From the game design point of viev, virtual reality is a sea of ​​unique possibilities. The paths of player interaction with the game aren't yet fully fixed in VR games, so every developer is to some extent an inventor. But this is also the main problem of VR - the game is easy to "break" and spoil the player's experience with the wrong approach. In this post, we will share our own experience of developing a game in virtual reality and talk about the observations gained during the development of the Playground VR sandbox game.

Sizes and details

Stylization, proportions of objects and characters of the game differ depending on the genre. For example, sometric and third-person games have perspective and proportional distortions, it's is necessary in order to express functionality through visuals.

In games where the camera is located at a distance from objects of interaction, emphasis on corners, enlargement of texture patterns, increase in contrast, etc. are used to indicate the boundaries of geometry. In first-person games, the proportions shouldn't have significant distortion, as this will significantly affect the overall sense of immersion, although a certain degree of stylization is allowed.

In VR, the player will definitely want to look under the bench and twist the weapon from all sides, so attention must be paid to all sides of the object. In the case, interactive objects sizes should clearly correlate with the size of the player's hands, as in VR it's often the only manipulator.

Interface

The user interface in virtual reality should be as immersive as possible, it should be part of the game world without destroying the immersion. There is no corner of the screen in VR on which you can place menus or other UI elements, so blocking any area of player interaction with the world can be disorienting.

In Playground VR, the interface integrated into the game environment. So interactive objects have a small circle-shaped designation so that the player understands that it can be taken.

Safety and motion sickness

Motion sickness for virtual reality video games is actually one of their biggest problem areas. It is necessary not only to correlate movement with moving objects, but also to create the illusion of moving objects or a character (a simple example is the movement of a train that you see from the window of a stationary one). If you're working with a VR platform, take advantage of the player's physical movement with external cameras, motion sickness will also be a problem. Often this problem is solved by the platforming the player or creating objects that represent the fixation of the player.

Another challenge facing game designers is designing a play space based on the size of the real thing. It is especially acute in open world games. In Playground VR, we made "points of interest", the player moves between them using vehicles, trampolines or hand rockets. This approach avoids injury and equipment damage.

Dynamics and control

The main goal of a player who buys VR equipment is to get a unique experience of increased involvement through the use of their own body in the game. Satisfying the demand is possible only by giving it the appropriate experience and putting it literally at the center of events. Everything that happens in the game should unfold around the player and allow him to interact with the environment.

When you develop games in virtual reality, you have to move away from the usual control schemes — instead of buttons, the player has his body, and often only his hands. The more buttons are used in the control, the more the immersive effect is lost. It would be natural to use only triggers and grip buttons. The main functionality should be carried by movements and the difference in the amplitudes of movement, for example, the use of the distances between the hands as a force for pulling the bowstring.

When creating a game in virtual reality, game designers are faced with the difficult task of diversifying the user's gaming experience and taking a new step in the development of games in virtual reality.

What other features of VR game design do you know? Share your opinion in the comments, let's discuss!

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