I searched forums and didn't see anything come back on this topic. I am sure it must have been mentioned by now.
Just in case...any word on VR for Pantheon? Hopefully the game is being devloped with this inmind, I can hardly imagine being a Wizard in "their world". Not like these silly VR games and what was done with Skyrim. Sure its cool for "fun", but not for 10 years of game play and immersion. But, in the world of Pantheon...omg, its too much to think about right now , and on Christmas morning!
Lots of VR related posts here in the forums.
You probably want to look at this one where several VR staffers weigh in on virtual reality
https://www.pantheonmmo.com/content/forums/topic/1551/oculus-rift
This has come up a few times in various forums (Champion, VIP, etc.) They've said they're "curious" about it, but there aren't any official plans since we're probably AT LEAST 5-10 years away from that even being viable. MMOs are hard enough to make as it is. Pantheon is made using the Unity engine and Unity does have some compatibility with virtual reality. But it's not as simple as flipping a switch.
It would also probably be better if a game were designed from the ground up with VR in mind rather than trying to translate an existing game to a different platform. And like I said, Pantheon is not being designed around VR because there's just no knowing yet when that would even be practical. So don't expect that any time soon.
Also see:
https://www.pantheonmmo.com/content/forums/topic/1985/pantheon-and-oculus-rift
Thanks for the links and the replies.
After thinking about what it would mean to lose the keyboard and have to use a gamepad styled device...I am not so interested in VR either. I think a rather large screen or monitor will suffice.
When I think about how limited the "games" are on the Occulus and most likely other VR types, the tech just isn't there yet tomake it affordable, immersive, engaging and enjoyable for the long term.
Longer term you ask? I am looking for at least 10 years of Pantheon, hopefully it is build to upgrade, which is what sank Everquest in part.
frdmlover said:Longer term you ask? I am looking for at least 10 years of Pantheon, hopefully it is build to upgrade, which is what sank Everquest in part.
Brad has said that he and all the team members he selected to start Visionary Realms have to be in it for the long haul. While Brad is still proud of EQ, he regrets it not sticking to the original vision, largely because he left after only a few years. So this time, they are committed to seeing Pantheon through to fulfill the vision. And Brad already has a 5-10 year plan laid out of all the features he wants to eventually include in the game. But of course you just have to take it step-by-step. But since there's a plan, you can already start building things with the future in mind in such a way that will eventually allow for the easy implementation of those features. Having so much experience in the industry allows you to futureproof more accurately. So I don't think you have to worry about that :)
HaskarMadnome said:Virtual Reality is fun and all but Pantheon was not planned to be a VR game and that is fine. Turning it into a VR game now would cause just another desaster as Skyrim VR and Fallout VR.
IDK - I thought for the technology as it is, Skyrim wasn't horrible. Certainly, has a long way to go IMO. I would like to see a MMORPG in Virtual Reality at some point once the technology has come along further.
<< SPELLING POLICE >> - Disaster (just poking fun)
Metman said:IDK - I thought for the technology as it is, Skyrim wasn't horrible. Certainly, has a long way to go IMO. I would like to see a MMORPG in Virtual Reality at some point once the technology has come along further.
I agree. I think Skyrim VR is a good application of the technology. But there's a HUGE difference between a single player RPG and an MMORPG. Brad says VR MMO's are a matter of "when," not "if." It is the future. But with the current tech, that "when" still seems too far off to really start seriously thinking about it.
Metman said:<< SPELLING POLICE >> - Disaster (just poking fun)
thanks :) I actually always get that wrong ... hopefully I will remember it this time :) "desaster" is german and "disaster" is english ... I always mix those up :)
back on topic: I played OrbusVR during alpha and I liked it but I'd rather relax in my chair while playing an MMO. I am very lazy too ... that may be the reason why my VR glasses are gathering dust on the wall :)
I also seem to groan a lot ... imagine a full raid of people, all groaning while hitting one mob :)
Current VR technology is better suited to Action games with simple inputs as the controller wands have very limited data modes. The way I could see the current version of Pantheon to be adapted for VR would be to have a the glasses create the 3D environment with the ability to “look down” at a keyboard and mouse overlay that actually maps your physical desk while the mouse moves around the visual screen to activate the UI. All controlls would be as normal just the video output would be modified. This is only rudimentary VR and often causes motion sickness as the eyes detect movement but the inner ear does not.
As far as in the future I think the Pantheon IP would be a great platform to build a true VR game on and with Unity it may be fairly easy. For a full MMO to be fully VR with very little UI the controls will require a great deal of device training where specific movement sequences are mapped to an in game command. These movements will need to be user specific to account for physical mobility differences and will likely prevent people with significant physical disabilities from participating, which would be sad as MMOs are a great way for physically disabled people to have social interaction.
Movement capture cameras for shoulder and hip movement and fully articulated gauntlets with accelerometers and the ability to detect individual finger movement could push a lot closer to the SAO vision that many of us are drooling over the idea of. Sadly the complex and expensive hardware required to make VR fully immersive also makes VR prohibitively expensive and difficult to implement in non-commercial spaces and HTC VIVE has already been shown to be too expensive for mass adaption.
Battelle NeuroLife™ is some very interesting research that is the first true step to the SAO NerveGear where UI less fully interactive games require only a headset and allow for users to remain stationary. Gamification of Battelle NeuroLife™ is easily 50 years out as it still requires a chip to be implanted in the brain and the brain wave mapping is only a piece of the puzzle but it is the first real step.
There may be a viable hardware/software combination somewhere between the HTC ViVe and Battelle NeuroLife™ NerveGear that will enable a good VR MMO but it hasn’t surfaced yet in my opinion.
P.S. Totally banking on stationary VR being my main occupation from my late 70s and on.
Trasak