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Eye of the Temple

Explore an vast and treacherous temple in room-scale VR · By runevision

New Build January 29

A topic by runevision created Jan 29, 2017 Views: 452 Replies: 3
Viewing posts 1 to 3
Developer (1 edit)

New build available January 29. (Read here how to sign up to get access.)

New additions:

  • 3 tutorial signs in intro area.
  • Large vases for decoration in intro area.
  • New model for stone torches (the things you light on fire to make things happen).
  • Fixed bugs causing gate and keys to flicker and not work correctly.

Instructions:

  • Play area of 2.2 by 2.2 meters needed.
  • Only one controller needed for now.

Reply to share your thoughts. All feedback welcome!

So I finally got round to making a gameplay video after being ill for a week or so: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnHLtkqFSKs

This is obviously for entertainment purposes and not really giving constructive feedback on the game, but I'll do that now.

After playing the game through for the second time it became more apparent to me that the level design is quite plain looking. The texture of the blocks and bricks is great, but overall it's just a bit too samey samey. Being an old temple I'd imagine it to be a lot dirtier, more bits falling apart, rocks crumbling, holes in some of the walls, maybe some vines growing etc. I think more of a tomb raider feel to it would give it a bit more character and realism, it's all very beige currently. If you type "Tomb Raider Temple" into google images, that's the kind of thing I mean. I think it would give it a more creepy atmosphere to it too.

It would be great to add some more natural elements into the game, like earth, fire, wind and water. Having to avoid fire somehow, seeing and hearing moving water, having wind rush by when you're in a more open area, things like that.

Near the beginning when unlocking the entrance, when the big brass 'key' swings down and unlocks part of the temple lock, it does this in silence, when it feels like it should make some sounds whilst doing so. Some creaks and a thud maybe when it goes in the lock hole, something like that.

I think having more things to dodge and avoid would be good. Thinking more Indiana Jones style, like arrows being fired at you, or big blades swinging past. Things to add some more fear of falling off the blocks. Also some inventory items would break it up a bit from just holding the torch the whole time. I'm thinking like maybe a big machete that you need to equip to chop through some rope when you're travelling past to reveal something or release a doorway etc or maybe you have to fill something with water to put weight on a certain block to release something. Maybe you have to shoot something with a bow and arrow. Little challenges or puzzles possibly to add some more thinking and variety to it.

At 4:43 in my right ear it sounds like someone is walking around slightly behind me. Again at 7:44, 8:35 in left ear, 11:55 in left ear & 13:07 in left ear again. You will probably need headphones/earphones on to hear it. These sounds seem very out of place, I can't work out when is triggering them.

At 11:55 you can see the black flashes I mentioned in my previous feedback post. They happen again at 12:28, 12:34, 12:47 and 14:00. I wonder if this just happens for me, or if everyone else experiences this in the narrow corridors.

That's about all I can think of for now. I tried to be as constructively critical as I could, so I hope that helps.

Developer (1 edit)

Thanks or trying it out and for the feedback! And very cool video!

> After playing the game through for the second time it became more apparent to me that the level design is quite plain looking.

Yep, I definitely understand! Tomb Raider has been my primary inspiration for environments, and adding more variety is on my todo-list. :) So far I've experimented with just adding a bit more variation in colors (will be in next build), but I'd like to do other stuff as well. It's never going to get as varied and polished as Tomb Raider though, given how I'm a tiny indie developer with quite limited resources. But I'll do my best to find a way to improve it compared to now in any case!

> when the big brass 'key' swings down and unlocks part of the temple lock, it does this in silence

Yeah there's various things I don't have sound for yet. On my todo-list as well. :)

> I think having more things to dodge and avoid would be good. Thinking more Indiana Jones style, like arrows being fired at you, or big blades swinging past.

Hehe, would you believe, Indiana Jones is my other primary inspiration. :D Saw blades is on my "nice to have" list, though I can't guarantee they'll make it into the game. Arrows would be cool, but given how fast arrows fly, I'm not sure how to make it viable for the player to dodge them based on reaction time. It would be more about recognizing the "arrow cannons" before they shoot and anticipate it. Maybe that can work, maybe not.

> At 4:43 in my right ear it sounds like someone is walking around slightly behind me.

Yeah, placeholder soundscape with this included. :/ Replacing it with something proper is on my todo-list!

> At 11:55 you can see the black flashes I mentioned in my previous feedback post.

Right. This is a problem with Occlusion Culling in Unity, and it's not just happening for you. :( It used to be much more frequent but I tweaked some settings to reduce it. I'm not sure what to do to get it to go away entirely, but I'll definitely look into it!

Overall, I think you noticed all the reasons why this game is still in pre-alpha: Samey environments, placeholders and lacking audio, and lack of variation in gameplay. Getting to fix all that is going to take a long while, but I'll keep at it. :)

Glad you like the video. So we're on the same wave length then, great minds think alike :-D

It sounds like you know what you want to do, you just need some funding, hire a few staff and get cracking :-P

Seriously though, you've done a great job up to now and I'm sure your to do list is as long as your arm, so you'll get the game to how you want it I'm sure. I look forward to seeing the updates :-)