The Aurora Wager V4 (And What’s Next?)

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Download The Aurora Wager V4

Changes

Features

  • Split-screen multiplayer support (just technically though, no real gameplay changes yet)
  • In-game graphics and input configuration screens
  • Overhauled wind field system (smoother, more variation, some interesting anomalies, less prone to crashing the physics engine)
  • Overhauled wind graphics (More particles, longer trails, wider range, optimized performance)
  • Linux version now comes with both 32-bit and 64-bit binaries

Tweaks

  • Balloon altitude is limited to 3000 meters (~10000 ft.)
  • Flag now rotates with wind direction
  • Fuel amount per canister cut in half

Fixes

  • Fixed grappling hook becoming huge when latched to gondola (controls still suck though)
  • Many performance optimizations

Known Issues

General

  • Input remapping procedure breaks the remapping controls to use the triggers on the Xbox 360 controller (remap these last, restarting the game fixes this)
  • Performance takes a hit when playing split screen

Linux

  • Mouse cursor cannot be locked due to a Unity bug. (Recommend playing in full screen for now)
  • Fog graphics fail to render properly in some cases
  • Rope graphics fail to render properly in some cases

So apart from the addition of being able to push one another out of the gondola in split-screen multiplayer this is mostly a big maintenance release.

Linux users are getting a pretty poor deal with V4 as you can see in the list of known issues. Really sorry for that guys! The graphics glitches I can fix, but the mouse-lock issue is one that requires us to wait for Unity to roll out a new version of their editor.

Let’s Give Volo Airsport Some Love

Right, so I’m back on Volo Airsport now! Volo V3 is outrageously, shamefully and unfashionably late and that’s a wrong that needs righting. What to expect? Here’s the gist:

Since my Oculus Rift experiments have been very successful I’m including basic support for it in V3.

I also created a lot of code for Aurora that will be ported over (wind systems, physics-based character walking system, balloon buoyancy and custom rope joint physics, optimized aerodynamics code, in-game input configuration screen, and so on.)

Other than that expect a better map (perhaps a couple of them for good measure), multiple spawn points, better performance, bug fixes, and some other things.

Blue skies, and thanks for playing!

Site Update

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I finally updated the site to the latest, fixed version of WordPress. Welcome back to hyperlinks and media embeds! I also organized the header so downloads for both Aurora and Volo are now easier to find. Those download pages will always point to the files you need.

Below all posts you will now find that Disqus is used to handle all our discourse. If you’re wondering where all the old comments have gone: They’re still here, just hidden. I’ll try and import them into Disqus in the next week.

I’ve set up a Feedback and Feature Request Page using Uservoice. I’m using their free plan just to see if I like it, and it only supports The Aurora Wager right now. The idea is that you can submit ideas for both games, or vote on existing ones. Popular ideas bubble to the top, and if we like an idea enough we can commit to putting it into the game. Keep in mind that this is just an experiment for now, but if you have some feedback for us please take a look there! It also has a knowledge base on which I posted a guide on reporting crashes and bugs)

An avid Aurora Wager player called Sam created a Wikia page for The Aurora Wager, check it out!

In typical Tinus fashion The Aurora Wager V4 took longer to create than promised, but it’s pretty much done. Some highlights:

  • Split-screen multiplayer support (just technically though, no real gameplay changes yet)
  • In-game graphics and control configuration screens
  • Improved wind field system (more variation, anomalies, less prone to crashing)
  • Improved wind graphics (More, longer trails, optimized performance)
  • Fixes to grappling hook physics
  • Flag now rotates with wind direction
  • Fuel amount per canister cut in half

Look for it this week! (Yes, definitely.)

After V4 is out I’m back on Volo Airsport for a bit. It needs love, and I have love to give.

Oculus Rift

I received my Rift developer kit this weekend! I’ve played around with it a bit, and have started adapting the code for integration into Volo and Aurora. First impressions: moments of intense wonder mixed with moments of intense seasickness. I’m excited, but there’s lots and lots of caveats. More detailed post coming next week!

News & Updates

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Press!

The Aurora Wager (and Volo) got features on Rock Paper Shotgun by Craig Pearson, check it out!

I got contacted by Alan of Oculus Hut. He inquired about my plans for supporting the Oculus Rift head mounted display, and whether I had experimented with the Razer Hydra motion controller. I totally do, and I totally did! (See our Armed & Dangerous prototype)

I ordered the Rift on the first day the Kickstarter launched, so I should be getting my development kit real soon. I’m really excited to bring it into Volo and Aurora and see what happens.

Alan kindly offered to list The Aurora Wager on his website, take a look!

Update!

I’ve pretty much finished the split screen audio and input configuration plugins. Finally! I’m bringing them into Aurora for a trial by fire, and Volo follows immediately after that. Once that’s done it’s back to making features. Sweet, sweet features.

I’ve also started experimenting with procedural terrain generation, and am really excited about the prospects. I had already have a ‘huge-world’ streaming system for Aurora, but with only a small selection of islands it gets kind repetitive after a while. Doing terrain procedurally will hopefully allow much more variation while keeping download sizes small.