Oculus Rift runtime 1.3

[Urisk]

Hi,

Do you plan on updating the experimental VR support in Evochron Legacy to the new runtime 1.3?

(I really hope that now that the HMD is released they will stop breaking compatibility between updates. AFAIK they at least intend to make sure future runtimes will run 1.3+ games)

[Vice]

Not sure yet, it was quite a massive project implementing the original runtime support.

Edit: After reading up on it, it appears the 1.3 runtime and new 'Home' system does remove all previous compatibility. Not sure yet what I'll be doing, I'll be evaluating options in the coming months I guess.

[Edited on 4-5-2016 by Vice]

[Misunderstood Wookie]

Then may I suggest adding support for HTC's VIVE (Steam VR)
https://www.htcvive.com/anz/ Ocolus and Vive are set to be to two major players. The games are available on Steam it just seems fitting to me if full support for Steam VR works too if you are wanting the VR route.

[Urisk]

Hi Vice,

I suppose it's really a lot of more work for you than for those developers using some 'off-the-shelf' engine, getting implementations of runtime upgrades handed over for free by some big company like Epic.

That being said: It would be really sad to see VR support disappear from Evochron for the entire present iteration of the game.

I for my part still wouldn't regret having bought Evochron Legacy even if only for the sake of supporting future development, but since I have gotten used to playing space games in VR I entirely lost the ability to enjoy any such game without VR support.

Do you have a VR HMD yourself or did you just implement the experimental support based on documentations and user feedback?

[GWhipple]

Then may I suggest adding support for HTC's VIVE (Steam VR)
https://www.htcvive.com/anz/ Ocolus and Vive are set to be to two major players. The games are available on Steam it just seems fitting to me if full support for Steam VR works too if you are wanting the VR route.

Yeah, Vive could be something good and popular for sure, depending on the future software support.
Just looked up the price to my country: 990 €, shipping starting next month. Will probably wait a year or so until the price drop a lot. And to see the software support.

[Edited on 4-6-2016 by GWhipple]

[Vice]

Do you have a VR HMD yourself or did you just implement the experimental support based on documentations and user feedback?

I have a DK2. That and the 0.8 runtime were what it was all based on with the understanding that by using the 0.8 runtime, things would be in place and ready for a migration to 1.X and the commercial release. Now with Oculus removing support for all previous runtimes, an app storefront dependency, and a separate login/account system for their device, things certainly have changed since the more open platform days. I'll be reviewing what options may be available to try and retain support.

For now, there are some runtime switching programs available that let users swap between 1.3, 0.8, and older runtimes to support games that use a particular version. And the 0.8 runtime can still be installed if desired. So the game will still work for those interested in the VR option enough to be willing to install or switch to the 0.8 runtime.

[Urisk]

I have a DK2. That and the 0.8 runtime were what it was all based on with the understanding that by using the 0.8 runtime, things would be in place and ready for a migration to 1.X and the commercial release. Now with Oculus removing support for all previous runtimes, an app storefront dependency, and a separate login/account system for their device, things certainly have changed since the more open platform days. I'll be reviewing what options may be available to try and retain support.

AFAIK developers don't have to deal with the entire store stuff and account system. As long as the user ticks the checkbox to allow external applications it AFAIK should behave similarly to the old runtimes. (Apart from the surely significant detail of braking support for all old applications based on 0.8 and earlier runtimes. Though they AFAIK don't intend to do that again with future updates since the Rift was now released.)

For now, there are some runtime switching programs available that let users swap between 1.3, 0.8, and older runtimes to support games that use a particular version. And the 0.8 runtime can still be installed if desired. So the game will still work for those interested in the VR option enough to be willing to install or switch to the 0.8 runtime.

I didn't know there were working switchers for 1.3. I was using one until 0.8, but I'll have a look at newer solutions working with 1.3. Thanks for the hint!

[Vice]

AFAIK developers don't have to deal with the entire store stuff and account system. As long as the user ticks the checkbox to allow external applications it AFAIK should behave similarly to the old runtimes. (Apart from the surely significant detail of braking support for all old applications based on 0.8 and earlier runtimes. Though they AFAIK don't intend to do that again with future updates since the Rift was now released.)

While contending with the OH store and OH account system isn't necessarily required, the requirement for the user to manually uncheck the option to allow external applications to use a VR device will undoubtedly be a hindrance/deterrent to implementation and support. Or at a minimum, a significantly more restrictive system.

It's no problem for me as a developer, but for the average new user who will be wanting as many games as possible for their very expensive toy may not be quite so aware unless it becomes the norm (in which case, what good would it have done in restricting the available titles in the first place). It's just a step toward a functionally closed platform and one I'll probably need to weigh into decisions going forward.

I don't like the idea of someone who buys my game on Steam or direct having to either rebuy the game on OH or acquire some kind of separate key to authorize their ownership of the game on some other marketplace... just to use a VR device. But maybe I'm mistaken in my understanding of how the system is supposed to work. I'm still in the process of learning what is available and what my options are.

[Urisk]

I do agree with you, that putting that checkbox in 'and' having it disabled by default is an incredibly poor decision by Oculus VR. However I think that enabling it will be a standard step for about every single individual owning a Rift, simply because all games relying on SteamVR that do not rely on Vive motion controllers become playable that way.

Plus all titles with Rift support for which the developers / publishers do not hand out Oculus Store keys ... and I don't blame them at all. Even though Oculus VR hands out the keys for free to developers to give to previous customers: I suppose the logistic challenge of verifying every single key request and making sure Steam refunds are not abused to essentially steal the game is quite significant - if not impossible. I just tried to imagine if YOU did such a thing ... you might actually get more requests than there are VR HMD owners, since people who intend to get a Rift at some point might request a key preemptively. I only have the estimates of Steamspy, but imagining the situation of handling hundreds if not more than thousand requests manually as a single individual ... I'd rather not do that. ^^

The fortunate result however should be, that practically everyone who owns a Rift and wants to play more than Eve Valkyrie and Luckys Tale will likely already have ticked that checkbox, which thus becomes a totally pointless annoyance.

If I were to think more positively I might give them the benefit of the doubt however and assume that their intention behind implementing that "feature" the way it is in there might have been something like this:
"Let's put that pointless checkbox in, so those users who cannot be bothered to even navigate our settings menu don't accidentally jump into VR software that we didn't review for comfort and for performance on systems with recommended specs."

A part of me however is indeed also concerned with that 'tendency' towards offering a somewhat more closed platform they are showing.

I guess if Evochron would end up supporting Steam VR it would be fine by me as well, since Oculus Rift can run those applications as well as mentioned before. (After ticking the nasty checkbox of pointlessness) ... It would however be an entirely different thing to implement. (Then again: Since I only dabbled a bit in UE4 I have NO idea whatsoever how much effort the switch from 0.8 to 1.3 would be for a developer with his own engine like yourself.)