Bullet Style 2.3.0 Update!

The 2.3.0 update is here with three new missions and two new weapons! With every mission I create in the Beta, I am learning more and more about what works and what doesn’t. I have been experimenting with player cover with the addition of the Worksite mission and Bodega especially makes use of this concept. Once of the issues I have found with creating Non-Euclidean environments in VR is that the levels must scale to the play space which makes incorporating cover difficult at times. Though I could likely come up with a different method, the current system scales entity, waypoint, and prop positions with the level to appropriately match everything to the play space that the player has available. I can scale relatively simple objects with the level so that they fit appropriately, but this restricts me to basic shapes as altering the scale of complex shapes just looks strange.

A technique that I attempted for the first time with Bodega was the usage of complex cover objects that are placed and oriented in such a way that they do not interfere with the space that is traversable by the player (essentially butting up to the boundary of the play space). This works well but brings about other issues such as having to design enemy movement around these large objects that may change in their position depending on the size of the players environment. I have also been messing around with more intricate environments not unlike what was seen in the Alpha Nightclub mission where the player started in a tight alleyway. This update brings some interesting surprises in each of the missions and I hope you enjoy!

Non-Euclidean VR - Hidden Gem or Dead End?

When I first tried out Tea for God, I was absolutely blown away. I had never tried Non-Euclidean (also referred to as Impossible Rooms, Twisted Spaces) VR games before and I thought to myself “why is this not used in EVERY game?”. If you are unfamiliar, these games utilize overlapping rooms that otherwise could not exist in a physical space to give the illusion of walking through a constantly changing environment. I was a huge fan of Games like Onward and Pavlov and absolutely love VR shooters, but I couldn’t understand why this genre hadn’t been adapted into such a format. It was just so… immersive. That was the inspiration for me to create Bullet Style and I’m incredibly happy with how the game has turned out.

There are plenty of positives to such a format: the ability to physically walk, more natural usage of the environment such as when hiding behind cover or ducking under obstacles, and almost complete avoidance of issues related to vertigo or headaches due to thumb-stick based movement often found in VR games. With all of that said, the topic of this conversation isn’t about how great Non-Euclidean games are; It’s about the limitations and why I personally feel that there are very good reasons as to why these games are not more wide spread.

1. Play Space Constraints: Non-Euclidean games require a decent amount play space in order to function well and truly immerse players in the game. I have personally found that no less than a 6.5sqft x 6.5sqft area is necessary to really enjoy such games and even then, more space really does add to the immersion and reduce the claustrophobia of being in tight environments. Many players do not have access to a large space and may find themselves unable to effectively enjoy games as I have personally experienced through some of my own players. Such an issue can lead players to avoiding these types of games and restrict your market to players who have adequate space.

2. Dizziness and Repetitive Movement: Many Non-Euclidean games utilize some form of “looping” in their level design where players walk in circles through the play space. In many cases, these games will incorporate mechanics such as moving platforms or environments, obstacles to duck under or crawl through, or changes in direction. With that said, some players simply do not enjoy the feeling of walking in the same area repeatedly even if the game incorporates methods to mitigate the repetitive motion that comes from walking through a limited play space.

3. Design Considerations: Though the implementation of a Non-Euclidean world in VR will differ by game, a fundamental aspect of this type of system (in my experience) is the detection of where the player is looking/positioned in relation to the world. Not only is this a fairly large task to undertake with very little external resources to draw upon (I largely had to come up with my own system for such a game), care must also be taken for the design of the environment and what the player can see at any given time. This applies to props and entities within this world as well as the layout of the level itself. Because of the constant overlap of areas within a Non-Euclidean environment due to the traversal of the same space repeatedly, entities and props must be positioned in such a way that they cannot be observed by the player at the incorrect time.

4. Performance Considerations: Similar to the previous point, Non-Euclidean VR games also pose performance considerations as you are effectively splitting these worlds into traversable “chunks” or “rooms” that the player will move through in sequence depending on the layout. In my experience, these rooms typically encompasses anywhere from 1/3 to 2/3 of the play space (though this could vary heavily depending on layout, multiple pathways, etc.). The overlapping nature of such a system requires some degree of change in the environment through these various rooms to keep it immersive. This means that one must design environments that are either modified or changed every few steps by the player. Compounding this over dozens of rooms creates some considerations for chunking/loading/culling objects as needed to keep overhead performance as minimal as possible.

With all of this said, I cannot wait to pursue more of my own Non-Euclidean games as well as continually improve what I currently have available. Amid all of these constraints, I still feel that this is a format of game that needs to be utilized more. In an ideal future, omni-directional, realistic treadmills become relatively cheap and available. But in the meantime, I’ll be pursuing these types of games as they are the cheapest and most accessible option currently available for realistic walking in VR.

Bullet Style 2.2.0 Update!

The 2.2.0 update is here with two new missions and several new weapons! Corporate and Worksite have turned out to be action packed gunfights that keep the adrenaline pumping with everything from enemy helicopters to battles high above the ground. I experimented with some more intricate enemy positioning by using adjacent buildings (not just rooftops as found in the Alpha). I am excited for Worksite especially as this is the first environment where I was able to really incorporate standing cover that isn’t just a wall into the players environment. I hope you enjoy!

Bullet Style 2.1.0 Update!

The 2.1.0 update is here with the first mission of the Bullet Style campaign! In Nightclub, you will battle through a small army of lightly armed thugs to stop the rogue agent from escaping. This mission includes improved backgrounds and visuals compared to the Alpha version and a more detailed boss fight with the possibility of the rogue agent escaping via helicopter. I also recently released the M41 Marauder in a previous update, a fast firing assault rifle that comes in rifle and carbine variants. I hope you enjoy!

Bullet Style 2.0 Beta Available Now!

I’m excited to release the 2.0 Beta update of Bullet Style! I have been working away for many months on a complete rebuild of the entire game from the ground up. Content is somewhat limited at the moment but I will be releasing monthly updates with new weapons, missions, and equipment as well as game improvements. The Beta has turned out even better than I expected in both graphics and performance and I cannot wait to create more content. Procedurally generated levels are an exciting addition to the game. I will be spending some time improving enemy layouts and designing new environments for this game mode in the future.

I learned many lessons during my development of the Alpha, namely what to do (and what not to do). Most of the backend changes won’t matter much to players, but I have figured out a few things that work well in a Non-Euclidean environment in terms of backgrounds and level design. I’ve also spent more time improving the VFX and general feel of weaponry in the form of material-specific gunshot impacts, tracers, and more haptic feedback. For example, weapons with slides/bolts that lock to the rear upon emptying the magazine will provide specific vibrations and audio to notify the player that their weapon is empty.

Over the next few months, I will be releasing new missions including improved versions of the Alpha missions Nightclub, Corporate, Worksite, and Countryside. I will also be releasing new weaponry with emphasis on magazine fed firearms to start. Once I have completed several new levels and weapons, I will be moving onto Challenge modes and other forms of weaponry such as shell-based (shotguns and revolvers). Thanks for tuning in!