VR and the Corked Bat
The forum is a bit dead, given the lack of VR news and lack of Oculus scandals this week.
I figured it was a good time to open up discussion on something I've been trying to solve for a while now.
How do we deal with the corked bat controllers in VR?
Let's say we're playing a sword & sorcery game in VR - something like Vanishing Realms.
You equip a rapier and I equip this:
What's to prevent me from swinging this monstrous sword just as quickly as your rapier?
Are we forced to create systems where players always have the same implement in any PvP situation?
Do we let the player with a Buster sword mop the floor with a new user holding a short sword?
Does the massive blade do small damage and the short weapon do high dmg, contrary to all logic?
It's not a big deal with baseball, golf, tennis, or any game where the 'tool' is the same for all users but it's going to be a problem when we allow the user to choose their weapon.
With a bow or crossbow, you can simply require a brief reset period between shots to avoid letting people 'rapid fire' arrows.
But when an item has mass, how do we limit how fast a player is able to move the mass?
One novel solution was portrayed in SAO (Start ~ 3:25 into the episode)
They showed a player charge an attack before unleashing it. That way larger weapons would require a larger charge commensurate with their size and damage. You can swing a bus for 1 dmg all day long, but if you want to unleash an attack you'll have to charge it up first. It would probably take a while to charge "Bus Buster".
Still, this is an artificial way to slow attacks and simply masks the problem of simulating objects of differing masses with the same controllers in all cases. I asked this long ago in another thread, but how does the controller react in a situation where I parry your blow?
I haven't played Vanishing Realms yet (really looking forward to it), but what happens when I swing my sword at an opponent who blocks?
My guess:
1. My sword continues, the controller gives a "bump" of force feedback, and I do no damage. This breaks immersion because the opponent's shield now seems impermanent; or
2. My virtual sword stops while my hand continues, which REALLY messes with my brain.
It gets worse when I swing my sword through a door or wall.
Is there a better third option?
I figured it was a good time to open up discussion on something I've been trying to solve for a while now.
How do we deal with the corked bat controllers in VR?
Let's say we're playing a sword & sorcery game in VR - something like Vanishing Realms.
You equip a rapier and I equip this:
What's to prevent me from swinging this monstrous sword just as quickly as your rapier?
Are we forced to create systems where players always have the same implement in any PvP situation?
Do we let the player with a Buster sword mop the floor with a new user holding a short sword?
Does the massive blade do small damage and the short weapon do high dmg, contrary to all logic?
It's not a big deal with baseball, golf, tennis, or any game where the 'tool' is the same for all users but it's going to be a problem when we allow the user to choose their weapon.
With a bow or crossbow, you can simply require a brief reset period between shots to avoid letting people 'rapid fire' arrows.
But when an item has mass, how do we limit how fast a player is able to move the mass?
One novel solution was portrayed in SAO (Start ~ 3:25 into the episode)
They showed a player charge an attack before unleashing it. That way larger weapons would require a larger charge commensurate with their size and damage. You can swing a bus for 1 dmg all day long, but if you want to unleash an attack you'll have to charge it up first. It would probably take a while to charge "Bus Buster".
Still, this is an artificial way to slow attacks and simply masks the problem of simulating objects of differing masses with the same controllers in all cases. I asked this long ago in another thread, but how does the controller react in a situation where I parry your blow?
I haven't played Vanishing Realms yet (really looking forward to it), but what happens when I swing my sword at an opponent who blocks?
My guess:
1. My sword continues, the controller gives a "bump" of force feedback, and I do no damage. This breaks immersion because the opponent's shield now seems impermanent; or
2. My virtual sword stops while my hand continues, which REALLY messes with my brain.
It gets worse when I swing my sword through a door or wall.
Is there a better third option?