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People who bought VR just for Half-Life: Alyx, please also play Lone Echo...
- Thread starter Zor
- Start date
Lone Echo is amazing. One of the best VR experiences I've had, and has held up years later, even though VR is a constantly evolving medium with a lot of learning going on.
If you have a Vive or Index, you owe it to yourself to get it working. It's worth the effort!
If you have a Vive or Index, you owe it to yourself to get it working. It's worth the effort!
It largely is a non-issue. I don't care that much. It's just opening another launcher (Steam as opposed to the Oculus Store that Rifts automatically load into when you put it on) and launching the game from there instead of where all of your other games are. Doesn't bother me. I have a handful of VR games on my Steam account so I'm used to booting it from my headset every so often.
It's just also not entirely accurate to say that it's not exclusive. It is, exclusive to Steam. You can't buy it from any other third party stores.
Back on topic...
My other massive recommendations for new PCVR users would be Google Earth (still probably my favourite VR application - it's incredible), Superhot VR and Beat Saber (obvious recommendations) and, for a curveball, Polybius. It's made for non-VR but has an incredible VR mode. If you're into 80s Jeff Minter style craziness it's essential.
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Well yes, but "VR-exclusivity" implies just that - exclusivity to a specific VR-headset, not necessarily a store. That's why I was curious why it was important to point out that Steam sells exclusive software on their store when Facebook and Sony is doing the same.
I start all my games via Oculus Home either way, so it's not a problem for me personally.
Lone Echo is great. It really nails the zero-g locomotion and gives you a brilliant environment to make the most of it.
It's maybe a little short and not exactly action packed, but I've not had a VR experience that's given me the same level of immersion as Lone Echo.
It's maybe a little short and not exactly action packed, but I've not had a VR experience that's given me the same level of immersion as Lone Echo.
Have they really not put the game on sale since it launched?
I'll be holding out for a while I guess.
I'll be holding out for a while I guess.
Did you miss the gazillion posts about Epic's Game store?
Also who says it couldn't run on ps4? The psvr is not as good specs wise as rift s or index but why wouldn't the ps4 itself not being able to run the game?
Lone Echo is amazing and I would say when it comes to the level of interactions it's really aaaaalmost on par with Alyx. Great game, even if short.
But we've got LE2 coming this year so I think quite many people got it already.
PS VR doesn't have full 360 degree tracking. That's why (I assume) many games aren't comint out on PS4.
But we've got LE2 coming this year so I think quite many people got it already.
PS VR doesn't have full 360 degree tracking. That's why (I assume) many games aren't comint out on PS4.
Most VR games are made by small studios, developing for consoles isn't cheap.
Most of these VR games run on high spec PCs, higher than you'd need for flatscreen AAA games. Hell, some of the major PCVR titles (looking at Asgard's Wrath) can overwhelm a top spec gaming PC if you set them to max settings. This would be a downport by roughly a generation (kinda like Switch ports) which is quite a lot of work. Plus the motion controllers on PSVR don't have analog sticks like almost all PCVR controllers do so you got additional work for changing the controls.
E.g. they're porting Walking Dead to the PSVR but were planning on a Spring release (might be delayed by the pandemic of course) for that version although the PC version came out in January.
Neither does the Rift CV1 but almost all PCVR games work with that anyway.
Both PSVR and Oculus Rift CV1 offer 360 degree positional tracking. PSVR has a light source on the back of the harness, and the CV1's IR LEDs surround the back "halo" of the headset:
"360 degrees tracking" refers to trackable points on a headset on both the front and back. It's "360 degrees" because regardless of the lateral rotation of the user, they have a trackable point (ignoring occlusion, obviously). This is in explicit contrast to earlier 180 degrees headsets like the Oculus Rift DK2, and OSVR, which only featured tracking points on the front of their headsets.
"360 degrees tracking" refers to trackable points on a headset on both the front and back. It's "360 degrees" because regardless of the lateral rotation of the user, they have a trackable point (ignoring occlusion, obviously). This is in explicit contrast to earlier 180 degrees headsets like the Oculus Rift DK2, and OSVR, which only featured tracking points on the front of their headsets.
Okay but you're effectively still limited to the frontal arc because otherwise you lose your controllers.Both PSVR and Oculus Rift CV1 offer 360 degree positional tracking. PSVR has a light source on the back of the harness, and the CV1's IR LEDs surround the back "halo" of the headset:
"360 degrees tracking" refers to trackable points on a headset on both the front and back. It's "360 degrees" because regardless of the lateral rotation of the user, they have a trackable point (ignoring occlusion, obviously). This is in explicit contrast to earlier 180 degrees headsets like the Oculus Rift DK2, and OSVR, which only featured tracking points on the front of their headsets.
No you aren't, that's the entire purpose of the halo ring of the touch controller. They are designed to provide trackable points for full 360 degrees. No matter what your rotation, ignoring occlusion, there is a trackable point on the halo ring of the touch controller that can be visible from just a single camera.
The specific constellations spread of the IR LEDS on the halo are engineered for 360 degree positional tracking from a single vantage point.
Is Robo Recall crossbuy? I want to try it on both Quest and PC to see how big the differences are. It seems a bit pricey for 3 hours of the campaign though.
Lone Echo is even more expensive but it's a longer game, right?
That said I am also looking into Stormlands. How is that? I read very good but also some not so great things about it.
Lone Echo is even more expensive but it's a longer game, right?
That said I am also looking into Stormlands. How is that? I read very good but also some not so great things about it.
To the people who have played Half Life: Alyx, does it make other VR games obsolete and hard to get into since you've seen the light?
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No, hence why I made this thread for a three year old game. I think Alyx is genuinely incredible, but there's still amazing stuff out there, old (Lone Echo) and new (The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners).
I definitely have interest in the devs at Ready At Dawn getting to continue making experiences like this, so I'll be buying anything they release anywhere.
Yeah not to mention it's like ~6 hours of gameplay for 40 dollars.
Not at all. There are plenty of other great VR games. Alyx is superb. But it's not of a greater, unreachable higher quality that it erases everything else. It's a very good VR game. It does a lot of things (very well!) that a lot of other VR games do. If you like pointing a gun at things, manually reloading a clip and operating puzzles with your hands then you will find a lot to like in a lot of other VR games too.
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It's a shame it's rarely been reduced since launch but I should add, it took me over 9 hours to finish. I played it in two sessions, both considerable in time, and I thought it was the perfect length. But then... I'd love to know exactly how much of that time was me getting drymouth gawking at the goddamn locations.
No. I went from Alyx to Saints and Sinners and I'm having a good time.
On the topic of Lone Echo, I always recommend that game because there is an awe factor, but I've come to learn that I find the game incredibly boring outside of that. You just float around fixing stuff.
Yeah, Lone Echo is a great game, definitely one of the best VR games out there. There is a lot of polish and thought put into it, it's not just a "cool VR experience" but a genuinely awesome game that would lose so much played on a flat screen.
Also, Asgard's Wrath and Stormland play in the same league I would say, in that they showcase how cool VR can be when there's a bigger budget and scope behind the games.
Also, Asgard's Wrath and Stormland play in the same league I would say, in that they showcase how cool VR can be when there's a bigger budget and scope behind the games.
That's the big issue though, you're going to occlude your controllers a whole lot when you're turned sideways and all the time when backwards. Which means you cannot play your games like that.
No you aren't, that's the entire purpose of the halo ring of the touch controller. They are designed to provide trackable points for full 360 degrees. No matter what your rotation, ignoring occlusion, there is a trackable point on the halo ring of the touch controller that can be visible from just a single camera.
The specific constellations spread of the IR LEDS on the halo are engineered for 360 degree positional tracking from a single vantage point.
So occlusion Isn't an issue On the rift S and quest ? That's not what I have read.
Oh right my opinion Is not valid Becuase of.my post count so I should never question you.
It's pretty easy to block the sensors with two handed grips and moving the controllers behind your head close to your face.
Oculus Rift S Controller Tracking Stress Test
We stress tested the Oculus Rift S controller tracking to find its occlusion spots. Here are the results.Follow us for up-to-the-minute updates:📘 Facebook:...
youtu.be
Seems like occlusion is totally an issue judging by this video. You can clearly see the loss of tracking.
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"Ignoring occlusion" because occlusion has nothing to do with whether or not a trackable object is considered "360 degrees" or not. Occlusion-resistance is a quality of the tracking solution, not the degree of tracking a headset/controller does. Both PSVR and Oculus Rift CV1 are 360 degree headsets.
The occlusion you are talking about is a characteristic of single-vantage outside-in tracking. The oculus rift CV1 supports multiple-vantage outside-in tracking.
Notice how the headset and controllers have not changed, the tracking solution has changed. The headset always has the ability, it is the external tracking solution that is the variable.
And, once again because you seemed to miss it, the halo rings can be seen when you are facing backwards to the camera. The occlusion issue you think the controller has when you face backwards, is accounted for in the constellation placement.
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I seriously hate it, for such a small market it hurts the medium more than anything.
I don't blame Sony for making 1st party stuff exclusive to their headset but paying a publisher to prevent them from developing their VR modes for other headsets, I can't express how lame that move is.
Does that help you in any way when a game wants you to actually use that 360° tracking, though? CV1 and PSVR games have to let you stay facing the sensors and if a game doesn't implement artificial turning you're screwed. I can turn around and look at things using my CV1 but since my hands will be occluded that's useless and I have to do an artificial turn.
It's fun but limited in scope. Some people also don't like the gun feel. I like it tho.
For me alyx just takes a bunch of things that's works great in other games and brings it all together.
It's oh so pretty as well Like I'm blown away by the How clean and detailed the graphics are on my index with super sampling and It's super polished.
Saints and sinners and boneworks are the only other games to hold my attention like this.
Yes? Immensely, to the point: I can play 360 degree tracking games with the CV1 with a single vantage point, I have actually done it before. Occlusion is a momentary issue. Contrast to the types of devices that noting 360 degree tracking is meant to differentiate from, the issue is constant. When I leave the 180 degree tracking volume with the DK2, the tracking drops for a full 180 degrees until I re-enter the cone, not for little blips and bloops like occlusion issues manifest. Having tracking points on your hardware that is intended to be seen when you rotate 360 degrees helps when you attempt 360 degree tracking, of course.
The presence of tracking points on the rear end of the tracked object is precisely what defines something as 360 degrees trackable" or not. 360 degrees trackable != zero-occluding roomscale.
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I'm gonna grab Asgard's Wrath and The Room VR today, excited to play both!
With the CV1 you have options to be fair. You can put your two sensors in the diagonals of your room (rather than both in front of you) or simply buy an extra camera and place that behind you. I have a three camera setup (two in front of me and one in a back corner) and have essentially full 360 movement with next to zero occlusion (unless I physically try to block a camera with an un-natural position). Oculus supports multiple setups like this natively. PSVR admittedly is an occlusion monster.
Please play Lone Echo. It's amazing.
Lone Echo and Robo Recall are the next two games you should be playing if you got into PCVR just for Alyx.
Revive will get them working if you're on a non-Oculus headset.
See Robo Recall bored me pretty quick. Not much of a story and more of an arcade game to me. Is Lone Echo like that or is it more of a single player, story driven game like Alyx? Also how long is it?
Lone Echo is 100% single player, story driven. No guns. It's very unique. It's about 6-10 hours?
Aaand sold, thank you! Didn't know it was Ready At Dawn either so I'm happy to support those talented sons of bitches :-)
I bought it and played a little bit of it a few months ago. I just don't have the required amount of space in my current room until I move, so I've kinda shelved my Oculus for now. What I did get to play though was pretty fun. Planning on picking this up when I move to a bigger place :)
Also worth mentioning to anyone trying Lone Echo for the first time - be careful if you have any light fittings or anything else in the vertical space above you!
More than any other game I've played in VR, I found myself reaching upwards to grab things. Of course I smacked my light fittings. Thankfully they're metal so not much damage done.
The wires aren't ideal but it is absolutely a full room scale solution with very little occlusion issues.
More than any other game I've played in VR, I found myself reaching upwards to grab things. Of course I smacked my light fittings. Thankfully they're metal so not much damage done.
Yeah, I had a two camera setup (you get these with the CV1 out of the box) for a long while and it worked really well for > 95% of the time. I picked up a third camera recently (about £30 from CEX) and now I'd have do stupid things to lose tracking.
The wires aren't ideal but it is absolutely a full room scale solution with very little occlusion issues.
Bonus for me is that it smoothed out the few tiny 'wobbles' that my setup occasionally had. I'd very occasional get some wobbly in my view and it'd feel bad. I work in a pretty large space so that was probably it. Added a third sensor in and it was instantly rock solid. Really noticable upgrade.
Sony and Facebook are injecting more money into VR software than any other companies. In the vast majority of cases it's the difference between the games existing or not existing at all. I'm sure everyone wishes you could play any game on any box, but ultimately that's not realistic in the VR (or indeed video game) market we have today.
Awesome studio! Can't wait for Lone Echo 2 and I really hope we get a sequel to The Order!
Play seated to save vertical space, works perfectly fine for these zero G games since you're not standing in the game either.
