ZombVR
It's been two days.
We are absolutely loving the fact that many of you want to be involved. This was the whole reason to get early access released. As a small team it's tough to fully QA everything so the whole purpose here is to get you guys on board to help. The game isn't done and we were up front about that. What we wanted first was to solidify the game play mechanics and with the feedback we're getting already in just two days we're on track to making things better.
It was mentioned in a very fair review that they couldn't recommend the game to anyone looking for a fun casual vr gaming experience at its current price point but could for those looking to get in early and help shape the game. While there are definitely many that fall somewhere in between this scope, the decision to support the game now or later is ultimately yours. There are perks for supporting a game early but there are also going to be frustrations.
From the start our motto has been to always be up front and transparent. We're going to continue with that all the way through. Those that are playing it in EA will be able to talk to us directly and help us really form the final vision of ZombVR.
For example, reloading feels too slow and is sometimes unresponsive. It's the first thing in the pipe to get rewritten based off your feedback! After only two days.
Is the game worth supporting at the current price point in EA mode? That's up to you to decide. But we're here and we're listening... so keep in mind the reload system that might frustrate you today may be your dream system tomorrow. Not a year from now. The key to making this all progress smoothly and as efficiently as possible is for those that decide to help early on to post their findings and what they like and dislike. We are here to help you. We will see your posts if you have questions and we will respond!
It's certainly your right to voice your opinion in the form of a review if you choose to do that early on, all that we ask is that you at least reach out to us and share your frustrations to ensure they're fully valid but also to let us know so we can fix them.
For features or suggestions on improvement: http://steamcommunity.com/app/523940/discussions/2/
For bugs or glitches: http://steamcommunity.com/app/523940/discussions/1/
Thanks again to everyone that has supported this project so far. It's a very different feeling to be creating a game for people that can actually play it instead of just hoping one day someone will.
It's a whole new level of motivation and this is just the beginning!
Read this before your first play!
Please see the article here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/523940/discussions/0/350541595116301267/
ZombVR First Early Access Build is live NOW!
The first Early Access build is live... NOW!
Please see the Early Access description for information about what is currently available in this release. We feel that those who get into the game early on should be rewarded for helping test the game mechanics. Details for that are on the main store page.
While there are rewards for being an early adopter, please also remember that the game is in its early stages. There is a list of features that are coming, and they will for sure once we get the core gameplay in a solid state. We're trying some new things with VR to immerse players. Things like free-range motion, climbing and jumping over things, and semi-simulation of gun mechanics (like reloading and sniping). And of course eventually multiplayer mode. It will take time to get all of this near perfect, and the game is a work in progress.
So with that in mind, those of you who decide to adopt this baby early, please take the time to report glitches, bugs, likes, dislikes, etc., here in the forums. It's best to do it here in case others have the same issues and makes things easier to keep track of. We also want to make the progress as transparent as we can and keep everything open to discussion.
We've seen a question pop up a few times now in the forums and want to take some time to address it here at the first launch. The question is along the lines of "So, what is the main game like?"
I'm about to tell you a story, so for those who aren't interested, you can check out this video here instead: https://youtu.be/kkQhgLRfgg4
For those who want the background info:
Initially the project started out with me, Will, trying VR for the first time and being absolutely blown away by it, like everyone else. Videos and demo footage cannot do the VR experience justice. Putting the headset on and being able to move around in a virtual space completely transforms your perception. Nothing can show you what that's like until you try it. After that, I thought, "Man, imagine playing some of the classic survival horror, tactical shooter or adventure games in this space." So many possibilities. But my favorites have always been the survival horror classics. The rookie cop on the job, day 1, as an outbreak occurs, and surviving while working through a creepy story. "I have to do this," I thought to myself.
So I dropped all the other game ideas in my head and the various states they were in to start this. Flash forward to present day and here we are. As development began, I ran into a lot of learning curves and a lot of creative programming to get VR results. Not everything works the same in VR as it would in traditional games. I quickly realized that the task was a lot larger than initially expected. I like a challenge, so this was fine. =)
The goal was to create solid foundations that can be used to create any of the game modes mentioned above. First, open areas with weapons, upgrades and surviving waves of zombies and bosses that get more challenging over time is a tried and tested game mode. So that is the main game mode here. Single-player survival. While building and testing, it was apparent that I would need more help testing to make sure I could cover as many anomalies as possible in the foundation. The best way to do this was to get more people playing it. To really get people using the controls, I decided to add some mini games that are fun but also help in developing VR skills. I was lucky to have some awesome beta testers jump on board and help with designing and fleshing out the game in the state we currently have now. Big thanks to all those who helped!
Everyone has their preferences: some love wave survival modes, some exclusively play multiplayer death matches, while others only play single-player story-driven campaigns. So where does ZombVR sit in all that?
Right now it's a single-player wave survival game. No story to be had, just an immersive survival experience. There are variations of this mode as well in smaller areas and different play styles. For the reasons mentioned earlier, it's good to get as many people involved as possible to build a solid foundation so we can focus on the next priority: multiplayer, with both co-op in the main survival modes and a versus option.
This is where ZombVR is going at present.
What's next after all that?
This is up to you. If there is demand for more story-driven campaigns, open world or level based, we will listen. How those additional modes are released is up in the air right now, as it depends on whether there is demand at all, how large and awesome it is, etc. What we can guarantee is that anything we put out as DLC or as additional features will always be the best we can make it and fairly priced, and we'll always listen to suggestions from those who play it.
Thanks a lot for reading! Hope you enjoy ZombVR.
Now let's get to work and help make this game awesome!
One last quick note: we're releasing the game today, but I am also traveling at the moment. I can do some edits to the game on my mobile rig, but anything that needs proper testing will need to wait until I'm back at base early next week. I know it's only a couple days, but I just want to keep you all up to date. I will be present here in community though during this time.
-Will
Added new minigame mode called "Onslaught!". Check out the first map for it.
Snow Town!
Description:
You start with a knife and a bit of cash. You have 30 seconds to buy what you need, then the onslaught begins! Zombies will come at you from all angles, non stop with varying speeds and aggression. No upgrades. Just guns, your knife and your ammo.
Last as long as you possibly can, the zombies don't ever stop coming...
Tech notes:
Including this in the first build for fun. Rebuilding now and uploading to Steam. This is not a complete map or mode yet. We're testing procedural level design for this mode, meaning every time you pop into an Onslaught map, it won't ever be exactly the same. Testing this means things may not always spawn where they should yet. But at least there are some hilarious results at times :)
Enjoy!
Just working on a sniper rifle...
Check the screens for an early look at it.
Stay tuned....