I'm still hard at work on Version 2's next test build, but considering it's been some time since the previous one, I wanted to give you all a heads up on its progress as well as discuss the path to V2's release.
Test build 12 adds a new mission: Tunnel Rat. You spawn at a random entrance of a large tunnel system then you have to find 3 pieces of intel and escape to win. The intel and enemy spawns are also randomized.
I went through and remade the tunnel meshes plus quite a few other models specific to this scene. The tunnels in the current version of PunjiVR do the job, but they don't look or feel like the actual tunnels seen in Vietnam, so I wanted to make sure I did a better job at translating them to VR and putting you in a more immersive space.
Another improvement for this mission's immersion is I created indoor gunshot sounds for all of the current guns in game. I used feedback from you guys as well as videos of the Chu Chi tunnels to get a better feel for how the reverb and audio reacts in this sort of space, so the new tunnels should sound less like a rocky cave and more claustrophobic and 'earthy'.
Besides the new mission, Test Build 12 also fixes a lot of small bugs with the inventory, it tweaks the AI a lot, and it adds preset loadouts.
One of the more interesting changes is the AI's new 'leading' behavior. They originally (in Version 2) directly and instantly aimed at their target regardless of whether they were moving or not. Their new behavior tells them to aim and fire at a target that slightly lags behind the actual target's movement at a speed based on the bot's equipped weapon (i.e. semiauto and bolt action rifles try to be more accurate than machine guns). Because the bot only fires when the leading target is in a fixed range with their real target, bots will start shooting faster if the target's closer and take more time to be more accurate when the target is far away.
In short, it should make the bots attempt to take more accurate and believable shots.
The mission itself has been done for about a week, but I'm still working on testing and polishing it to be as interesting and fun as it can be. The main problem I'm finding with it in its current state is that it doesn't feel challenging enough and I worry that it might get boring fast after playing it just a few times. To remedy this, I plan on experimenting with enemy patrols and traps. Right now, all of the enemies are static, which works well enough due to the new poses they can take on (prone, leaning, hiding, etc.), but it still could use some polishing.
I never like setting deadlines, but Test Build 12 should be ready by the end of the month!
As for the rest of Version 2:
I finalized the roadmap to ensure a quick release but one that has enough interesting content to justify replacing the main build.
Once Tunnel Rat is released, I'll add the next main mission which will essentially be the same Gun Run mission currently in PunjiVR, but it will also use infantry loadouts and not just the door guns on the helicopter. I'd also like to add an option to play as the VC in the firefight mission.
So with all of that, there should be a good hour or two minimum to play through everything once or twice. That's the minimum time of course, so there should be plenty of good playtime to be had considering it's all made to be replayable.
After the main missions are done, it should be a fairly smooth ride to release -- in terms of development challenge and time. I'm still aiming for a later spring / early summer release for V2.
After its release, I'd like to work on adding more content and polishing, but I do want to get a start on multiplayer as early as possible. In the far future when all of that and vehicles and everything else is done, I want to add the rest of the things that ensure a long lifespan for a game, like a mission editor and modding support. Still, that's a ways off but that's the direction I have in mind.
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Anywho, there's some rambling for ya but I hope it gives a good idea of what to expect both short and long term for PunjiVR.
A tidbit is that settings for turning (like smooth turning and adjusting the field of view) as well as other quality of life options such as movement speeds and tuning the suppression effect are planned. I understand a lot of you have different levels of comfort and wants for your VR experience, and judging by the fact that it's your game too, I don't want to limit or restrict any of you on those items -- even if it goes against my intended experience. The game will default to the way that I want to encourage you all to play, but I don't want to force anything.
With all that said, don't hesitate to give any suggestions, ask questions, or discuss the game in the comments or through any of the links below. As always, I appreciate all of your support and feedback!
-Camden