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[Qassim]

I played The Gallery at launch and it left a reasonable impression of it. Definitely games have come along since and done various different things better, but it was perhaps that game which gave me my first proper taste of a story based games in VR.

Spoiler

Something that left an impression on in particular about that game was how much the physical presence of the bad guy made me feel uncomfortable due to the sense of scale in VR.

 

[Durante]

Merits of that game not withstanding, nunchucks in VR could be interesting - along with flails, whips, and other non-rigid weapons. They solve (or rather, sidestep) some of the major melee weapon problems in VR: feedback and phase through. Since the striking portion is somewhat independent of the held part, it can remain physics based and react like it would in real life. Rather than phase through a VR object to maintain sync with the hand movement IRL, it can glance off the VR object while the handle remains in sync with the hand. They also force a minimum hand movement speed with immediate visual feedback. If the ball on a flail is just limping on the end of its chain as you swing, it's obviously not going fast enough to do damage. Compare that to a blade where you really have no idea when you've reached "proper" momentum - especially without the impact physics or cuts manifesting themselves in realistic ways.

It's a pity those types of weapons haven't been explored more in VR games. 99% of what's out there is a gun, bow and blade.

That's a good point I didn't think about.
We need a Shadowrun game where you use a monofilament whip

I played The Gallery at launch and it left a reasonable impression of it. Definitely games have come along since and done various different things better, but it was perhaps that game which gave me my first proper taste of a story based games in VR.

Yeah, there's a lot more choice now, but also still many games (even big names) that don't get the basic interactions as right as The Gallery does. You can tell that from the first moment you pick up an item.

 

[Auto-Reply]

I won The Gallery Episode 1 in the giveaway a while back in this thread (thanks again!) and finally got around to playing it.

It's very nicely done overall, great density of content and consistent quality. Also, you can feel that they devoted a lot of time to making sure the VR interactions feel right from the first time you pick anything up. (It's particularly obvious since I recently played a game that doesn't do nearly as well as that) Oh, and the audio (both sound effects and music) is fantastic.

However, I'm still happy I waited with buying it. In terms of length, it's basically as long as an average modern movie, so I think it should get a bit lower in price (or there should be more episodes out) to justify buying it.

I really like what the game is heading for with the story at the end, I hope there will be more of that and it stays as interesting, I wonder what the setting will be though (?)

Ending spoiler:

Spoiler

Looked like you were going into space or some other dimension, could be problematic if it is only a complete abstract setting on an alien planet or something.

-

I'm also playing Dead Secret at the moment, really like these adventure-esque games with a slight horror touch. You also have a physical body in that game... and I do not like that!

 

[TharpDaddy]

I'm also playing Dead Secret at the moment, really like these adventure-esque games with a slight horror touch. You also have a physical body in that game... and I do not like that!

That's the one where your character is a lady with glasses and a camera right? I want to say i've seen some of it played. I'll have to keep a look out for it on sale. I'm really bad when it comes to horror stuff so i'm apprehensive about trying any like that haha

Edit: Also, tried a random game demo called Dragon Skies VR Demo. It was... weirdly compelling? You fly around on a dragon's back and shoot down airships and can do barrel rolls and stuff. It was incredibly uncomfortable to do flips and sharp turns, but something about it was weirdly fun. There wasn't a ton to it, but I had fun for 30 minutes. I highly recommend turning the movement mode to teleport though. http://store.steampowered.com/app/518640/

 

[Auto-Reply]

That's the one where your character is a lady with glasses and a camera right? I want to say i've seen some of it played. I'll have to keep a look out for it on sale. I'm really bad when it comes to horror stuff so i'm apprehensive about trying any like that haha
....

Yeah you play a female reporter in th 1960`s with a broken arm. It's always fun to see your VR character in a mirror but what I can't stand is that the position of the virtual body is off center (I have the center floor rectangle activated to always see where I am in my room) so I always try to realign myself with where my character is standing and that takes you out of the game a little bit. Other than that I really like what I have played so far, it's very light on the horror and there haven been no real jumpscares as of yet, at least not in the FNAF sense.

 

[TharpDaddy]

Yeah you play a female reporter in th 1960`s with a broken arm. It's always fun to see your VR character in a mirror but what I can't stand is that the position of the virtual body is off center (I have the center floor rectangle activated to always see where I am in my room) so I always try to realign myself with where my character is standing and that takes you out of the game a little bit. Other than that I really like what I have played so far, it's very light on the horror and there haven been no real jumpscares as of yet, at least not in the FNAF sense.

I think I have a similar issue with Elite Dangerous VR sometimes. Since your body is sitting and static it works really well for immersion 90% of the time, but sometimes my head won't be properly situated on my body in it and it's really jarring. I'll feel like my head is floating slightly to the side or in front of my body.

 

[Will the Thrill]

That small "Lo-fi" shooter demo has a new update, added an SMG, mini map and new robot enemies. I tried it out and the reload for the SMG just feels awesome to do lol, you slap it on the top then use the hand with the gun in it to press the touch pad to make the reload restraint explode off so you can fire. You use the menu button to swap between the pistol and SMG now.

https://notdead.itch.io/compound

 

[Tain]

That small "Lo-fi" shooter demo has a new update, added an SMG, mini map and new robot enemies. I tried it out and the reload for the SMG just feels awesome to do lol, you slap it on the top then use the hand with the gun in it to press the touch pad to make the reload restraint explode off so you can fire. You use the menu button to swap between the pistol and SMG now.

https://notdead.itch.io/compound

aw man, time to put down the NiOh demo and boot this up again. Compound is probably the coolest small demo around.

someone fund this dude and convince him to make a focused campaign instead of randomly-generated stages

 

[Maiden Voyage]

That small "Lo-fi" shooter demo has a new update, added an SMG, mini map and new robot enemies. I tried it out and the reload for the SMG just feels awesome to do lol, you slap it on the top then use the hand with the gun in it to press the touch pad to make the reload restraint explode off so you can fire. You use the menu button to swap between the pistol and SMG now.

https://notdead.itch.io/compound

I'm so glad this is still being worked on.

 

[Rygar 8 Bit]

just got around to playing compound and gorn been saving them for this vr drought we are having all of a sudden man they are amazing

 

[Maiden Voyage]

just got around to playing compound and gorn been saving them for this vr drought we are having all of a sudden man they are amazing

I hadn't heard of this before and gave it a whirl. Gorn is a lot of fun and it's brutally graphic for such a cartoonish aesthetic.

I also tried the new alpha of Compound. I really like the new SMG. The reloading mechanic adds a neat layer to the intensity of the combat. The enemy AI also seems tweaked to be a bit more intelligent.

I also wound up giving the alternative locomotion a go. I didn't get sick at all, which is surprising because everything gives me motion sickness. I am curious if I am acclimating myself to it. I'll have to try it in other games.

 

[Rygar 8 Bit]

compound made me really really really want a new dark forces game made for vr

I also wound up giving the alternative locomotion a go. I didn't get sick at all, which is surprising because everything gives me motion sickness. I am curious if I am acclimating myself to it. I'll have to try it in other games.

maybe its the speed of it the walking was a nice slow pace

 

[Interficium]

Onward's "no sickness" locomotion made me sick in about two seconds, am I missing something here?

 

[GuitarAtomik]

Onward's "no sickness" locomotion made me sick in about two seconds, am I missing something here?

Not really. It has a lot of factors to make it not as prone to motion sickness as other games, but people who don't get motion sick tend to mistake it as a perfect implementation for everyone when it's really just a good execution of artificial locomotion.

 

[Padinn]

I got Smashbox Arena (recent pricedrop). It's pretty damn fun. Not a ton of players but I recommend it.

 

[zeioIIDX]

YES! I've been waiting for Compound to be updated. One of the coolest VR demos to play around in and its got a ton of potential.

I wish there were more players in Smashbox Arena. It always seems like so many people have the game and give it praise but I'm lucky to ever see more than 10 people playing online no matter what time of day it is or what server I visit.

 

[Interficium]

Not really. It has a lot of factors to make it not as prone to motion sickness as other games, but people who don't get motion sick tend to mistake it as a perfect implementation for everyone when it's really just a good execution of artificial locomotion.

What does it do to make it not as prone?

 

[GuitarAtomik]

What does it do to make it not as prone?

Very slow deliberate movement is the biggest thing. Avoiding any unexpected movement like taking the control away from the player. Decoupled head movement. There's also some theorizing that the need to focus so hard on the environment to spot the enemy distracts the brain from nausea a bit, but I think that's just a theory.

 

[Will the Thrill]

just got around to playing compound and gorn been saving them for this vr drought we are having all of a sudden man they are amazing

I just tried GORN, holy shit I can't believe I missed it, it's awesome. However having to hold the triggers to hold the weapons is super annoying, I can't wait for either it or Compound to start becoming fuller games.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

After spending most of the afternoon playing SuperHOT, I am really sick of the emphasis on "artificial locomotion" in Vive games. I don't care if it's teleportation or direct movement, it always* sucks.

I understand the desire to build large, sprawling environments for players to explore in Virtual Reality, but it's worth stepping back and asking ourselves whether that's really the best use of the medium. One of the things that makes Superhot so powerful is the way that it seamlessly leads you through scenarios, and I think there's a lot more that could be done in that regard. I'd love to play a proper cover shooter done like this, for example (where proper means constantly moving time).

I'm not saying that no VR game should ever use teleportation. I just really want to see more experimentation done on the other side.

*except in Budget Cuts, but there are game-specific reasons why it works there.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

After spending most of the afternoon playing SuperHOT, I am really sick of the emphasis on "artificial locomotion" in Vive games. I don't care if it's teleportation or direct movement, it always* sucks.

I understand the desire to build large, sprawling environments for players to explore in Virtual Reality, but it's worth stepping back and asking ourselves whether that's really the best use of the medium. One of the things that makes Superhot so powerful is the way that it seamlessly leads you through scenarios, and I think there's a lot more that could be done in that regard. I'd love to play a proper cover shooter done like this, for example (where proper means constantly moving time).

I'm not saying that no VR game should ever use teleportation. I just really want to see more experimentation done on the other side.

*except in Budget Cuts, but there are game-specific reasons why it works there.

I haven't played it yet, but Torus Syndicate kind of seems like that idea. There is teleportation, but it's to set spots that are supposed to be room scale areas with cover. Time Crisis in VR is basically what they are trying to make.

 

[Durante]

After spending most of the afternoon playing SuperHOT, I am really sick of the emphasis on "artificial locomotion" in Vive games. I don't care if it's teleportation or direct movement, it always* sucks.

After playing Raw Data and Serious Sam TFE VR for a combined ~25 hours I very strongly disagree. To me, fast (blink) teleportation to arbitrary locations in an action games adds a strategic gameplay dimension that just can't be replicated by stationary gameplay. Or well, at least I haven't seen anything get close to replicating it.

 

[Auto-Reply]

Finished Dead Secret yesterday, only comparable game I've played in VR is Call of the Star Seed, I see them both as some form of VR point&click adventure type games and in that regard Dead Secret was the superior game, the puzzles are better and more complex + I really like the story.

The movement is way more restrictive in Dead Secret and it can't compare graphically to Call of the Starseed but that is all secondary to me.
A must buy/play imo

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Finished Dead Secret yesterday, only comparable game I've played in VR is Call of the Star Seed, I see them both as some form of VR point&click adventure type games and in that regard Dead Secret was the superior game, the puzzles are better and more complex + I really like the story.

The movement is way more restrictive in Dead Secret and it can't compare graphically to Call of the Starseed but that is all secondary to me.
A must buy/play imo

How intense is the scary stuff? Is it jump scares or just atmospheric? I enjoyed The Gallery and would like to experience more puzzle/point-and-click style games in VR but generally dislike "scary" games.

 

[Rygar 8 Bit]

After spending most of the afternoon playing SuperHOT, I am really sick of the emphasis on "artificial locomotion" in Vive games. I don't care if it's teleportation or direct movement, it always* sucks.

I understand the desire to build large, sprawling environments for players to explore in Virtual Reality, but it's worth stepping back and asking ourselves whether that's really the best use of the medium. One of the things that makes Superhot so powerful is the way that it seamlessly leads you through scenarios, and I think there's a lot more that could be done in that regard. I'd love to play a proper cover shooter done like this, for example (where proper means constantly moving time).

I'm not saying that no VR game should ever use teleportation. I just really want to see more experimentation done on the other side.

*except in Budget Cuts, but there are game-specific reasons why it works there.

limiting vr to stationary wave based cover shooters where you dont get to interact much with the environment and making every game a glorified time crisis and house of the dead would do vr a disservice in my opinion for me vr shines the most when you have freedom of movement be it track pad, point controller and squeeze grips or hold grips and shake controller to walk around while being able to interact with everything in the world

 

[Auto-Reply]

How intense is the scary stuff? Is it jump scares or just atmospheric? I enjoyed The Gallery and would like to experience more puzzle/point-and-click style games in VR but generally dislike "scary" games.

It's more suspense and atmo, I'd place it below A Chair in a Room: Greenwater when talking about how intense the scaryness gets. Even the the jumpscares it has are not accompanied by loud noises most of the time so depending on how jumpy you are you might not even flinch when they happen. If you can't stand scary games at all and even lights out dark environments are too much for you then I don't know, maybe. The game is quite story heavy and I think they've made the concious decision to not make it too scary like other games so you are not distracted too much and can focus on whats going on (I could be wrong about that but that's what I've thought while playing the game).

 

[Rygar 8 Bit]

now all this talk of arcade shooters has me wanting a silent scope game in vr

 

[SimplexPL]

I have access to 3D printer (micromake 3d pulley), so I am interested in printing some useful accessories for the vive. I already printed Cable Support - Waist/Belt Clip - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1574006 - it works well.

I have The Nest and The Last Sniper - any suggestions on what type of stock/gun rail I should print?

 

[Maiden Voyage]

It's more suspense and atmo, I'd place it below A Chair in a Room: Greenwater when talking about how intense the scaryness gets. Even the the jumpscares it has are not accompanied by loud noises most of the time so depending on how jumpy you are you might not even flinch when they happen. If you can't stand scary games at all and even lights out dark environments are too much for you then I don't know, maybe. The game is quite story heavy and I think they've made the concious decision to not make it too scary like other games so you are not distracted too much and can focus on whats going on (I could be wrong about that but that's what I've thought while playing the game).

Thanks for the impressions!

 

[Zalusithix]

After playing Raw Data and Serious Sam TFE VR for a combined ~25 hours I very strongly disagree. To me, fast (blink) teleportation to arbitrary locations in an action games adds a strategic gameplay dimension that just can't be replicated by stationary gameplay. Or well, at least I haven't seen anything get close to replicating it.

Yeah, there's no substitute for being able to move at will. Good games can be designed without the ability, but being restricted to only those types of games would be a loss for the medium.

Sure, artificial locomotion is not without its faults, but given that it's something that devs have only been working on for around a year, that's to be expected. It's just a matter of continuing to iterate on and refine the implementations that have been explored thus far. I'm fairly confident that with the addition of accurate torso tracking we'll even be able to get pretty good non-blink movement in VR games.

It took devs years to refine analog movement and cameras in 3D games, and they're still not perfect decades later. The least we can do is give VR the same chance.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

Played the Chair in a Room: Greenwater expansion Missing Girl over the weekend. It's really, really short which is unfortunate, but I still think that game is something special. It inspires such a sense of dread! There were times I was standing there not wanting to turn around because I could feel something behind me. Really fantastic stuff.

 

[Tonza]

I've had a Vive for a couple of days now and I am not sure should I keep it. I barely managed to clear room for the minimum required space. I can still return it to the store (as long as it is in pristine condition) and I keep flipping between returning and keeping it. I've only tested a handful of stuff like Space Pirate Trainer, The Lab, Google Earth, Adr1ft and Waltz of the Wizard. SPT and The Lab were really fun and Waltz of the Wizard took me by surprise how much I enjoyed playing with the different spells. (I probably had a weird grin on when I tested the Conductor spell) I have already had a couple of moments that are actually something new in games which I don't think I've experienced in years while gaming. On the completely different side, Adr1ft was pretty bad for me. Awful framerate and the confinement to the helmet made me quit it in 5 minutes.

However, I keep thinking that all these things are tech demos and I will get bored soon and I should wait when I actually get a bigger space. Also how do you store the headset when not in use properly?

 

[Rygar 8 Bit]

looks like everything you have played has been pretty much tech demos you should branch out and try some of the full fledged games might make you make second thoughts on returning

 

[Bread]

vivecraft is so good. fuck. this is the first vive game that has made me want to keep playing for longer than 2 hours.

 

[Zalusithix]

I've had a Vive for a couple of days now and I am not sure should I keep it. I barely managed to clear room for the minimum required space. I can still return it to the store (as long as it is in pristine condition) and I keep flipping between returning and keeping it. I've only tested a handful of stuff like Space Pirate Trainer, The Lab, Google Earth, Adr1ft and Waltz of the Wizard. SPT and The Lab were really fun and Waltz of the Wizard took me by surprise how much I enjoyed playing with the different spells. (I probably had a weird grin on when I tested the Conductor spell) On the completely different side, Adr1ft was pretty bad for me. Awful framerate and the confinement to the helmet made me quit it in 5 minutes.

However, I keep thinking that all these things are tech demos and I will get bored soon and I should wait when I actually get a bigger space. Also how do you store the headset when not in use properly?

Well, The Lab and Waltz are tech demos. Meanwhile Google Earth VR is just an experience - not something you'd come back to day after day. It's not surprising you'd get that tech demo impression when the only remotely fleshed out game is SPT - and that's an arcade game. (Not including Adrift in this assessment as I haven't played it and have no intention in doing so.) That said, right now VR games - especially Vive games - are shorter than traditional games. Most of them rely on a replay factor to give them value. VR in a sense is kind of like retro gaming right now with that focus. Lengthy narrative driven games with a high budget are still a ways off.

In the very least I'd go through some of the other free experiences before making up your mind: the Budget Cuts demo, Accounting, Rec Room, etc. Ideally you'd try other games like Raw Data or even stuff on Oculus Home via ReVive, but I'm hesitant to recommend spending money on something you're not sold on. Of course there's games like Thumper and The Solus Project which are both VR and not VR, so it wouldn't be wasting money even if you return the Vive. Then there's Steam's refund policy so you wouldn't necessarily be out as long as you didn't go over the refund window.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

I've had a Vive for a couple of days now and I am not sure should I keep it. I barely managed to clear room for the minimum required space. I can still return it to the store (as long as it is in pristine condition) and I keep flipping between returning and keeping it. I've only tested a handful of stuff like Space Pirate Trainer, The Lab, Google Earth, Adr1ft and Waltz of the Wizard. SPT and The Lab were really fun and Waltz of the Wizard took me by surprise how much I enjoyed playing with the different spells. (I probably had a weird grin on when I tested the Conductor spell) I have already had a couple of moments that are actually something new in games which I don't think I've experienced in years while gaming. On the completely different side, Adr1ft was pretty bad for me. Awful framerate and the confinement to the helmet made me quit it in 5 minutes.

However, I keep thinking that all these things are tech demos and I will get bored soon and I should wait when I actually get a bigger space. Also how do you store the headset when not in use properly?

The Lab and Waltz are essentially tech demos so not really surprised. SPT leans more towards the arcade experience though and most people here would have steered you clear of Adr1ft in general. You should give some more stuff a try. Rec Room, Raw Data, Arizona Sunshine, Vanishing Realms, Smash Box Arena, Vertigo, etc. Plenty of larger experiences out there.

EDIT: Damnit Zalusithix! That's like the 10th time you've managed to do that to me lol.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

vivecraft is so good. fuck. this is the first vive game that has made me want to keep playing for longer than 2 hours.

I am so close to buying Minecraft to try this.

 

[Tonza]

The Lab and Waltz are essentially tech demos so not really surprised. SPT leans more towards the arcade experience though and most people here would have steered you clear of Adr1ft in general. You should give some more stuff a try. Rec Room, Raw Data, Arizona Sunshine, Vanishing Realms, Smash Box Arena, Vertigo, etc. Plenty of larger experiences out there.

EDIT: Damnit Zalusithix! That's like the 10th time you've managed to do that to me lol.

Yeah, I got Adr1ft from some bundle last year or something. It was one of the only VR games in my library so I had to test it. I do want to test Raw Data and other real games though. I think I would not have any second thoughts if the store did not have this good return policy and I'd just be enjoying the games...

 

[Bread]

I am so close to buying Minecraft to try this.

do not hesitate, if you have any interest in minecraft i completely recommend it.

i played maybe 7 years ago when it was in alpha but hadn't touch it since then, the VR experience makes it feel really special.

 

[Compsiox]

vivecraft is so good. fuck. this is the first vive game that has made me want to keep playing for longer than 2 hours.

Vivecraft as in a minecraft mod or the Vivecraft which is now Chunks (which was built from the ground up for VR)?.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/402800/

 

[Bread]

Vivecraft as in a minecraft mod or the Vivecraft which is now Chunks (which was built from the ground up for VR)?.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/402800/

The mod

 

[Zalusithix]

Vivecraft as in a minecraft mod or the Vivecraft which is now Chunks (which was built from the ground up for VR)?.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/402800/

I'd be very surprised if anybody was talking about Chunks these days. Game's pretty much abandoned.

 

[Zalusithix]

Good for a chuckle: HTC Vive Fitness Tracker/Smartwatch Passes Through The FCC

Obvious as hell that it's the Vive tracking puck, not a smart-watch.

 

[Compsiox]

I'd be very surprised if anybody was talking about Chunks these days. Game's pretty much abandoned.

Yeah its kind of sad since it is a large indie studio capable of working on multiple projects.

 

[cakefoo]

This is pretty neat.

 

[atom519]

Anyone try Dimension Hunter demo yet?

http://store.steampowered.com/app/501350/

http://uploadvr.com/exclusive-dimension-hunter-might-vrs-stylish-shooter-yet-demo-now/

Looks interesting, going to download when I get home.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

vivecraft is so good. fuck. this is the first vive game that has made me want to keep playing for longer than 2 hours.

It really is.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Okay, with the default colors, the chapperone bounderies are way too visible against dark backgrounds, and way too easy to miss against light ones. I'm sure I could change the color, but then I'd just have the opposite problem.

They need to be dynamic depending on the color of the world, or something.

 

[TharpDaddy]

vivecraft is so good. fuck. this is the first vive game that has made me want to keep playing for longer than 2 hours.

Yup. Only issue is that going up stairs can be kinda hard to manage sometimes with the teleport. What i've loved doing lately is sticking a video to my left hand so I can watch some netflix or giant bomb while digging and building.

Okay, with the default colors, the chapperone bounderies are way too visible against dark backgrounds, and way too easy to miss against light ones. I'm sure I could change the color, but then I'd just have the opposite problem.

They need to be dynamic depending on the color of the world, or something.

Try turning off the chaperone walls and just leaving a floor outline. I've been doing that lately and it's so much nicer since my room is so small. The blue outline on the floor is just present enough to not let me slam into walls, but it easily slips into the background of my mind unlike the chaperone walls.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Try turning off the chaperone walls and just leaving a floor outline. I've been doing that lately and it's so much nicer since my room is so small. The blue outline on the floor is just present enough to not let me slam into walls, but it easily slips into the background of my mind unlike the chaperone walls.

I can understand why people in smaller spaces do this, but my 4x3 play area is much too large for this to make sense.