A New start for Panther VR!
Hi Everyone,
It has been a strange year for us all. The world is still different than it was one year ago, but after months of hard work, we can finally reveal the new and first update (0.1.1) for Panther VR! The Interaction update includes a lot of system reworks, fixes, performance updates, and even some new features and mechanics! It has been quite the ride for our 2 man team these past few months, but we are proud of what we have achieved and we can’t wait to see what you think!
Panther VR is still our passion project and we have so many ideas for the future of the game, like new mechanics, levels, weapons, gadgets, security systems, etc. We would love to maybe explore the possibility of co-op or to bring the game to the Quest. (but that is a future talk for now). So you must imagine that 2020 started great after the Kickstarter for Panther VR! While we were extremely grateful that we could start working on this project, the whole Covid situation quickly changed that forecast. It put a big strain on our workforce and budget. The whole situation forced our hand to bring Panther VR to Steam Early Access last year.
While we were happy that we could finally bring Panther VR to the public last year, the release left us with a bad taste. We were not satisfied with the state and quality of the game on our first EA release, and it did not bring to life what we had in mind for the game. Sure, the general gameplay was present, but the controller and interaction (the basic foundation of a VR game) was broken and incomplete. So we quickly made a plan for ourselves after that initial release.
Instead of working on a new update to add more content to an incomplete foundation, we wanted to start over with a clean slate as you would say. To bring Panther to a higher quality level for VR as you would see in current VR titles. So we began a long journey to remake Panther to a level that we are proud of, and is worthy of our amazing community. While Covid did not make things easier for us, and it took more time than expected, we pushed onward and we are ready to give you this first update for Panther VR!
The interaction update brings a full rework of the interaction with the world around you, with new and improved hands and animation. Move, run, crouch, and vault with the new Movement system. Store items and gadgets in your backpack, and weapons on your belt with the new Inventory system. Reload your weapons with the new physical reloading and ammo system. Get yourself started in the game with the new introduction and tutorial level. Plus many more: like performance increases, Spectator camera, and new headset supports including Quest 2 for PC.
We want to thank you all for your patience and amazing support for this project. This first update will be a new start for Panther VR! It has so much potential and we believe in an amazing future for this project! 2021 will be a lot better with more amazing new content and updates after this fresh new update!
Have fun!
-Wolfdog Team
Why did it take longer than expected?
- Covid Situation
The lockdowns and curfews took a big toll on our development process. The whole dev process was forced on a pause for almost a month, and when we were finally able to work from home, it did not make things a lot easier.
I myself tested positive for covid in late October and was forced into complete isolation for almost a month. I’m really grateful that my symptoms were not so severe, but recovery took some time.
- Total rework of everything we got
We removed the old interaction system, and build and integrated a new one from the ground up. Work that was necessary for the future of the game. We could not build the whole game on the old broken system, so a new system was required for future updates and we added some new mechanics in the process as well. In Addition to the big rework, we also updated the engine of the game.
- Small team of 2 People
our team only consists of 2 people. While we have a lot of people surrounding and supporting us, the real work comes down to just the two of us. (including me) We broke down the plans into “smaller’ steps in our roadmap. But even these smaller steps take a lot of time with 2. Especially the huge amount of rework we did for this new update.
- Some side jobs
We are not a large company with unlimited resources. So we needed to do some small side jobs to keep working on this passion project possible. There are still bills that need to be paid. We wish could work full time on this project, and we still hope that this will change in the future. :)
Read More: Panther VR - Dev Blog 10#
What is coming for the future?
Now that this first update is up and running we can finally focus on the future of Panther VR. Since the moment we started this project our list of stuff and content we wanted to see for this game kept growing. And with this new foundation to the game, we can start to look at that long list and bring new content and mechanics to the game! Our goal is to bring more frequent updates to Panther VR this year!
Next update: 0.1.2 Security Update
After we did a full rework on the interaction, there is still one big part of the game that we would love to change up. The guard AI and the way the different detection levels are handled are on the top of your priority list. The guards in the current version of the game are still using an old and dumbed-down AI system. In this next update, we want to rework how detection works, making guards more independent by bringing out their own search parties and giving the option to return a full alert back to normal with different and more steps between not detected and full alert. More information about this in an upcoming dev blog!
- AI Rework Guards and SWAT
- New Detection system
- New Weapons and gadgets
- Return of Lockers and lockpicking!
- More to come!
Added: Interaction System
Interaction is core for any VR game. That is was missing the most in the first version of Panther VR. That is why we did a full overhaul of the interactions system. We removed the old clunky arms and replaced them with responsive hands.
One of the biggest changes however is the item interaction. You are now able to fully grasp the items you pick up. Every item has its unique pose while grabbing, so no more floating items or strangely placed fingers. We’ve also added full physics to each item, so you will be able to knock stuff over or build small towers out of soda cans. It is still possible to grab objects once your hands are near them, but we also reworked the ranged system as well. Complimented by a GUI and hover over the indicator, items will now float smoothly into your hands once you grab them from a distance.
Functionality:
- Operations Center: Select missions (more functions added in future updates)
Read More: Panther VR - Dev Blog 6#
Added: Inventory System
Introducing: the Backpack! The Backpack serves as a physical inventory system in which you can store items, melee weapons, and Loot. The Backpack is located behind your head and can be grabbed by holding down the grip button.
Inside your Backpack you can find a certain amount of slots for Items and melee weapons, sorted into different tabs. You can bring all small items with you, including Melee weapons and loot. So next time you come across a guard, there might be something very useful in your backpack.
We also included a Quick store and Auto store function for the backpack. When you grab the backpack, you can also put items in the auto slot at the top which are automatically stored in the first empty slot. For even more convenience you can also use the Quick store function. Without holding the backpack, you can just grab and put an item behind your head to automatically store it in your backpack!
Details:
- Added Backpack as inventory behind your head
- Store Items and loot in different tabs
- Quick store items directly in the backpack by holding it behind your head
Read More: Panther VR - Dev Blog 7#
Added: Movement System
We have reworked our movement systems to smooth out the old system, and we added additional systems like running, vaulting, and crouching. Making it easier to navigate around.
Running
We now added the option to sprint. YOu can move faster by pushing both the thumbstick forward. At this time you can sprint indefinitely and without making a sound. But this will change in the future.
Vaulting
You can now vault over or jump on waist height objects. It uses the same controls as running, making it also possible to quickly vault over stuff while running.
Crouching
In addition, to actually physically crouching down, we also added the option to press to auto crouch. This will lower the player to crouch height, making it easier to move through air vent or to hide behind cover, without crouching yourself. You can press on the thumbstick to crouch down.
Read More: Panther VR - Dev Blog 9#
Added: Weapon Interaction
Based on our own experience in the game and on a lot of feedback from the community we decided to give this system a full overhaul. While the old system was more fast-paced, we are moving to a more “realistic approach” with a physical weapons system. All your weapons will be stored on your body/belt and the quick select system will be removed from the game. We have added 2 belt slots (left/right) for small firearms, and a large weapon slot on your back/ You can quickly draw and store your gun and Rifle.
Next up is physical reloading and handling. Then you need to grab a new clip from your ammo belt (instead of moving the weapon to your belt) and physically put the new mag in your weapon. Once inserted, you need to pull back the slide of your weapons to put a bullet in the chamber. You can eject a mag or cock your gun whenever you want.
Details
- Store small weapons on hip and large on back (Removed old system)
- Added Physical Reloading
- Added Ammo belt and ammo count
- Added recoil when using rifle one-handed
Read More: Panther VR - Dev Blog 8#
Added: Tutorial level
In the old version of Panther, you were instantly thrown into the game without any information whatsoever on what to do or who you are. That is why we are adding a Tutorial level. This level serves as an introduction to the story and the game for first-time players.
When you start the game for the first time after this update, you will go through the introduction. This consist of the following things:
First-time Setup
We have added a first-time setup screen in order to select your movement preference for the game. This will make the available options more present and will let you choose how you want to play the game. It is an easy and quick setup with information on different playstyles. You can change everything later in the options menu.
Story Introduction
Next up is the story introduction. We have a lot of ideas and lore ready for the Panther VR universe. We hope that this introduction will set the stage for who you are in the game, and introduces your fellow team members and characters.
Tutorial Level
There will also be a tutorial/training session that will teach you all about the current mechanics of the game. Each step will learn how you use your weapons, how security works, and how to complete a mission. So that when you start your first heist, you know what to expect! This also introduces you to our new ingame character: Z, the Hacker of the Crew (voiced by Joe Goffney)
Added: Spectator Camera
Streaming, sharing and content creation are a big part of the VR community. However direct capture from a VR game can feel clunky and zoomed in. That is why we added a spectator camera to the game. You can find this new feature in our new options menu. Once this is turned on, the camera on your pc screen will change to a better FOV and also includes a smoothing for head movement. This will make the footage on-screen much better to look at or to capture for youtube or twitch. We set an optimal setting for the game, but you can freely adjust the FOV and smoothness level.
Details
- Added Spectator Camera for Content capture
Added: Options Menu
We also revamped the options menu. We gave it a fresh new design and look, and added more functionality. First, you needed to point towards your watch to open the menu, but now you just need to hold the secondary action button on your off-hand controller. We added new tabs for different categories like audio, movement options, and spectator options. More options and tabs will be added in later updates. Details - New look for Options
- Now accessible with off-hand secondary button
- Added options for Movement, Spectator, Audio and Controls
Added: Visual Improvements
One thing we did in addition to the rework was a small update to the visuals of the game. We updated the shaders, lighting, textures, and materials for the game. This visual update adds more depth to the environment and brings an extra touch of realism to the style of the game. Here are some screenshots which show the difference in style. We are looking forward to improving it even more in a future update.
Details
- New Shaders
- More lighting
Read More: Panther VR - Dev Blog 10#
Changed: GOHL-S
The Gohl works fully with physical interaction. You can eject the mag with the action button, then grab a new magazine from your belt and insert it in the gun. Pull back the slide on the weapons to complete the reload. We also added an ammo counter on the side of the gun and the magazines. You can store your gun in one of the small weapons slots on your belts.
Weapon changes:
- Added Physical Reloading
- Added Ammo counter on side
- Added 2 New slots on belt to store small weapon
Changed: FELDT M33
The Feldt also works fully with physical interaction. You can eject the mag with the action button, then grab a new magazine from your belt and insert it in the gun. Pull back the slide on the weapons to complete the reload. We also added an ammo counter on the side of the gun and the magazines. You can store your rifle in the large weapon slot on your back.
Weapon changes:
- Increased Ammo count to 20
- Added Physical Reloading
- Added Ammo counter on side
- Added New slot on back to store a Large weapon
- Added more recoil when shooting with one hand
Changed: Grappling Hook
We ironed out some bugs with the grappling hook, making it more reliable on use. You can still use the grappling hook to connect a rope to a grappling point.
Gadget changes:
- Fixed Issue where it shoot a rope through the wall
- Removed flying bug on grappling hook
- Added a gadget slot in the Backpack
Developer Comment: We have some big plans for the grappling hook for a future update. Making it more useful in different situations. We would love to see a grappling hook which can be used to connect ropes to different locations, object, and even guards.
Changed: Scout Drone
We made some adjustments to the drone pad that controls the drone. You still need 2 hands to control the drone, but you don't need to hold them together anymore. The pad consists now of 2 Controllers stuck together. Grab one of the controllers with the other hand to start the drone control. A screen will appear next to the controller on the first hand.
Gadget changes:
- Changed the drone pad visually
- Don't need to hold the hand together anymore
- Added controls information to screen
- Increased drone speed
Added: Loot Markers
Exploration and looting will be a big part of Panther VR. One that we want to expand greatly in the future. For now, we added extra visual cues to show what items are important to loot and take with you. You can find this glow on Loot, special items, and ammo.
Details:
- Added Green Markers for loot
- Added purple Markers for special items like keycards
- Added colored markers for ammo types
Developer Comment: We are looking for a way to possibly add a tab for gameplay options to the game in an upcoming update. This gives you the possibility to turn off these markers to give yourself an extra challenge.
Added: More (Non)Lethal Weapons
After the introduction of the Wrench and the (fan favorite) screwdriver, we could not wait to add more melee weapons to the game. So we are adding the first wave of new melee weapons to use in the game. These are both lethal and nonlethal weapons and they can be found all over the level.
It is also now possible to hold small knifelike weapons with the blade pointing downwards. Making it easier to stab guards from behind (or front). You can also store weapons in your backpack to bring them along for later use.
Details:
- Added New Lethal Weapons (Scissors, Axe, Boxcutter, Kitchen knife)
- Added New NonLethal Weapons (Baseball Bat, Measurestick, hammer, Crowbar)
- Now possible to store melee weapons in your backpack
- You can hold small weapons in both directions
Added: Ammo cases
With the addition of the new physical weapon interaction system, we are also adding Ammo cases to the game. You can find these ammo cases all around the levels. Put these ammo cases in your backpack or directly in your ammo belt to refill your ammunition. Ammo is shared for each weapon type. Meaning that if at a later point, we added a different rifle, it will share the same ammo with the Feldt.
Details:
- Added Ammo Boxes for Pistol ammo
- Added Ammo Boxes for Rifle ammo
- Put ammo box in backpack or ammobelt to refill ammo
- You can find ammo around the whole level
Added: Props and items
Now that we have a new interaction system, it would also be nice to find more items to interact with. That is why we also added less important items to play around with. Cups, mugs, a tape roll, and other random stuff you can find around the heist locations and hideout. These props will make the world feel more alive and interactive. More interaction will be added in later updates.
Details:
- Find random props around the leve
- Try the basket ball in the hideout
Changed: Objective Locations
The EA release introduced the player to our mission structure. You always need to steal the main objective that is locked away in a secured Vault. You can choose to complete 2 side objectives in order to unlock the main objective or force your way in by welding the vault open.
In the first and only level that is currently available (new levels coming up), The main vault could always be found in one location, and the secondary locations could only be found in a handful of random locations. With this update, we made it possible that the Vault will spawn in different locations. We also added a large number of new locations for the secondary objective to spawn.
These changes will increase the replayability greatly, making each heist, feel different.
Details:
- New Random Main objective locations
- New Random Side objective locations
- Increased replayability
Changed: Security Guard
The guard will see some changes in this update. We can to the conclusion that the guards were mainly responsible for the frame drops and performance issues. That is why we skinned them down to increase performance. This change will make it possible to increase the number of guards present in the game. This number will be calibrated carefully over future updates.
We also made some adjustments to where you can find a guard in the scene. We added a huge amount of new patrol routes. Guard will also be more present around objective locations. Since we want to focus more on stealth, we made it less easy for the guards to call in SWAT.
Details:
- More guard in each level
- A lot more patrol routes
- Guard will be more present around objectives
- Less advanced (for now), but better for performance
Changed: Heavy Guard
Every change for the normal Security Guard will also apply to the Heavy Guard. We increased change you can find a Heavy guard, and we also increased their health. This makes them more dangerous.
Details:
- Same changes as Security Guards
- Increased health
- Increase spawn amount
Changed: Security Camera
There are some minor changes to the Cameras. We increased their health, so they will need some more shots before they are destroyed. We also increased the amount you can find at each level.
Details:
- Increased health
- Increased spawn amount
Developer Comment: The security cameras are also on our list for the next update (0.1.2) We want to fully rework how detection and cameras work. They are quite unforgiving for the player when they immediately call SWAT when they detect you. We want to change this in the future. They will also be more intelligent, like spotting bodies, etc.
Changed: Keycards
With the addition of the inventory and interaction system, we have also changed how keycards work. In the old version, you just needed to pick up a keycard, which would instantly open all the locked doors in a level. We now made it possible to put keycards in your backpack.
You are now required to physically swipe a keycard next to a lock to unlock the door. So make sure you bring that keycard next time you find one!
Details:
- Keycards can now be stored in backpack
- Door need to be unlocked by swiping the keycard
Changed: SWAT
Every change for the normal Security Guard will also apply to the SWAT. We have also increased their health to make them tougher. We will change their AI in the next update.
Details:
- Increased Health
Developer Comment: While SWAT is a good Endgame mechanic for those who want to force their way into the vault, we love to see some changes in how they work and when they arrive. This will be changed in the next update. Making SWAT the final option, only when you start welding the door. We also love to see a more stealth approach when SWAT arrives at the scene. They can now always find you. Stealth and hiding should be an option in the future.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed Grappling Hook Through the wall issue
- Fixed various Level misplacements
- Fixed Second amount of performance issues
- Fixed Floating Drone issue
- Fixed Weapons Stuttering Issues
- Fixed Failing Mainobjective Triggers
- Fixed Hard to reach Climbing Locations
HOTFIX 0.1.1b
(ADDED 15-03-21)
- Added Support for Quest on Virtual Desktop
Special Thanks for testers
The last couple of weeks we got some amazing help from the community to test out the new features and mechanics. They gave some great feedback and helped us track down and fix a big list of bugs and issues. So special thanks to these community testers: Fealix, Pepie, TjBread, HOUDINI, SLPY, Duckman, bigrips97, S1ade, madfoot3, duarc, ccdeltabeta, Ryan H, F1sivids and the goose is loose!
We will continue community testing for future updates. If you want to join these amazing group of people and helps us test out new content, join our discord and let us know!
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!
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Developer page
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Thanks
Thanks for all the support and feedback from our amazing community. This update is made possible by you guys!
