Locomotion Options?

[GregzVR]

I don't have too much room in my play space for any kind of 'room scale', so I was thinking about perhaps maybe adding in some basic locomotion, like a few steps back and forwards to begin with?
You could use buttons for forwards and back, or the thumb sticks/pads, so we could go in and out of range.

[Ian (Sealost)]

Hello!

I'm not opposed to adding locomotion options. I haven't because it's just me working on the game so I have to stay laser focused on what I choose to work on to keep development moving along.

I initially made and released the game right after the Vive's launch with the intent of it being a fully room scale boxing experience. The initial version of the game required you to hold the Vive wands sideways (holding them the default way feels downright awful for punching), so I also made sure not to require any button presses. Basically, I was all-in on room scale.

About 6 months later when the Rift Touch controllers came out, I started brainstorming how I would go about implementing a "stationary" mode to better accommodate stationary setups. It would be a big addition, and I had reasons last year to try to avoid getting too bogged down in the middle of large features.

I've got a little more leeway now, though, and have actually started some work to accommodate a stationary mode. I'm not sure if will ultimately make it in before I need to move on from TotF, but there's a good chance it will. In the meantime, I'm just trying to be as open and honest as possible on the Store page about the play space size you need for the game to work as designed.


I saw your comment on the news update with your video (awesome!). I was going to respond there, but it's easier to do so here where I've got a larger box to type in and no character limit.

I'm assuming you're playing with a Rift with 2 sensors in a forward-facing setup. You might try playing with forward facing mode turned off but with the match rotation setting set to "None". Then, stand toward the back right corner of your play space. The opponent will tend toward the front left side of your play space, so you'll end up fighting diagonally and squeezing out a bit of space. There may end up being some problems with this approach that will ultimately make it not work for you, but it's worth a try.

I'm also a little curious if you have any extra space available - you had to reach pretty far out of your play area to reach outside the ropes and punch the trainer. TotF is happy to use all the space you can give it (just make sure not to cheat the setup - don't include anything in your bounds that you're not willing to punch).

[GregzVR]

Hi. Thanks for the reply.

Regards the play space, I was basically on the limit when punching the trainer, similarly when jabbing the referee to the left.
Would making it slightly smaller, bring things closer?

Thanks for this game and all your work thus far, and in the future. :-)

[Ian (Sealost)]

Originally posted by Gregz0r:

Would making it slightly smaller, bring things closer?

You absolutely do not want to do that. The bigger you can map your space in SteamVR, the better the experience you're going to have. Making it smaller will just give you and the opponent less room to maneuver. The trainer is meant to be outside of your space when he's ringside, so he'll be just as far away no matter what.

[GregzVR]

Oh I see, thanks.

You're probably inundated with feature/etc requests, but maybe you could flesh out the arms with some forearm action(with a basic skin tone slider or something lol), in a Fight Night Round 3 POV sort of style. Seeing the inside of the gloves feels a bit weird.

[cercata]

Yeah, locomotion would be great !!!!

[Leet SKillz I Haz Dem]

Plz add it as an extra option not something on by default. It'd be incredibly jarring to accidently tap the thumbstick and move when I'm not physically moving.. Especially in a game that's based on realism.

[sumhavok]

@fyiandev,

Most people do not have the space this game currently requires. With movement options, you could open up this game to a lot more people and sell more units. It should be easy, something like hold down a button or grip and press the controller to initiate moving.


Here is a video showing my setup right now fighting the new boxer (thanks!). Notice how I can't reach the menu scrollbar on customize due to a wall, so I can't change the settings anymore. Also, notice how I am almost outside of the ring, because the opponent stands in my space and doesn't budge. How nice it might be to move around with a joystick, standing in my optimal VR space, ducking and weaving, rather than be pinned in the corner every fight. ;)

video link: (doesn't seem to play well for me)

https://streamable.com/fy25d

Alternative video file download:

https://file.io/pASGAd

Thanks again for the new boxer, I just need to be able to beef him up....lol.

[Peek]

Originally posted by Leet SKillz I Haz Dem:

Plz add it as an extra option not something on by default. It'd be incredibly jarring to accidently tap the thumbstick and move when I'm not physically moving.. Especially in a game that's based on realism.

Definitely, I don't want this option to be enabled by default if you decide to implement it. I tend to hold some buttons while boxing and I don't want to be sliding around while in the middle of a round.

[Ian (Sealost)]

If I were to add an artificial locomotion mode, it would definitely be optional. It would replace the current "forward-facing" mode, and the two choices would basically become "room scale" or "standing/stationary".

Originally posted by sumhavok:

Most people do not have the space this game currently requires.

Most people don't even have VR headsets.

The niche I was hoping to fill from day 1 was a room scale boxing game where physical movement mattered. The initial builds of the game were Vive only when it was the only widely available VR headset with tracked controls and room scale capability. Due to how awkward it was trying to hold the Vive wands with their default grip, the game required you to hold the controllers sideways, and so at that time you couldn't even reliably hit buttons while playing even if you wanted to.

Now we've got more options in hardware and in-game control grips, too. I'd love to make a "standing" mode with artificial movement, but it's not been something I've been able to get to yet.

Just getting the player moving isn't that bad, but there is a ton of other considerations that would need to go into supporting a mode like this. I have a lot of it planned out, but I need to get it in the pipeline.

I try to be very open and honest about the size requirements on the store page so people know what they're getting into. I definitely don't recommend trying to play with smaller than a 2m by 1.5m space, but I'm glad you're able to make it work and find it enjoyable regardless.

[sumhavok]

Originally posted by fyiandev:

If I were to add an artificial locomotion mode, it would definitely be optional. It would replace the current "forward-facing" mode, and the two choices would basically become "room scale" or "standing/stationary".

That would be awesome. Then virtually everyone who owns a headset could play. It is a fun game, and the best workout of them all.

Thanks for your efforts! :)