Hi everyone.
This patch is just a bunch of fixes for bugs reported since the Tuesday update. There is a new switch on the Flight Assist panel of the F/A-26B, labeled CATO TRIM. This can be enabled prior to a catapult takeoff to allow for a safe hands-off catapult launch with any payload weight.
Aside from various fixes, I've also begun applying some brightness adjustment for the cockpit instruments to help with night missions. I've only started on the AV-42C and have not finished, but I wanted to get these fixes out as soon as possible.
EDIT: Also Hotfix v0.0.7.2 which fixes the missing shaders for the new labels in the AV-42C.
A full list of changes are below:
v0.0.7.2
Fixes
- Fixed missing cockpit labels shader for AV-42C
v0.0.7.1
Improvements
- Added HUD brightness knob to vehicles
- Added label backlight controls to A/V-42C
- Improved F/A-26B flaps aerodynamics
- Added catapult take-off autotrim switch for F/A-26B
Changes
- Adjusted F/A-26B engine specs
Fixes
- Fixed master arm label in F/A-26B equip MFD page
- Fixed error in radar missile launcher when tracking a target that is destroyed
- Fixed colliders on F/A-26B elevons that possible caused collisions on catapult launch
- Fixed control surface twitching
- Fixed parked AI planes being spawned in the wrong location in custom missions
- Fixed fuel display issue when re-equipping drop tanks
- Fixed AMRAAM dynamic launch zones
- Fixed throttle thumbstick control on F/A-26B
- Fixed screen fader issues (black screen) on scene changes
- Fixed mid-air spawning in F/A-26B carrier landing practice
- Fixed F/A-26B wing audio
- Fixed probable cause for inability to rotate camera in editor after removing HMD
- Fixed player sometimes falling a few feet when spawning on ground or carrier in custom scenarios
- Fixed low poly model LODs showing when spectator cam is near distant unit
- Fixed issue when launching a custom mission from editor after changing the player vehicle, but not saving
- Fixed missing F/A-26B collision warnings
Update v0.0.7
This is a big update that includes access to the mission editor and a new vehicle, the F/A-26B. There are also a bunch of optimizations so the game runs smoother than ever before.
The mission editor is a work in progress, so it's missing some features, but you'll be able to create and share scenarios like those found in the Island campaign. You can place allied and enemy units in the air, sea or on the ground, set up paths and waypoints, configure objectives and events, and more. I will post more information in the discussion board. Over time, the editor will be improved and expanded. Please note that missions created in the current version of the editor may or may not be compatible with future updates. I've included a few example missions for the AV-42C and F/A-26B which you can play, edit, or use as a reference for creating your own.
The F/A-26B is a twin-engine carrier-capable fighter aircraft that can be equipped for air-superiority or attack roles. It has an internal 20mm rotary cannon and 10 external weapon hardpoints. It can also carry up to 3 external fuel tanks and a targeting pod. It features a new radar system used for detecting targets and locking on for firing medium range radar guided missiles. There isn't a campaign for it yet, but I've included a couple combat missions created in the mission editor.
Thank you to everyone playing VTOL VR, joining the discussion on Steam and Discord, and leaving reviews! Early access has been going great and I hope to continue to see all of you until full release day and beyond.
If you find any issues with the new features, please leave a message in the Steam discussion board or discord channel.
For the next update, I will continue to work on the editor, and improve the two flyable vehicles. I'll also be working on converting the current campaign missions to the new system -- they are still using old versions of the units that are less optimized -- and will return to working on new missions for the Island campaign.
Down the road, I'll be looking at ways to improve the map, and plan how to implement a map editor.
A full list of changes for this update are below:
Alpha v0.0.7
Improvements
= Added VT Edit (custom mission editor)
= Added F/A-26B Fighter/attack jet
- Added CBU-97 cluster bomb
- Improved optimization of missile and rocket launchers
- Added target-look mode for spectator camera
- Added external audio mode toggle for spectator camera
- Improved autopilot nav and heading modes
- Added shot lead cue for air-to-air missiles
- Added new stationary SAM and radar units for enemy team
- Added more realistic behavior and symbology to RWR
- Added sound effects to bullet hits
- Setup LODs for AV-42C AI unit
- Updated enemy fighter model and weapons (ASF-33)
Changes
- Set fuel density, capacity, and drain rates to more realistic values
- Engine tilt inputs are scaled
- Increased altitude limit
- Adjusted AV-42C rudder aero and flight assist PIDs
- Changed RWR ping sound
- Updated intro scene
Fixes
- Fixed engine audio suddenly getting louder instead of fading when opening doors
- Fixed missing fog in TGP camera view
- Fixed incorrect thumb control behavior on throttle for Vive controllers
- Fixed issue when AI pilot is chasing a target that gets destroyed
- Fixed weapon switching getting stuck on AGM in manual uncage mode
- Fixed: Free locomotion wouldn't move in the correct direction sometimes
- Fixed issues when attempting to fire multiple AGMs in manual uncage mode
Update v0.0.6
Here's another mini update. This time you get a new toy: the M230 chain gun, which can be slaved to the targeter (and by extension, your head). The slaving mode must be enabled in the weapon's CONFIG menu, and is only available for use under a certain airspeed. The turret will be locked forward during high-speed forward flight.
There's a new feature for air-to-ground missiles. You can set them to "manual uncage" mode, which allows you to fire on targets without having to point your nose directly towards them. To use it, set the option in the weapon's CONFIG menu. To uncage the seeker and slave it to the TGP, hold down the trigger. It should automatically slew to the target point as long as it's within the missile's seeker range. Then to fire, press the weapon-switch button on the joystick while still holding the trigger.
The settings you select for weapons will now be saved between flights, so you won't have to keep configuring the weapon settings such as seeker modes and ripple rates.
As usual, there are a few key fixes and changes. The full list is below.
As for progress on the mission editor and new vehicle--I'm at the point where I can fly both the AV-42C and the F/A-26B in custom missions created in the editor. The editor just needs to have a few more features put in before its ready for you all to try. The fighter is all done externally, and about 80% done internally. The internals have a few new features that will likely also make it into the VTOL, such as two additional smaller MFDs to replace the RWR and fuel info hardware, which will allow for some more customization and more detailed information. I'll have some teaser videos up soon for that!
Until the major new features are ready, I'll continue to push smaller updates such as this if there are any major bugs to fix or small features.
Thanks everyone for your patience! Happy flying!
Alpha v0.0.6
Improvements
- Added M230 Chain Gun (with gimbal)
- Added manual uncage option for AGM-114, AGM-65, CAGM-6
- Equipment settings are now persistent between flights
- Added clear binding button
- Added binding axis test
- Improved AI pilot use of missiles, especially heat-seeking
- Improved AI pilot target prioritization and other combat behaviors
Changes
- Adjusted interior/exterior audio mixing
- Amplified audio sources that are exterior but attached to the vehicle
- Further reduced fog density
- Increased max locking range for targeter
- Added a far-distance LOD for city chunks
- Increased range of positions for spectator fly-by camera
- Removed Mach as global speed units option
- Mach number displayed in a separate HUD element
Fixes
- Fixed rebinding of rudder between multiple controllers
- Fixed certain missiles causing scraping damage to aircraft when being launched
- Fixed enemy soldiers were able to be loaded into passenger bay
- Fixed soldiers pausing when running
- Fixed pitch ladder sometimes becoming unaligned
- Fixed errors thrown by AI planes when map is being set up
Update v0.0.5
Hi everyone! This is update is mostly a set of fixes to common issues that were preventing people from playing and causing some existing features to not work properly.
Here are the main ones:
- Pilot creation keyboard
- Rudder input binding
- Black screen when returning from mission
- Anti-ship missile guidance failure with only one waypoint
Also, there was a problem with the update process that cause some players' pilot save file to be overwritten. Sorry about that! That should no longer be an issue.
As I mentioned in the recent dev log, a lot of work is going into the mission editor and flyable fighter vehicle, so it will still be a little while before tangible new features make their way into updates. Please continue to let me know if you have any issues with the current version. Thank you all so much!
Here is a full list of changes:
Alpha v0.0.5
Improvements
- Added built-in keyboard for Pilot creation. Removed dependency on SteamVR keyboard
Changes
- Changed nav map to create map texture dynamically to support future procedural terrains (WIP)
- Adjusted fog falloff rate to improve visibility
- Reduced AoA induced drag on AI planes
- Adjusted colors of morning sky
- Changed island terrain textures
- Lowered anti-ship sea-skimming altitude
Fixes
- Fixed inability to read axis input from particular device if several are present
- Fixed AI Fighters had no extra drag with airbrakes deployed
- Fixed throttle trigger not affecting wheel brakes sometimes
- Fixed HMCS display elements visible from certain spectator camera position
- Fixed screen potentially staying blacked out when returning to menu from a mission
- Fixed aircraft seeming to teleport for a frame on origin shifts
- Fixed floating origin taking several frames to reset when camera moves a long distance
- Fixed weapons shifting back after being jettisoned
- Fixed anti-ship guidance with only one waypoint
- Fixed anti-ship missile crashing before hitting target in direct mode
- Fixed seams between terrain chunks on the island
- Corrected runway markings on the island airbase
- Fixed some jerkiness issues with chase spectator cam
New Pilot Issues
Hi everyone.
I've been getting more reports lately that the SteamVR keyboard isn't showing up when attempting to create a new pilot. I will be releasing a patch soon that will have a built-in virtual keyboard instead of relying on the SteamVR keyboard. It will have a few other miscellaneous fixes including the rudder-binding fix.
Until then, try restarting SteamVR, Steam and/or your computer if the keyboard fails to show. Sorry for the inconvenience!
The patch should be up within the next couple days.
Windows Mixed Reality Compatibility
The current public version of VTOL VR has been tested to work with Windows Mixed Reality devices. Here's some notes:
- It works by launching through Windows Mixed Reality for Steam
- The thumb controls are mapped to the touchpad, regardless of the option on the settings menu. Keep the thumbstick mode option set to DISABLED for now. In the future, the game will detect which device you have (Vive/Rift/WMR) and set the input options automatically.
- SteamVR has reserved the left and right thumbstick buttons for certain commands. Left thumbstick button: Steam Dashboard. Right thumbstick button: switch controller handedness. Unless this changes in the future, it means that you won't be able to use the thumbstick in VTOL VR as intended since pressing on the thumb-control is used for important functions in the cockpit.
As I mentioned, only the touch-pad works in the game at the moment anyways.
If you have a Windows MR set and find any platform specific issues with the game, please let me know! It will help alot!
Thank you,
Paolo
Dev Log - November 22, 2017 (+Autumn Sale!)
VTOL VR is 15% off for the Steam Autumn Sale!
Since the last update, I've been working on tools that will make creating content for the game a whole lot easier. These tools will be built into the game and will allow the community to create and share custom missions and maps.
The first tool will be the mission editor. Until the map creator is done, you will be able to use the mission editor to create custom scenarios in the existing island/ocean map.
I've also been working on the model for the upcoming flyable Fighter/Attack jet. It will be an updated version of the jets that your wingmen currently fly. There's still many things to do for it, so it won't be available until early 2018.
I've recieved reports that a small number of players have experienced getting a black screen after returning from a mission in the latest update. It's unclear why it only happens to a few people, but I believe I've found the source of the problem, so it should be fixed in the next update.
There's also an issue where the hardware rudder binding will only detect one of your attached devices, so if you have several joysticks/controllers, it may not read your rudder pedals. This issue has also been fixed for the next update.
If you'd like to keep up to date and chat with me, check out our discord channel here: https://discord.gg/azNkZHj
Thanks for following along, and if you're in the US, have a happy Thanksgiving weekend!
Update v0.0.4
It has been over a month since the last public update, but I hope you'll find that the wait was worth it. (By the way, VTOL VR is 20% off until Nov 1, so tell all of your friends! Happy Halloween!)
Here are the highlights:
We've updated to a newer version of the game engine which, among other things, brings huge improvements to performance.
There's now a GPS targeting system, along with GPS guided weapons such as bombs and an anti-ship cruise missile. For a video tutorial on how to use the new system, click here.
Mission 6 (Darkness) is now available to be played in "The Island" campaign.
There are now options for alternatives modes of rudder input: left thumb control, or hardware rudder pedals.
The AV-42C now has two additional hardpoints where you can mount weapons.
There's many more improvements, changes and fixes!
Here's the full change log:
Alpha v0.0.4
================
Improvements
Updated to Unity v2017.1.1
Added The Island Campaign
Mission 6 (Darkness)
Added basic weapons training mission
Added target bearing indicator to TGP screen
Added sub-label to weapon indicator on HUD with additional info
Added TGP sensor mode options (Day, Night, Color)
Added GPS Target System
GPS Targets MFD page
GPS Send/Acquire in TGP page
GPS target and selection icons to map
Current GPS target icon in HUD
GPS target designation in map MFD page
Added GBU-38 500lb JDAM
Added GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb
Added Mk-82 x1 rack
Added Equipment hardpoints 5 & 6
Added AGM-89 Anti-ship cruise missile
Ships can be destroyed/sunk
Added indicator lights for when weapon is in range and ready to fire
Added some collision avoidance behavior to AI plane in formation
Added option for left thumb controlled rudder
Added option for hardware input for rudder
Added input binding menu to settings (only for rudder so far)
Animated rudder pedals and pilot feet
Improved AI VTOL takeoff behavior
Added view fading between scene changes
Changes
Changed TARGET page label to TGP
Updated Mk82 x2 rack
Tweaked RIM-67B performance
Adjusted SAM flight behavior to improve effectiveness of leading into the ground
TGP is automatically set as SOI when Head mode is activated
TGP PIP mode will focus on GDS pipper when target is acquired with gun
Reattached weapons will now be automatically armed
Discovering a subcomponent of a unit will discover the parent unit (ex: locking on the gun of a ship will put the ship on the map)
Increased GAU-8 rate of fire to the proper 3900rpm
Replaced temporary launch detector models with new model
Fixes
Fixed occasional g-force death while being launched by catapult
Fixed audio source position for some cockpit switches
Fixed NVG tooltip
Fixed Mk-82 mass
Changed some material settings to fix certain stuttering issues
Fixed Missile cruiser forward radars were indestructible
Fixed some more incorrect behavior in equipment configurator
Fixed buttons remaining pressed in if interaction is disabled on press
Fixed overlapping denial message on equipment rearming station
Fixed tutorial objective not advancing if the required state was already achieved before it started
Fixed environment selector not displaying the correct default option
Fixed environment select buttons not making sound
Dev Log - October 2, 2017
The next update is underway with many additions and improvements.
The first main change is an upgrade to the latest version of the Unity engine. The update brings substantial optimizations to UI performance, which benefits VTOL VR greatly since the UI system is used on the HUD and labels around the cockpit. Improvements to Unity's profiler also helped me track down other performance issues, and the result is that VTOL VR will have a more stable framerate in situations where there are many AI aircraft near the player.
The second main change is the introduction of the GPS targeting system. This system will let you mark targets or waypoints on which you can deploy weapons such as GPS guided bombs and missiles.
As the weapon systems grow deeper, so does the need for trarining/tutorial missions. These take time to create, and more will be available as development progresses.
Thank you for your patience and continuing to support VTOL VR during early access!
Paolo
PS: I can't direct replies to particular comments under these announcements, so if you have questions, please post in the Discussion section. Thanks!
Update - v0.0.3
Update v0.0.3 is now live.
tldr: You need to enable HMCS power and lower the helmet visor to use the head-mounted targeting display, and you must enable SOI (top right button) on the TGT or NAV display to control them with your thumbstick. Night time flying is available in quick-flight. More details below.
The main focus of this update was to set up systems that will support future features, improve performance, and fix some of the issues reported since the last update.
There's a new helmet with improved functionality such as a projected targeting display (no more one-eye display), a simplified HUD that's projected to the visor when the cockpit HUD is not in view, and a nightvision mode. The HMCS power switch, located under the HUD power switch, must be turned on to access the in-helmet display features.
Another system that will support future features is the MFD Sensor of Interest, or SOI. On MFD screens that support hand-on-stick inputs, there will be an SOI button that lets you designate it to be controlled by your thumbstick or touchpad. For now, these include the TGT screen, which has the same controls as before, and the NAV screen, which will now allow you to scroll around the map. In the future, the NAV screen will allow you to set up custom waypoints and GPS targets for weapons.
The beginnings of the night-time environment are available to try out in the Quick Flight missions. There are still a number of things that need to be implemented to fully support night-time flying such as adjustble HUD brightness, switchable dashboard label illumination, the effects of reduced visibility to AI, etc.
There are no new missions or tutorials yet since those that are planned will rely on features that are still being implemented or changed.
Part of the performance issues in the last update were caused by changes in the HUD, and those have been addressed. There are also a few optimizations in other areas which should help too. Mission 4, while better than last time, continues to have some performance issues, but I'll keep hunting down the causes and will solve them in time.
Thanks again to everyone who joined the VTOL VR community for early access!
Please continue to report issues and make suggestions on the Steam discussion page and discord server. Your input is invaluable!
Here is a full list of changes in v0.0.3:
Improvements
- Added persistent throttle position adjustment
- New helmet
- New in-helmet HUD (HMCS)
- New in-helmet targeting view
- Added HMCS power switch to toggle in-helmet displays
- Improved targeting camera visibility
- Added ability to switch MFD Sensor of Interest (SOI) for joystick thumb control
- Added SOI button to TGT and NAV pages
- Added ability to set/reload countermeasures
- Added Reload All button to re-arming panel
- Fixed hand pose on left and right panel of vehicle configurator
- Added higher capacity IRIS-T launchers
- Added calibration sequence to gauges
- Added weapon count/capacity label in re-arming screen
- Added navigation, strobe, landing, interior lights and switches to AV-42C
- Added environment option to quick-flight missions (morning,day,night)
- Added experimental night-vision mode (pull trigger on forehead)
- Added proper tooltips to map MFD page
- Added experimental Body Physics option
- Updated intro scene
Changes
- Carrier catapult will not launch until throttled up
- Reorganized weapon config screen to fit future features
- Doubled countermeasure capacity for AV-42c
Fixes
- Fixed AI pilot behavior when aborting a landing
- Fixed engine tilt bouncing to 89 when releasing Oculus Touch thumbstick
- Fixed tree shading in targeting camera
- Fixed MP3 streamer unable to open read-only files
- Fixed unable to fire GAU-8 after re-arming it
- Fixed performance issues with HUD
- Fixed scraping audio loop getting stuck after some collisions
- Fixed incorrect behavior when switching weapons using left/right buttons in configurator
- Fixed errors caused by crashed VTOL in Mission 1
- Fixed aircraft spawning above elevator when re-arming while elevator moving
- Fixed ATC roof collider
