9:20 that is actually way more interesting and fun than him just immediately opening fire. he could have just been sent to guard the door, but then he sees some random person open it
That is actually like a proper game humor, like the sort of stuff you'd find in a good game with a high budget. Doesn't break any fourth walls, is not too unrealistic, but is funny nonetheless.
@@frederikvincent2159 Use OVR Advanced Settings on Steam (free) and use Floor fix and the height adjuster to set your height. This will change your height in game no matter what the game thinks and makes it easier.
When valve was designing half lie alyx they ran into this exact problem "At least some of the testers got their comeuppance. As Coomer explains: “We would get hard to reproduce bugs from players banging their virtual head on low-hanging pipes because they were unable to teleport through certain areas. It was only later on that we realised all those bugs were coming from our taller colleagues.”" www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/07/tall-half-life-alyx-testers-struggled-with-low-hanging-pipes-and-devs-thought-it-was-a-bug/
14:33 wait, I haven't heard anyone talk about the new liquid physics in the health syringes! It looks SO much better than the weird 3d-ish shader business they had originally.
I’m fine with teleportation, it’s just that when teleporting is done in rapid succession, multiple times a second apart or less, or when it catches me by surprise. It’s very nauseating and eye straining to watch. Moments like 2:30 are a lot more watchable, probably because you give a short ~1 second pause while holding down the teleport button before letting go. It gives me time to prepare. Compare this to 1:09 which makes me want to squint or look away. Hope this is useful feedback
I actually have to agree aswell. Initially I was thinking that the people complaining about teleportation were overreacting, but when it was being done in rapid succession at 1:09 with the constant blinking, it was making me squint.
I used to have the same problem until I played VR. Having played a ton with tp movement at this point I have 0 issues looking at the footage so I guess that's the problem
Using the teleport is completely different. You're in control so it feels natural and you don't notice the blink when you're used to it. Shame Alyx doesn't have an option to change it from a fade to black to just a hard cut so it doesn't flash for spectators
I'd be very interested to see videos of you working with the HLA editor. Maybe not full blown tutorials like your old 3kliks videos (altho I still would still enjoy those) but maybe just videos about you experimenting with VR level design. If you do make an entire map, consider a de_sparity style series about the creation.
This video actually made me realize how huge of a missed opportunity it was to not officially release HLA Editor along with HL:A. Source 2 was initially marketed as a "mod-friendly" engine, so I would assume it wouldn't take too much effort, and it would boost both the game's and VR headsets' sales significantly. Considering that the main concern about VR is the lack of a large library, if this editor came along with co-op support, it would be a jaw-dropping deal. It would be like Portal 2 for VR, and it would be awesome.
@@Slimek Yeah, but pretty much nobody even knows it. They could seriously market that tool alone to highlight the possibilities. That tool alone could be the strongest selling point of the game to many people.
Teleport's been growing on me, but a big gripe I've just realized watching this video is the "blink" effect. Normally, this isn't an issue with the darker default maps, but these brighter buildings in these custom maps cause an annoying contrast with the darkness when the screen blinks out for a teleport. It kinda hurts my eyes.
Yeah, it was probably a bad idea of Valve to make the blink effect completely black. Maybe it should've been a sorta average color of the whole visible scene instead, that would be much less eye-straining.
Bailey Xavier is right. Putting your ideas on paper first helps a ton, launching Hammer without a clue of what your map is supposed to look like is a nightmare and will make your experience a bad memory.
I'm working on a puzzles-focused Half Life Alyx map to get used to the editor and out of ideas for how to make my level look, I'm just copying the floor layout of the Undead Asylum from Dark Souls. It was immediately a lot more fun than trying to think of things on my own, and has taken me straight past the annoying planning part of map making and straight into the enemy placement, puzzle layout, and all the other fun stuff that I don't normally ever get to when I start projects like these.
From what I've heard, its better to have a map with less content (puzzles, combat, hazard-clearing, etc) that looks beautiful than a map with more content that looks unpolished. VR is made for immersion. You wouldnt want to always be fighting 24/7 in real life, and especially not in VR, so include break segments to take in scenery or non-verbal exposition. Most of all, plates vigorously. Mapping for VR is much more based on comfort and design than intricate mechanics.
I find teleport movement to be nauseating both in VR and while watching on RUclips. Smooth movement works perfectly fine for me, but for some reason smooth turning is a problem. I think VR games are always going to need to offer multiple movement options because everyone has different comfort level even with lots of time spent in the headset.
As an old man, I'll tell you - the teleport starts to hurt my eyes after a little while in a video like this. I imagine it would not on the hardware itself.
Honestly it does, especially with high contrast changes, I think it is due to the fact you really can go from pitch black to bright light due to no ambient room light. I dont understand why some people find smooth movement bad for extended sessions though
Shit I'm eighteen and it hurts my eyes. I personally use smooth motion in VR, but teleport is cool too, but on video smooth is definitely highly preferable to teleport.
Teleport is ultimately cool in person because you know when you expect yourself to teleport. Ironically, humans are much better adjusted to immediate teleportations rather than smooth sliding with no vestibular feedback, so teleporting instantly will always be comfortable in person. But it's not when you're watching from the outside, and sliding is more immersive. There really can't be the best option for everyone - I'm one of those people who can slide around without a hint of motion sickness for hours, but I'm lucky that way. Not all people are.
Oh now THIS is the kind of thing that makes me really wish i could get my hands on VR, because I was basically born to create VR Maps full of stuff to play around with vs full coherent levels.
Did you see kliks video about lenovo windows mixed reality? While some VR systems are obviously expensive, the most important thing is to just get into VR by whatever you can afford
I had the same problem with feeling like I missed something in the Hotel level because the puzzle to activate the elevator first requires you to do a puzzle in the next room, then go back and do the next one. When I heard the "you completed the puzzle" chime the first time, I was like "OK elevator is done", but then it wasn't and I was confused for a bit. This was made worse by the control panel behind the painting, which I didn't see at first. I think this map suffers the same problem - you complete the wire puzzle, then have no idea what tf you're doing or what you need to do next.
I absolutely love how expressive you are when playing these VR games, it's actually I thing I have noticed with many of your videos (Not just VR) And I find it really funny and unique! Keep up the great content Phillip, you've got one of the most professional RUclips channels I have ever seen on this site :)
This is so legitimately and intoxicatingly interesting it's sickening. Dealing with source maps but now in an entirely different console from keyboard and mouse after also living with said keyboard and mouse carved source maps for over 15 years of it is like drinking water to breath, and inhaling to hydrate. It's so mesmerizingly fun and involving that I'd contain the very field of art you put in this video as an SCP.
I respect your choice to continue to use teleport. I honestly find watching it sort of epileptic and jarring, but when you have control, it must be very different. Also your critique on the second level and the way you prefaced it was excellent.
I realized how combines in this game is so different, in HL2 they were serious soldiers with cold blood killing everything overwatch sounds tolds to. In HL alyx they have more personality, which I like. Valve does his thing
It's unusual that there are no subtitles on this video, which reminds me to thank you a lot Philip since I always prefer to watch videos with subtitles and you always make sure to include them in your videos so thank you a lot for putting that much effort in small things like subtitles and timestamps in each videos.
I hate subtitles when I can understand the language very well and it is infuriating that RUclips on mobile turns on subtitles for EVERY video, even though I turn them off EVERY time.
About the pathfinding, at the time with the SteamVR tools we couldn't really do path finding, like at all. The way it works in alyx is simple, but not like anything we've seen before so before the official workshop tools pathfinding didn't work very well
Making/playing maps for hla seems like a great video gold mine! I'd love to see more content like this, or on the quirks and interesting features of hla/source2 you might discover when making or playing maps for it! Great vid as always!
Watching a Vr Gaming Video with Teleportation is like lagging on a Twitch stream. (I just ordered my first vr headset "rift s" cuz of hl mods and levels sow in a sense, it is a vr seller)
@@ChaseTheVerb i haven't spent much time playing vr games, so maybe it'll improve the more i play. also depends on the game, in alyx i usually play for like 1-2 hours, but in beatsaber i can play for like 4.
12:07 This comes from two textures surface overlapping, it can be negated by 1. Moving one forward/backwards a bit 2. Move it so it has a more seamless appearance 3. My favorite, just cover it with props.
Personally, I have a tough time playing VR games without locomotion. Teleporting just takes away from the immersion for me. Locomotion definetpy takes some getting used to though. My first 20-30 hours in VR were filled with lightheadedness. I never experienced nausua, but it would really mess with my irl perspective after long play sessions.
For me I have a stomach lined with graphene in terms of vr, so I’ll have a better time using smooth locomotion for many hours, than using teleporting at all.
I use smooth movement whenever I can. Personally I find jumping kind of jolting and disorienting. I do think that is a "me" issue not a issue with the game or movement style.
It's a play on the phrase "copy-pasta'd", which in itself is meant to mimic "copy-pasting", obviously. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copypasta#:~:text=A%20copypasta%20is%20a%20block,to%20be%20similar%20to%20spam.
I finished this game yesterday after playing it for 8 hours in one day because I got so hooked. The best game I've ever played no doubt, and I've played A LOT of games. Looking forward to future mods and maps for this game.
Imagine watching this as a first video from his channel, and seeing the liquid in the syringe behave so realistically as he showed, and then becoming interested, checking his other videos and seeing he made on the liquid physics as well! You'd be so excited to find all you needed from a RUclipsr you really enjoyed!
11:40 I like how the Heavy Shotgun Guy actually turns and looks at the guy for a second to see his tank has been shot, I wonder if that is coded in to react on stuff like that. Edit: 14:53 Yep definite reaction to that, Heavy was just to slow on his ass to move away.
1:13 fair anough and understanable however i will say atleast a small fraction people commenting are comftable with smooth move since i'm lucky enough to be in the subset. Though i most people i know prefer teleport so no hate for that
I've been playing through a ton of custom HLA levels, and I've got a lot of mixed opinions about them. Combine Presence was pretty impressive for not having any tools, but I found myself frustrated to load up new maps and find that they look more amateur than the Source 1 maps I made in middle school. I think the biggest criticism I have for the current wave of Half Life Alyx maps is that most of them are too large, but nearly all of them would play better as a Half Life 2 map. Alyx is fun to play because enemies are always coming at you from different heights and directions and luring you out of cover. Sticking 4 Combine in a box with me and one piece of cover might make for a dynamic fight in Half Life 2, but in Alyx it's repetitive and simplistic. So far, the Workshop map I've replayed the most is the Valve-uploaded combat example. It's just one shootout in one area, but there's so much different stuff going on that it plays out totally different every time. I think a lot of mappers could learn a lot about encounter design from this one arena, because Alyx has so much more to offer than being "half life 2 in VR".
After playing Half Life Alyx a couple months ago, I don’t think VR will ever be mainstream. I cannot accurately predict the future, but I really can’t see other than a few examples where VR flourishes. Half Life Alyx serves as the best example of what can be done in VR, but these player made levels go on to show how limited VR is.
"I expect VR games to get less forgiving" They are tho slowly, I was an early adopter of vr with original Vive, and only now I've seen games poppin up that are not aimed at casual players at all, like Pistol Whip or Until You Fall. Both are, even on easy, really brutal.
The reason people don't like teleport is the jarring nature of it when displayed in a video. In the game when you're experiencing it firsthand and in control of the teleporting, it's very natural feeling and easy to get used to. On videos you can't predict when the exact breakoff point of the teleport will be and so your brain recoils out of confusion any time you see it. The instant frame shift almost feels seizure inducing when done multiple times and quickly. It's like watching a movie scene with too many jump-cuts.
teleport is good because it doesn't induce motion sickness as much as moving does. but smooth moving is 100% better tbh, just makes you sick real easy when doing crazy movments, especially if you are new to vr.
I have no problem with you (or anyone) using teleport because you use what you want. tho myself im sure i'll use the smooth movement because teleport is too epileptic
The flickering textures you saw was called z fighting and as someone who has made an open world vr game it is easy to miss a lot of them until you playtest your level. And most of the time it is pointed out by playtesters.
Ya I play all my VR content with smooth movement only, and smooth turning. I can play for over 4 hour sessions, and don't stop because I get sick, just because I get sweaty lol
Hearing that Philip prefers teleport make me feel a lot better about myself. I can play smooth motion for only about 1 hour until I get uncomfortable. Teleport is a lot easier to play with.
If you feel more comfortable teleporting than smooth moving, means your fps is low. On Index I hate teleporting, smooth moving is way more comfortable.
Kinda off topic but about the teleport thing in the intro, i actually use vr (used to have a quest for a while but i got link set up) and i allmost exclusively use smooth movement, teleporting is just really bothering for me but i can't argue with the fact that teleport is more sustainable for longer playsessions. It's allso important to mentions that i haven't played alyx yet but i'd imagine that i will still play with smooth locomotion because i can deal with slight motion sickness (and that is for lower quality games than alyx).
Smooth locomotion feels great in Alyx, and you also get the ability to teleport with the right stick at any time. Great for combat scenarios and just getting around.
I've ordered a VR Headset just for this game, I was a map maker for HL2, TF2 and dabbled in HL1 map making. I can't wait to get my hands on the game, then get down and dirty making maps for it.
the fact that turning a corner becomes a problem in VR makes me think that VR was a mistake. along with the fact that it's so expensive. expense will go down in 10 years but... that's 10 years
I’m excited to see an HLA hard mode mod, that triples or even more the number of enemies you fight with only a moderate increase in ammo. I loved the combat sections with the combine, they felt like real gunfights, but imagine if you had to kill 9 people instead of 3?
1:10 I disagree with this :) To each their own, and I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion and try to tell them what they should prefer, but I'm convinced that smooth movement is just something to get used to as you spend more and more time in VR. I'd wager that most people who stick with teleport have just found it more comfortable from the get-go and end up just staying in that happy-place forever, instead of investing enough uncomfortable time in smooth movement for it to become more comfortable.
1:15 Raising my hand in disagreement with you as someone with ~50 hours in this game and who has been playing VR since 2016. I cannot stand teleport. I only use it when I want to zip around fast (like when backtracking), otherwise it just takes me out of it too much. I have no problem with 4+ hours of smooth locomotion, even though this certainly wasn't the case when I first started playing in VR.
@@2kliksphilip That's a good question. At first there weren't many smooth locomotion games; all I had was VRChat. First time I must have only played like 15 minutes because the smooth locomotion made me feel queasy. The second session was a bit longer and eventually I was doing two-hour sessions already within the same month. Of course, VRChat was prone to dudes with "funny" avatars lowering my framerate to like 11 just from being in the room. Even now it's uncomfortable, but I wouldn't say it makes me "sick". I think playing games like Elite Dangerous or Air Car (a free one which I recommend) also helped build my tolerance
I personally enjoy smooth movement in VR games. For some reason teleports feel a bit jarring to me. Alyx's shift teleport feels a lot better than most games, and kind of makes a happy middle ground for me
Is the sound more to the right in this video or am I going slightly deaf in my left ear? Apart from that, absolutely amazing video! I love seeing you judge maps!!
i love making half life alyx maps but competitions are too much pressure. This is probably why i could never complete game jams, great video though Philip :D
two things valve needs to add to alyx is the option to turn tutorials off (pretty sure that dosen't exist in settings) and extend the range on the multitool rewire thing
The turning problem is *EASILY* solved by getting a pulley system, they're $20 (AUD, probably cheaper in USD) on amazon and allows you to freely move throughout your room without getting tangled up by hanging the cable above your head, my one I've had for 6 months and when in VR I don't even know it's there, it stretches out when I walk away from the center of my room and contracts when I come back.
My hope for VR mapping is that there will be streamlined tools that help with gameplay, such as auto-scale checkers (checks to make sure that each doorway is ~7 feet tall, or that you won't pick up a 2-foot tall bottle) and maybe better texturing tools. If the mechanical aspects can be aided and quickened, it can help mapmakers focus on visual immersion by giving them more time to focus on skyboxes, props, and scripted events like birds flying. Also give more time to check the VR factors, like rooms being too dark, or being overwhelmed in a fight that would otherwise be fine on mouse + keyboard. Remember, you're not a CSGO terrorist shooting CTs with professional skill and IRL recoil management. You're *you*, trying to fight off the Third Reich from Hell.
As for the broken pathfinding: They are all in a thin hallway. Recall a commentary node in HL2 Episode 1, where they talk about adding in a second hallway next to it to MASSIVELY improve the pathfinding. AI just don't like corridoors. This person could have learned from that but they didn't.
This is such a fascinating watch, I feel so lucky to see the early days of Half Life Alyx maps and vr maps in general! I was much too young when Half-Life 2 was new it's so great to be able to see people getting used to making maps and levels in VR over the next few years( and hopefully the rise of VR Gaming in general!)
Hi Philip! I recently acquired Half Life Alyx and I was worried I wouldn’t like it. I’m not a very uhh... hard to scare person. I just got through the hotel and am in the construction site, and so far, despite the bugs and kinks of oculus link, I’ve had a blast! I probably wouldn’t have bought HL:A if it weren’t for you. Edit: I forgot to mention how much I hate headrcabs, so imagine my disappointment when you come across a smaller version of that one bit after ravenholm. And then you also need to teleport down there. Ngl, I spent a good 5 minutes in the dark just telling myself it was time to go.
You mention Teleport vs Smooth movement, and I'd like to take a moment just sit right there... I just want to shill Arm Swinger in Hotdogs, Horseshoes and Hand grenades. It is my preferred form of VR movement. I can play for hours without the slightest hint of VR sickness. You should try it.... there is a program on steam called Natural Motion which allows you to do a similar thing in every other VR game... but it kinda sucks is why I specifically bring up H3VRs version of it.
Smooth movement is much better than teleport. I fucking hate seeing everything vanish just to reappear in a different spot. Smooth feels way more immersive imo, I only get dizzy when I walk while crouching. Also, using walls is a no no unless you're using smooth movement, because having to point to one side and then to the other takes way too long during a gun fight.
I feel like I'm the only one that adores smooth movement xD I don't really get motion sick in general. The only time I remember even feeling something like that, was in the car as a little kid when I was playing on my phone under a blanket for like 4~5 hours. I actually find teleporting really disorienting, even in a game like budget cuts. Not to mention how cumbersome it feels for me to always have to DO A THING to move. I find comfort in a good old joystick. I'm just used to having my thumbs control my legs I guess xD
Jeez teleporting is the worst. How could you think a jump cut to a new location in VR makes it a "better" experience. The only reason for using it IMO is because you suffer for VR nausea and simply cant use the obviously and objectively more immersive smooth travel locomotion system. Teleporting at this point in VR is considered archaic. Hell even in the "Museum of Virtual Reality" in Boneworks there's an exhibit with a caveman teleporting and saying how its how ancient VR used to work lol
![NOSFERATU - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters December 25](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nulvWqYUM8k/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for playing my map! I haven't seen that crashing issue before but i'll look into it.
How do we know you made it?
Probably cuz in the description it says mc1_sox and he liked it lol
H
Ok
@@eskohc984 you good bro?
9:20 that is actually way more interesting and fun than him just immediately opening fire. he could have just been sent to guard the door, but then he sees some random person open it
That is actually like a proper game humor, like the sort of stuff you'd find in a good game with a high budget. Doesn't break any fourth walls, is not too unrealistic, but is funny nonetheless.
Reminds me of something they did with the guard who let you into that station in Half-Life Echoes
@@specman2370 man that game is so fuckin fun
That cracked me up! What a smart little touch.
*HOLY SHHHHHHhhhh*
_bang_
i love how mappers now have to take people's real life height into consideration
I’m 6’7 and most of maps are a nightmare i have to Crouch throughout half the maps :((
@@frederikvincent2159 Use OVR Advanced Settings on Steam (free) and use Floor fix and the height adjuster to set your height.
This will change your height in game no matter what the game thinks and makes it easier.
When valve was designing half lie alyx they ran into this exact problem
"At least some of the testers got their comeuppance. As Coomer explains: “We would get hard to reproduce bugs from players banging their virtual head on low-hanging pipes because they were unable to teleport through certain areas. It was only later on that we realised all those bugs were coming from our taller colleagues.”"
www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/07/tall-half-life-alyx-testers-struggled-with-low-hanging-pipes-and-devs-thought-it-was-a-bug/
Swaggersouls...
@@wenelol A man so short that tripmines are no threat.
I bet 20 years from now people will be making 'retro vr maps' that specifically have few corners to trigger nostalgia
Hi Miz
insane ^^
You here?
14:33 wait, I haven't heard anyone talk about the new liquid physics in the health syringes! It looks SO much better than the weird 3d-ish shader business they had originally.
oh so they added their booze shader to that too? nice
I don't quite remember how the original looked though tbh
though injecting air into your bloodstream isn't a fun thing to do :(
@@wagtatou Hooray for air bubble cardiac arrest!
@@wagtatou probably got a filter for that before injection, i mean it IS future bullshit space technology, who knows.
@@wagtatou I mean, it's not good for you, but it is fun, I'll usually sit there shaking up my syringe before injecting myself
I’m fine with teleportation, it’s just that when teleporting is done in rapid succession, multiple times a second apart or less, or when it catches me by surprise. It’s very nauseating and eye straining to watch. Moments like 2:30 are a lot more watchable, probably because you give a short ~1 second pause while holding down the teleport button before letting go. It gives me time to prepare. Compare this to 1:09 which makes me want to squint or look away. Hope this is useful feedback
I actually had to look away at the high rate teleportations he did.
I actually have to agree aswell. Initially I was thinking that the people complaining about teleportation were overreacting, but when it was being done in rapid succession at 1:09 with the constant blinking, it was making me squint.
I used to have the same problem until I played VR. Having played a ton with tp movement at this point I have 0 issues looking at the footage so I guess that's the problem
Using the teleport is completely different. You're in control so it feels natural and you don't notice the blink when you're used to it. Shame Alyx doesn't have an option to change it from a fade to black to just a hard cut so it doesn't flash for spectators
@@mar2ck_ Could use the blink movement instead. (I wouldn't myself, I hate blink movement)
9:24 that death was magnificent!
He scrambled like an egg and folded like an omelette
I'd be very interested to see videos of you working with the HLA editor. Maybe not full blown tutorials like your old 3kliks videos (altho I still would still enjoy those) but maybe just videos about you experimenting with VR level design. If you do make an entire map, consider a de_sparity style series about the creation.
I would love that
This video actually made me realize how huge of a missed opportunity it was to not officially release HLA Editor along with HL:A. Source 2 was initially marketed as a "mod-friendly" engine, so I would assume it wouldn't take too much effort, and it would boost both the game's and VR headsets' sales significantly. Considering that the main concern about VR is the lack of a large library, if this editor came along with co-op support, it would be a jaw-dropping deal. It would be like Portal 2 for VR, and it would be awesome.
@@Yveldi the editor is out though
@@Slimek Yeah, but pretty much nobody even knows it. They could seriously market that tool alone to highlight the possibilities. That tool alone could be the strongest selling point of the game to many people.
9:20
when the combine see Gordon Freeman bunnyhopping through the coastal segment AGAIN to get the WR
Haha very funny J R the mod
this time its alyx but alyx can tp
Teleport's been growing on me, but a big gripe I've just realized watching this video is the "blink" effect. Normally, this isn't an issue with the darker default maps, but these brighter buildings in these custom maps cause an annoying contrast with the darkness when the screen blinks out for a teleport. It kinda hurts my eyes.
Yeah, it was probably a bad idea of Valve to make the blink effect completely black. Maybe it should've been a sorta average color of the whole visible scene instead, that would be much less eye-straining.
@Den Notver Why do you think so?
yea the blink effect is a bit sickening to watch
@Den Notver It's great as a compliment to smooth locomotion, to quickly traverse spaces you've already been through once.
@@peacemaster8117 I'm fine with other people preferring teleport, but I wish Valve just included a spring button, even if it would be somewhat slower
I love RUclipsrs in vr, its more unique since everyone has different body language
Mapping is hard. I have yet to design a good level. I have immense respect for every mapper and game developer.
Try sitting down and mapping out your ideas on actual pen and paper
Or just copy an old Doom map and edit it slightly, that's what a lot of people do
Bailey Xavier is right. Putting your ideas on paper first helps a ton, launching Hammer without a clue of what your map is supposed to look like is a nightmare and will make your experience a bad memory.
I'm working on a puzzles-focused Half Life Alyx map to get used to the editor and out of ideas for how to make my level look, I'm just copying the floor layout of the Undead Asylum from Dark Souls. It was immediately a lot more fun than trying to think of things on my own, and has taken me straight past the annoying planning part of map making and straight into the enemy placement, puzzle layout, and all the other fun stuff that I don't normally ever get to when I start projects like these.
From what I've heard, its better to have a map with less content (puzzles, combat, hazard-clearing, etc) that looks beautiful than a map with more content that looks unpolished. VR is made for immersion. You wouldnt want to always be fighting 24/7 in real life, and especially not in VR, so include break segments to take in scenery or non-verbal exposition. Most of all, plates vigorously. Mapping for VR is much more based on comfort and design than intricate mechanics.
2kliksphilip out here really trying to hide history smh my head
JOKES ON YOU I WATCHED THE WHOLE THING WITH BAD AUDIO HAHA
@Ye Cheng Cai lmao
Shit I missed it by a minute
Same, it really wasn't that bad. Just in the middle it sounded like he walked away from the mic for a minute lol
"Im kind of half expecting him to blink or to be jolted to life, but thankfully he didnt - becauase i would probably have shat myself" hahaha same
I find teleport movement to be nauseating both in VR and while watching on RUclips. Smooth movement works perfectly fine for me, but for some reason smooth turning is a problem. I think VR games are always going to need to offer multiple movement options because everyone has different comfort level even with lots of time spent in the headset.
i usually use smooth/shift loco and blink turning
I wonder how long we need to wait until we get our HLA equivalent of MINERVA.
Compared to the time between HL2 and MINERVA, about 9 more years.
As an old man, I'll tell you - the teleport starts to hurt my eyes after a little while in a video like this. I imagine it would not on the hardware itself.
Honestly it does, especially with high contrast changes, I think it is due to the fact you really can go from pitch black to bright light due to no ambient room light. I dont understand why some people find smooth movement bad for extended sessions though
nick baltis Motion Sickness. I especially have problems with stuff like that, so I get the twleport
Not only you, sir. I stopped watching the video because the teleportation is annoying and unpleasing to watch. Good content tho.
Shit I'm eighteen and it hurts my eyes. I personally use smooth motion in VR, but teleport is cool too, but on video smooth is definitely highly preferable to teleport.
Teleport is ultimately cool in person because you know when you expect yourself to teleport. Ironically, humans are much better adjusted to immediate teleportations rather than smooth sliding with no vestibular feedback, so teleporting instantly will always be comfortable in person. But it's not when you're watching from the outside, and sliding is more immersive. There really can't be the best option for everyone - I'm one of those people who can slide around without a hint of motion sickness for hours, but I'm lucky that way. Not all people are.
Oh now THIS is the kind of thing that makes me really wish i could get my hands on VR, because I was basically born to create VR Maps full of stuff to play around with vs full coherent levels.
Did you see kliks video about lenovo windows mixed reality? While some VR systems are obviously expensive, the most important thing is to just get into VR by whatever you can afford
I had the same problem with feeling like I missed something in the Hotel level because the puzzle to activate the elevator first requires you to do a puzzle in the next room, then go back and do the next one. When I heard the "you completed the puzzle" chime the first time, I was like "OK elevator is done", but then it wasn't and I was confused for a bit. This was made worse by the control panel behind the painting, which I didn't see at first. I think this map suffers the same problem - you complete the wire puzzle, then have no idea what tf you're doing or what you need to do next.
"If I was 5'6 or smaller" Yeah, what kind of manlet would be 5'6 though.... [cries in short]
It's gonna be okay brah.
tyler1 was 5'6
@@logesin3795 its 167cm
I absolutely love how expressive you are when playing these VR games, it's actually I thing I have noticed with many of your videos (Not just VR) And I find it really funny and unique!
Keep up the great content Phillip, you've got one of the most professional RUclips channels I have ever seen on this site :)
This is so legitimately and intoxicatingly interesting it's sickening.
Dealing with source maps but now in an entirely different console from keyboard and mouse after also living with said keyboard and mouse carved source maps for over 15 years of it is like drinking water to breath, and inhaling to hydrate.
It's so mesmerizingly fun and involving that I'd contain the very field of art you put in this video as an SCP.
ngl the inhaling to be hydrated thing is cool, just imagine having no water after a long run and you inhale, immediately causing you to feel so good
I respect your choice to continue to use teleport. I honestly find watching it sort of epileptic and jarring, but when you have control, it must be very different.
Also your critique on the second level and the way you prefaced it was excellent.
Imagine a podcast with phillip. That wonderful accent would send me to sleep real fast
I realized how combines in this game is so different, in HL2 they were serious soldiers with cold blood killing everything overwatch sounds tolds to. In HL alyx they have more personality, which I like. Valve does his thing
yeah, i always thought "sure civil protection is bad, but theyre still people!" well, alyx delivered that, even beyond the metrocops
The first time the Combine called Alyx be her name in HLA I was about to shit my pants. It felt so personal and odd
It's unusual that there are no subtitles on this video, which reminds me to thank you a lot Philip since I always prefer to watch videos with subtitles and you always make sure to include them in your videos so thank you a lot for putting that much effort in small things like subtitles and timestamps in each videos.
I hate subtitles when I can understand the language very well and it is infuriating that RUclips on mobile turns on subtitles for EVERY video, even though I turn them off EVERY time.
About the pathfinding, at the time with the SteamVR tools we couldn't really do path finding, like at all. The way it works in alyx is simple, but not like anything we've seen before so before the official workshop tools pathfinding didn't work very well
I recorded some of the contest levels, so nonvr people can watch them. Club 17 was especially neat.
6:40 so your saying that they cut corners for HL:A
2kliksphilip hilarious
Making/playing maps for hla seems like a great video gold mine! I'd love to see more content like this, or on the quirks and interesting features of hla/source2 you might discover when making or playing maps for it! Great vid as always!
Tbh when playing in VR i much prefer smooth movent over teleport, teleporting doesn't feel right to me
Watching a Vr Gaming Video with Teleportation is like lagging on a Twitch stream.
(I just ordered my first vr headset "rift s" cuz of hl mods and levels sow in a sense, it is a vr seller)
I own the index and prefer smooth locomotion for all my games, teleport just isn't fun or immersive for me.
same, usually it means i have to limit myself to shorter sessions to prevent headaches or nausea, but it's worth it for me. it feels so much better
@@fluf6833 has the motion sickness not gotten better over time? personally I don't get motion sick so I'm curious if you can overcome it
@@ChaseTheVerb i haven't spent much time playing vr games, so maybe it'll improve the more i play. also depends on the game, in alyx i usually play for like 1-2 hours, but in beatsaber i can play for like 4.
7:06 A good idea I had to help tell the player that you can't have that shotgun yet is to have them see it, try to grab it but then it falls.
12:07 This comes from two textures surface overlapping, it can be negated by 1. Moving one forward/backwards a bit 2. Move it so it has a more seamless appearance 3. My favorite, just cover it with props.
Your Neighbour cover it with props is how i solve most of my issues nowadays lmao
The best part about VR games is the fact that you can visibly see the player's frustrating when they throw up their hands.
Philips waving arms in anger or despair during segments that were bad or something make me understand his frustration when he explain why.
you need to make de_sparity in source 2
Personally, I have a tough time playing VR games without locomotion. Teleporting just takes away from the immersion for me. Locomotion definetpy takes some getting used to though. My first 20-30 hours in VR were filled with lightheadedness. I never experienced nausua, but it would really mess with my irl perspective after long play sessions.
For me I have a stomach lined with graphene in terms of vr, so I’ll have a better time using smooth locomotion for many hours, than using teleporting at all.
I can play VR with 20 fps smooth locomotion and NEVER get sick
Hexagonal Same
@@OperatorVanta We who play VRChat are build different. We're used to 12 year olds with silly avatars lowering our FPS to like, 9
I use smooth movement whenever I can. Personally I find jumping kind of jolting and disorienting. I do think that is a "me" issue not a issue with the game or movement style.
16:30 that hand gesture perfectly describes your mild frustration.
8:38 did you just say ‘past-ed’. Please stop Philip.
*pasta'd
That ... sounds like a rather normal British accent to me?
Fly Must be an American...
It's a play on the phrase "copy-pasta'd", which in itself is meant to mimic "copy-pasting", obviously.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copypasta#:~:text=A%20copypasta%20is%20a%20block,to%20be%20similar%20to%20spam.
@@Fs3i No we would say copy paste (with an ay sound) normally but he's saying copypasta'd as a meme.
I finished this game yesterday after playing it for 8 hours in one day because I got so hooked. The best game I've ever played no doubt, and I've played A LOT of games. Looking forward to future mods and maps for this game.
I tend to smooth move and only teleport for convenience sake, I find it more fun/immersive
Imagine watching this as a first video from his channel, and seeing the liquid in the syringe behave so realistically as he showed, and then becoming interested, checking his other videos and seeing he made on the liquid physics as well! You'd be so excited to find all you needed from a RUclipsr you really enjoyed!
11:40 I like how the Heavy Shotgun Guy actually turns and looks at the guy for a second to see his tank has been shot, I wonder if that is coded in to react on stuff like that.
Edit: 14:53 Yep definite reaction to that, Heavy was just to slow on his ass to move away.
1:13 fair anough and understanable however i will say atleast a small fraction people commenting are comftable with smooth move since i'm lucky enough to be in the subset. Though i most people i know prefer teleport so no hate for that
I've been playing through a ton of custom HLA levels, and I've got a lot of mixed opinions about them. Combine Presence was pretty impressive for not having any tools, but I found myself frustrated to load up new maps and find that they look more amateur than the Source 1 maps I made in middle school.
I think the biggest criticism I have for the current wave of Half Life Alyx maps is that most of them are too large, but nearly all of them would play better as a Half Life 2 map. Alyx is fun to play because enemies are always coming at you from different heights and directions and luring you out of cover. Sticking 4 Combine in a box with me and one piece of cover might make for a dynamic fight in Half Life 2, but in Alyx it's repetitive and simplistic.
So far, the Workshop map I've replayed the most is the Valve-uploaded combat example. It's just one shootout in one area, but there's so much different stuff going on that it plays out totally different every time. I think a lot of mappers could learn a lot about encounter design from this one arena, because Alyx has so much more to offer than being "half life 2 in VR".
After playing Half Life Alyx a couple months ago, I don’t think VR will ever be mainstream. I cannot accurately predict the future, but I really can’t see other than a few examples where VR flourishes. Half Life Alyx serves as the best example of what can be done in VR, but these player made levels go on to show how limited VR is.
"I expect VR games to get less forgiving"
They are tho slowly, I was an early adopter of vr with original Vive, and only now I've seen games poppin up that are not aimed at casual players at all, like Pistol Whip or Until You Fall.
Both are, even on easy, really brutal.
The reason people don't like teleport is the jarring nature of it when displayed in a video. In the game when you're experiencing it firsthand and in control of the teleporting, it's very natural feeling and easy to get used to. On videos you can't predict when the exact breakoff point of the teleport will be and so your brain recoils out of confusion any time you see it. The instant frame shift almost feels seizure inducing when done multiple times and quickly. It's like watching a movie scene with too many jump-cuts.
teleport is good because it doesn't induce motion sickness as much as moving does. but smooth moving is 100% better tbh, just makes you sick real easy when doing crazy movments, especially if you are new to vr.
:D, I loved judging the maps!
It makes me wonder what more amazing levels we could have made if we were allowed to use our own custom models, rather than the ones already given.
Yeah. Imagine that.
I was gonna like the video but I couldn’t ruin the 420
I have no problem with you (or anyone) using teleport because you use what you want.
tho myself im sure i'll use the smooth movement because teleport is too epileptic
The flickering textures you saw was called z fighting and as someone who has made an open world vr game it is easy to miss a lot of them until you playtest your level. And most of the time it is pointed out by playtesters.
custom maps where out less then 3 months after games release. dunno about you but that's quick
I like a mix when im playing between teleport and constant movement, only bc immersion
I actually prefer smooth movement (including smooth turning)..
Ya I play all my VR content with smooth movement only, and smooth turning. I can play for over 4 hour sessions, and don't stop because I get sick, just because I get sweaty lol
Mr Klik, will you ever do "how Kliksphili eat5" you get it? 5 is for S :D
Hearing that Philip prefers teleport make me feel a lot better about myself. I can play smooth motion for only about 1 hour until I get uncomfortable. Teleport is a lot easier to play with.
I'd love to see more of those custom levels played by you :)
VR level design is like playing 3D chess.
*Crack-Life: Alyx*
12:12 is super easy to fix, its called Z fighting. its when 2 planes intersect on the same plane
Nah I have vr and feel ok in smooth and teli makes me unbalanced
5:13 idk why but for me this scene looks so photorealistic. The lighting and colors are so convincing.
Looks like a picture from Google street's
i dont get motion sickness so i never teleport even in long play sessions
Teleport is really jarring to watch someone do.
If you feel more comfortable teleporting than smooth moving, means your fps is low. On Index I hate teleporting, smooth moving is way more comfortable.
@@2kliksphilip u use valve index? What's your refresh rate/latency?
Kinda off topic but about the teleport thing in the intro, i actually use vr (used to have a quest for a while but i got link set up) and i allmost exclusively use smooth movement, teleporting is just really bothering for me but i can't argue with the fact that teleport is more sustainable for longer playsessions.
It's allso important to mentions that i haven't played alyx yet but i'd imagine that i will still play with smooth locomotion because i can deal with slight motion sickness (and that is for lower quality games than alyx).
Smooth locomotion feels great in Alyx, and you also get the ability to teleport with the right stick at any time. Great for combat scenarios and just getting around.
I’ve always preferred smooth loco. Tele disorients tf outta me lol
I've ordered a VR Headset just for this game, I was a map maker for HL2, TF2 and dabbled in HL1 map making. I can't wait to get my hands on the game, then get down and dirty making maps for it.
If I remember correctly, broken pathing as a symptom of the unofficial SDK. The Unofficial SDK wasn't able to actually generate navmesh.
the fact that turning a corner becomes a problem in VR makes me think that VR was a mistake. along with the fact that it's so expensive. expense will go down in 10 years but... that's 10 years
I’m excited to see an HLA hard mode mod, that triples or even more the number of enemies you fight with only a moderate increase in ammo. I loved the combat sections with the combine, they felt like real gunfights, but imagine if you had to kill 9 people instead of 3?
1:10 I disagree with this :) To each their own, and I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion and try to tell them what they should prefer, but I'm convinced that smooth movement is just something to get used to as you spend more and more time in VR. I'd wager that most people who stick with teleport have just found it more comfortable from the get-go and end up just staying in that happy-place forever, instead of investing enough uncomfortable time in smooth movement for it to become more comfortable.
I ponder how different mapping for VR is
1:15
Raising my hand in disagreement with you as someone with ~50 hours in this game and who has been playing VR since 2016.
I cannot stand teleport. I only use it when I want to zip around fast (like when backtracking), otherwise it just takes me out of it too much. I have no problem with 4+ hours of smooth locomotion, even though this certainly wasn't the case when I first started playing in VR.
@@2kliksphilip That's a good question. At first there weren't many smooth locomotion games; all I had was VRChat. First time I must have only played like 15 minutes because the smooth locomotion made me feel queasy. The second session was a bit longer and eventually I was doing two-hour sessions already within the same month.
Of course, VRChat was prone to dudes with "funny" avatars lowering my framerate to like 11 just from being in the room. Even now it's uncomfortable, but I wouldn't say it makes me "sick".
I think playing games like Elite Dangerous or Air Car (a free one which I recommend) also helped build my tolerance
I personally enjoy smooth movement in VR games. For some reason teleports feel a bit jarring to me. Alyx's shift teleport feels a lot better than most games, and kind of makes a happy middle ground for me
Is the sound more to the right in this video or am I going slightly deaf in my left ear? Apart from that, absolutely amazing video! I love seeing you judge maps!!
Anyone else finding it disorientating with teleport
VR Blinking is really annoying on video.
I'm sorry but I can't watch vr games with teleporting. I'm sure you did a good job on this video tho.
There are also some CSGO maps for Half Life Alyx that would make a great video!
i love making half life alyx maps but competitions are too much pressure. This is probably why i could never complete game jams, great video though Philip :D
two things valve needs to add to alyx is the option to turn tutorials off (pretty sure that dosen't exist in settings) and extend the range on the multitool rewire thing
you lost me at turning around and getting tangled, use your joysticks to turn
@@2kliksphilip continuous movement, slow it down, turn your head when you turn, feels natural+ big immersion
The turning problem is *EASILY* solved by getting a pulley system, they're $20 (AUD, probably cheaper in USD) on amazon and allows you to freely move throughout your room without getting tangled up by hanging the cable above your head, my one I've had for 6 months and when in VR I don't even know it's there, it stretches out when I walk away from the center of my room and contracts when I come back.
My hope for VR mapping is that there will be streamlined tools that help with gameplay, such as auto-scale checkers (checks to make sure that each doorway is ~7 feet tall, or that you won't pick up a 2-foot tall bottle) and maybe better texturing tools. If the mechanical aspects can be aided and quickened, it can help mapmakers focus on visual immersion by giving them more time to focus on skyboxes, props, and scripted events like birds flying. Also give more time to check the VR factors, like rooms being too dark, or being overwhelmed in a fight that would otherwise be fine on mouse + keyboard. Remember, you're not a CSGO terrorist shooting CTs with professional skill and IRL recoil management. You're *you*, trying to fight off the Third Reich from Hell.
As for the broken pathfinding: They are all in a thin hallway. Recall a commentary node in HL2 Episode 1, where they talk about adding in a second hallway next to it to MASSIVELY improve the pathfinding. AI just don't like corridoors. This person could have learned from that but they didn't.
This is such a fascinating watch, I feel so lucky to see the early days of Half Life Alyx maps and vr maps in general! I was much too young when Half-Life 2 was new it's so great to be able to see people getting used to making maps and levels in VR over the next few years( and hopefully the rise of VR Gaming in general!)
Hi Philip! I recently acquired Half Life Alyx and I was worried I wouldn’t like it. I’m not a very uhh... hard to scare person. I just got through the hotel and am in the construction site, and so far, despite the bugs and kinks of oculus link, I’ve had a blast! I probably wouldn’t have bought HL:A if it weren’t for you.
Edit: I forgot to mention how much I hate headrcabs, so imagine my disappointment when you come across a smaller version of that one bit after ravenholm. And then you also need to teleport down there. Ngl, I spent a good 5 minutes in the dark just telling myself it was time to go.
You mention Teleport vs Smooth movement, and I'd like to take a moment just sit right there... I just want to shill Arm Swinger in Hotdogs, Horseshoes and Hand grenades. It is my preferred form of VR movement. I can play for hours without the slightest hint of VR sickness. You should try it.... there is a program on steam called Natural Motion which allows you to do a similar thing in every other VR game... but it kinda sucks is why I specifically bring up H3VRs version of it.
Smooth movement is much better than teleport. I fucking hate seeing everything vanish just to reappear in a different spot. Smooth feels way more immersive imo, I only get dizzy when I walk while crouching.
Also, using walls is a no no unless you're using smooth movement, because having to point to one side and then to the other takes way too long during a gun fight.
I feel like I'm the only one that adores smooth movement xD
I don't really get motion sick in general.
The only time I remember even feeling something like that, was in the car as a little kid when I was playing on my phone under a blanket for like 4~5 hours.
I actually find teleporting really disorienting, even in a game like budget cuts.
Not to mention how cumbersome it feels for me to always have to DO A THING to move.
I find comfort in a good old joystick.
I'm just used to having my thumbs control my legs I guess xD
Jeez teleporting is the worst. How could you think a jump cut to a new location in VR makes it a "better" experience. The only reason for using it IMO is because you suffer for VR nausea and simply cant use the obviously and objectively more immersive smooth travel locomotion system. Teleporting at this point in VR is considered archaic. Hell even in the "Museum of Virtual Reality" in Boneworks there's an exhibit with a caveman teleporting and saying how its how ancient VR used to work lol