VIRTUAL OUTLAW
Overview
Virtual Outlaw is a VR, single player, first person shooter game. Set in the 1800s, in the old west of the United States, the player takes on the role of gunslinger for hire. The main objective is to defeat the outlaws who control the town. This level takes place in Liberty, Missouri; a town made famous for its wild west shootouts. The player must take back the town one area at a time fighting off the outlaws.
Development Info
GENRE: VR FPS
PLATFORM: HTC VIVE, Oculus Rift
Windows Mixed Reality
ENGINE: Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) 4.19.2
TEAM SIZE: 1 Developer
MAN HOURS: 20hrs per week
DEVELOPMENT TIME: 3 Months
Level Design
Concept Layout
Initially, more buildings existed but, players got lost. So there are now fewer buildings and the remaining ones are enlarged. Each of the interiors of the buildings are distinct, making it easier for the players to know their location.
Final Layout
Player starts in a fenced off area in the middle of town in the starting lobby. The menus float in the air. The player can activate the menus by shooting them. The menu options are:
-Start Game
-Credits
-End Game
Starting Lobby
Tutorial Area
Before the player can enter the town, a mini mission appears with the boundaries already turned on. This shows the player where to go. By tapping or shooting a floating contract that acts as a button, the contract activates the mini mission. One enemy spawns which gives the player an opportunity to practice shooting and dodging.
Each building has a defensive position. This is a location the player must defend for a set number of waves while outlaws come from all directions. Each defensive spot has two to five locations from which outlaws can approach. The locations and number of outlaws increase, continuously raising the difficulty until the final shoot-out in the center of town. Doorways and hallways are wider than would be seen in a real world building to allow for easier movement. There is cover in each building for the player to get behind and cosmetic items are placed in the buildings and outside to break up sight lines.
When not being engaged by the player, the AI characters spawn, in waves, in different areas not seen by the player. Each AI then independently and randomly walks through the town. The AI reacts to the direction of the player when shot at or when it come into a direct line of sight with the player. If the AI loses sight of the player, the AI walks around that last area where the player was seen to try to find him but, if not found, eventually quits and returns to its spawn location. Once at its spawn location, the AI once again randomly decides to walk through the town.
Enemy Artificial Intelligence
The AI is programmed to only engage the player when the AI’s sphere overlaps the player. The AI then checks to find out if it can visually see the player using a visible line trace. If so, the AI gets closer to the player, stops and attempts to shoot the player in two second increments. The AI can adjust its aim to hit the player’s head, as the player moves around the physical play space.
Mission
Around the map there are positions the player needs to defend for a select number of waves of enemies. Once successfully defended, the player receives gold as a reward. When defending a position there will be a red outline. The player must stay inside that area for the full number of waves. If the player moves out of the area, or fails to defend the area through all attack waves, the player must start over at the first wave. Along the way, the player may find hidden rewards and health pickups. To secure the town, the player needs to successfully defend all seven areas. The game culminates with a final defensive position in the middle of town where outlaws approach from all directions.
The guns used by the player are instantaneous hit scan while the AI uses projectile guns. This allows the player’s shots to break windows, kill AI, and bust open containers. The AI guns shoot slower, permitting the player to dodge AI’s shots.
Gun System
The player’s guns can break windows into two hundred different pieces. This is using UE4’s destructible mesh system. The player can also punch out windows with his hand. Only the player can see through a window until the window is broken.
