Hey y'all,
As we're steadily moving forward towards release, we have a new batch of bigger and smaller changes that we'd love to get your thoughts on.
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To get beginners started with the basics of kayaking, we've added a tutorial that'll guide you through the basics. You can find it in the menu while you're in the pool.
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We've finally tackled one of the most requested and commented on visual flaws, the water in the kayak. Your number one immersion killer has been addressed and we can finally stop getting comments on this!
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We've adjusted the force that you can generate with the kayak so you'll be able to build up more speed again, we expect this to better strike the balance between simulation and arcade. If you find it to be a little too much, a new accessibility tab has been added in the menu where you can adjust the force down.
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Similarly, we've made it more possible to turn at high speeds with the regular forward strokes. Hopefully this feels a little more intuitive to users.
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We've migrated to a new engine version, if you notice any strange changes in performance or visuals please let us know.
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Texture setting changes are now a lot more aggressive with trading visuals for performance. This is mostly meant for racers who want to squeeze out a bit more performance.
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Some users would still have problems with the paddle ending up under the kayak, we should FINALLY have a foolproof solution to this. The paddle will also only appear now when both controllers are connected.
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There's another option in the new accessibility tab to add a vignette when turning. Let us know if this helps combat any queasy stomachs.
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We've added some more sound-design details such as a wind sound when you build up some speed, as well as a wind woosh when whipping the paddle around.
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The visuals when you dip your head underwater should now be more convincing, as well as some sound-design additions that should further sell it.
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If you felt like you were sitting forward or backwards in the kayak too much you can now tweak that through the position offset in the general settings.
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After a previous failed attempt to show off some of the controls, we're taking another stab at it so that you should get some control hints in certain situations (your head being too far from the boat etc.). For the record, these are the controls mapped to an index / oculus controller, they're similar for other headsets and can be remapped in the SteamVR bindings.
Hold B to reset kayak to a a nearby point
Press B to calibrate your position in the kayak
Press A to start
These hints can be disabled in the menu for people who find them distracting.
Stay tuned for a new video showing off some more content coming in a few weeks! And as always, thank you for your support and feedback, this wouldn't be half as much fun without you :)
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