will have the option to keep that character in a special save slot. This will allow them to play as a different species later on without completely giving up the dinosaur they’ve built up.
Very important: This will not be a traditional character or MMO system.
So you can’t simply log out of a fully grown dinosaur, select another character, and switch back later. The dinosaur must still go through the normal entombment process —that is, end its current life. Only then can it be saved.
If you later start a new game with the same species that’s already saved in the Entomb slot, you’ll overwrite the existing dinosaur. The game will, however, issue an explicit warning about this.
Especially for players who have invested a lot of time in a dinosaur but still want to play something else in the meantime, this could be an interesting expansion of the existing Elder and Entomb systems.
Austroraptor Remains the Focus of Testing
A large part of the QA work has recently centered on the Austroraptor.
The developers are not only testing the dino itself but also its interaction with existing mechanics such as Diet, Mutations, objects, and other abilities.
For example, one of the new mechanics allows the Austroraptor to leap out of the water. Additionally, its movements on the water’s surface have been revised, and new animations have been added for the use of its characteristic claws.
The developers are apparently also using the Austroraptor as a test case for situations that simply couldn’t occur with previous playable characters.
Avaceratops and Parasaurolophus Are Making Progress
Work is also continuing on several upcoming playable creatures.
According to Animation Supervisor KissenKitten, the Avaceratops’ sparring animations are nearing internal testing. At the same time, work continues on the Parasaurolophus.
In addition, animations and attacks for existing dinosaurs have been adjusted:
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Triceratops is receiving new direction-dependent attack animations designed specifically to improve its rear defense.
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Diabloceratops should be able to move again slightly faster after attacks.
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Oviraptor is receiving further animation revisions.
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The sliding system is also being further refined.
For the next phase of development, Oviraptor, Baryonyx, Camarasaurus, Quetzalcoatlus, and Avaceratops were also on KissenKittens’ internal review list.
Spinosaurus is slowly coming into view
For many players, however, another name was likely the most interesting part of the DevBlog:
Spinosaurus.
Although work on the dinosaur is still in the early stages, the animation team has now begun testing the current rig and preparing it for the animations that will be needed later.
Of particular interest is the developers’ statement that Spinosaurus is set to be the next playable dinosaur after Parasaurolophus.
Initial work has also begun on the sound design. The audio team is currently collecting and editing source material for the future Spinosaurus calls. At the same time, the sounds for Camarasaurus and Avaceratops are nearing completion.
There is still no release date for Spinosaurus.
Legacy Skins Are Returning
Fans of the original The Isle can also look forward to some returning favorites.
The art team is working on porting several well-known legacy skins into Evrima’s current skin system. Among those mentioned are the famous Four-Eyed Triceratops and the Python Omniraptor.
In addition, simpler skin variants are being created for the various animals, which are intended to look different from the previous standard patterns.
Community Reactions: “Spino looks great”—but when is it finally coming?
As is often the case with The Isle, reactions to the DevBlog are quite mixed.
In the Steam comments, anticipation is the prevailing sentiment for now. Spinosaurus, in particular, is well-received, and the ability to save dinosaurs via the new Entomb system is also met with positive feedback. At the same time, however, there are comments there as well from players who would prefer improvements to existing systems and the game world over additional animations and future playable creatures.
On Reddit, the tone is significantly more critical.
- Part of the community is looking forward to Camarasaurus, Parasaurolophus, and the Entomb Save. However, the long development time for the Spinosaurus, in particular, has now given rise to a sense of gallows humor.
- Several users are joking about whether the dino will even be released in the next few years. Others point out that they’ve been waiting for Spinosaurus since Evrima’s launch.
- The general structure of the dev blogs is also being criticized. Some players feel like they’re reading the same progress updates over and over again, while concrete results and releases are lacking.
This is apparently where the greatest tension currently lies within The Isle community: The dinosaurs, models, and animations shown are often well-received—yet at the same time, it’s clear among long-time players that announcements alone no longer spark the same enthusiasm as they used to.
Our take on DevBlog #71
DevBlog #71 contains some interesting changes, even if it lacks a major highlight.
Above all, the overhaul of the migration system and the new Entomb Save could change the actual gameplay more noticeably than yet another minor balance adjustment. At the same time, the number of dinosaurs visibly progressing through various development and testing phases is growing.
Austroraptor is the focus of QA, Avaceratops is nearing internal testing, Parasaurolophus is making progress—and even for Spinosaurus, the actual preparations have now begun.
Whether this will be enough to satisfy the increasingly impatient community, however, will depend less on the next DevBlog than on how quickly these development advancements actually turn into playable content.
