Half-Life: Alyx (formerly: Half Life 3 is coming??)

RPS have done up a performance tweaking guide

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/03/23/half-life-alyx-vr-performance/

mrcheez

Deleted User wrote: »

It has the most seamless control scheme I have played in a VR game without question.
I'm not fiddling with controllers or lifting my headset trying to figure what controls this or that.
The gloves themselves are an indication of perfect game design.

Yeah that flick and grab motion of the Gravity Gloves is pure genius.

Even the reload mechanic of the gun is very good. Normally I'm not a fan of the fiddly nature of reloading, but this one feels great: reaching over your shoulder and popping in a cartridge, then pressing a button to lock it in.

None of that fiddly "sliding back the top of the gun with 2nd controller" mechanic that doesn't work great in other games. The loading adds tension when in the midst of battle.

Also notice how your hands and guns don't go "through" objects? When your gun hits an object the controller vibrates to indicate a tapping sensation.

Retr0gamer

I'll trade 2 loaves of bread and a 12 pack of Charmin ultra for an Index set.

mrcheez

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I'll trade 2 loaves of bread and a 12 pack of Charmin ultra for an Index set.

There's no need to go Index though, you can go cheaper and it's still incredible.

I'm playing on a Quest with Link, but the Rift S is cheaper and even better.

pixelburp

So there any good Let's Play out there for this? Specifically one without too much head bob? I tried watching one there this morning but VR on Youtube is a bit blergh inducing ...

mrcheez

Head bob is gonna be unavoidable as it's literally attached to someone's head

Tested's review and also their playthrough is good I've found

Homelander

Absolutely

mrcheez wrote: »

There's no need to go Index though, you can go cheaper and it's still incredible.

I'm playing on a Quest with Link, but the Rift S is cheaper and even better.

There are a few reasonably priced Rifts on Adverts at the moment as well.

TitianGerm

Homelander wrote: »

There are a few reasonably priced Rifts on Adverts at the moment as well.

I don't think I'd buy a VR headset second hand. Same with headphones.

I'm planning a PC upgrade in January from my 1700 and RTX 2060 but I might get the Rift S now so to spread the cost out.

Doge

How are you guys turning in the game?

I tried disabling quick turn but there seems to be a bug the developers are aware of in that it does not disable it!

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/fno0z1/half_life_alyx_so_theres_not_smoothturn/

I might wait for an update that fixes smooth turning as i dont want to be wrapped up in my Rifts cable!

mrcheez

Doge wrote: »

How are you guys turning in the game?

I tried disabling quick turn but there seems to be a bug the developers are aware of in that it does not disable it!

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/fno0z1/half_life_alyx_so_theres_not_smoothturn/

I might wait for an update that fixes smooth turning as i dont want to be wrapped up in my Rifts cable!

I've just been turning irl and walking around a 2x2m playspace I've dedicated to Alyx. Screw dining room furniture

Got tangled in my Link cable alright so gonna test out VD and wireless later.

Dyr

Doge wrote: »

How are you guys turning in the game?

I tried disabling quick turn but there seems to be a bug the developers are aware of in that it does not disable it!

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/fno0z1/half_life_alyx_so_theres_not_smoothturn/

I might wait for an update that fixes smooth turning as i dont want to be wrapped up in my Rifts cable!

I'm hoping there's a way to disable all movement modes except your preferred one because I can't see me sticking in this if I keep finding myself teleporting and quick turning by accident

The environments and general smoothness are excellent, the dialogue is cringe inducing, and most of the controls for the original vive controllers are not great.

That said, I've only had a quick blast but so far it so-so

Pretty much every game in VR has realised that the intuitive mag release for a gun on the vive is the down pad in your gun hand, but valve gotta valve, its the stupid side paddle.

Sierra Oscar

Just taking a break after my first three hours in game.

I'm impressed to say the last. This is by far the best VR game experience I have had to date. It's in a different class entirely to the other VR games I have played, non-comparable really. It certainly sets a new standard for VR.

The interactivity with the real world is incredible. The physics just feels so much more natural than the likes of the Boneworks experience too, picking up items and so on just feels so fluid. It looks class too!

johnny_ultimate

The sequence where you get the torch for the first time is a thing of beauty.

johnny_ultimate

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

The sequence where you get the torch for the first time is a thing of beauty.

It really was. I literally said this is "awesome to myself".
Then I

proceeded to freak out as head-crabs attack from all sides

Bambi

Bambi wrote: »

I'm hoping there's a way to disable all movement modes except your preferred one because I can't see me sticking in this if I keep finding myself teleporting and quick turning by accident

The environments and general smoothness are excellent, the dialogue is cringe inducing, and most of the controls for the original vive controllers are not great.

That said, I've only had a quick blast but so far it so-so

Pretty much every game in VR has realised that the intuitive mag release for a gun on the vive is the down pad in your gun hand, but valve gotta valve, its the stupid side paddle.

Harsh!

Dyr

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Harsh!

But fair thus far

mrcheez

https://steamcommunity.com/games/546560/announcements/detail/2100307193365928745

Seems they've added smooth turning!

I'm actually going to scrap my Save game and start again.. I don't want to upgrade my pistol with the infra-red sight ... felt much better/rewarding shooting the gun without the sight addon.

pasta-solo

mrcheez wrote: »

https://steamcommunity.com/games/546560/announcements/detail/2100307193365928745

Seems they've added smooth turning!

That's great news! That would have been my only (very minor) quibble so far, delighted they fixed that very quickly.

This game is fantastic - I'm only about three hours in, and I'm already looking forward to my second and third playthroughs.

mrcheez

pasta-solo wrote: »

That's great news! That would have been my only (very minor) quibble so far, delighted they fixed that very quickly.

This game is fantastic - I'm only about three hours in, and I'm already looking forward to my second and third playthroughs.

I wonder if the Source 2 VR engine will enable developers to create lots of new addons or spin-offs, like the way Counter Strike developed?

Was there any talk of free DLC?

Gonna get back at this tonight. I'm gonna try switch up the control scheme somewhat and see if I can stomach full motion.

TheValeyard

This game is a lot of fun. I spent a stupid amount of time smashing windows on the train.

Back to my old habit of checking every locker, every box, every container for loot.

Dyr

mrcheez wrote: »

https://steamcommunity.com/games/546560/announcements/detail/2100307193365928745

Seems they've added smooth turning!

I'm actually going to scrap my Save game and start again.. I don't want to upgrade my pistol with the infra-red sight ... felt much better/rewarding shooting the gun without the sight addon.

I might go back too

That optical sight is awful, the iron sights were way more accurate, apparently in this dystopian future you need a machine to remove/add sights to a pistol

tbh theres one dev games that have implemented firearms better than this, why the hell am I stowing magazines on my back when I could have them on my hip like a normal person?

mrcheez

Bambi wrote: »

I might go back too

That optical sight is awful, the iron sights were way more accurate, apparently in this dystopian future you need a machine to remove/add sights to a pistol

tbh theres one dev games that have implemented firearms better than this, why the hell am I stowing magazines on my back when I could have them on my hip like a normal person?

I actually like the over the shoulder grab so there's no phantom gunclip hovering below me slightly disjointed from my real body position.

I also like the button reload mechanic rather than sliding left controller over the top to manually reload (and consequently smashing my two controllers together).

One thing I would say is there is no recoil in the gun, but maybe future guns have fixed recoil?

Thargor

Gah ChristopherOdd has started his Lets Play series of this, I dont have the willpower not to watch it but I know I have to save this as the killer app when I make the leap to VR...

Sierra Oscar

After finishing HLA I'd say we may never see a non-VR Valve game again except for the likes of DOTA / Artifact. Wouldn't surprise me.

B.A._Baracus

Absolutely

Gotta play this.

May I ask, what is most people's hardware specs. Might just buy something online since I'll be home a lot in the upcoming weeks.

johnny_ultimate

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

May I ask, what is most people's hardware specs. Might just buy something online since I'll be home a lot in the upcoming weeks.

RTX 2060 Super with an ageing CPU (i5-4690) and 16gb RAM. Runs on medium with no bother (have read the differences between the different settings are pretty minimal).

Sierra Oscar

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

After finishing HLA I'd say we may never see a non-VR Valve game again except for the likes of DOTA / Artifact. Wouldn't surprise me.

I'm on chapter 5. Took me about 6 hours. I'm exploring everything.

How many chapters?

Also **** chapter 5 lol I Need a new pair of jocks

B.A._Baracus

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Gotta play this.

May I ask, what is most people's hardware specs. Might just buy something online since I'll be home a lot in the upcoming weeks.

Ryzen 5 2600, 16gb Ram, Rx 5700 using the Rift S at medium settings.

BlitzKrieg

ryzen 5 3600 16gb ram and a rtx 2070 using a classic vive and wand controllers, I actually dont know what settings its running at, whatever it defaulted to but have had 0 framerate issues and I've been streaming it pretty much everytime I've played without any issues.