Hi everyone,
We are making a lot of progress on the first big update. While we have a lot of new features ready and working, due to the size of the update, we still need a bit more time before we can put the ready stamp on it. However, we are still super excited to share some more insights on what we are working on. Today, we share some more information about the work we did on the movement system. So let’s keep going and dive right in!
As a master Thief, moving around the heist location is key to the success of your mission. Since we have an open level and we allow the player to choose their own path, we must have a movement system that compliments your actions. We already had a base for our movement system, but after playtesting and community suggestions, we decided to add some more features and tweaks to the current system.
First up is the basis of all your movement: walking. In the current version of Panther VR you could move your character forward with a maximum and consistent speed. This old system would let you zip around cameras and guards without being noticed. That is why, in the new system, we reduced your basic movement speed, but added the option to sprint. If you push your rotation (offhand) joystick forward, you can now sprint with increased speed.
This sprint helps you a lot if you want to move quickly around the level or run away from combat. The sprinting system also lays out the framework for player-created sound. Meaning, that while sprinting will get you there faster, it could also create noise for the guard and security system to hear. This noise feature is definitely on our list, but we might need to move it to update 0.1.3. (Guards update)
OLD MOVEMENT SYSTEM
NEW RUNNING SYSTEM
In combination with the Running system, we’ve also added a new vaulting system. In the current version of Panther VR, if you are standing next to a crate, it was not uncommon that you accidentally pushed your character on top of that crate. Resulting in more frustration than actual convenience. While on the other hand, small fences, where unpassable. When you push your rotation (offhand) joystick forward, you can now vault over hip height objects. Giving you way more control, over when you want to vault over fences or stand on crates.
Specialty in combination with running, this system gives you freerunning feel when you quickly jump over fences and boxes.
VAULT SYSTEM
In order to hide for guards or to get to hidden places around the level, you might need to crouch (a lot) in Panther VR. While crouching is a thing you can do IRL in VR, it might not be something you want (or able) to do all the time. That is why we also added a press to the crouch button to Panther VR. Just simply press your rotation (offhand) joystick to enable crouch, and press it again to disable. Once crouched, you can easily hide behind crates or make use of the air vents. Keep in mind that sprinting will always cancel out your crouch position
CROUCH BUTTON
Climbing was always a big part of Panther VR. It adds an extra layer of freedom to exploration and traversal of levels. So while working on the movement system, we also smoothed out the climbing system a bit more. We removed most of the climbing bugs and we paved out the framework for more advanced climbing systems for future updates, including zip lines and more grappling hook mechanics.
CLIMBING
We know that every player has their own preference when it comes to movement systems, and especially when it comes to turning. Some prefer snap turning, while others live for smooth options. For all those different player preferences, we want to provide options to set up your own way of playing the game. We already had an options menu in the game, which was located on the player’s watch. Now, the menu is accessible with the press of a button and has a fresh new design, with some new options to tinker with. Tailoring the game to your own preferences is a big priority for us, so expect more options for future updates.
OLD PLAYER OPTIONS
NEW PLAYER OPTIONS
That concludes the new additions to the movement system. Once again, we hope that you love these new additions as much as we do. Update 0.1.1 will be the first, but also a really big update for Panther VR, so we can’t wait to set it live! Let us know what you think!
- Jesse
Roadmap
For more information about upcoming content, updates, and latest fixes and features, you can check out our roadmap.
Discord
If you haven't already, don't forget to join the Panther VR Discord! Share your comments and suggestion with us and the community!
Socials
For more information about current and future updates, from Panther VR and other Wolfdog Interactive games, follow our Socials!
Developer page
Check out and follow our Steam Developer page for more news on our VR Titles. Wolfdog Interactive Developer Page.
Thanks
Thanks for all the support and feedback from our amazing community. This update is made possible by you guys!
