Understand everything about the development of Dofus Touch

Released in 2016, Dofus Touch is the mobile version of the popular game Dofus. Originally, the mobile game was based on an earlier version of the PC game. Its evolution took different paths. Dofus Touch has created its own identity. To better understand the development of Dofus Touch and its choices, Ankama has explained in detail via a long article. We propose you a synthesis to come back on the most important points.

The porting of the PC to the mobile and the creation of Dofus Touch

The porting of the PC version was not an easy task. The 2.14 version was used as a basis but the developers used different tools. If the PC game was developed in Flash, Dofus Touch was developed with HTML/CSS, Javascript and WebGL. Two distinct methods that explain some differences in the evolution of the two games.

So, if we take concrete examples, each map, but also the monsters and characters have been reworked. Indeed, we do not use the same image formats on PC (.swf format) as on mobile (.jpg or .png). Transferring the interfaces was not easy either. The algorithms are not the same between Flash and HTML/CSS. Everything had to be recoded.

The Dofus Touch development team put forward a handful of examples, but in reality, the work was colossal to get a satisfactory result. The transition required a lot of time and patience.

Priorities and features of Dofus Touch

The Dofus Touch development team used a different platform than the PC version, so the two games have different priorities.

• The maps: they are not taken directly from the mobile version but a level designer creates them from scratch. Converting them would take so much time, so not only the maps but also many other elements are created independently.
• Server development: although Ankama chose the same basic server, today the two servers no longer have much in common. To explain the difference, you have to understand that the mobile community and the PC community are two very distinct communities. They have their own characteristics, demands and needs. This explains why the servers respond and adapt to them independently. In addition, there are obviously technical imperatives (mobile support and PC support) that are important.

Beyond the technical details, the game design but also the storyline has taken its own path. And for the same reasons. The audience is not the same. Ankama consciously offers a different and unique game experience.

The specific demands of mobile development

Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) also have requests. To keep the game available in their respective shops, Dofus Touch has no choice but to adapt its development. These requests are specific to the mobile version and therefore only concern Dofus Touch.
To be more precise, they both update their operating systems very regularly. The rate is higher than on PC. Dofus Touch then follows the pace, so that its coding does not become obsolete. Dofus PC, although also dynamic, does not have the same constraints.