Overview
Its been more than a year before the alpha version of the isle came out. Not even mentioning the pre-alpha phases, there has been many changes to the game. To say the history of this game is complex would be an understatement. While some players have been here and know the history, others are relatively new here. So, here is a complete textbook describing the events of the isle, from its release to the present.
Introduction
Welcome to the history of the isle! This is a story of triumph and victory, of strength as well as ingenuity. Throughout its lifespan, the Isle has gone through many changes and renovations, becoming almost unrecognizable from earlier versions at some points. A person playing the game for the first time today would be shocked if they were to go to this games beginning, and vice versa. This period of time from the game’s release to the present can generally be divided into three time periods.
Classical – Chapters 1 – 16 – This time period was the first golden age of the isle, dominated by the sandbox gamemode. Notable maps used during this time included Mesa, Region 1, Region 2, and Misty Valley. Many of the features in the game today, including scent, gender, and nesting, were not yet in the game. The butt biting technique was the most common fighting practice. The addition of the new rex model, along with alt turning, the v3 map, and the progression gamemode, triggered a mass extinction that caused an entire reboot of the game, as new ways of playing emerged.
Modern – Chapters 17 – 31 – This time period saw players adjust to the new features added. The middle of this time period was the second golden age of the isle. This time period was dominated by the progression gamemode. Notable maps included old v3, v4, and revamped region 2, as well as a breif use of the redwoods map. Facetanking became a more widespread method of combat than butt riding. Modding was added during this time.This time period ended with another mass extinction, in which official servers came onto the scene and caused many of the major private servers of the time to shut their doors.
Post Modern – Chapters 31 – 37 – This time period was dominated by the survival gamemode. The end of the use of the revamped region 2 also marked the widespread use of thenyaw and the revamped v3 map, as well as AE-012. Currently, the isle is in a precarious state, as modding has been broken, and the game has lost steam from its earlier days.
Enjoy the textbook!
Chapter 1 – Game Release and the Classical Era
On December 1, 2015, the Isle came out. The dinosaurs in this version, known as the “Original Six” were the Austroraptor, Carnotaurus, Gallimimus, Puertasarus, Shantungasarus, and the almighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, back at the initial release, the Tyrannosaurus rex looked very different from today. It had been bought by Dondi from a game he had previously worked on, the Stomping Land.
During this time period, none of the features you see currently: nesting, bleeding, bone-breaking, and footprints, were added yet. Even trotting was non-existant. It would be many months before such features would appear.
This time period is often nostalgic for veteran players. During this time, megapacks were much smaller, carebears less prevalent, and huge herds wandered the countryside.
Probably one of the most important differences between this time and now was the gamemode. In our current time, we use a gamemode known as survival, where you must grow to an adult dinosaur. However, this concept had not been invented yet, and it was the sandbox mode that was used, where you could play as any dinosaur at any time.
Another difference from our time period was the map. The initial release period used a map known as Mesa, much smaller than the V3 and V4 maps of today. This map had only two lakes.
This period is referred to as the classical era as it was a nastolgic time for older players, and was much more peaceful. However, as we discuss in the next chapter, a new dinosaur takes the scene, one that will begin a long standing tradition for killing that is a staple of our time period.
Trailer for the isle, which is now more than a year old. Just look at how much has changed. The extinxt TSL rex is clearly visible here. Video provided by The Isle Developers.
Chapter 2 – Therizinosaurus and the Rise of KOS
Up until this point, kos, or kill on sight, had been an uncommon practice, except for the occasional megapack of course. However, a new creature is about to take the scene that will rock this peaceful world.
Therizinosaurus, commonly referred to as the theri, turkey, or danger floof, is not what one would expect to start the KOS revolution. Except for its 3 foot claws, it looks quite adorable with its fluffy tail. However, this creature was anything but friendly.
Unlike the therizinosaurus of today, the Classical Era therizinosaurus was faster and stronger. It was almost as fast as a classical carnotaurus and could run down and slaughter anything it would like. With this new power, hordes of these creatures dotted the landscape, anihilating any non-theri they could find.
Although later versions would put an end to the theri’s rein of terror, the idea of KOS would remain ingrained in the minds of players and evolve into new forms, as seen in later chapters.
Now, we will move on to the opposite spectrum, where a little dinosaur takes the community by storm and creates a new kind of player, infamous today.
The top video shows the term danger floof, a popular term for the therizinosaurus nowadays, originated from this video. Credit goes to BestInSlot. On the bottom, a trollimimus, also known as a gallimimus koser. They were very common up until the beginnings of the modern era. Photo credit goes to Velociraptor.
Chapter 3 – Diabloceratops, Dryosaurus, Trotting, Region 1, and the Rise of the Carebear
The double release of Diabloceratops and Dryosaurus would have major implications for the game, expecially for the latter dinosaur. Small and cute, the classical dryosaurus also lacked any form of attack. While it became the major focus for memes during the classical era, it also became the major figure of the carebear faction.
Carebearing wasn’t as apparent in the classical era until the emergence of the dryosaurus. With a small, somewhat slow dinosaur with now attack, many players, most notably the Tyrannosaurus Rex faction, took notice and soon adopted dryosaurs as pets. This sparked anger in the carnotaurus faction, who relied on dryosaurus as a staple for food. Once partners in megapacks, the carnotarus and Tyrannosaurus would soon be at war, creating a schism that still lasts today. Austroraptor would also become a subject of carebears, and the two species would often for alliances against the carnotaurus.
Trotting was also added in this time period. With it, a dinosaur could gain stamina while still moving at a reasonable pace, a huge implication that is almost unthinkable not to have nowadays.
The geography of the isle would also change. The Mesa map now had to compete with Region 1, a slightly larger map with more lakes, and game trails for easy exploration.
In the next chapter, we focus on a new tanky herbivore that will become the next herding herbivore after shantungasaurus.
In this video, you can see the true size some diablo herds reached durig this time period. Video provided by The Airconditioner.
Chapter 4 – The Triceratops
While diabloceratops was a cerotopsian, it could not compete with the popularity Triceratops recieved. Large and tanky, it took the niece of herding animal that only shantungasaurus had previously had. Huge herds of these creatures migrated across region 1, accepting diabloceratops to thier ranks and fighting off carnivores with ease.
In the next chapter, another herbivore is added, and a new feature that modern progression could not function without.
This video indicates just how large and unstoppable triceratops herds were during this time period. Video provieded by BestInSlot.
Chapter 5 – Stegosaurus, Region 2, and The Saving System.
The stegosaurus became another large herbivore to play as along with shantungasaurus and triceratops. It is often an icon of the region 2 map.
At this point in time, the Mesa map became non-existant with the introduction of region 2. The region 2 map was the same size as region 1, but drastically different, at first. It feature birch trees and open plains, rather than large oak trees and pines. It also features one of if not the most imfamous lake of all time: spawn lake. A gathering area and fighting ground for carnivores, it would spark major critism in the game, especially when the corpses created there caused server crashes to happe even more frequently.
Another important feature was the saving system. Although it caused servers to crash more frequently, created lag, and became a major annoyance among players, progression would not be possible without it.
At this point, we have reached the end of the classical era. In the next section, we begin the post-classical era. This era is much more infamous in the isles history, especially because of several new dinosaurs that create an inbalance in the ecosystem.
This video shows the size of some stego herds that formed towards the end of the classical era. Herds would never get this big again from this point foward except in realism servers. Video provided by Jinawee.
Chapter 6 – The Allopocylpse
Besides the original three carnivores: T-rex, carno, and austro, no new carnivores had been added up until this point. The three carnivores did well balancing each other. The rex could kill an unwary austro or carno. Austros could anklebite and kill rexes and carnos. Finally, carnos could kill austros or anklebite rexes.
However, with only three carnivores and eight herbivores at this point, the developers added one of the most infamous carnivores to the game: allosaurus. The post classcial allosaurus was a monster. It was faster than a classical carnotaurus, which was already fast to begin with. Hordes of these creatures created the first recongnizable megapacks. Not even the mighty puertasaurus was safe, as gangs of these creatures would topple them with quick blows.
The carnotaurus was effected most during this period, as it was in direct competition for the niche of medium carnivore, and just couldn’t compete. Carnotaurus went nearly extinct and the ones that were left would form what any player during the time would know as Predatorium.
By replacing carnotaurus in its niche, the allosaurus created a severe imbalance in the carnivore population. Unlike carnotaurus, who were almost exclusively killers, the allosaurus was know for forming alliances with rexes and austros. With nobody to keep them under control, megapacks of rexes and allos, and sometime austros would emerge, forming the first giant mixed megapacks.
With the help of carnotaurus and some changes to allos speed, the allopocalypse would end. However, the isle would never be the same, and there would always be a canivore imbalance, which we still see today.
In the next section, we talk about a new hadrosaur, which would not be as popular as some of the earlier herbivores mentioned.
This video clearly shows the sizes of allo gangs during the allopocalypse. Video provided by The Airconditioner.
Chapter 7 – Maiasaura and Geographic Changes
When Maiasaura came out, the isle was still under the effects of the Allopocalypse, which may be the reason why large herds of these creatures never formed like with other herbivores.
Another change with maiasaurua was the Region 2. Once lush and green, the map became dark brown. Its flora also changed to mostly pine trees and shrubs, unlike the birch trees. This made it harder to see on forests, and the map became harder to navigate as a result. Transportation to anywhere but spawn lake halted.
In the next chapter, a new herbivore and carnivore are added. However, due to the momentum of carnivores at the time, the carnivore will gain more popularity.
This video shows a migration of maias. Unlike past herbivores, maia herds were only found mainly on realism servers, like isla sorna, as in this video. Video provided by Predatoria.
Chapter 8 – Suchomimus and Ankylosaurus
The next two dinosaurs in line were Suchomimus and Ankylosaurus. Suchomimus got more fame than ankylosaurus, as it was the first official fisher, although fish were not around yet. Huge swarms of suchomimus gathered at spawn lake and formed alliances with the rex. However, while it was the second most powerful carnivore at the time, the suchomimus did not cause an apocalypse like the allosaurus. Maybe this was due to its slow speed.
In the next section, a controversal issue is discussed, which sparked outrage in the community, and is still annoying to the day.
Suchomimus on the top and Ankylosaurus on the bottom. Images provided by Levia.
Chapter 9 – Leg Breaking
Around this time, a controversal change was brought about, leg breaking. By falling a certain distance, you could hurt yourself or even die. You would break your leg, resulting in certain death if a carni was near. Since the older maps were riddled with cliffs, it was very easy to break your leg. Thus, it sparked anger. These issues would be fixed in later maps with more curved terrain, which reduced the chance of a broken leg.
In the next section, two new dinosaurs are added, as well as major combat changes.
Chapter 10 – Pachycephalsaurus, Herrerasaurus, and the Bleeding System
During this mini-section, two new dinosaurus – pachycephalasaurus and herrerasaurus – were added. They both saw about equal popularity. For the first time, smaller carnivores had more prey to hunt besides the quick gallimimus and the rare and guarded dryosaurus.
Region 2 also got a makeover during this time. From a putrid black color, the ground became a dark green once again.
The most important changes however were the bleeding system and footprints. Most carnivores could now cause bleed when they bite, which left lingering damage even after the prey got away. This left blood marks, which could be followed to the quarry to end the kill. On the other hand, footprints were created when a dinosaur walked, and they were almost unique to every dinosaur. This allowed for the player to know when a dinosaur had walked by and which species it was.
One of the negatives of this time period was that herbivores were unable to eat, and their numbers were less than previous updates. However, this issue was quickly resolved, and the herbivore populations rebounded to thier normal amounts.
In the next section, we will talk about a change in developers, and the ripple effect it had on the way skins are made.
Chapter 11 – Levia and the Skin Change
Levia was one of the lead skin developers, and many of the skins made at this time were hers. Her skins were often pretty, but too bright for camoflague. After her contract expired, she left.
A problem was found with the skin map, so all the skins would have to be destroyed. It was up to the new skin designers: Fred, ZombieSaurian, and Jiggy, to take the place of Levia. Their designs were more modest and less colorful. However, this would prove useful when progression rolled in and camoflague was a nessecity.
In the next section, we will focus on the update drought and nationalism that emerged.
Chapter 12 – The Update Drought and Nationalism
It was May when the previous chapter occured. However, there would be no new updates to the game until mid-august. This allowed players to catch up to all the changes that had been made recently, and adapt to the current enviornment.
Players who played the same species, or those that had a common interest for either carebearing or kosing, formed groups and banded together. It was during this time that players began to play only one dinosaur, or thier main. This time period can be reflected in servers such as Predatorium, Isla Sorna, Isla Nublar, Jotenheimer, Jurassic Ger, Isle of Wynter, and many other examples.
In the next section, we talk about the craze the community had for the first flying reptile and the removal of one of the more recent dinosaurs.
This video shows just one of the nations formed during this time period, Predatorium. The Predatorium group was very aggressive towards carebears and often held events such as these. While the server itself was deleted to to drops in popularity, the group remains strong as ever.
Chapter 13 – The Quetza Craze and Herrasaurus Extinction
During the update drought, crashes happened very frequently, even more than in the past. Two creatures – Quetzacoatlus and Herrerasaurus – along with bodies at spawn lake, attributed to this. While quetza had never been officially released, during this time several experiemntal servers were created that allowed the player to play this flying reptile. They would most often crash, providing little more fun than a quetzacoatlus gladiator rink.
Herrerasaurus also had issues that made servers prone to crashing. It was disabled, so players could not spawn as it. However, a few people who had been herrerasaurus before the update could still play as it and survived slaughter.
A new map, Misty Valley, also appeared roughly at this time. It had four lakes at the center of the map. It was never a popular map chocie like region 1 and 2, and would soon disappear.
In the next section, we see the effects of nationalism in the isles version of World War I.
A photo generating hype for the quetzacoatlus. Taken by Levia.
Chapter 14 – World War I – The Isle Version
The Isle experienced a sudden change in August. The Rex models for the isle were released. Until then, there had been the TSL rexes from a different game altogether. Now, there were 3 rex growth stages, each with their own nieche. Since rexes are prone to carebearing, the new rexes formed an alliance and destroyed life in The Isle.
While most non-rexes, even TSL’s, were decimated, they soon rebounded and launched a counter-attack. There were rallies and protests to fight the rex kind, and they brought every species together. The carnos, allos, suchos, and TSL’s formed and alliance and fought back the rexes until development changes limited the new rexes power, ending their reign. While the old carnivores were victorius, it came with a price. The TSL was replaced by the new rexes, never to be seen again, at least for now. This war brought a bloody end to the post-classical era.
In the next section, the modern era begins. This will bring the replacement of sandbox with progression.
In this video, Predatoria, leader of the carno faction, enters a skirmish with several rexes. This is just one battle that occured during this time period.
Chapter 15 – Progression and The Dark Ages
This time period saw the beginning of progression and several game-breaking bugs that ruined gameplay.
Progression during this time was much different than now. Herbivores, like carnivores, gained progression points through time. The progression tree was also very incomplete, and there was inbalance. For example, herra and austro formed megapacks to bleed larger creatures to death. Austros also had bleed and pounce, and could wipe out a rex in a few seconds. Austros would be nerfed greatly to where they are now, but they proved a frustration to those trying to progress.
Other bugs that happened during the dark ages were stamina bugs that gave you a limited amount of stam, so players would die. Trees where also glitched so that they would have collision even when eating. Players would troll other players by getting them entangled in the hitboxes and then killing them.
Progression would come to take over completley as sandbox was removed.
In the next section, the first new dinosaurs since the herra and pachy are added.
For the one time in the isles history, it was the small creatures like austro and herra that ruled. Not even an adult rex was safe. All photos taken by Velociraptor.
Chapter 16 – Utahraptor, Acrocanthosaurus and Baryonx
During the Summer months, three news carnivores – utahraptor, acrocanthosaurus, and baryonx – would be added. Each was suppsoed to fill in a gap in the carnivore progression tree. Utah filled in the gap before carno. Acro would become a temporary apex after allo until giga hit the scene. Finally, bary would be a stepping stone between sucho and austro.
In the next section, V3 is added and we discuss its pros and cons.
Chapter 17 – V3 and the Void
Hope would return when on of the current maps, V3, was born. However, V3 had some major issues that at first made it nearly unplayable. The major issue was void spawns. When a person progressed, they had a high liklihood of spawning underneath the map and falling to their death. This made it very frustrating to progress. It would takes months for the issue to be fixed.
Meanwhile, V3 was a lot less laggy than other maps. It was also huge. While some of its most prominent features, like bodies of water, the redwoods, and swamp, were not implemented yet, it was still fun to explore. However, its large size made it harder for people to gather together.
Ultimatley, Mesa, Region 1, Region 2, and Misty Valley would all be deleted, sparking outrage due to nostalgia.
In the next section, we discuss a civil war between an unlikely herbivore and its impacts on the isle.
This video shows the V3 map before it has a swamp, redwood forest, or even a drinkable lake. Video provided by AeroSlayer74.
Chapter 18 – The Dryo Civil War and its Consequences
Due to carnivores like herra and austro mobbing larger carnivores and then being able to respawn upon death, Dondi added a carnivorous dryo to the carnivore branch, therefore making it 15 minutes before a player could reach herra or austro. While it sounded good on paper, it had some drawbacks.
The first drawback was that carnivorous dryos and herbivorous dryos could group. This meant that when they progressed their separate ways, carnis would be ablt to track down and kill herbis.
The second drawback was that carnivorous and herbivorous dryos were nearly identical, and could not be told apart. While they were later given separate skins, it didn’t help much. Dryos were shunned by herbs and even killed in witchhunts.
The dryo civil war did have one major bonus for the dryo however. Carnivorous dryosaurs were given an attack to hunt. When they were removed, the attack was given to herbivorous dryos. Finally, the dryos had an attack, albeit weak. This got them off of meme jokes for good that were so prevalent during the classical and post-classical eras.
After many months, velociraptor would come to replace the carnivorous dryo, which was a relief to herbivorous dryosaurus across the game.
In the next section, we discuss the wars carnivores began to have as they fought for dominance.
Chapter 19 – Period of the Warring Carnivores
The period of the warring carnivores lasted well until november. It was particularly between the utahraptor, allosaur, and t-rex, as they fought for dominance. One week, utahs would be in control, while the next week, it would be allos. During this time, herbivores were very weak and had no defence against carnivores.
In the next section, the puertasaurus is removed and its consequences are analyzed.
Chapter 20 – Temporary Removal of the Puertasaurus
The puertasarus was temporarily removed due to concerns that it would not fit in with progression. With sandbox not playable, it went extinct except for several players who had played puerta before the change.
A month later, puertasaurus would be added back, but with severe issues. For one, it was unkillable. Second, its corpse would freeze in the air and it would be inedible. Finally, its tail would not move. Bugs would not be fixed until the return of sandbox months later.
In the next chapter, the reign of the most powerful and feared predator to even walk on the island begins.
In this top video, we see the history of the puerta, and how sad everyone was when it almost dissapeared forver. Video made by Predatoria and Hilla007. In the bottom video, it shows the return of the puerta and the huge herds that formed for at least a week or more. Video provided by Anthomnia.
Chapter 21 – Reign of the Hypoendocrin Rex
The developers had been doing tests with one of their strains, the hypoendocrin rex. More than twice the size of a normal rex, it had the speed and power to match. It had been teased since the summer months, as the devs would periodically play as it on servers, but it had never been granted to the public. However, in the end of september, the hypo rex made its appearence known.
The servers became flooded with these terrifying creatures. Only carno and galli were fast enough to escape its jaws. The puertasaurus also escaped unscathed due to its bugs which prevented it from being hurt. As for every other dinosaur, they were chased down and killed.
It would not be until november that the hypo menace was removed. Tension increased towards rexes and the devs for implementing such an OP and unfinished creature.
In the next section, herbivores take a stand once again and a new dinosaur marks the beginning of a new system of progressing.
This top photo clearly shows how large and menacing the hypo rex is. Twice the size of a TSL, and about 3/4 larger than an adult rex, it is truly an intimidating sight, especially to a smaller creature. When one of these creatures came to a lake, everybody fled for their lives. Image provided by Adrian-SSB4. On the bottom photo, the hypo is clearly seen dwarfing the adult rex. This photo was taken while hypo was still in development and was not out to the public yet. Photo taken by Velociraptor.
Chapter 22 – Psittacosaurus, PP Plants, and the Herbivore Rennisance
In the month of october, psittacosaurs, the smallest herbivore to date, was added. It was the first herb since the arrival of pachycephalosaurus back in May. The arrival of a new dinosaur to the start of the herbivore progression tree, psittacosaurus, also ushered in a new way of progression for herbivores. Instead of time based progression, herbivores ate blue ferns to gain pp. This dratsically decreased their cost, making them easier to get. There were also red ferns that provided food, but these would be replaced by green ferns and other food in the V4 ap of today.
The new progression system, along with buffs that incresed the damage and bleed of herbivores, such as shant and stego, began the herbivore renissance. Although many of the herbs would soon become more balanced, the shant remained the sole powerhouse of the herbivore progression tree. Even apexes would fear it.
In the next section, we talk about the weight class system.
Chapter 23 – The Weight Class System
Before weight classes, any creature, no matter how small, could kill any other creature. Now, dinosaurs were grouped by weight, ranging from tiny to collosal. If you were a weight class above another dinosaur, you did 25% more damage. If you were one below, you did 25% less damage.
The system would be replaced by giving dinosaurs a set weight at every growth stage. This made the system less rigid.
In the next section, three new carnivores are added to fill in gaps in the carnivore progression tree.
Chapter 24 – Velociraptor, Spinosaurus, and Gigantosaurus
Three new carnivores – Velociraptor, Spinosaurus, and Gigantosaurus – would fill in gaps still left in the carni progression tree. Velociraptor replaced the carnivorous dryo as the new tier 0 carni. Spinosaurus and Gigantosaurus, on the other hand, became the new apexes of the fisher and bleeder trees respectively, and rivaled rex for top position.
In the next section, we discuss V4, nesting, growth, and other changes made during December, January, and Feburary.
The top photo shows Gigantosaurus, one of the dinosaurs added during this period. It has the raw power and high bleed to rival even a T. rex. Image provided by War Bear. The bottom photo shows Spinosaurus, the other T. rex rival added at this time. Image provided by mbiggiani.
Chapter 25 – Growth, Nesting, V4, and other Major Changes
Growth would be the first step in the nesting system to be implemented. With it, dinosaurs would grow from 20% of their max growth to adulthood. Later, nesting was added, so dinosaurs could have nests with babies. This would allow even apex carnivores to be obtained with ease, increasing their population.
A new map, V4, came out. Larger than V3, it featured many different biomes and continues to improve each day.
Dinosaurs would begin to lose hunger at an even greater rate. Now, apex dinosaurs would lose up to 12 hunger a minute, depending on their size. Shant and puerta became unplayable, as they lost hunger too fast to regain. Shant would later be fixed, while puerta remains broken.
During this time, bleeding was temporarily broken. It was added back, but backfired during the day of death, in which players would get 100 bleed for taking even the slightest amount of damage. Ultimatley, this would be fixed.
In the next section, quite the opposite occurs, and there is a lul in game development.
The top photo shows one of the new features, nesting. Nesting revolutionized progression by allowing anyone to become an apex with a lot less time and effort needed. Image provided by War Bear. However, as seen in the bottom photo, megapacks could now form much easier. Photo taken by Velociraptor.
Chapter 26 – A Lul in Game Development
While not nearly as long as the update drought, another lul in game development occured between January and March of 2017. Game development was very low and then came to a halt during Feburary. However, unlike the update drought, where very little progress was being made, behind the scenes, the developers were hard at work during this lul in content.
This time also gave players a chance to get used to the V4 map and learn it from top to bottom.
In the next section, sandbox returns, and its consequences are analyzed.
Chapter 27 – The Return of Sandbox
On March 6, 2017, the sandbox gamemode returned to the game.
Sandbox had not made an appearance for months. It was originally playable until it was removed in the Summer to test out progression. Although it made a temporary return for one week in the month of September, it was quickly removed thereafter to test out the Hypo rex, nesting, and new progression features.
With the return of Sandbox, players are once again able to select their own dinosaur. Megapacks grew larger, and KOSing increased since no time will be wasted progressing to an apex. Bodies lay everywhere, and some servers removed hypo rexes completley to avoid severe kosing.
Hypo Rex and TSL rex were added back in sandbox. However, they were super weak and could be two shotted, even by a carno. Eventually, the hypo received a major buff that allowed it to dominate sandbox. Anything that wasn’t small enough to not be detected or fast enough to outrun the hypo was killed on sight. Huge megapacks roamed the landscape.
Many of puerta’s bugs were fixed, allowing it to be killed again and ragdoll when dead. Trees also gave 100 food, so it was viable again on progression. However, it came into direct conflict with the hypo. Large wars were fought between puertas and hypo megapacks which usually resulted in the puerta overwhelmed by hypo numbers.
Allo became more buggy, scrunching into a ball and becoming inedible when dead.
This video shows this new sandbox gamemode. Corpses are strewn everywhere, including hypos, which are very weak. Video provided by Anthomnia. This photo shows a field of bodies, which are common on sandbox servers. Photo provided by Mum.
Chapter 28 – Avaceratops, Camarasaurus, and Orodromeus
In March of 2017, about 6 months after the last dinosaur was added, gigantosaurus, and 8 months after the last herbivore, psittacosaurus, was added, three new herbivores, avaceratops, camarasaurus, and orodromeus.
Avaceratops is a slow ceratopsian, that is very weak and easy to kill. Orodromeus is a small dryo like creature that is also slow and weak. Finally, camara is the largest, and is the second sauropod to be added to the game. It is the most bugged of the three, with no attack.
After many months, utah pouncing was added to the game. While extremeley buggy, the kinks will be fixed soon.
A new replay system was also added. It allowed players to record themselves hunting, finding bugs, or just having fun, and sharing it with others.
Finally, a huge stamina nerf was added to all dinosaurs. They could no longer run across the map, but in short bursts.
Avaceratops, one of the herbivores released. Photo provided by Mbiggiani. This video shows the reactions on orodromeus and camarasaurus. Video provided by Anthomnia.
Chapter 29 – The Age of Modding and the Return of Old Maps
While the avaceratops, camarasasurus, and orodromeus were in development getting ready to be released, an exciting new feature came out: modding.
With modding, players could do anything from change the stats of dinosaurs, to adding in new ones completley. The first mod, for testing, was the readditon of region 1, region 2, Mesa and Misty Valley. This mod will probably be temporary however.
In the next chapter, the scent system is added and new models are released.
This photo shows Avaceratops and Gigantosaurus, two dinosaurs released months after region 2 was removed, enjoying themselves at the infamous spawn lake. Photo credit goes to Z3NR3X.
Chapter 30 – The Scent System and New Models
Dinosaurs will now be able to smell other dinosaurs. When dinosaurs walk they leave a smell trail. When you press J, it activates your “smell vision” and you will be able to see smells, represented by pink mist. When using smell vision, footprints also become highlighted.
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Dinosaurs will also have a special sniffing animation when they use their sense of smell.
Currently, it is not yet known if carnivores will have better smell abilities than herbivores. It has been hinted in the past that larger dinosaurs will have better smell sensing over a short range, while small dinosaurs will have weak smell sensing over a long range. However, this has not yet been confirmed.
Further, it is not known how long smells will linger in the air. It may be a minute like with footprints or a bit longer.
As of now, only living dinosaurs have smells. In the future though, corpses, plants, and water may have their own unique odors as well.
In addition to scent, many herbivores received new models. Triceratops, dryosaurus, maiasaura, stegosaurus, and diabloceratops all got new models and skins.
This screenshot shows an anky surrounded by scent. Photo provided by Sabre.
Chapter 31 – More New Models, Albertosaurus, and the Gender System
The allosaurus has been one of the glitchiest creatures to date. At times it would form inedible balls, or even fly around the air when killed. For these reasons, it was decided that the allosaur would get a new model. This sparked controversy in the community, as the old allo model was highly liked, and the new one was just too spikey and unrealsitic for some to bear. However, with a tone down of the spikes, the new allo was released.
Additionally, the Albertosaurus was added to the game. Smaller than the adult rex, it was still a formidable predator, rivaling allo in strength.
The most important change however was the gender system. From now on, there would be male and female skins for each dinosaur. This revolutionized the nesting system. Rather than dinosaurs asexually nest with one parent, nesting required two parents, one from each gender.
In the next chapter, dilo and cerato get added.
These sceenshots show the male carnotaurus and male gallimimus skins. These are just a few examples of the new skins created with the gender system.
Chapter 32 – Dilo, Cerato, and Alberto
Towards the end of August, two new carnivores were added to the game, Dilophosaurus and Ceratosaurus. These two would be the last to be added before progression was removed and survival took its place. The dilophosaurus was a medium sized carnivore that would one day be able to use venom to kill its prey. The ceratosaurus was a large carnivore similar to acrocanthosaurus, using brute force to finish off its kills.
Finally, the albertosaurus got added, although only to sandbox. A smaller version of the t-rex it is a formidable predator.
In the next chapter, two arch rivals compete for dominance in a new gamemode: survival.
Images of the male ceratosaurus and female dilophosaurus skins. Photos taken by Mbiggiani. An image of the albertosaurus when it was first revealed to the community. Photo taken by developers.
Chapter 33 – Early Survival – Rex vs Carno
The addition of survival marked the beginning of a war years in the making. Over a year ago, the carnos and rexes had fought a bitter war against each other, resulting in a draw. Now, being the only two dinosaurs in the survival gamemode, there was nothing stopping old tensions to explode into a full blown war.
Rexes and carnos competed for prime breeding and feeding locations, building armies of babies and then launching assults on opposing nursuries. Rexes were stronger, but slower. While carno was weaker, they could often annihalte entire rex nursuries.
In the next chapter, the developers make major changes to the look of their game.
A group of carnos surrounds a pair of weakened adult rexes, preparing to deal the final blows. Casulaties from both sides can be seen. Life was hard for both teams in these early days. Photo taken by Mbiggiani.
Chapter 34 – A New Look
Until now, the Isle still had the same store page image and trailer. The iconic hypoendorcine rex that had been associated with the isle had to be updated, and the trailer was from the first days of the Isle, even more outdated than the image. So with that, they got changed.
The old hypo image got replaced with that of a magnaraptor, a more powerful and larger version of the utahraptor, atop a car. The trailer got replaced with a new and even better one, featuring many of the new dinosaurs as well as the hypoendocrine rex at the end.
In the next chapter, the humans arrive and establish a foothold in the game.
The new trailer, created by the Isle developers.
Chapter 35 – Humans
Since the dawn of the games existence, many a player has been waiting in anticipation for the arrival of the human factions. For over two years, the dinosaurs have ruled the game, split between herbivore and carnivore factions in a struggle for survival. Now at last, two new factions enter the fray – mercenaries and tribals.
The mercenary is a soldier. Although defenseless for the moment, they will be able to obtain guns and other weapons for their own use, whether it be for shooting dinosaurs, humans, or other creatures of the game.
The tribal is a human native to the island. Isolated from society, they have adapted to live in coexistance with dinosaurs and the other inhabitants of the island. They are enemies of the mercenaries and attack them. They also will have the ability to tame dinosaurs. They currently have no attack.
In the next chapter, Parasaurolophus is added along with a large mega patch.
A mercenary and a tribal staring at the camera. Photos provided by Adrian-SSB4.
Chapter 36 – Parasaurolophus and the Mega Patch
After several months, the developers finally released a mega patch to The Isle which significantly changed gameplay. From new dinosaurs and models to ambience, the new patch had a lot to offer for everyone.
The most significant changes came to survival. The addition of the Parasaurolophus to the gamemode, as well as Triceratops and Gallimimus, dramtically altered the enviornment. The barren hellscapes of the early survival days were at least partially transformed by the addition of these three herbivores to balance the ecosystem. In addition, the Giganotosaurus made its arrival to survival as well, with a brand new model. This apex challenged and overthrew the rex, which had all but dominated the early survival days. Now giga megapacks roamed the map, destroying all in their path. As a result of all these new dinosaurs, the roles of the early survival creatures saw a dramatic change. T-rex megapacks became all but non-existant, while Carnotaurus and Utahraptor became the number one fear for any juvenile without a parent.
Other changes included new lifecycle models for Triceratops, Gallimimus, Utahraptor and Giganotosaurs, adding variety and realism.
In addition, weather was added to the game. For the first time, rain fell into the forests of the isle. Now, juveniles could stray further for water in search of food without worrying about dehydrating, since the rain slowed down the rate of thirst. However, these new benefits came with new danger. Lightning storms could now pose a serious threat to any animal unforunate enough to get struck.
Finally, the Thenyaw map was created, offering another possibility for servers. The v3 map had a serious overhaul, making it more viable and larger.
In the next chapter, new survival balance changes are discussed.
A picture of a Parasaurolophus in profile. For the first few days after it was released, huge herd migrated across the map, almost untouchable to any carnivore who dared to challange them.
Chapter 37 – Survival Balance
Until this point, there had only been 4 carnivores and 3 herbivores to play, making the ecosystem on survival servers extremely unbalanced. However, there would be a rush of new dinosaurs to play as time went on.
The allosaurus received a new model, and instantly became a hit on survival. Large packs would roam the area, searching for any prey to kill.
Meanwhile, the dilophosaurus and ceratosaurus received huge buffs when they were added to survival, increasing their playability significantly. Maiasaura and dryosaurus also got added as food sources for these new predators, almost doubling the number of dinosaur species in survival.
In addition to new dinosaurs, new mechanics such as the readdition of scent and new night vision made the game more thrilling.
In the next chapter, the new skin system is discussed.
The new allosaurus squares off against the buffed ceratosaurus in a fight to the death. Photo provided by Donut Rus.
Chapter 38 – Skin System
After months of inactivity following the survival balance changes, the developers pushed a patch out that would radically change The Isle. Until this point, players could only pick from a few premade skins. Now, with the advent of the skin system, players could choose colors for their dinosaurs. This allowed a lot of creativity, as players could use skins to differentiate themselves from others of their species and feel unique.
In the next chapter, the new Pachy and Sucho models are revealed and discussed.
A Giganotosaurus following the skin system patch.
Chapter 39 – New Pachy and Sucho
Along with the Skin System changes came model updates to ancient dinosaurs. After two years of relative obscurity, the Pachycephalosaurus and Suchomimus once again became viable as they were added to survival. Once weak and barely played, the new muscular pachy was strong and agile, able to outrun Allosaurus, its main predator. The Suchomimus got similar treatment and became a popular choice among the community.
In the next chapter, the new V3 map is discussed.
Above: The new Pachycephalosaurus. Below: The new Suchomimus taking a dip in a lake.
Chapter 40 – A New v3 Map
Along with the new models and skins, a new and updated v3 map was introduced to the community. Featuring a large river system and dense foliage, there was plenty of room for dinosaurs to roam and flourish.
A map of the new V3 map.
Chapter 41 – The Prerecode Era
With the last patch coming in April of 2019, the modern era finally drew to a close. What would follow would be nearly a year with no updates to the game. The era would be marked with few updates from the devs either, as they were busy working on the recode. Occasionally there would be news leaks, showing off new animations or models, but they were few and far between.
Not much changed in the game over this time period. Players still played the game as they always had, with large megapacks controlling key lakes, kosers murdering everyone in their sight, and casual players doing their best to stay alive in an unforgiving world.
With the release of a special trailer announcement in December by the developers, it looked like the end of the Prerecode era was in sight, with a tentative eta given for valentines day. The recode era will be discussed in the next chapter.
Chapter 42 – The Recode Era: An Era of Hope
The December teaser trailer entitled Hope was the beginning of the end of the Prerecode era, as players anticipation grew. The trailer showed off several new features of the game which had never been seen before as well as improvements to existing creatures.
The environment of the recode era is radically different from that of periods prior. Where once there were vast unending forests of redwood and pine trees, the rising temperatures on the new map, called Hope, allowed for three new biomes to appear: Grassland, Jungle, and the Coastline. The rolling plains are full of lush grass, which many herbivores have now adapted to graze upon, such as stegosaurus.
The ecosystem of the Recode era is also much different. Several dinosaurs which have been in the game since its creation, including Shantungasaurus and Puertasaurus, have gone extinct. These will be replaced by other dinosaurs. The devs have confirmed 14 new dinosaurs will be added to the game, including Brachiosaurus, Magyarosaurus, Bepiaosaurus, Compsagnathus, Hypsolophidon, Troodon, and others. The new island also harbors fish, which dinosaurs such as Suchomimus and Spinosaurus will take advantage of. The scavenger niche has also been added, which is currently filled by compsagnathus. Any carnivore that makes a kill will have to eat quickly before these tiny carnivores reach the carcass.
For the first time since the days of the old region 2 map, the skies are once again alive with flying pterosaurus. The pteranodon will be a prominent creature in the air, as it soars above in search of food.
The waterways are now more dangerous than ever. On top of semi-aquatic dinosaurs such as Spinosaurus and Suchomimus, a new threat now patrols the rivers: Deinosuchus. This huge crocodile poses a threat to even the mighty Tyrannosaurus, and will likely compete with Spinosaurus for coastline in this new world.
Other features include corpse dragging by carnivores and sexual dimorphism, shown in Parasaurolophus.
The Hope Isle Trailer
The Future
The Isle recode has a tentative ETA for Feburary 14th (Valentines Day). The Hope trailer has been released and the features of this new world have been discussed in Chapter 42. I can’t wait to see you all there!
Conclusion
As you can see, the isle has had quite a complex history, one of the most complex of any video game. With each stage, players had to adapt to new changes. While people have come and gone, the playerbase as a whole has remianed relatively unchanged. It doesn’t matter whether you are a carebear, koser, realism fan, or casual player. Niether does it matter whether you are a veteran from day one or just bought the game. We are all here bound together due to our undying love of dinosaurs, and that will never change. I am proud to be here, and I hope you are too.