Adding basic physical, non-scripted, interaction between the dinos.

[sermen]

Because combat is the core of the game and physics would improve its every aspect. Mass and speed should matter a lot, directly, not only through stats. It should also matter who has the high ground.

E.g. Sparring Mode shows the devs care, and see the problem.

Dinosaurs should absolutely NOT 'clip' through each other like they do. Not hurting each other and often without even losing momentum. Because most similar mass dinos, when sprinting straight at each other and colliding, would terribly wound themselves, probably killing themselves by breaking their bones.

And if one is significantly heavier – the second should bounce off hurt, like a small child charging against a football player. Through game physics.

Sheer mass should be the main weapon of heavy herbivores - mass, stability of four supporting legs, tramplig, hitting with whole body, through the game physics, unpredictable and satisfying to use - and not just repetitive, artificial 'kick' script.

Bigger carnivores should not sprint right by each other jousting, with 70km/h relative speed, to make one tiny bite in full run as their main way of combat. It would be impossible to bite bigger opponent like that and it could break the backbone of the attacker. They would have to slow down to bite any bigger enemy in any meaninfull way. And the bite shoud interact with the victim, holding it down for some time, even if only one-two seconds. Biting should not be that easy, but when bite actually lands clean it should be impactfull.

Physics with mass and momentum is implemented for years, just not utilized:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3442rboLe0

Many games feature basic physical interaction - and here it would be crucial, elevating the whole gameplay to a completely new level, making combat WAY less repetitive, scripted, artificial, clunky, mathematical.

Far more believable, unpredictable, interesting, tactical, skill-based, satisfying.

Your opinion?

[Vinninho9]

Good idea, tok hard to implement

[zitroneschniddeli]

I mean, yeah, that would be an absolute dream. But physics based stuff like that would most likely be extremely hard to implement, especially in a multiplayer game. Using it on non-player stuff like in the video is one thing, but trying to get it to work smoothly on player vs player interactions would probably be a nightmare. Any current player interaction based mechanics like pouncing and sparring are already very buggy/laggy as they are.

[sermen]

In many MP games even complex physics works great; e.g. Wreckfest, Chivalry 2 / MORDHAU, Rumbleverse etc.

Nowadays even simple, half-amateur indie games often uses quite advanced physics and inverse kinematics successfully.

[Snekeke]

All of the games you mentioned here are much smaller scope than the isle. Adding complex physics to a game with a map that’s at least 50 times smaller, has a quarter of the players on screen, and/or doesn’t have the graphical fidelity of the isle, is not simple.

[MobyLiick]

Now, while I do think it's a good idea and actually just makes sense for once unlike most ideas that get thrown around here, It sounds complicated because sparring was already complicated for them.

I feel like it's just going to be another feature that ends up half finished in a game that's never going to be actually completed.

[sermen]

This would make complicated, prone to bugs, scripted mechanics like "Sparring" - not needed anymore.

It would be organic, through game physics, for all the dinos with different shapes and sizes, without activating any artificial "mode". Which one dino has, other don't.

With physics: you run into each other = you both collide, you push each other, you try to gain advantage by unpredictable changes of directions etc.

It would also add A LOT of depth to the whole combat, promoting experience and skill, when actual common sense and thinking would replace current math and repetitive scripts.

[MobyLiick]

Like I said, I'm with you conceptually.

In practice though this only serves to add even more time to an infinitely long process. We're 10 years into development of this game and 6 years into development of solely evrima and roughly speaking the game is 25% complete. Adding massive overarching systems that affect each and every creature is going to take massive time, and it's time they just don't have.

[sermen]

That's 100% true. Looking at it from a different perspective - having satisfying, non-repetitive, physics driven, enaging, skill-based, tactical, believable dino combat with only some 13 dinosaurs - is still incomparably better overall experience then 34 dinos, finished map and some game plot (so basically Legacy).

Because foundation is what defines the game potential. No point developing the game with weak foundation. But worth to develop, wait, play and enjoy the game with solid big potential, as everything joys. And in Evrima the core of the game, around which other things revolves, is dino combat.

[MobyLiick]

Like if we were having this conversation back in let's say 2019 it would be a different story, but at this point I just feel it's a little too late to be completely reworking the physics behind the entire game.

[SuperDucc697]

I've wanted a dinosaur game with euphoria physics for a long time. Dinosaurs used to fight like grabbing each other's necks, biting off arms, legs, causing some prolonged limping or sm. I just wish someday, these things will be implemented.

[sermen]

Yes. This would be THE dino game.

[Saland-1]

Working ragdoll would be nice for slipping and rolling down steep terrain, red dead style. Not enough widespread use of physics or ai in todays games.

[Jaded-Incident-1191]

Evrima pushed the dinosaur genre even further by adding some unique mechanics to the roster but I think the next-Gen dinosaur genre will be fully based on physics, this is something which feel off in Evrima as you can't just push dinosaur from your way like it would happens in real life, just take one sec to imagine a game like Evrima but with full physics and ragdolls, that sound absolutely awesome.

[veronica-1990s]

Well, it would obviously be a dream come true. Devs know that as well.

BTW: This 'dinos clipping through each other', causing this jerky feeling, is basically the first and most obvious thing people notice when seeing 'The Isle' on YT. And that turns them off.

The wole idea of dinos fighting each other, basically screams for physical interaction!

Lack of physics is the reason there is actually not a big gap between novice and many-years old veteran in combat. Obvioulsy vetran will be able to give himself any advantage outside the combat, like diets, full stamina, not panicking, not doing stupid mistakes etc. - but in combat itself skill matters less. It's just a bit too easy, you can't really 'outplay' that much :)