"From Other Suns" VR Space Sim with Space Legs

[evanevery]

Just saw this posted on Tom's Hardware: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/from-other-suns-hands-on,35909.html

(I'm not a fan of Space Legs. In fact, I REALLY don't want it as I play exclusively in VR!)

However, the above referenced game might provide some fun for folks who want to run around and physically manage their space ship while chasing and fighting aliens...

 

[IndigoWyrd]

Walking about in VR could be an entirely rewarding experience, depending on the implementation. If kept entirely in first person, your view in VR would be as if you were looking out of your character's eyes.

And if you stop and think about it, we already play in a first-person perspective when controlling our ships or SRV's, so what difference would the propulsion method make?

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Is is vomit inducing?

Because that's only huge challenge I see with VR and space legs.

 

[5 Puppis]

And if you stop and think about it, we already play in a first-person perspective when controlling our ships or SRV's, so what difference would the propulsion method make?

It can make a huge difference. I had to abandon the VR modded Alien Isolation after just 10 minutes because of nausea.

By far the best locomotion system I've experienced in VR is in Lone Echo. Zero gravity motion (perfect for space games) and not even a hint of nausea after 6 hours of play. If Elite ever gets "space legs" I hope they shamelessly steal this system.

 

[Aashenfox]

Walking about in VR could be an entirely rewarding experience, depending on the implementation. If kept entirely in first person, your view in VR would be as if you were looking out of your character's eyes.

And if you stop and think about it, we already play in a first-person perspective when controlling our ships or SRV's, so what difference would the propulsion method make?

The problem is that for movement to be realistic you have to pretend that you are in a mech (I kinda imagine myself as the little alien in the first men in black, that's inside that jeweller dude) and then your brain will permit you to control camera with head and movement with keys, and that is fine. You play like a FPS with free look bound to the head tracking. The problem comes when you want to turn the mech around. All of a sudden the entire world takes a sudden jolt to the side. Then you do it again. Any oculus rift owners can try this effect in its worst totally undamped way by trying the free demo of minecraft VR and using classic controls. I have a pretty strong head for VR and only these kinds of games make me have to take it off after only a few minutes.

 

[evanevery]

Walking about in VR could be an entirely rewarding experience, depending on the implementation. If kept entirely in first person, your view in VR would be as if you were looking out of your character's eyes.

And if you stop and think about it, we already play in a first-person perspective when controlling our ships or SRV's, so what difference would the propulsion method make?

If you played in VR you would know...

Personal transportation/movement/locomotion in VR is one of the big issues game developer's are trying to work around. You don't usually get this if your avatar in the VR environment is in a seated position (as you are in a fixed position inside the ship/car/plane etc) but rather when you actual avatar requires locomotion. (However, even the SRV in ED can cause issues when traveling fast over rough terrain - I always get in the turret as it is much more damped). Most developers seem to be favoring teleportation for character locomotion in current VR games as it eliminates the nausea.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Is is vomit inducing?

Because that's only huge challenge I see with VR and space legs.

That's what worries me. The SRV is bad enough.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

That's what worries me. The SRV is bad enough.

I think when/if space legs come, FD will leave for players to use them own their own risk as with SRV.

And yes, SRV is quite challenging in that regard already. I have learned to drive it properly so lesser problems there.

 

[evanevery]

I think when/if space legs come, FD will leave for players to use them own their own risk as with SRV.

And yes, SRV is quite challenging in that regard already. I have learned to drive it properly so lesser problems there.

Drive it from the turret. Much better!

 

[Craith]

The problem is that for movement to be realistic you have to pretend that you are in a mech (I kinda imagine myself as the little alien in the first men in black, that's inside that jeweller dude) and then your brain will permit you to control camera with head and movement with keys, and that is fine. You play like a FPS with free look bound to the head tracking. The problem comes when you want to turn the mech around. All of a sudden the entire world takes a sudden jolt to the side. Then you do it again. Any oculus rift owners can try this effect in its worst totally undamped way by trying the free demo of minecraft VR and using classic controls. I have a pretty strong head for VR and only these kinds of games make me have to take it off after only a few minutes.

I can play minecraft in VR for hours, without problem's. I do use the vivecraft mod though, which is much better than the official one I've been told (I think it also works with the Rift. I can imagine rotating the world will be jarring though.)

Main problem I see is reorienting the view with the ship when you return to it. (And it is far off ... vr will improve)

 

[DaggerSnake]

It can make a huge difference. I had to abandon the VR modded Alien Isolation after just 10 minutes because of nausea.

By far the best locomotion system I've experienced in VR is in Lone Echo. Zero gravity motion (perfect for space games) and not even a hint of nausea after 6 hours of play. If Elite ever gets "space legs" I hope they shamelessly steal this system.

Lone Echo solves zero g space legs and is fantastic!

 

[evanevery]

As long as your IMMEDIATE environment stays relatively fixed with respect to your virtual position nausea is typically NOT an issue. Sitting inside a ship, car, or airplane is usually not an issue. Your brain can accept you are sitting inside a relatively stable environment even though the enclosure itself is moving. (SRV moving quickly on a bumpy planet is an exception)

Its when your VR presence moves with respect to your immediate environment that typically causes issues. Your brain just can't correlate the sensory motion deprivation from the moving VR environment.

There is no issue with VR centering in ED. The view automatically recenters when you return to the ship (from the SRV or the SLF). I've never had to center the VR view (F12) other than when I initially enter the game. The orientation on the Rift stays perfect from that point on. This is not a problem...

 

[Sergio Smegolia]

Lone Echo solves zero g space legs and is fantastic!

Lone Echo is great but the problem in Elite is that not everywhere is zero g! Stations and planets in particular.

 

[Space Dandy]

It can make a huge difference. I had to abandon the VR modded Alien Isolation after just 10 minutes because of nausea.

By far the best locomotion system I've experienced in VR is in Lone Echo. Zero gravity motion (perfect for space games) and not even a hint of nausea after 6 hours of play. If Elite ever gets "space legs" I hope they shamelessly steal this system.

I particularly like that you can actually "see" your arms. No floaty hand stubs here.

 

[NW3]

If you played in VR you would know...
However, even the SRV in ED can cause issues when traveling fast over rough terrain

Actually, VR isn't required for motion sickness. Even though I've played many first-person games over the years and never had any motion sickness, driving the SRV gives me nausea (in 2D). If I play using my 3D monitor, the problem goes away.

Nausea is a strange thing. I have a friend who can't play FPSes due to intense nausea, oncluding early games, like the original Wolfenstien and Doom, which weren't even "real" 3D.

 

[DaggerSnake]

Lone Echo is great but the problem in Elite is that not everywhere is zero g! Stations and planets in particular.

They can start with ships in space and EVA activity. I’ve noticed hand holds all over the inside and also the exteriors if the ships. Lone Echo style repair work would be great.

Yes first person ground level hasn’t been fully solved yet, someone needs that breakthrough.

For non-teleport now you need FPS, and that means hardware. I had to get a 1080Ti to reduce nausea. It’s the only thing that worked. Just raw horsepower.

 

[wstephenson]

Actually, VR isn't required for motion sickness. Even though I've played many first-person games over the years and never had any motion sickness, driving the SRV gives me nausea (in 2D). If I play using my 3D monitor, the problem goes away.

Nausea is a strange thing. I have a friend who can't play FPSes due to intense nausea, oncluding early games, like the original Wolfenstien and Doom, which weren't even "real" 3D.

+1 to this. For some reason, the dune-buggy levels in Half Life 2 left me ready to hurl every time.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

I have no issues in the SRV, have been in it for hours before without any issues, and i have no issues in Alien Isolation. Must be one of the lucky few that can handle this stuff with many issues.

 

[Arioch]

The Lone Echo movement system would be great for zeroG stuff. I've found that the "flick" turning method works best for me - the instant 30 degree (or so) turns I think mimic the micro blinks we do in real life when looking around - and I've recently completed Doom 3 with the VR mod without any hint of chunderguts. I tried the From Other Suns demo and it had the same locomotion method.

I've tried the external camera in Elite as a sort of proto-EVA, (inside a station is pretty amazing even though fairly low resolution up close). If the camera could be restricted from going through scenery and had the old debug camera velocity movement system then we'd not be far from a basic implementation of EVA.

 

[govny]

That's what worries me. The SRV is bad enough.

SRV is much worse than foot locomotion.
I have tryed foot locomotion in VR and, if made right, is not an issue (tryed quake 2 with no problems).
the SRV swing and jolt too much. You would have nausea even if it was a real experience.