The Aurora Wager V4 (And What’s Next?)

Download The Aurora Wager V4

Changes

Features

  • Split-screen multiplayer support (just technically though, no real gameplay changes yet)
  • In-game graphics and input configuration screens
  • Overhauled wind field system (smoother, more variation, some interesting anomalies, less prone to crashing the physics engine)
  • Overhauled wind graphics (More particles, longer trails, wider range, optimized performance)
  • Linux version now comes with both 32-bit and 64-bit binaries

Tweaks

  • Balloon altitude is limited to 3000 meters (~10000 ft.)
  • Flag now rotates with wind direction
  • Fuel amount per canister cut in half

Fixes

  • Fixed grappling hook becoming huge when latched to gondola (controls still suck though)
  • Many performance optimizations

Known Issues

General

  • Input remapping procedure breaks the remapping controls to use the triggers on the Xbox 360 controller (remap these last, restarting the game fixes this)
  • Performance takes a hit when playing split screen

Linux

  • Mouse cursor cannot be locked due to a Unity bug. (Recommend playing in full screen for now)
  • Fog graphics fail to render properly in some cases
  • Rope graphics fail to render properly in some cases

So apart from the addition of being able to push one another out of the gondola in split-screen multiplayer this is mostly a big maintenance release.

Linux users are getting a pretty poor deal with V4 as you can see in the list of known issues. Really sorry for that guys! The graphics glitches I can fix, but the mouse-lock issue is one that requires us to wait for Unity to roll out a new version of their editor.

Let’s Give Volo Airsport Some Love

Right, so I’m back on Volo Airsport now! Volo V3 is outrageously, shamefully and unfashionably late and that’s a wrong that needs righting. What to expect? Here’s the gist:

Since my Oculus Rift experiments have been very successful I’m including basic support for it in V3.

I also created a lot of code for Aurora that will be ported over (wind systems, physics-based character walking system, balloon buoyancy and custom rope joint physics, optimized aerodynamics code, in-game input configuration screen, and so on.)

Other than that expect a better map (perhaps a couple of them for good measure), multiple spawn points, better performance, bug fixes, and some other things.

Blue skies, and thanks for playing!

  • Marc Andrew Lehman

    Very excited for some Volo updates!

  • give volo some good good love my friend !

  • ah man cannot wait til next volo update! 😀

  • Matt Schwartz

    Very excited for Volo V3. Thank you for all the effort you’ve been putting in!

  • *screams like a girl* VOLOOOOO

  • dfhsearhrt

    Volo seems like a perfect game for the Rift
    Awesome!

  • Nic Ryan

    Hope the new release is soon! i wanna see cymatic bruce livestream volo airsport in the oculus rift soooo bad! nixabee here 😉

  • Luhood

    Allright, so, I’ve been trying to figure this out… How exactly do you start Aurora Wager in Linux? As in get the file to launch?

    • I expect you’ve figured it out or given up by now, but I got the binary to launch by changing the file permissions to be executable. This can be done from the terminal with “chmod +x [filename]” or by right-clicking the file and toggling the executable checkmark in the permissions pane.

      • Luhood

        Well, now I get it running. Thanks! ^^

  • Brian

    it would be great if there was a way to walk around and base jump off of the cliffs instead of just skydiving from high up in volo.

  • falconkrunch

    I got to try this at Animecon 2013, and it was really awesome, the controls were easy to get used to(after crashing into the ground twice), and the oculus rift made it so much more intense.

  • Thedudeman

    How to you winch yourself in with the hook launcher when it is attached to something?

  • Tyler

    Woohoo! Volo update! Eventually….

  • Paddy

    Are you guys still working on this or has it died out?

    • We don’t feel like we’re done with The Aurora Wager, but we’re focusing all our efforts on Volo Airsport first. 🙂

      • Paddy

        I don’t mean to nag but is there any idea of how long till an update? or maybe is there a place like twitch where you hold Q&As? Like is this the best place to ask questions or is there a better alternative because i love Aurora and i’d hate to see it float off