The End of the Game (Spoilers)

[Kukov]

I managed to climb to the top of the rock formation and saw the boat in the distance. I then spent a good 10 minutes paddling towards it (West, the direction of the sun). It then got dark and I saw a "To Be Continued..." appear on the screen. There was no narration, so I wasn't sure if that was the actual end point, or if you could actually keep paddling to the boat. By that point I was getting really sore and tired of all the arm waving so I just stopped - but I'm curious if you can actually get to the boat and, if so, what's there?

[jfvpersson]

Thank you for playing! That is currently the end of the game. In the next part of the game you will be able to get there but there is still a lot of work to be done for that part to be released.

[Kukov]

Originally posted by jfvpersson:

Thank you for playing! That is currently the end of the game. In the next part of the game you will be able to get there but there is still a lot of work to be done for that part to be released.

Thanks for the reply!
You've created an excellent VR experience and I'm eager to follow its development!
Glad to know I didn't miss anything else.

If I may, a couple suggestions that I think would help improve the game:
- Don't make us paddle so much! My arms were getting really sore - and/or figure out a way to design the paddling experience so it works better (for example, oftentimes I couldn't tell if I was actually moving, or if I was moving at "top speed" and in the direction I wanted - some way to see that with visual cues would help).
- Just for the demo, I'd suggest putting something in there to hint that the rope can be used as a tool. I didn't understand that it could, and thought the only way to the rocks was to keep swimming again and again. Eventually I figured out the rope could be used, but it felt like I discovered it randomly instead of being guided towards it.
- I like the idea behind the "lie down and close your eyes", but I don't want to lie back and lay on the tighten knob of my Index - it could damage it. I'd suggest figuring out some other way to handle this (there was also a section where a woman's voice is talking to you and you're laying down for a long time, and I was tilting my head up for that and my abs got sore so eventually I just sat up).

Overall I'm loving what you're doing here and can't wait to try the next update!

[Moriar]

Kukov, what do you mean with: "I didn't understand that it could, and thought the only way to the rocks was to keep swimming again and again."

[Rune]

Paddling a lot is what makes the game feel real. Just when you start to give up hope, the ship will appear. Like having to really lie down, realism comes with effort and persistence. The more you struggle, the greater the reward. Reduce the struggle, and the feeling of a great reward diminishes too.

When you reach the end, the end credits start to roll - if you did not see the end credits, you did not complete the game.

The game will automatically close after the credits - and SteamVR Home will load.

[Kukov]

Originally posted by Moriar:

Kukov, what do you mean with: "I didn't understand that it could, and thought the only way to the rocks was to keep swimming again and again."

I mean that I didn't know the rope could be used as a tool - there was nothing to indicate that, so I didn't know you could make a raft. So I kept trying to swim to the island and dying. Then I reasoned there MUST be some way to make a raft, and figured out how to use the rope. But it wasn't a well designed experience in terms of game design - we should be introduced to the rope-as-tool more purposefully, IMO.

[Kukov]

Originally posted by Rune:

Paddling a lot is what makes the game feel real. Just when you start to give up hope, the ship will appear. Like having to really lie down, realism comes with effort and persistence. The more you struggle, the greater the reward. Reduce the struggle, and the feeling of a great reward diminishes too.

When you reach the end, the end credits start to roll - if you did not see the end credits, you did not complete the game.

The game will automatically close after the credits - and SteamVR Home will load.

I hear you, and I'm for some of that, but I thought the amount of uncomfortable arm waving here was bordering on obscene. It was just way, way too much. Granted, I did it, because I wanted to get to that damn island, but I was not happy with the developer for making me do it. You want to design experiences that are difficult and rewarding, but not overly punishing - IMO this is overly punishing.

I'm pretty sure I got to the credits - seeing text come up in the sky. But, again, it wasn't well designed - I should be standing there thinking, "So, is it over?" I should know "Okay, this is the end, and I feel satisfied and/or fulfilled and/or eager to learn more" not confused, which was the sensation the game left me with.