Should hear two years ago when wanting to make VR product, I am excited and unusual. I also feel very open-eyed after two years, we can be overcome unexpectedly so many unprecedented obstacle, saw this play on Steam eventually.

" lucky night: VR of heart city playing cards " (Lucky Night:TExas Hold'em VR) -- the name of our game, the likelihood is the oddest item in my profession career. Although had experienced tide of sea of lead plane digenesis, smartphone, also had encountered 3DS this kind of sword goes slant sharp edge " innovation designs " , but never resemble VR equipment same, let I must be examined afresh and think to bring the influence of the user interactively. And we do, it is the game of playing cards of city of a heart nevertheless.

When the investor when the whole world and developer are discussing the experience revolution that VR place brings actuationly, I am given box up by two pieces of simple playing card however. The person can complete the person easily action scratching a card in reality, I resemble an uncontrollable small muscle group baby, cannot find the operation method of the most appropriate VR. Our project development is slow, the trial and error that many time is used in interactive mode and reframe on.

But, these seeing seem the time that is wasted and energy, it is worthiness. When " lucky night " when finishing, I also found among them key it seems that. To those two pieces of playing card in heart city playing cards, our alternant operation experienced the change of 3 administrative levels, let me face the challenge in the future to become have hope more.

Ground floor: " every day heart city " move -- try old way

Make VR game for the first time, I also am without main threads of an affair.

Like a lot of people, I in true bring into contact with VR equipment is mixed before the product, also having a lot of highbrow idea to virtual reality. But it is the heart city playing cards that does a VR merely, when so simple task is placed before, beat however I. The reason is very simple -- idea is too much, and hardware limitation is too much.

Of the project initiative, we hope to be able to login as far as possible much platform, include the VR platform of PC and mobile phone. Much platform can attract more users admittedly, but also restricted a design conversely. At that time the Gear VR of equipment of mobile phone VR of the mainstream, the body sense like supporting similar Oculus Touch and Vive inputs device, because our product must be basic standard with satisfying mobile phone user, this makes the cannot help doing on the operation gives all sorts of compromise.

The input means of VR basically has 3 to plant at that time -- traditional handle, head tracks handle of sense of cursor, body. No matter be tradition or body sense handle, need additional facility, and helmet is necessary however, because this operation of our product undertakes a design around helmet.

This is our earliest prototype, it is target platform with Gear VR

Imagine according to mine originally, even if can use helmet only, the game of VR also should reflect the point that gives its extraordinary. Accordingly I imagined many using rotational head and cursor, undertake with playing card, chip interactive idea. Staring at chip to be able to grab for instance will be thrown away.

Listen go up very modern? The stylist that does VR like a lot of first time however is same, rapid before still walking without the society move runs, the result can be to throw a fall only. The blemish of inchoate VR hardware, the result that makes these archetypal fares badly. Reality coerces I return the most traditional way to come up -- with new facility map classical design.

Follow-up version more " raises a key point "

The history that reviews game discovers not hard, when every time new hardware appears, at the beginning game always tries first duplicate, reductive old interactive mode. This is the method with a kind of effective economy. At the same time I also discover, on inchoate VR platform, also appeared many mode of operation and tradition do not have the game of 2, for instance " EVE: Valkyria " . There has been the game of playing cards of city of a heart on Gear VR at that time, be called " Casino VR " . Its interactive mode is very primitive, very effective also, turn all option into the UI on the desk key-press namely, choose through head pilot cursor alternant.

Then I abandoned curious and eccentric interactive attempt, absorption first " every day heart city " the UI in accuses, conscientiously ground is moved in VR world. This development process is very successful, because group member is experienced old hand, to such demand nature be nothing difficult. In carrying a process of course, also need to be done to VR use setting a few optimize and adjust. Suffer neck of be confined to to be able to turn for instance angle and effective perspective, UI accuses many concentration to be in certain limits, the position of camera lens also avoids a player as far as possible to want to lower his head to operate.

" Casino VR " interactive mode makes game medium is to lower his head to choose accuse player

This is us the product of the first edition, the game of poker of VR heart city with each very whole side. Yes, I at that time feel to look from each respect, this product is quite complete -- the operation is traditional pattern, should have game experience only can begin; Setting is VR, this looks more charming than mobile phone screen; You can survey the attitude of adversary through IK even, and prefab chip in, animation seeing a shop sign also lets development works and present the result very satisfactory. Everything appears very perfect, should wait only on the line went.

However the fact is, this one edition and our end item is having great difference, we overthrew its design finally entirely almost.

This some had it seems that in this version

Where is the problem? The interactive mode that depends on it is not VR.

Invite boss, fellow worker when me, extremely when customers will try our play, their feedback is consistent almost -- the operation understands very easily, play cards in VR quite fresh, what each respect does is pretty good, just why I do not play on the mobile phone " every day heart city " , should and rather than wear this fuggy helmet?

Do you think such play chess really?

I realize the problem is in very quickly -- I am turned helmet controls the interactive mode becloud of cursor, the mode of operation that thinks this kind differs with the tradition, it is the demand of VR user. And true condition is, since people won't rely on to staring at the pushbutton on the table to come in reality card games, won't want to learn such experience in virtual reality more. They need the directest way and world to communicate.

Then my design is overturned came again.

Experience summary: Classical design is in VR still effective, but the user does not want this

" biochemical crisis 7 " the UI of VR edition interactive mode is a tradition

The 2nd: Follow to play cards really same -- reductive and real world

We adjusted the platform of game and development engine later. Because want reductive a course of true heart city playing cards, because this suffers the Gear VR that be restricted to be abandoned temporarily on the operation, the attention of whole project is centered on Oculus and Vive.

Although the controller of Oculus Touch and Vive is having a lot of approximate designs, but the difference on detail, bring not little trouble to operation design instead. For instance the Trigger key of Touch and Grip bolt, feel is close to the handle of family expenses machine, can use to the top of one's bent so. But because the Grip of Vive is digital signal, key-press tactility special also at odds, make most developer intended avoid to use this key-press. And when the alternant key that needs two above when our game, grip bolts the one catastrophe that became Vive version is inscribed.

Our countermeasure is such, operation method cent is three-layer -- plan of map of fundamental movement, hardware, operation.

List all foundation act that the likelihood in VR uses first, include to catch, put, throw, collision, procrastinate move etc. Next these fundamental movements, in the light of different hardware input equipment has map, form a corresponding concern. In operating program finally, all actions that need in heart city playing cards, the shop sign sees commonly in including the game, seize card and chip, choice chip, throw chip and card, let a card wait a moment, the fundamental movement of corresponding and different combination. The input information of every such hardware, can find corresponding fundamental movement, the combination of these movements, what what can need in generation game is alternant.

" lucky night " add note plan

Actual application is more more difficult than what come in the imagination. Ferial in look be like simple random movements, when the analysis meeting discovery is comprised by a lot of tiny movements. We meet these petty action possibly at ordinary times oversight, but when projecting toward VR world, ability can discover their existence. Twist in what poker game middling sees for instance card movement, can be decomposed a certain number of petty action -- catch card, forefinger to make fulcrum, rotational playing card, left hand protect a card.

I at the beginning practice, have these a few petty action namely reductive, strive to let a player experience most the movement of detail. Twisting the card operates program at first is such:

The hand nears area of playing card collision, spark the response of playing card prepares. Press Trigger key, the act of the card is caught in imitate reality, turn next artifice, when corner coming back exceeds a certain value, spark twist card incident, playing card is worth switchback along with roll.

This is I think oneself very elaborate scheme, will twist every link of card movement considers, as far as possible reductive every small petty action in reality.

Try the result that play actually?

Try the person that play people expressed breathed dissatisfaction to this kind of multifarious mode of operation above all, if not be me,coaching aside, do not have a person to be able to make this one motion well. It is the operation of key-press next, cause easily with another movement -- the conflict that scratchs a card. Both need forefinger and power of big toe hair in reality, differentia depends on card of one one or two be being pressed on the desktop only, another should grab them. In VR, this distinction became the hand that presses Trigger key to whether leave the collision area of playing card. But players can do not have interest to your collision area, its are they always grab as a result the card in the hand, the peep person that is gotten on by the edge sees a with nothing left.

Completely reductive the detail in every reality, not be the solution with the most perfect VR certainly.

Experience summary: As far as possible imitate is true movement, can promote an experience the effect considerably, also can let an user be at a loss

three-layer: Allow a card naturally -- the action with real abstraction

And twist the problem like the card, also go out to look now communal card and let a card go up. The movement that I hope to allow a card also resembles " 007 royal gambling house " in cheesy in that way, so I let rectified piece of table to become those who allow a card to detect area, the player wants the perpendicular height on the table to exceed fair value twice only, can spark allow a card. Its try or of the person that play to be not done forever namely as a result give this start, or just should be added in him when noting, sparked.

Trustily is reductive and actual medium movement, still was short of one pace from ultimate goal it seems that.

The game effect in ideal

Thinking in me when this is short of the one ring that break, I saw a such data. In epoch-making game work " GTA3 " development is earlier, the group that make was spent full 3 months grab car system simply to go up in. They also were experienced in those days arrive from 2D in the revolutionary change of 3D, they handle the way that scrapes a car, before following me, treat twist the shop sign is very similar. They used a very complex key-press setting, come reductive the each detail movement that grabs a car, its are the system does more complex more as a result, begin difficulty is taller and taller.

Rockstar spent 3 months time, make clear eventually the principle of backside, what then we see finally is a so classical and concise design -- approach a car, press a key, receive go down the system will help you automatically finish open the door, help a person, on car, close a series of movements, the car is yours.

Should do subtraction, come out true core movement abstraction!

A compact system developed 3 months

Return me to twist the card is operated badly afresh on, what is the core of this movement? Not be to scratch a card, not be a fulcrum, not be to protect a card, turn however! In process of playing cards of city of whole moral character, twist the card needs a player to turn with such pose only artifice, this is the core movement of this operation.

The job after finding core movement is much easier. My system becomes concise and strong -- the hand stands by playing cards, turn, playing card can lift one share in place. Without other and redundant movement, also won't with the conflict that scratch a card, this makes us OK even vacate energy to make different card face news for these two kinds of movements synchronous job. Try the also is like anticipation as a result satisfaction that play, everybody is OK and relaxed make satisfiedly twist the movement of the card, and my word also did not say.

The operation that allows a card also experienced similar change. Knock desktop is the core movement that allows a card, but if do not tell him you are OK so do, a lot of people can not think of this. And the CHECK icon that I put a holiday on the table, the person that let all trying play the first know what he should do, even if he is knocked in other place also is same result actually.

Let a person want to press the circlet that go is encircled uncontrollably

All movements with our medium finally game, satisfied such requirement -- the rule of the movement in according with reality already, made the abstraction of abstraction again. Below major case, try the person that play to be able to use a these acts self-consciously, do not need more study. Change numerous brief link, the product that lets us achieved expectant result truly, this ability had " lucky night " appear on the market opportunity.

Experience summary: The movement that makes a person subliminal make, just be good operation

In designing a process, I consulted many congener VR products, some propagandist video let my Jing be day person, but pass careful observation, discovering however just is prefab animation, when developer is devising operation plan actually, also encountered same question certainly. Hope my note can bring good help to each colleague, be did a little work.

Everybody can try this free play to Steam shop " lucky night: VR of heart city playing cards " (Lucky Night:TExas Hold'em VR) , see an operation go up to still have interactively what kind of the place that can improve, try better design program.