Dino Island Interviews

                Taken from the official site

Dino Island Developer Interview
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1. Was there a lot of research on dinosaurs required when you
developed Dino Island?

Yes indeed. We have bought almost every available book on
dinosaurs, using their descriptions and data, rather than what we
had seen in movies and other video games. Dino Island is a fun
game, but we have thoroughly studied these creatures to produce an
accurate simulation. These books were a great source for data such
as dimensions, diet, speed, weight, or even sociability. Most of
this data has been used in the simulation.


2. Were there any features which weren't included in the final
game?

Well of course, we had a lot of weird features that were removed
from the game by the end of pre-production. We were supposed to
have flying dinosaurs, aquatic or amphibian dinosaurs. We had
contemplated using trains and safari-cars as an alternate mean of
traveling for the visitors. We preferred to focus on the 3 main
design aspects : park building, genetic engineering, shows.
Another question that is often asked is "Why dinosaurs can't
escape?". Simply said, it would have been yet another main design
development, and we preferred to focus on our 3 original ideas.
Also, we wanted the game to be played by kids, and maybe their
parents would not have approved seeing visitors gored by
dinosaurs.

3. What makes Dino Island different to other management games on
the market?


There are other park management games, and I have to admit that
Roller Coaster Tycoon was a source of inspiration. The genetic
simulation is the first aspect that makes it differ from other
games. Dino Island is the only 3D game (on the market) which
offers such a wealth of creation, allowing billions of dinosaurs.
Maybe Impossible Creatures will propose something equivalent, but
from what I have seen, their choice of possible mutations is
limited.

The creation of shows is the other original aspect of the game.
While RCT and Theme Park offer ride creation features, their
operation involves only visitors progressing at a given pace. In
Dino Island, the dinosaurs have their own intelligence and are not
simpletons lead along a predefined path. They react to their
environment (tiles, obstacles, other dinosaurs), and react
accordingly, based on their abilities and situation.

4. Is there a possibility of an expansion pack for Dino Island in
the future?

We are currently assessing the possibility of a sequel.

5. Was the movie Jurassic Park a major influence for you?  What
made you choose to develop a game about a dinosaur theme park?

Of course Jurassic Park had an influence, but less than dinosaur
books as I stated above. But we decided to avoid the violent
aspects of Jurassic Park, to suit a young audience.  Besides,
Jurassic Park (any one of the 3) has never shown a working
Dinosaur Park, but rather an island where panic has overthrown
fun.

We were looking for a game that would offer both a precise
scientific simulation, and lots of fun. Dinosaurs seemed like a
good option.

6. Did you enjoy developing Dino Island and were you faced with
any obstacles/problems along the way?


Yes we enjoyed developing Dino Island, the team was great and the
morale was high up to the end. We were all committed to making the
game a success, even when it involved working evenings and
week-ends. The dinosaur AI was ambitious and took a lot of time to
tune properly, since there was no scripting but actual life

simulation. I would gladly concur to the rule that states that
Game AI involves 20% development and 80% tuning.

7. There are many different dinosaurs to choose from, each with
their own personalities. Which are your favourites?

I love almost all the 20 basic dinosaurs equally, but they are not
my favorites. If you want to check our favorite monsters, you can
use one of our cheat codes, to unlock the monster list in the
dinosaur purchase panel. In the game (not the menus) Hit F11, type
the text "dinomaniac", hit F11 again, and the special dinosaurs
are unlocked. There is a favourite dinosaur from each member of
our team.

8. How does the final game compare to the initial thoughts that
you had before you started to develop it?

All in all, the game is pretty close to what we had in mind at the
inception of the project. We had to abandon some features, small
or big, but we remained focused on our goals. We have created a
fun park management game with mutated dinosaurs racing each other
while the crowd goes wild!

DINO ISLAND Development Team interview
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1.  How would you describe DINO ISLAND in a few words?

DINO ISLAND is a theme park management game, in which you
transform dinosaurs on a genetic level in order to show them off
to the public in spectacular attractions. Our references for the
game come from the "Jurassic Park" trilogy, the documentary
"Walking with Dinosaurs", the Walt Disney film "Dinosaur" ... and
many more.

2.  When did the development team begin work on DINO ISLAND ?

The pre-production phase began in April 2001.

3.  What is the difference between DINO ISLAND and other
Dinosaur/Theme park games ?

DINO ISLAND deals with the Dinosaur theme through two areas, up
until now, ignored : the modification of Dinosaurs on a genetic
level and the total customisation of park attractions.

Using genetics, you can cross-breed dinosaurs at will ; you can
give them a dose of radiation, clone them, as well as modify their
physical condition : you can add horns or a shell etc ...  certain
results are very surprising and unexpected.  These transformations
are represented by changes of the 3D mesh and the textures, and
not by a sort of patchwork of 2D images like in other games.


As well as this, in DINO ISLAND, the player is able to create
their own attractions with which they may show off the dinosaurs
they have created in their laboratory. Many items are at your
disposal : fences, public stands, obstacles and squares placed on
the ground which the dinosaurs walk on with differing effects
(invincibility, invisibility, endurance boost, speed boost, holes,
traps..) . Basically, there are no limits. You can hold obstacle
courses, fights, team games, Capture the flag. The attractions
will be much more successful if the dinosaurs are well adapted to
them: fast dinosaurs for the races, aggressive ones for the
fights, and so on.

DINO ISLAND includes many "ready made" attractions that you
normally find in theme parks, house of horrors, dino bumper cars.

4.  Can you tell us about the graphical style?

Graphically, the game is very colourful, bright and warm. The
Dinosaurs are caricaturised: all forms that stand out have been
accentuated (ex : the T-Rex has enormous feet and an oversized
head). We have really tried to work on the heads as well so that
the carnivorous dinosaurs have a real "nasty" appearance and the
herbivorous dinosaurs a "docile" one.  There was also lots of work
done on the creation of textures and extra objects that can be
added to the dinosaurs to enrich their appearance (stripes,
protective shells, horns, and even feathers!).

5.  Can you tell us a little more about the gameplay and the
Artificial Intelligence ?

Each dinosaur has its own genetic code, composed of genes which
influence their physical appearance (shape, horns, shell), as well
as its abilities (aggression, endurance). In mixing dinosaurs, you
combine the genes of the parents and can get the best elements of
both of them in the new creature.  Be warned though, there is not
an "Ultimate" dinosaur, but simply dinosaurs which become better
adapted to certain attractions.

The dinosaurs are driven by their needs (food, violence, security,
rest, etc.). A special display allows the visualisation of the
current needs of the dinosaur, in order to understand its current
actions.  The different squares placed on the ground generally
respond to these needs: the goat placed at the finish line of a
race course encourages the dinosaurs to get there first to devour
it, whereas a wrecked car in ® Destruction Derby ¯ mode responds
to their need for violence.

The park visitors also have needs and, according to their
character, will prefer either tame, violent or spectacular
attractions. The aim of the game is to satisfy the needs of all of
the visitors, by creating dinosaurs and attractions that are
adapted to them.

The main point of the AI was to have tried to create an artificial
life, to let the dinosaurs become their own boss with a free will,
rather than behaving in a manner forced upon them.

6.  What, for you, are the strong points of the game DINO ISLAND ?

The game has two strong points :

the transformation at a genetic level allowing for billions of
different looking dinosaurs

the depth of customisation of the park attractions

In turn, these two points are linked by the management of the park
and the different scenarios and campaigns.

7.  Do you have any interesting stories about the game and its
development ?

Well, we got some of the team working on the animations for the
game. Noteworthy is the T-Rex that dances, an animation inspired
by Yanik, that we all can't wait to see. Working on the game's
intro movie is Fran‡ois, a big fan of the Matrix.  This shows in
the movie : a fight scene with two dinosaurs with a real Matrix
camera style and feel.

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