This was a big one!
I hoped to split these into individual updates, but each feature relies heavily on the other so the end result was a longer wait and a bigger update.
To summarize, this update includes:
- Changes to the VR control scheme on all platforms (Vive, WMR, Oculus and especially the Valve Index)
- A new 'clone toggle mode' interaction style for VR
- New item-hover UI for both VR and PC
- Big improvements to how the hover UI works for VR controls
- A public event 'demo mode' which simplifies the game and makes it easy to show to people in a public demo environment
- PC hotkeys to show VR button prompts in-game (also for public demo mode)
- A system for blocking all train interaction, which means you can move around your layout without pushing/touching/highlighting/accidentally picking up any trains
- A whole new system for tutorials, which uses visual button prompts for VR controllers, help images, and much more descriptive information than before.
- 4 new tutorials to replace the old ones, which are: Basic movement, basic train driving, train interaction and using the edit tool. More tutorials (e.g. for track) will be added ASAP.
- Access to tutorials from the pause menu (no longer just the main menu)
- New teleport restrictions (e.g. walls and locations that would make your eyes stuck underground) to help improve the VR experience
- New UI icons for teleporting (e.g red ones for invalid teleport locations)
- Plus many other minor visual and control scheme changes for VR and PC
So as you can see a lot of little 'Quality of Life' stuff packed into this update! (especially for VR).
The reason for this is because I am going to be showing Rolling Line in VR at a public event in Auckland here in New Zealand very soon (on the 19th and 20th of December).
So the VR controls have gotten a nice big tidy-up, and a proper 'demo mode' has been added, to streamline the process of showing the game in a public event.
[h2]VR control scheme and SteamVR input changes[/h2]
Previously the VR teleporting system worked in such a way that you had two buttons, one for 'teleport in large scale' and one for 'teleport in miniature scale'.
Well this has been changed to a system where one button is 'teleport in current scale' and the other is 'switch between large and miniature scale'
Keep in mind you can still use the old binding system!
Since Rolling Line uses the SteamVR input binding system this means you can re-bind the controls manually yourself.
The 'teleport in large scale' and 'teleport in miniature scale' button bindings are still available to use, they have just been unused in the new default control scheme.
You can learn much more about the SteamVR input binding system in this guide:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2029205314
Also, if you have manually changed your VR bindings in the past, make sure to reset them to default after this update!
If you dont then important bindings will be missing!
[h2]Valve Index control changes[/h2]
The control scheme for the Valve Index controllers has been vastly improved in this update!
Teleporting now uses forward on the joystick (as with most other VR games) and the grab locomotion input is no longer tied to the hand itself, and much more.
Please play the new "basic movement" tutorial to get a full rundown on the new VR control scheme!
[h2]New 'item hover' UI[/h2]
The popup UI you see when hovering over an item (e.g. a prop or train) has been changed quite a bit. When playing in VR your joystick will now smoothly display which option you have selected, and swiping the joystick right to the edge will select it.
On the vive controllers touching the touch-pad will show which one you have selected and clicking the D-pad will select it.
This new hover UI also has a line connecting the popup options to the item they are coming from, which makes it easier to see what item you are interacting with.
The height of the hover UI has also been balanced across all items in the game.
[h2]Clone toggle mode[/h2]
There is now a new interaction style called 'Clone toggle mode'
You can turn this on in the VR options menu, but it is on by default for the Index controller.
What this does is replace the "context up" action with an option to toggle 'clone mode' on and off. while clone mode is active picking up the train/prop/track will instead clone a copy in your hand, and the "push left/push right/reverse" options for trains are replaced with "clone left/clone right/remove"
This option was made to solve two problems:
- when using the index controllers, cloning an item (using the trigger) would put a copy in your hand even though you weren't actually "holding" it (with your fingers closed) which was very messy.
- switching between "push left/push right" and "clone left/clone right" required changing settings in the menu, which is not ideal at all.
If you would like full instructions on how "clone mode" works, turn it on in the VR options menu, then play through the "train interaction" tutorial. If you have the setting enabled the the tutorial will automatically give you instructions on how to use it (instead of the default cloning system).
[h2]New tutorials[/h2]
Something Rolling Line has needed for a very long time: a re-do of the tutorial system!
The old in-game tutorials were made in a rush before the games release, and were always severely lacking and were very confusing and uncomfortable to use.
The new tutorial system makes use of images to show what you need to do, as well as much more detailed descriptions. When in VR you also get visual highlights of the buttons you need to press on the controllers!
These newly made tutorials are also much easier to follow and are split into easier to understand steps. At the moment there are only 4 tutorials:
- Basic movement
- train driving
- train interaction
- using the edit tool
But it is now a high priority for me to add more for other much-needed topics like track editing and the painting system.
These new tutorials can also now be accessed from both the main menu and the pause menu, as well as from directly within demo mode.
[h2]Demo mode[/h2]
Another major part of this update is a 'demo mode'
What this means is a simplified game mode which is designed for doing public showings of the game at events (or even just showing your friends the game for the first time).
Inside this 'demo mode' the menus are all simplified down, controls are limited and you can easily switch between all of the official maps and access tutorials.
Train interaction is also disabled (which means you cannot pickup or push trains) but you can re-enable this from within the demo mode menu.
You can enable demo mode directly from the pause menu at any time by clicking the "enter demo mode" button on the left.
Once in demo mode, simply go to "options -> exit demo mode" to disable it again.
While inside demo mode in VR you can also make use of a feature where pressing the number keys (1-6) on your PC's keyboard will give a button hint in-game.
e.g. pressing '1' on your keyboard will make the "interact" action highlight on the VR players controllers.
This is incredibly useful for showing other people how to play in VR!
The button options are:
- 1 - interact/use
- 2 - pickup/drop
- 3 - grab locomotion
- 4 - teleport: current scale
- 5 - teleport: switch scale
- 6 - menu button
- 0 - manually restart game
[h2]'Blocking interaction' setting[/h2]
Something simple but actually very useful that has also been added is a setting for "block interaction".
When this is enabled, you cannot highlight or interact with any trains. This is especially nice on PC if you just want to view your layout in large scale without editing trains.
You can still drive trains in this mode (both with the controller and in the cab).
This new setting is in the "Pause menu -> gameplay -> Block train interaction" menu.
[h2]Everything else[/h2]
As well as all of this, here is all the other loose-ends which were not mentioned above:
- If you drop a train/prop/track piece while holding the trigger (placing it) then it will be placed, instead of dropping out of your hand
- Teleporting is now blocked in vertical surfaces and locations that will cause you to be stuck inside the terrain
- Invalid teleports now have a unique red icon
- If you are holding teleport with both hands, then once one hand teleports then the other teleport is automatically cancelled so you dont accidentally teleport twice
- If you are missing crucial SteamVR input bindings then the game will give you a warning message. Remember to reset your input bindings to default after this update if you have manually changed them yourself!
- the "map colors" drawer has been removed, since new features (like cloning colors directly off props, and custom drawers) have made it redundant. If you still wish to use it then you can add the launch tag "-showsavefilepaints" manually in steam
- Fixed some Z-fighting graphic bugs in the magazines
- Adjusted the distance of interaction for VR hands
- Fixed the "grab locomotion" SteamVR input binding which was previously incorrectly used
- Fixed a bug with snow plow particles being stuck active when trains go off-screen
- Adjusted menu spawn locations
- Color correction and AO are automatically reset to defaults (this only happens once)
- Taking a screenshot now auto-enables "block interaction" mode, so no more highlighting trains in thumbnails!
And that's everything!
What a long and dense news post. There's tons of great quality of life features in this update, so regardless of whether you play on VR or PC im sure there will be something useful. This update managed to address lots of long-requested fixes and improvements.
If you play in VR i highly recommend giving the new tutorials a try since the control scheme will be different to what you remember.
The next update will hopefully be something a bit more fun and less technical!
Enjoy!
