Introducing Saurian DevLogs!
over 7 years ago – Fri, Aug 19, 2016 at 12:28:20 AM

Hey Gentlesaurs!

As we work towards our early access release, we decided it would be a good idea to keep you, the fans, updated on our progress. To that end, we will now be putting out these “DevLogs” every 2 weeks. In each DevLog, a few of the Saurian team members will provide a little explanation of what they have been working on along with some images. Come check out the first one over on our website!

Missed our KickStarter campaign? No Problem! Pre-Order Saurian via BackerKit! (They accept PayPal, woohoo!)
over 7 years ago – Sat, Aug 06, 2016 at 10:59:06 PM

We have exciting news to everyone who would like to support Saurian and/or have missed our KickStarter campaign! Our BackerKit service is officially up and running. In our BackerKit storefront, you can currently purchase the game (which grants you Steam Early Access and final release versions), the official OST, the digital version of "Hell Creek: a Field Guide to the World of Saurian", and the physical copy of "Hell Creek: a Field Guide to the World of Saurian". Just as important, BackerKit accepts PayPal as a payment method, as well as most credit cards! Please note that like the items in our KickStarter, none of these items are due to ship out or be emailed until January 2017 at the earliest. 

 Link to the Saurian BackerKit storefront: https://saurian.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders 

 

 

 

 

Now while paying with a credit card is pretty straightforward, paying with PayPal is a little different. 

First you must go to this link: https://saurian.backerkit.com/backer/paypal_pledges. 

There you will be ask how much you would like purchase in "pledge credit". Once the transaction is complete, you will be able to spend your credit on items in the Saurian BackerKit storefront! For anyone who is a KickStarter backer and has not completed payment on your pledge, you can also purchase credit to go towards your pledge via this method.

 

Voting begins NOW: Backerkit Surveys have been sent!
almost 8 years ago – Fri, Jul 22, 2016 at 10:40:35 PM

Headline says it all, check your inboxes. Surveys will be going out over the course of the next couple hours. If after that time you still haven't received a survey, or you've forgotten what email you pledged with, head over to https://saurian.backerkit.com/?utm_swu=2171 and we'll send you a new one. You have until August 31, 2016 to change or update your vote, as well as change or add on rewards to your pledge. After the 31st, the only updates you'll be able to make are to your shipping address.

Many of you requested profiles for the original 4 playable dinosaurs similar to the ones we provided to help figure out your vote. We are happy to oblige:

Dakotaraptor

Dakotaraptor is a nightmare to many herbivores of Hell Creek. A sturdy ambush predator, it is capable of intense bursts of speed but unable to sustain them for long. This gives it the perfect set of skills to burst from the foliage and mow down unsuspecting prey. Much like komodo dragons, Dakotaraptor will form loose associations with each other to bring down large herbivores or feed on carcasses. Feeding works on a hierarchy, with the larger raptors feeding first and the smaller animals lower in the pecking order. Dakotaraptor often fight, kill and even eat one another during feeding. Vulnerable to adults, as well as other predators, immature Dakotaraptor are light and agile, able to climb trees to escape danger or ambush small prey lurking below. Young juveniles even posses some limited flight capacity.

Pachycephalosaurus

Although hardy and belligerent, Pachycephalosaurus is generally a vulnerable prey animal in the Hell Creek environment. Because of this it prefers to live in densely forested areas to avoid large adult T. rex. Not without weaponry of its own, Pachycephalosaurus will fight back against Dakotaraptor or young T. rex if provoked. It is capable of breaking bones with its famous domed head. A multifunctional tool, this dome is also used in territorial battles and to deflect foliage when running through the forest. Pachycephalosaurus adults mate for life and both parents raise their young together for several months. Male Pachycephalosaurus, distinguished by their bright red heads, are fiercely territorial and will engage in head and flank butting contests. Herbivorous animals, they feed selectively on low growing vegetation as well as fungi and occasionally insects.

Triceratops

Triceratops are the bane of Hell Creek’s predators. Even a match for the great T. rex, these animals are massive, bare formidable weaponry and are extremely aggressive. Adult Triceratops are able to chase off most potential threats. Female Triceratops live in loosely associated groups, sharing resources and providing mutual protection. Males however, will not tolerate other males, and aggressively defend breeding rights to the local female population. Females will guard their nests and young, and immature animals will associate with adults as a shield from predators. Males and females can be distinguished by differentiation in frill pattern, with males showing the more elaborate display. Both sexes will utilize their horns in intraspecific competition over resources, territory, or social hierarchy. Triceratops can feed on a wide range of small to medium height vegetation, seeking out forest edges for the best fodder.

Tyrannosaurus

Tyrannosaurus is the apex predator of the Hell Creek environment. In order to sustain their requirements for food, adults occupy large territories which they defend diligently. If two adults meet outside of breeding season, the results are usually violence, face biting is especially common. During breeding season, males and females locate one another and perform courtship displays by emitting low frequency sounds. Although nothing is off the menu for an adult T. rex, they favor slower moving hadrosaurs and ceratopsians as food, targeting young or weak individuals, as most smaller prey items are generally too fast and nimble. Pairs dissociate after breeding and it is the male that watches the eggs and young. T. rex actually show strong parental care, watching over their broods for years until they reach a moderate size. At this point the father will finally depart but the juveniles will stay together as a sibling pack, even bringing down prey together, until they reach adult size. Unlike the adults, immature T. rex are extraordinarily fast and use this advantage to chase down prey such as th Hell Creek Ornithomimid and Anzu. This means they do not compete directly with the adults for food.

New Playable Dinosaur Candidates!
almost 8 years ago – Mon, Jul 11, 2016 at 12:41:25 AM

ATTENTION EVERYONE! VOTING HAS NOT STARTED. THIS POST IS A CHANCE FOR EVERYONE TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THEIR OPTIONS AHEAD OF THE ACTUAL BALLOT

And now, without further ado, Ladies and Gentlesaurs, backers of all ages, the candidates are finally ready to present their platforms for playability. All Kickstarter backers will have the opportunity to vote for one Omnivore and one Herbivore:

Omnivores

Anzu

Anzu is the jack of all trades in the Hell Creek ecosystem. As an omnivore, Anzu is able to take advantage of both high quality vegetation and small prey items, particularly the eggs and hatchlings of other dinosaurs. Males are larger and much flashier than females, resulting in both sexes occupying a slightly different niche from one another. While not the fastest dinosaur in Hell Creek, Anzu’s first choice in dealing with threats is still to run. Perhaps Anzu’s most unique skill is its ability to mimic the calls of other dinosaurs in the ecosystem, a handy tool for both attracting prey and bluffing potential threats.

Ornithomimid

Playing as the ornithomimid is all about being one with the flock. While the ornithomimid is one of the fastest animal in Hell Creek, there’s not a lot you can do to defend yourself against a marauding Dakotaraptor or Tyrannosaurus. There’s safety in numbers, so finding other ornithomimids is the best way to keep one step ahead of the predators. In large enough groups, you can even turn the tables on some of your smaller adversaries. Primarily an herbivore, the ornithomimid will not turn its beak up at small animals or eggs.

Herbivores

Anatosaurus

Anatosaurus’ entire life revolves around the herd and your place in it. The healthier your herd is, the healthier you as an individual are. As a young animal you are extremely vulnerable, your survival depends on how well you can utilize the rest of the herd for protection from hungry predators looking for an easy meal. As you grow larger, your safety becomes a matter of your social connections: the more friends you make within the herd through social interaction, resource sharing and alerts to potential threats, the more allies you have when you are under attack.

Ankylosaurus

The beefcake of Hell Creek, Ankylosaurus lives a largely solitary life. Ankylosaurus is a very territorial animal, and tolerates other members of its species only during breeding season. While eating is a full time job, Ankylosaurus gains significant benefits from eating specific plants, and therefore must range widely and defend choice plots of foliage, not only from each other, but from other herbivores as well. While adults are rarely bothered by predators other than Tyrannosaurus, young ankylosaurs are vulnerable to many Hell Creek predators due to their still forming armor, and must either hide from predators or seek shelter in the company of more intimidating targets.

Denversaurus

Denversaurus relies on partnership to survive, forming strong bonds with other individuals, even when separated. Relatively non-vocal when alone, Denversaurus becomes very noisy and communicative when together with other individuals. Unlike its relative Ankylosaurus, Denversaurus tends to be very high strung due to its smaller size and less formidable weaponry, and is far more likely to react aggressively to any perceived threat. Both parents provide extended parental care to scutelings, which lack armor when first hatched.

HOW DO I VOTE?!

Hold on to your butts, voting HASN'T started yet. We're currently in the process of setting up our Backerkit account to handle reward fulfillment for Kickstarter backers, and give those of you who might have missed out the first time around a chance to pick up some rewards. Best of all? Backerkit gives us the ability to accept Paypal payments from new backers. Keep an eye on your inbox, we'll be sending out surveys to Kickstarter backers some time in the next week. Until then, the race is on to select our two new playables! 

Backer Support FAQ and General Update
almost 8 years ago – Tue, Jul 05, 2016 at 12:50:45 AM

We have been getting lots of emails lately about payment or email issues with backers of our Kickstarter. Please, if anyone is having such issues, contact Kickstarter, not us! We have no ability to help you or have any access to your account information in that way to make fixes. Click here for their help link!

In other news, our information post on the vote for the new playable dinosaurs is right around the corner! Stay tuned to read about all the new, unique features each of these animals will offer.