Details

Genre: Climbing, Puzzle, VR
Team Size: 9
Project Duration: 4 Weeks
Year: 2020
Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Platform: HTC Vive, Oculus Quest, Valve Index
Roles: Gameplay and Physics Programmer

Key features

– Climbing and Leaping system
– Extreme VR experience
– Levels designed around puzzles
– Player physical presence

Description

A virtual reality climbing simulator in a fantasy setting where the player will solve puzzles in order to traverse the flank of a huge mechanical beast, aiming to reach the top.

Contributions

Concepting and Early prototype

– Research and feasibility tests for the Climb and Leap system.
– Versatile code architecture design to allow the implementation of both climbing and interactive objects.
– Research on difference between VR HMD API in Unreal Engine 4.
– Implementation of control systems for different VR HMD.

Climbing and Leaping System

– The Climbing mechanic was designed to allow Designers to make anything climbable.
– The system modify the Player velocity based on the hand velocity instead of translating them.
– Velocity is used to determine the Leap vector direction and magnitude.
– Feature a magnitude correction that Designers can adjust to increase or decrease the Leap.
– Customizable gravity curve.

Different types of ledges to grab

– Three different ledges: Normal, Crumbling and Moving.
– Allow Designers to create interesting and varied challenges for the Player.
– Implement through Interfaces to provide versatility and the possibility for Designers to create more ledges.
– Special behaviors can be enabled and disabled through Events.

Motion Controller Movement System

– Allow the user to move around and rotate on the sport.
– Adjustd to work with both Trackpad and Thumbstick.
– Movement direction is projected on a plane to guarantee proper movements.

Working around Blueprint limitations

– Custom made solutions to compensate absent features in UE4 Blueprint API for VR.
– Velocity is being calculated manually for both hands and head.
– Camera position is being updated without having it locked to the HMD.
– Hand velocity is used to calculate the Leap vector direction and magnitude.
– Custom made movements to adjust to difference between Trackpad and Thumbstick.

Physical Player Character

– Pawn designed to handle multiple states like “On Ground”, “Falling” and “Climbing”.
– Detect collision with obstacles to stop Players from moving through them.
– The collider follow the head Player it is never out of position.
– The Player, once an obstacle is being deteced, is still able to lean over objects but not move throug them.