Baryonyx is getting a defensive stance that automatically turns the dinosaur toward the camera and gives it access to different attacks. It will also strike back on its own when hit by certain abilities, while other attacks in the stance remain under player control. Afterthought Games outlined the work in The Isle DevBlog #73 on Steam, which also says Oviraptor is nearly complete.
Oviraptor and Baryonyx get new mechanics
Oviraptor’s remaining work includes smelling nests, adjusting how egg food and nutrient values are calculated, and adding an egg-cracking action similar to the one used with clams. The update marks progress from DevBlog #72’s final QA stage, with the team now turning its attention to Baryonyx testing. Universal visual effects and the creature’s underwater visuals still need work.
Programmer Filipe also teased an unspecified experiment for Dryosaurus players and others. Development is just beginning, and he said a short preview would appear in the Phase 3 Discord channel after the blog’s release. The update did not explain what the experiment will do.
Gateway’s dome entrances are ready
The environmental team has finished preparing the dome’s main entrances for Gateway. Connecting the routes while limiting positional advantages and gun sightlines took careful work, especially at the water entrance. Its pipes and aquatic passage provide a way in for water-dwelling animals, while the layout breaks up sightlines so one player cannot hold a single dominant position and shut down that approach. The developer described all the entrances as risky but fair.
Creature palettes and audio keep developing
Palette work is balancing natural color variety with limits on hue, while giving artists more room to vary light and dark tones. Austroraptor’s default patterns handled 10 palette concepts well, but Allosaurus is pickier: browns, olive, and gray suit its patterns, and a palette that works on one pattern may not fit another. The team is developing pattern-specific options, adding a fourth default palette, and testing whether flexible gradients can be reused across different animals. One example is adapting a Dryosaurus green palette for Omniraptor.
Most of Avaceratops’ adult vocals are complete, along with several juvenile sounds. Work will continue on the rest of its vocal range and sparring sounds. The audio team has also adjusted spatial effects for distant calls. Reverb is more present, while shorter delays create a slapback effect and filter echoes to mimic high-frequency sound being absorbed by nearby surfaces. Ambience and weather volumes are still being reviewed, alongside footstep, foliage, and playable-creature audio. The team is also preparing Camarasaurus and Quetzalcoatlus call implementations, with exploratory work underway on Quetzalcoatlus’ supplementary sounds.
QA checks old combat problems
QA confirmed that a Tyrannosaurus bug is fixed in HordeTest. The issue let it become immune to sparring while holding its crush ability and being hit by an eligible opponent. Deinosuchus’ lunge is still being worked on. Its animation and audio currently end abruptly, stripping away the sudden impact of the attack, and the team is working to address that for a future HordeTest update.
Spinosaurus begins its animation work
The animation team is continuing work on Parasaurolophus, while also handling vocal animation for Camarasaurus and Avaceratops, Baryonyx mechanics, and remaining tasks for Oviraptor and Quetzalcoatlus. Spinosaurus is now entering early preparation, with exploratory poses helping the team test its rig. Animation supervisor KissenKitten said the team would begin establishing its animations later that week and continue into the following week.
The goal for Spinosaurus in Evrima is a heavier, bulkier animal than its Legacy version, with a more imposing presence and a strong connection to its preferred aquatic habitat. KissenKitten described it as powerful enough to face an adult rex, while still favoring the water. The animation update also showed a modern rig for the “big Spoon,” with a head stabilizer, separate IK/FK switches for each limb, and a metatarsal alignment function. John Cakeman, the human character, has a new rig and full wardrobe, with more work on his armory still underway.
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The Isle
Developed by Afterthought Games
