Crashed Lander
Testing Vive support
Posting this early build because people have been asking about Vive support and I figured I might as well give it a shot since I don't really know when I'll be able to get my hands on a Vive.
Opt in to the beta by right-clicking on Crashed Lander in your library, choosing Preferences, clicking the Betas tab, and choosing the betaopenvr channel.
I don't think the beta will show up in SteamVR as a supported app at this point but you should be able to launch it from the normal Steam client. This OpenVR version should also work on the Rift.
New Beta for Oculus Runtime 1.3
You can opt-in to the beta with a right-click on the game icon, choose properties, click the Betas tab, and choose beta1.3 from the dropdown menu.
Not quite sure what the new 90hz screen will think of the 75hz physics sim. It should interpolate up to the 90hz but it might not be as smooth as it should be. Would love to hear from anyone who tries it on a CV1.
The previous beta is still availble for those still using runtime 0.8.
Rift Launch Eve
I'll be updating Crashed lander to the latest SDK as soon as I can. I think the new SDK and runtime will be released tomorrow, but I'll need to wait until Unity updates their integrated support. Part of moving to Unity 5 involved getting rid of the Oculus plugins and going with the simpler, integrated stuff. Shouldn't have to wait too long.
New Beta version with support for Oculus Runtime 0.7
Here's a run-down of what's changed in v2.6beta
- Updated game engine from Unity4 to Unity5
- Updated to Steamworks.net version 2.6
- Convex mesh colliders on all game objects
- Re-configured all active obejcts with Physics based joints and springs
- Tri-planar shaders on all terrains - no more texture stretching
- New version of the Outside In level.
- Oculus Rift is now detected automatically. Use 'Play On Rift' launch option until the beta makes it to the main branch.
- Fixed problems with cursor on pause menu
- New fog effect on Jungle Fog levels
This update also includes changes from the previous Beta like: Smoother camera follow, new particle effects, FOV controls, and gamepad deadzone controls I did my best to duplicate the previous 'bouncy' feel of the ship, but it does feel slightly different than previous versions. Controls are just a bit snappier and the thrusters can take just a little more abuse before breaking.
You can opt-in to the beta by right-clicking on Crashed Lander in your Steam client, choosing Properties, clicking on the Betas tab, and selecting 'beta" from the drop down menu.
Working on update for Oculus runtime 0.7
I've decided to go ahead and update the game to the Unity 5 engine (from Unity 4). This will help me keep current with the Oculus Rift integration as the actual commercial release of the Rift draws near. A lot of grunt work involved but so far the conversion is going well. There have been some big changes to the physics engine which require that I re-jigger some of the more complex physics setups.
My dev time is limited these days since I have a new day job, but I still plan on supporting and improving Crashed Lander to the best of my abilities. I should be able to post a new beta update that works with the 0.7 Oculus runtime soon. The next beta should also include fixes for the pause menu that were introduced in the last version.
I'm also tinkering with a new tri-planar terrain shader that will eliminate the texture stretching that happens on steeper sections of the terrain. I might even have time to spruce up a couple of levels with the new physically based rendering and fancy lighting that's available in Untiy 5.
Work continues on v2.6 beta
Some of the stuff we've found and fixed so far:
- I think I've fixed the jittery camera.
- crosses fingers* Still tweaking the new camera smoothing settings but I do like the way the cam is angling down as the player descends.
- propane tanks now stay around after breaking off of lander
- Earned stars should be saving and displaying correctly
- Fixed a problem with the Pause menu where the Next Level would get stuck on screen and the player could not progress.
Things we've found but still need fixing.
- New fog effect on Jungle level is not working properly for some.
- Mouse pointer too shy to come out of hiding at end of level or when crashing.
- Use new gamepad deadzone setting on menu controls, too.
I've also been tinkering with a new addition for VR mode - a simple 'cockpit'. Having a stable visual reference seems to help a lot of VR users who are prone to VR sickness. I've done some quick tests with a cage around the follow cam and it definitely makes for a more comfortable feeling. Still working on the look and size of the cage but I'll be adding that to the beta soon. A little bonus - the perceived depth of the scene is improved since there is always something close to the camera to contrast with the more distant objects.
New Beta Version Available
To opt-in to the beta channel: Right-click on the game icon in your library, choose Properties from the pop-up menu, click on the Betas tab, then choose the _beta option inthe drop-down menu. Your game should update itself to the new version automatically.
If you do try the beta I'd love to hear how it's working for you. Drop a note over on the forums or send me a message at BrainBlinks.com. Once I'm sure that the new version is working I'll push it over to the main channel for everyone to play.
July 6th - v2.6 beta
- New, smoother camera. The cam now zooms out a little as the lander speeds up and smooths out the transition when you turn sharply. Looks nice and should be more comfortable for some people in VR.
- New keys to control the gamepad deadzone - 0 and 9. This should help folks who have old, very loose gamepads. Player suggestion.
- New key to toggle inverted mousleook - V. Player Suggestion.
- New version of the Sky is Falling and Ring Runner Twins levels. The landscapers finally came by and spruced the place up. :) New particle effects on these levels, too.
- New path the the Ring Runner Horns level.
- Optimized the Jungle Fog levels. The old version was causing poor performance on the Rift, so I cleaned it up a bit and put in a more efficient fog effect.
- Both game modes now share the same control scripts. This will make it easier to make changes in the future.
- New Brain Blinks splash screen on load. Skippable with spacebar or mouseclick.
- Music is now off on the tutorial level. Player Suggestion.
Fixed a glitch where game gets stuck in slow-motion mode when restarting. - New particle effects when the lander explodes.
Working on a new update
Working on:
- Fixing a few bugs - like sometimes getting stuck in slow motion after resetting a level
- Adding a key to toggle inverted mouselook (player suggestion)
- Adding some adjustments for gamepad deadzone (player suggestion)
- 5 new Ring Runner levels
- New smoother camera system
- Windows 32 bit version of the free demo
- Update to the newest Oculus Rift SDK
That last one is a little tricky. Oculus has decided to stop updating the OSX and Linux SDKs to concentrate on Windows as they build up to the official launch next year. I want to keep current with the Rift software, but I don't want to leave any new content out of the OSX or Linux builds. I also don't want to have multiple versions of the game that need to be updated and improved separately. I've tried that in the past and it's a nightmare. :snaggletooth: Still deciding how to best accomplish all that.
Once all that is done and running smoothly I want to (finally) add the Sooper Sekret new game mode that I've been planning for months and months.
Current Plans for Crashed Lander
The launch of the OSX, Linux, and demos of the game went pretty well. No major mishaps and people seem to be happy with the new versions. About 1,500 people have played the demo so far which is a lot of potential new propane pilots. :)
I changed the setup for the 32 bit and 64 bit Windows versions. A couple of players were having trouble getting the game to run, but the changes seems to have helped. I still need to make the same changes to the demo version. I'll do that in the next few days.
I'm planning another content update with 5 more Ring Runner levels and a whole new game mode. Not sure when it might be done, though. I want to wait until Oculus releases the next SDK so that I'm sure to have the most up-to-date support for the Oculud Rift.
I also have plans to enter the new Oculus VR Jam in April/May. They are hosting a big contest for new Gear VR games with a huge prize purse of $1,000,000. I think I have a decent chance at placing in the winning entries so I'll be head-down for that 30 day stretch working on my entry. There' also a chance I'll be porting Crashed Lander to the Gear after the next big update.
Guess that's all the news for now. Keep on crashing and please keep sending feedback, suggestions, screenshots, videos and whatnot in the Community Hub.
Thanks for supporting me and my game!
Don Whitaker
Free Demo + All Platforms
The demo includes 5 levels from the full game including the Tutorial, three Pad Hopper and one Ring Runner level. The scores, collectibles, and star rewards you earn in the demo will carry over when you purchase the full game, too.
Pleas do try the demo if you're not sure the game will run on your system - especially for Linux users. It is officially supported on Ubuntu 14, but should also work on similar builds like Mint and Debian.