Punji VR
Changes to AI Update
To speed up development, I have been using premade AI solutions as a base, integrating them with PunjiVR's mechanics, and expanding them. While this makes things go faster, there's more headache involved due to mashing someone else's code with mine and having to think through the eyes of the solution's creator. In addition to that, it's more challenging to create unique AI that's based on systems other popular games are also based on.
In short, I'm going back and creating all of the AI's systems from scratch with my code and my style. This will allow me to be 100% familiar with how everything works and it will speed up the debugging and testing process as well as making future AI improvements much easier. I will make the AI exactly how I'm envisioning them while still having them optimized. This will of course take longer than originally planned, but it will be so much better in the long run.
The AI have been the weakest part of PunjiVR since launch, which isn't good for a singleplayer tactical shooter, so I see this as a sort of necessity at this point in development. For the direction that I want to take the game to, great AI is a must and I don't want to spend a lot of time and effort just to make something slightly better when I could spend more time to make it how I actually want it. The goal of PunjiVR is to make a shooter different from the rest, so this change will be well worth it.
There likely won't be a lot of progress updates for a while because there won't be a lot to show for some time, but I am still working hard every day on it. If you're ever interested in the update's progress, I'm always happy to share and be transparent, so don't hesitate to ask!
Thank you all so much for your patience, this will be the most impactful update to date and it will pave the way for the next few major changes coming this year. If you have any bug reports or suggestions you can let me know through one of the links below or on the Steam forums. Good luck and remember to check for leeches!
Discord
Subreddit
Update 12 Patch 2
- Lowered player helmet position
- Fixed issues with the HiPower magazines in custom loadouts
- HiPower now starts chambered
- Fixed collision issues when storing health cans
- Added smoothing to armswinger mode
- Added left hand support for armswinger mode
- Optimized armswinger script
- Armswinger modifier is now reduced when grabbing
- Added tips to armswinger board
- Fixed hut collision issues on Paddies
- Replaced bridge with ladders on Paddies
- Increased combat distance for AI on Paddies
Update 12 - Patch 1
- New Mission: Beach - Cobra
- Simplified AI helicopter colliders to improve performance
- Tweaked muzzle flash effects
- Simplified colliders on many huts to improve performance and fix a crash
- Made bolt forward sound effect on VZ.61 much quieter
- Changed VZ.61 hand strengths to default rifle settings
- Machine gun belts should reset their positions properly now
- Added additional checks for controller connection
Update 12
----------
Highlights:
-New Mission: Gun Run - Door Gunner
An on-rails style gamemode where you play as a vehicle's gunner. Rack up as many kills as you can before the gun run ends, and watch out for friendlies!
-New Mission: Siege - Beach
Same gamemode as Combat Base, but engagements are much closer and a more challenging.
-New Weapon - DShK Heavy Machine Gun
-New Weapon - VZ. 61 Machine Pistol
-Climbing Upgrade
Grab & physics climbing now automatically shrink your player to make getting over the top much easier
-Armswinger Locomotion
While moving, pump your arms up and down to go faster (optional to default movement setting)
----------
Major Changes/Fixes:
-Updated Menu UI
-Loose Ammo Overhaul
- Loose shells and rounds are now much simpler and more straightforward to use
- Ammo count text has been added to the weapon and loose round stack
- Reloading loose ammo now works via collision rather than triggers, which makes reloading more balanced and makes it feel a lot more responsive and realistic
- Loose ammo can be refilled by smacking them on ammo crates
- You can now hold pump shotguns by just their pump
-Machine Gun Barrels Can Now Overheat
This is an earlier clip, the overheating effect is more gradual in game
-Removed Difficulty Settings
Difficulty settings have been removed in preparation for the next major update
-Custom Loadouts Now Work On Tunnel Rats
-Added Destructible Helicopters To Firebase Range
-New Muzzle Flashes
----------
Minor Changes/Fixes:
- Upgraded camp area on Beach
- Added bloom effect
- Radio chatter is quieter and now plays in 3D space
- Updated ladders on Streets to accommodate new climbing system
- Fixed grass lighting issue on Paddies
- Fixed out of scale ammo crates on Paddies
- Fixed collision issues on multiple places on Streets
- Made magazine station easier to see on Combat Base
- Fixed issue with health cans not spawning after buying them on Siege mode
- Fixed issue where the starting health can wouldn't spawn on Combat Base
- Increased M60 ammo socket grab timeout to
- The water destroys your helicopter now on Beach
- Made Mosin PU ammo trigger slightly larger
- Added bolt open & close sounds to the Mosin PU
- Moved RPG7 back for easier grabbing on Firebase Range
- Made grab trigger on Type 56 larger
- New impact effects for multiple material types
- Optimizations to explosion effects
- Fixed Mosin PU muzzle transform
- Reduced fog density on Firebase Range
- Removed extra fog effect on Firebase Range
- Decreased fog intensity on Beach
- Fixed multiple grass clipping areas on Beach
- Rebuilt navmesh on Beach to fix some pathfinding issues
- Made tree leaves greener
- Reduced the rucksack's size
- Rearranged instrument panel on Huey Slick
- Added health & health bars to the Huey helicopters
- Fixed bug where some settings (including turn options) wouldn't load properly
- Fixed hand rotation issue on the transport Huey
- Made 2nd hand grab trigger larger for Type 56 & XM177
- Reduced volume for the helicopter's radio chatter
- Fixed issue where suppression wasn't working on some levels
- Fixed spawn location for both Mosins and shotguns on Combat Base
- Decreased recoil for K50M
- Added small delay between changing stances
- Lowered prone height
- Decreased stance change speed
- Fixed player hitbox inaccuracies
- Replaced rucksack open/close sounds
- Updated Ruins thumbnail image
- Fixed typos in a few mission descriptions
- Fixed issue where health cans wouldn't spawn on Firebase Range
- Fixed issue where health cans wouldn't spawn with custom loadouts
- Added a video tutorial for how to load belt-fed machine guns
- Fixed issue where the scene wouldn't always reload after crashing in a heli
- Helicopters with limited ammo now automatically refill their ammo after some time
- Slightly decreased Cobra & Gunship rocket fire rate
- Lowered rocket volume in the Cobra & Gunship
- Fixed input bug with Huey Gunship
- Added basic tutorial to Siege missions
- Removed player health text from Siege mode
- Moved token information next to watch in Siege mode
- Fixed pathfinding around palm trees & banana plants
- Extended ground size on Firebase Range
- Fixed collision on multiple static objects
- Added LODs to multiple static objects
- Updated M60D helicopter mount/setup
- Pump shotguns can now be held by just the pump
- Removed old scope component from Mosin PU
- Fixed muzzle position on Mosin PU
- Fixed magazine socket issues with M1 & M2 Carbines, M16, M60, MP40, and XM177
- Changed aesthetics of watch when playing as Northern forces
- Added panel behind settings on Streets to make it easier to see
- Fixed problems with M2 carbine not accepting magazines on Streets
- Fixed multiple AI errors on Island Camp
----------
Closing:
Update 12 was the first update that I really took some extra time with, so I hope that it all paid off! U12 will be the last major content update for a few update rounds as I'll change my focus to the upcoming overhauls mentioned in the last post. I'll make another post in a few days that goes more in depth with how the next few updates should go, so be on the lookout for that. Overall, I'm very happy with the new state of the game and am very excited to hear your thoughts on it.
As always, if you experience any bugs or problems, don't hesitate to let me know through one of the links below or on the Steam forums. Good luck and remember to check for leeches!
Discord
Subreddit
---------
How to Revert to the Last Stable Update:
- Right-Click on "PunjiVR" in your Steam library
- Select "Properties"
- In the properties tab, select "Betas"
- Click on the dropdown box, then select the option for last_stable_build
If you want to go back to the most recent update, follow the same process but click on "None" in the dropdown box.
The Near Future (Update 12 & Beyond)
Update 12
Update 12 will be the one of the largest content updates to date!
Beach will get a new Siege mission where you have to defend part of the island from the invading Americans. Like Combat Base, you'll start off with a limited loadout and have to survive as many waves as you can. Each wave you survive, you'll earn tokens which can be spent on fortifications, reinforcements, loadout upgrades, and more. This time around, the invading forces will have helicopters at their disposal which can be shot down for extra tokens. Be careful though, because some of them shoot back!
U12 will also see the first actual transport mission! You'll be tasked with delivering supplies to as many areas as you can before the timer runs out or you crash. Landing zones will be chosen at random from a pool of around 15 spots across the map. Your first delivery will be met with zero resistance, but with each successful drop-off, more enemies will start to spawn to make your job harder. If you prefer to have a "less stressful" or longer experience, I'll add in an endless mode where the time limit is removed and your only threats are crashing and getting shot down.
-
Early screenshots of the new transport mission
-
In addition to these new missions, I'll add in all current flyable combat helicopters to Beach's heli search & destroy mode.
Lastly, I'd like to add in at least one new weapon. I'm planning on adding a machine pistol that will be storable in your medium slot/sidearm holster. This will lessen the sacrifice of taking an rpg, grenade launcher, or sniper rifle as it will give you an option to still have a "real gun" when you run out of ammo or get too close to the enemies.
This will be an exciting content update and I can't wait to see how it all turns out. If you'd like to follow the progress of not only U12, but the development of PunjiVR in general, make sure to check out the game's discord server here: https://discord.gg/U4W5Wm529S
----------
Future Updates
Update 12 will be the last large content update for some time (in terms of new missions & weapons), but the updates after it will essentially revolutionize key aspects of the game itself!
AI Overhaul
The current AI in PunjiVR aren't necessarily horrible, but they are lacking, basic, hard to expand, and bad on performance. I've spent a long time since release balancing, tweaking, and bug fixing for the current AI with every new update and they have really improved a lot, but I feel like I've hit a wall with what I can do with them. Instead of spending more time with it, I've decided that the best option is to start from scratch.
I spent almost all of December working on the new AI and feel like I have a good start. In short, they fight smarter and are a lot more performant than the current AI. In a simple scene (warehouse with boxes & simple textures), I was able to have 90 enemies at once and still have a playable frame rate! The new AI are a lot more dynamic and unpredictable to fight and have a lot more advanced states such as flanking, taking cover, and communicating with their allies.
It will likely be a long and tedious process to replace a core system such as the AI, but it will be well worth it!
Lighting & Graphical Upgrades
This update will finally focus on the game's visuals and give me the chance to make the game look pretty! I don't plan on making any super crazy changes, but I do want to do a few things like adding shadows and advanced lighting back in as well as some minor vegetation upgrades. I've been studying and practicing lighting and optimization over the past month and I feel confident that I'd be able to come up with a good result that still performs well on VR. I'll share more about this future update after U12, but I'm hoping that these little changes and additions will give the visuals the boost it needs to help the game look better and stand out.
The Next Campaign
I'm going all out for PunjiVR's next campaign and want to make something really special with it, which is why I'm working on the AI & graphics updates beforehand. The next campaign will be a collection of stealthy missions where you play as a lone Viet Cong sapper. You'll be doing things like sneaking around enemy bases, assassinating targets, creating ambushes, and sabotaging fortifications, just to name a few.
To spice up these missions, I'm also planning to make a complete traps system where you can create, set, and disarm traps. With the inclusion of that, distraction mechanics, better level design, and the AI & visual upgrades mentioned above, this new campaign will add an entirely new level to PunjiVR that has never been experienced before!
----------
Closing
I will be doing a large move in the next few months, but I'm planning everything so that it won't affect the game's development too much. Anyway, I'm extremely excited about these upcoming updates and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. Thanks for reading and don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or suggestions in the comments, forums, or through one of the links below.
As you were!
Discord
Subreddit
Livestream & Giveaway from IndieVR
If you'd like to enter the giveaway for PunjiVR and other VR games, check out the #giveaways channel in Indie's discord here: https://discord.gg/Ma6JthpHgg
Update 11 - Patch 2
- Changed Operation: X-Ray gamemode name to "Campaign"
- The M60D (helicopter door gun) is no longer storable in your inventory
- Fixed some plathfinding issues on Ruins
- Fixed stone material issue
- Fixed billboard issue with water impact effect
- Fixed issue where controllers wouldn't be detected on Firebase Range and Ruins
- Removed extra grenades on Ruins
Update 11 - Patch 1
- Added Loach S&D mission on Beach
- Added additional checks for controller connection
- Adjusted player hit sound parameters
- Grenade script optimizations
- Fixed bullet collision issues with trigger colliders
- Edited water impact effect
- Revised multiple values on Loach to make it feel more agile
Update 11
Highlights:
<*>New Flyable Helicopters:
UH-1C Gunship
OH-6 Loach
AH1-G Cobra
<*>New Map: Beach
<*>RPG-7
<*>New Search & Destroy Mission!**
----------
Major Changes/Fixes:
- Added wrist watch that displays player health (movement & rotation options will be available in Update 12)
- Moved cave clearing closer to the bridge on Bridge
- Added manual adjustment for helicopters (uses movement controls)
- Added background radio chatter to helicopter radios
- Replaced fog on many maps with better fog
- Leaves now sway in the wind!
- Fixed hand rotation issues with Knuckles controllers (if you had custom rotation/position values, you might need to reset them in the settings menu)
- Made Active Grab the default grab mode
- Major Rendering Optimizations for environmental objects, AI meshes, & weapon meshes
- Replaced mission objective descriptions with loadout information
- Added Viet Cong rocketeer
- Made climbing easier and less janky (ladder auto-climb has been removed in its place)
- Smoke grenade improvements
----------
Minor Changes/Fixes:
- Added 3 second delay before you can skip to the next wave in Siege mode to avoid the starting prematurely
- Disabled UI pointers when grabbing helicopter controls to avoid accidental button presses when flying
- Removed Lone Wolf from difficulty settings
- Fixed a few typos in some mission descriptions
- Added dust effect to Paddies
- Rearranged background on Paddies
- Optimized a few out of date enemy AI
- Optimizations to Bridge
- Decreased max & min enemy count on Bridge
- Fixed accuracy issues on enemies that needed it
- Adjusted helmet position
- Fixed ammo boxes not despawning on Bridge
- Made squad AI faster and they now follow closer
- Fixed issue with gameplay props on Ruins
- Updated Bridge's map to match the current layout
- Fixed end trigger's ballistic material issue on Bridge
- Added more cover around the cave clearing on Bridge
- Replaced flight control models for more detailed ones
- Added new impact sounds to wood, rock, dirt, and metal
- Fixed bug on Vive Wands that broke the player controller when flying helicopters
- Added water ballistic properties to all water on the flight ranges
- Added a selection room for flight ranges
- Fixed some out of place props & water on flight ranges
- Fixed bug with M60 Belt
- Removed extra rotor blades for the UH-1 helis
- Optimized ammo script
- Fixed token exploit for Siege Mode
- Moved both Mosins down one tier on Siege Mode
- Moved cut-down M37 to tier 1 on Siege Mode
- Updated muzzle flash effect
- Made trigger reset sound slightly louder
- Added yellow highlights to settings buttons
- Added a plane behind loadout hint & ammo crate hint to make them easier to read
- Added a hint about the rucksack on the firing range
- Fixed some tree clipping issues on Island Camp
- Fixed collision issues with rope bridges on Island Camp
- Fixed tree LOD issues on Highlands, Island Camp, & Elephant Grass
- Fixed hand rotation saving for Flight Ranges
- Made player helmet larger
- Updated Type 56 sights for easier visibility
- Updated water impact effect
- Added dust effect to Firebase Range
- Added hissing sound to smoke grenade effect
- Smoke grenade effect now follows the grenade
- Adjusted background leaves/trees on Firebase Range
- Increased physical force of 40mm explosion
- Updated fog on Elephant Grass
- Fixed many prop placement errors on Highlands
- Added health item pile to second part of Highlands
- Fixed occlusion issues on Highlands
- Updated ladder collisions for the watchtower
- Added simple climbing tutorial
- 40mm explosion now damages player
- Removed old ammo crate model on Firebase Range
- Fixed issue with M79 shells falling out at the wrong angle
- Fixed LOD issues on sandbags
- General script optimizations
- Adjusted floor collision on watchtowers
- Fixed hand joint settings on M1 & M2 Carbines
- Fixed grass coloring issue on Streets
- Added button to invert helicopter controls
- Updated M44 rear sight
- Cleared some clipping foliage on Island Camp
- Rearanged parts of Island Camp
- Replaced many ladders on Island camp with stairs
- Squad AI bullets no longer hurt eachother
- Skin color should save between sessions properly now
- Fixed bug with storing M60 in weapon slot when grabbing it's dust cover
- Fixed issue with grabbing the M60's ammo can
- Removed ladder auto-climb hints
- Decreased lifetime for multiple bullets
- Decreased max fire time for AI using the K50M
- Removed noise emitters (for AI) on all bullets for performance reasons
- Made flesh impact sound play in 3D space
- The M79 only drops the loaded round if it's empty
- Optimizations to grenade script
- The XM21 gunshot sound is quieter to AI and doesn't alert them from as far away
----------
Known Issues:
- Wrong impact effects for helicopter windows
- Tree pop in/out on Highlands
- Watch may be positioned wrong when grabbing some objects
- Helicopter controls may start inverted sometimes (moving the cyclic back and fourth fixes this)
- AI pathfinding on Beach can be poor around the huts
- AI rocketeers sometimes shoot too high
- AI-dropped M16s may be hard to grab
- Grass on Paddies has lighting issues (grass changes color to white when shooting)
----------
Closing
**There were supposed to be 2 additional missions in this update which involved the Loach & Cobra, but unfortunately, I had to cut them for this update round. They are both over 95% complete, but there's a crash that happens when an enemy dies that I was unable to fix before release. Considering it has been almost two full months since the last content update, I made the decision to get what I have ready out to you all.
I'll take a small break from troubleshooting this crash and start focusing on Update 12, but I'm sure I'll be able to find a fix very soon. When that happens, I'll push out a small patch with those missions included.
---
Since release, I've had this goal to try and get one content update out every month which worked well for the first few updates, but now that the game is becoming more fleshed out, I'm going to move to a less frequent but higher quality update schedule (this change will only apply to major updates like this one, patches will still be pushed out as soon as possible). I'll still aim for getting updates out on a regular basis, but the time between each one will just be another month or two.
Update 12 will essentially be an add-on to U11, adding a few more missions on Beach, new weapons, and footsteps (finally!). I have some major plans for Update 13 and will release a post soon that goes in depth with what to expect, but, in short, U13 will revise PunjiVR's AI completely. Like I said, I'll have more info on that shortly, so be on the lookout for that!
If you experience any bugs or problems, don't hesitate to let me know through one of the links below or on the Steam forums. Good luck and remember to check for leeches!
Discord
Subreddit
---------
How to Revert to the Last Stable Update:
- Right-Click on "PunjiVR" in your Steam library
- Select "Properties"
- In the properties tab, select "Betas"
- Click on the dropdown box, then select the option for last_stable_build
If you want to go back to the most recent update, follow the same process but click on "None" in the dropdown box.
Changes for Update 11
----------
Development for Update 11 has been going smoothly, but I've made the decision to extend the release of it a week or two later than what was originally planned (now coming early-mid December). The extra time will allow me to work at a better pace to avoid rushing anything, which, in turn, will allow for a much more polished and overall better experience when the update does come out. The entire reason why I started PunjiVR was to make a fun game that I enjoy working on, so removing crunch times and the stress that comes with it helps maintain that original idea/workflow.
To give some insight on the update's current state and plans for what to expect:
- All new helicopters except the Cobra are finished (which the Cobra itself is at least 50% complete)
- I've made several fixes for enemy AI
- Bridge has been rearranged and the cave clearing is now much closer than before
- The terrain for Beach is finished and I'll start populating it with props & enemies very soon
- The M60D (door gunner weapon) is finished
- The OH-6 "Loach" was not originally planned, but it will be included along with the other new helis
- Models for the DSHK and RPG7 are ready and will be added in shortly
- AI pilots are all set up for transport & combat roles
- A ballistics-based damage system is planned for helicopters
- Instead of one big mission for Beach, it will be split into 5 or 6 individual missions that will have you playing as helicopter pilots, gunners, and infantry.
I'll continue to keep you all updated, but if you'd like to learn about progress updates as they're announced, you can do so on the game's official Discord server here: https://discord.gg/U4W5Wm529S
----------
That's all for now, as you were.
