Gamasutra: Maxim Eylenbosch’s Blog – Four things to keep in mind when designing first-person shooter games for VR

Digital actuality has totally different sport design philosophies in comparison with conventional laptop video games. We clarify points of their design variations and provides sensible options to them.

Tactical first-person shooter video games are just lately trending on the planet of digital actuality. Digital actuality provides totally different motion and look at potentialities in comparison with the standard private laptop. Due to this fact, VR video games require totally different design selections which create new enjoying experiences. We carried out a study the place we in contrast how PC and VR gamers play a tactical FPS. By analysing gameplay footage and reviewing interviews we discovered 4 design variations. These variations embrace how gamers navigate all through the extent, reload, change, and intention with their weapons.

Benefits of bodily motion in VR

Digital actuality permits gamers to maneuver their heads, physique, and arms individually whereas conventional laptop video games permit a restricted quantity of poses the participant can carry out. This ends in extra advanced motion in VR which is vital to think about for degree designers when creating maps in VR. An ideal instance is the utilization of corners. Ought to there be a crack within the nook it may very well be abused extra simply by VR gamers. Due to this fact, we argue that blockouts ought to have the next degree of element since a easy crack in a nook will be abused by the participant which creates a special expertise ought to the nook be straight with no cracks. This straightforward comment ought to end in fewer needlessly playtest modifications.

Reloading distinction in VR

Digital actuality video games let gamers reload weapons by a mix of hand motion and set off utilization whereas conventional laptop video games require the participant to press a button and play an animation. This ends in reloading being a extra advanced ability in digital actuality for the reason that journal positioning of weapons is usually totally different. Due to this fact, we argue that the participant ought to be given extra room for error when reloading a brand new weapon. This may be completed by providing extra cowl, a protected space, or simpler enemies to the participant.

Aiming struggles in VR

Aiming in digital actuality is finished by transferring the controllers with the fingers whereas conventional laptop video games use the mouse. Moreover, digital actuality permits gamers to maneuver their heads and fingers individually which provides gamers a number of choices on how they intention. Due to this fact in our research, greater than half of the time, gamers attempt to lean their heads onto the weapon when aiming. The issue is that when gamers tilt their heads there is no such thing as a reference to the weapon since there are solely two controllers current, making it tougher to intention. Moreover, transferring digital actuality controllers has stability points for weapons that have to be held on two totally different factors reminiscent of a rifle. This challenge will be solved by including a real-life prop to your sport as a substitute of utilizing the usual controllers. Nevertheless, this drastically modifications the design of the sport for the reason that participant is continually utilizing the prop. Switching and reloading weapons have to be fashioned by button presses which turns into much less immersive for the participant. One other technique to make aiming extra steady with two digital actuality controllers is by interpolating the grabbing factors, see underlying Determine, leading to a smoother motion of the weapon.

How VR contributors look when reloading and switching weapons

Digital actuality video games usually give the character of the participant a belt containing weapons, ammunition, and utility. The participant should seize these objects as a substitute of utilizing the scroll wheel or keyboard numbers completed in conventional laptop video games. It will appear useful for digital actuality gamers to seize one other weapon, ammunition, or utility blindly from their belt, nevertheless, our research reveals that more often than not gamers regarded downwards to seize their objects. This removes the overview of the participant which isn’t best for tactical first-person shooters the place data is vital. Conventional laptop video games shouldn’t have this downside since switching and reloading get completed by animations. An answer to this downside is to retailer an merchandise on the again of the participant which forces the participant to seize their merchandise blindly and makes it doable to look at their environment within the meantime. Giving the participant the choice to customise their belt may additionally facilitate grabbing an merchandise from the belt with out wanting. The important thing issue is to let the participant carry out switching and reloading actions early within the sport in a comparatively protected atmosphere.

Info on how the research was carried out and extra data relating to the design variations between PC and VR for tactical first-person shooters will be learn here.