Tales From The Rift - Tranquil Waters Update (Nov 24/13)

[Caine]

Updated Oct 30/2013 (Halloween Treat version)

Happy Halloween! - Hope you enjoy the Halloween Treat version of Tales from the Rift (includes new intro & haunted house scene)

PC Download: http://goo.gl/DYLu8c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmxyNEryYIk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-N9Nrn5kK8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZVTfvJV5ko

Music composed by Stephen Lu http://www.chibola.com
*(Music in 'Tranquil Waters', "Exhilarate" - by Kevin MacLeod http://incompetech.com)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLez56KIQT4


Controls described in included text file and title screen, supports Oculus Rift, Keyboard/Mouse, Razer Hydra. The 4 different scenarios are loaded by colliding with the respective object in the main scene (toy boat, motorbike, doll house or toy train).
Look forward to any feedback, good or bad

Changelog:
-essentially an 'optimization' update, went through all scenes with Profiler to identify and remove bottlenecks;
-improved hydra functionality;
-vastly improved framerates throughout;
-cleaned up player arm movement so not jerky anymore; and
-Added yet further instructions to title scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRfug4BzyeY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L1RInjqpdM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1dKMDBxN4Q



Constructive feedback would be much appreciated.

[Caine]

Lots of downloads, but no comments - wondering if this means it is broken/unplayable, would appreciate hearing from someone who has tried it if is working for you.

[dr4ch]

I downloaded it but had no time to test it yet, will do it after work and report here.

[Caine]

I downloaded it but had no time to test it yet, will do it after work and report here.

That would be much appreciated - I got a bit of feedback indicating frame rate is a problem, so I'm planning on updating the build after work tonight and turn on ambient fog and make a few other tweaks - if you'd prefer to wait until then, I can send you a message once the new build is uploaded

[MrGreen]

I tried it but got lost pretty quickly.

It was a bit too dark and the controls were pretty wacky.

I'm reluctant to duct tape my left Hydra controller to my Rift so I'd rather use it for movement (WASD) and have the turning on the right Hydra's analog.

I also didn't manage to have my right hand tracked properly.

Did you try "Alone in the Rift"? Controls were spot on in this one in my opinion.

Hope you can improve on it. The Rift needs more scary stuff!

Besides the SDE, low res and motion blur I mean...

[Caine]

I tried it but got lost pretty quickly.

It was a bit too dark and the controls were pretty wacky.

I'm reluctant to duct tape my left Hydra controller to my Rift so I'd rather use it for movement (WASD) and have the turning on the right Hydra's analog.

I also didn't manage to have my right hand tracked properly.

Did you try "Alone in the Rift"? Controls were spot on in this one in my opinion.

Hope you can improve on it. The Rift needs more scary stuff!

Besides the SDE, low res and motion blur I mean...

Thanks for your feedback - while this is a hobby project, I'm determined to make this into a decent experience, so find feedback very useful. I'll have to look in to making an option for the left hydra to be used for head tracking or movement. I've actually messaged the creator of 'Alone in the Rift' to see if I can get a nudge in the right direction for implementing hydra joystick to control the avatar, as I think he did a great job. Re the movement being wacky can you elaborate a bit? For now there's no strafing, the 'a' and 'd' keys turn the avatar which I thought might help with simulator sickness issues.

Re hand tracking - my setup is unsophisticated at this point, you have to hold your hand in front of your body at about chest level with your elbow bent like you are shining a flashlight outwards in front of you, and then press start on the hydra, and it works decently well. I'd love to learn how to come up with a more sophisticated setup so if anyone can lead me in the right direction that would be great.

Re the dark - do you think I should increase ambient light or maybe just make the flashlight area light cover a bit more ground? I'd like things to be pretty dark unless the flashlight is illuminating them. Maybe it is just the brightness settings on my rift, but I've found things aren't really dark enough unless I take the ambient light in Unity way down.

Was framerate a big problem for you?

[MrGreen]

Re the movement being wacky can you elaborate a bit? For now there's no strafing, the 'a' and 'd' keys turn the avatar which I thought might help with simulator sickness issues.

Well for starters, you're forced to sit down to use both the keyboard and the Hydra and I prefer playing standing up. The immersion is much better that way. Also, I'd rather have standard WASD controls and control rotation with an analog input. I thought turning with the keyboard wasn't precise enough.

Re the dark - do you think I should increase ambient light or maybe just make the flashlight area light cover a bit more ground? I'd like things to be pretty dark unless the flashlight is illuminating them. Maybe it is just the brightness settings on my rift, but I've found things aren't really dark enough unless I take the ambient light in Unity way down.

Increasing the flashlight range might work indeed. It sure feels more claustrophobic that way, and in this case, it's a good thing!

Was framerate a big problem for you?

Honestly, I didn't really notice. I'd have to check that again. I have a pretty beefy rig though.

[Lilwolf]

Ok, kinda cool.

Controls need work. Or at least some explanation. I tried for a few minutes to figure out how to move. I had to turn the hydra off or it would just rotate the first time. Second time I wasn't sure what was going on. I'm also left handed which causes some problem

How to turn on the light took a long time also.

What are we doing? I found a chainsaw guy... tried pointing light at him... didn't do much. But I did jump.

[Caine]

Re the movement being wacky can you elaborate a bit? For now there's no strafing, the 'a' and 'd' keys turn the avatar which I thought might help with simulator sickness issues.

Well for starters, you're forced to sit down to use both the keyboard and the Hydra and I prefer playing standing up. The immersion is much better that way. Also, I'd rather have standard WASD controls and control rotation with an analog input. I thought turning with the keyboard wasn't precise enough.

Re the dark - do you think I should increase ambient light or maybe just make the flashlight area light cover a bit more ground? I'd like things to be pretty dark unless the flashlight is illuminating them. Maybe it is just the brightness settings on my rift, but I've found things aren't really dark enough unless I take the ambient light in Unity way down.

Increasing the flashlight range might work indeed. It sure feels more claustrophobic that way, and in this case, it's a good thing!

Was framerate a big problem for you?

Honestly, I didn't really notice. I'd have to check that again. I have a pretty beefy rig though.

Interesting point re standing up, I haven't personally tried standing while using my rift but I'll have to give that a shot - ultimately my goal is to include several different control schemes so people can play however they prefer

[Caine]

Ok, kinda cool.

Controls need work. Or at least some explanation. I tried for a few minutes to figure out how to move. I had to turn the hydra off or it would just rotate the first time. Second time I wasn't sure what was going on. I'm also left handed which causes some problem

How to turn on the light took a long time also.

What are we doing? I found a chainsaw guy... tried pointing light at him... didn't do much. But I did jump.

Thanks for your feedback - lots of stuff to work on. Re the hydras currently I have the left one set to doing head pos. tracking and the right to control the right hand of the avatar.

There isn't a ton to do in the demo since it's still in early stages - you can check out the full body awareness, move around the forest a bit, spawn some 'ghost' enemies by hitting 'T', and there's the chainsaw man by the fire & water (he should notice you once you are within a few feet and come after you with the chainsaw).

[Teluan]

I love this demo! I want experience more, but the lack of hydra movement control is really making it hard to enjoy. I see that you are working on it already and look forward to your next update.

Keep up the good work!

[Caine]

I love this demo! I want experience more, but the lack of hydra movement control is really making it hard to enjoy. I see that you are working on it already and look forward to your next update.

Keep up the good work!

Due to the flood I've been able to make some progress - download at the same link for a new version (I've also updated the start location of the demo and threw a couple things in there) - controls are:

Start game with hydras docked;
stand directly in front of your hydra base and hold the left hydra like it is an extension of the middle of your chest, press start to enable positional tracking (hold the controller at the same point in your chest as you move) the joystick controls forward, backward and turning movement, but you don't need to enable positional tracking with start to use the joystick to move;
pick up right hydra, hold it like you would a flashlight shining it outwards, in the same position as the avatar is, then press start to enable.

Let me know what you think of the control scheme

[qsek]

Will there be an option to play it without hydras?

[Caine]

Will there be an option to play it without hydras?

Yep, I'm working on that - in the meantime, if you'd like to try the 'on motorbike part' I've set it up so you don't need hydra - here is a link: http://goo.gl/VJbiH

- w,a,s,d control movement, 'space' is brake' 'p' toggles motorbike light, 't' spawns enemies, and 'o' toggles the OR menu with FPS etc.

[qsek]

tried it, its cool. The screaming at the end is terrifying

[Caine]

tried it, its cool. The screaming at the end is terrifying

Thanks for your feedback Think I've figured out why there are poor framerate issues - for some reason I had mesh colliders on the highway model Will fix this and upload a new version in the next couple days.

[Caine]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PGsDI8JwGc

New version as of Jul 14/13

See main post for details and link!

[Caine]

Has anyone had a chance to try the newest version? Feedback would be much appreciated!

[Caine]

V1.2a uploaded, added Mac build

Changelog: v1.2a

-re-sized avatar;
-added walk/sprint distinction;
-adjusted controls so default is keyboard & mouse vs hydra;
-raised flashlight spotlight and glow distances;
-added neck modelling;
-smoothed out animations a bit more.

[Caine]

Updated to v1.2b

Changelog:

-fixed a number of control/movement issues;
-added props to main scene;
-added 'jump';
-added fade in / fade out effect to avoid 'frozen screen' when loading/ rough transitions.

[goodl]

You scared the crap out of me with this

[WiredEarp]

I haven't had any time to try out the latest version fully. That said, I did really like the 'demon' driver. Was quite atmospheric etc when I went past him the first time

Some of these elements would be great if incorporated into a proper adventure game. Maybe a full horror survival story, with the usual car breakdown, wander through the spooky forest, find shelter, then add demonic encounters, escape on the bike, etc.

The Rift seems a good match for horror, the reduced FOV (over reality) makes things more claustrophobic straight away, and making you frantically look around.

[Caine]

You scared the crap out of me with this

Thanks for your comment

I've just updated the game to v.1.3 - many changes made, changelog follows - check main post for updated links.

-Added toggle-able head-bob removal!! Caveat is, head detaches from avatar, so realism is reduced in that sense. By default head-bob is 'on';
-Added new scenario: 'The House at 213 Jump Scare Avenue' ;
-Added occlusion culling;
-Brought Hydra & Keyboard speeds/controls in line;
-Added auto-detect of Hydra (no more need to press a key to toggle between!);
-Scenarios now load when player collides with representative object in main scene.

[Caine]

So apparently, the last update had crippling framerate issues that I wasn't necessarily having on my end! Racked my brain and made some changes I believe eliminated the issue (should stay at about 55-60 fps now) - if anyone is willing to give it a shot and report back on that it would be much appreciated!

http://goo.gl/3AGdBC

[stalemate22]

good game to get you jumping in your chair. a little bit of wee may have come out. great job!!!!!!!

[Caine]

good game to get you jumping in your chair. a little bit of wee may have come out. great job!!!!!!!

Thanks for your comment, incontinence is the desired reaction ; ) I've made a slight update that adds additional props and a few more 'scares' to the house.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKDVYQa_FAc - new gameplay video.

[Caine]

Updated to v.1.4(Alpha) as of Aug 25/13 - see main post for link. As always, this is a WIP so appreciate feedback.

Changelog:

-now 3 scenarios that can be triggered from main scene (NightBike, The House at 213 Jump Scare Avenue and Urban Spelunker) - by colliding with representative object in main scene (motorbike, dollhouse & toy train). Tip for 213 Jump Scare: in most rooms/areas of the house there are more than one scare/gag set up, you just need to check everything carefully Can you find them all? -numerous fixes to increase framerate. -213 Jump Scare revamped and added new 'scares/gags'. -footstep sounds added. -newest Oculus SDK implemented.

[Caine]

Updated as of Sept 2/13 - added new scenario 'Tranquil Waters', see main post for details and link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLez56KIQT4

[Caine]

I've updated the build with my progress on recent feedback - see main post for link.

I don't have an x-box controller so I can't test it but I believe it should be working properly now, but if anyone can test and let me know that would be appreciated.

Re the new transition effect, this renders a separate image to each camera, 'frosting' over each lens - please let me know if you find this better/less disorienting then the previous star field effect (I never found it particularly bothersome, but that is just me!).

Changelog this time around is as follows:

Changelog:
-Added lightning storm effect to 213 Jump Scare & Tranquil Waters;
-Attempted to add full x-box controller support;
-Added new scene transition effect;
-Increased player turning speed;
-Adjusted various sound effects and volumes; and
-Added further instructions to title scene.

[Caine]

Updated to v.2.0(Alpha) - new video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRfug4BzyeY

[Caine]

New video previewing improvements for next update - new avatar + better hydra tracking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06gJkneVCus

[Falan]

Cool id like to try it but I think the link is dead mate can you resubmit it please?

[Caine]

Updated Oct 15/2013 (New Opening Sequence video added - regular & oculus ready versions):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-N9Nrn5kK8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZVTfvJV5ko

[cybereality]

Crazy intro.

[virror]

Haha, i was sure i remembered that intro from somewhere!
Good imitation : D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae5XwkSguNI

[Caine]

Haha, i was sure i remembered that intro from somewhere!
Good imitation : D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae5XwkSguNI

Was hoping people would make that connection Tried to get it as close as possible, while relying on free assets and not infringing on Tales from the Crypt IP. As a kid of the 80's being able to catch Tales from the Crypt and the intro was always a favourite.

[Caine]

Happy Halloween! - Hope you enjoy the Halloween Treat version of Tales from the Rift (includes new intro & haunted house scene)

PC Download: http://goo.gl/DYLu8c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmxyNEryYIk

[bobv5]

Lighting seemed really flickery/ glitchy, and some odd stuff going on with the wall textures. Not sure if this was intentional?

Joypad control would be good, as kb/mouse is pretty nauseating for me, had to stop playng before I had explored the whole house.

When the monster thing appeared next to me in the mirror, I felt a sensation that I can't describe (sort of like a creepy/horrible buzzing) but felt somehow familiar, I think only from dreams, so I guess that counts as a success.

[Caine]

I subjected my friend Flake to the demo, here's a video of his play-thru:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLaCU3iRkwI

[3dvison]

I subjected my friend Flake to the demo, here's a video of his play-thru:

OK, I saw Ben Affleck in that video, but where is this friend "Flake" you spoke about ?...(SMILE)