Tag Archives: oculus rift

Oculus Runtime 0.8 Build Released

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It’s high time to bring the Oculus build up to date, as the previous on was no longer able to run on new Oculus Runtimes. If you’ve been itching to fly v3.5 in VR, now’s your chance!

 

This build is based on a test version of v3.5.1, which contains some graphics changes, added environment props, and modified third person camera behaviour.

The build is currently still separate from the regular builds, but we are getting closer to a situation in which VR mode can be switched while the game is running.

For the time being Oculus builds will also be Windows only. It’s a shame, but Oculus are apparently only focusing on a single platform for now. Chances are the next build will be based on Steam’s VR library so the game can be played on the HTC Vive as well.

Here are the prerequisites:

Here’s how to get the build:

  1. Start Steam
  2. Go to your game library
  3. Right click Volo Airsport, go to Properties
  4. Go to Betas, and select the oculus branch.

Steam will now download and install a variant of the game which runs on the Rift.

(Note: If you bought the game on Itch.io you can also find the build there.)

Potential snags:

  • On some systems the game will be confused about which GPU to run on. If your game hangs on the loading screen check out this forum thread for workarounds.
  • Ensure the Oculus Rift is reported as fully connected in the Oculus Runtime Configuration Utility. I’ve had many cases where it lost connenction, after which the game refuses to boot properly. Just replug the Rift’s cables if this happens.
  • Certain settings are pretty awful for VR. High quality shadows and extreme quality trees can really dip your framerate, for example.
  • Shadows can glitch out sometimes at noon, so I suggest fixing the time at sun-up/sunset
  • Fresnel effect in shadowed areas sometimes disappears for right eye camera. I believe this is due to an internal Unity bug.

Right, you’re probably wondering where multiplayer’s at! It’s progressing at a good pace, but because we’ve decided to roll out own networking layer instead of using off-the-shelf technology it’s taking sweet time. More in-depth development news soon!

Site Update

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I finally updated the site to the latest, fixed version of WordPress. Welcome back to hyperlinks and media embeds! I also organized the header so downloads for both Aurora and Volo are now easier to find. Those download pages will always point to the files you need.

Below all posts you will now find that Disqus is used to handle all our discourse. If you’re wondering where all the old comments have gone: They’re still here, just hidden. I’ll try and import them into Disqus in the next week.

I’ve set up a Feedback and Feature Request Page using Uservoice. I’m using their free plan just to see if I like it, and it only supports The Aurora Wager right now. The idea is that you can submit ideas for both games, or vote on existing ones. Popular ideas bubble to the top, and if we like an idea enough we can commit to putting it into the game. Keep in mind that this is just an experiment for now, but if you have some feedback for us please take a look there! It also has a knowledge base on which I posted a guide on reporting crashes and bugs)

An avid Aurora Wager player called Sam created a Wikia page for The Aurora Wager, check it out!

In typical Tinus fashion The Aurora Wager V4 took longer to create than promised, but it’s pretty much done. Some highlights:

  • Split-screen multiplayer support (just technically though, no real gameplay changes yet)
  • In-game graphics and control configuration screens
  • Improved wind field system (more variation, anomalies, less prone to crashing)
  • Improved wind graphics (More, longer trails, optimized performance)
  • Fixes to grappling hook physics
  • Flag now rotates with wind direction
  • Fuel amount per canister cut in half

Look for it this week! (Yes, definitely.)

After V4 is out I’m back on Volo Airsport for a bit. It needs love, and I have love to give.

Oculus Rift

I received my Rift developer kit this weekend! I’ve played around with it a bit, and have started adapting the code for integration into Volo and Aurora. First impressions: moments of intense wonder mixed with moments of intense seasickness. I’m excited, but there’s lots and lots of caveats. More detailed post coming next week!