Android VR/Windows release 4 is up on Patreon!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the slow updates on the blog, here! I’ve been updating every day over on Patreon, but I’ve let this one lapse a bit! Still working hard over here to get a public release out, and believe it or not, the next one (R5) is going to be the public release candidate!

I wanted to announce that R4 just dropped for VR Patrons, and the release to all patrons happens on the 20th of this month! This is a HUGE improvement over previous versions, with awesome 3D audio, better frame rates on mobile VR, better animation on all versions, and a neat zoom feature for the Windows client!

If you’d like a full breakdown of all the things that are new with this version, you’ve come to the right place! I’m working steadily towards a public release on this, but if you’d like to help out, please do so over on Patreon!

Help me make this even more awesome, and dammit help me start development for Vive so we can really get high-tech with it and make an asset store that lets other animators/sound effects people/writers/modelers etc sell you whatever fantasy you want! <3 With the code in there now I could make a dating simulator, an adventure game, or a bunch of other stuff. It’s really quite cool and flexible!

Before the release notes, I wanted to drop a massive thank you shout out to all the people helping me with this and the other stuff I do through Patreon! Massive thanks to DioKyo, Justin P, Holi, Wolfzahn, RisusPinkPie91, Char, Rick, Andreas, BluFeather, TV4ELP, Abz, Kamil, Cross_Wolfv1, Crimson Flare, ShadowKing, GallantFacade, James W, Bradley, Gian, Taloverae, Lockhorn, RhythmPixel, Chris, Golden Muse, LittlePip, BlueGuy10168, Bruteforce123, Chrono Flash, Khrum, NamelessNP, John E, Not What We Expected, Xaldon, Cho’Angath, Squinners, Brony18, Billy D, Nyxmania, Robert, George M, Doorman, Chris H, General Mittler, CobaltHead932,  KoRnBrony, LazyThunderlane, Exick, Alejandro, HarryClopper, Sir Kabi, Prodigy Tony, Vitavia, The Detective with the Funny Hat, Cast, Furry_bunny, Apple000001, Steady Strikes, AshyMcHoof, ZestyPig, Ransiel, HorsyHorse, QuantumAge, Little Bolt, David M, LinkDragon, Daniel, Frikken, Bluhbluh12445, RIB, Butts,  Prime Color Photography, Daniel, Joshua, Howeszy, Austin M, Tycser, VIP and Linton! You guys and gals make this awesome to do and I couldn’t do it without your support. Thank you so much! I continued to be humbled by your generosity. 

Release notes!

I’ve named the project “Besti”

Why Besti?

Naming stuff is hard, but here’s how I came up with this. I did some thinking of the end-goal of this project. First I examined the primary draw, which is to spend time in whatever desired capacity with some kind of fantasy creature. It’s overtly sexual now, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I’ve programmed it in such a way that you can have a rather realized friend, in something like a relationship simulator if so desired. The modules aren’t made for that, but this is really about interacting with a good friend, a “besty” if we use contemporary slang.

Second, there is an inherent animal focus, here. Pony/Furry fandoms are all about our affinity for animals, or “bestial” creatures. This software is artwork produced for and by people of those fandoms, and therefore, it is going to remain as such.

By combining the words Besty and Bestial in to Besti, the name is indicative of what the software is, and exists as something of a mission statement of that purpose.

Menu system alterations
Extended time in a 3D environment causes nausea. I know this. I’ve moved the menu system into a more attractive and touch-based 2D interface to help with that. If you want to go to a different module, the new menu gives you a chance to rest your eyes and brain a moment to go somewhere else.

Field of view adjustment
You can now change your field of view to better match your experience. This is done differently on Windows and Android.
Windows
On Windows you adjust the field of view with your mouse wheel. Scrolling in and out allows you to adjust your fov between 30 and 90 degrees. The default is 60 degrees.
Android
On Android, the system now chooses a FOV appropriate for your viewer. It should feel natural if your system is configured properly, but if it is not and you feel like you are having a fish-eye or telescope-like view, you may need to what the software thinks you’re using. If you have a nice headset, it should have come with a calibration QR code. If it does not have one of those, don’t google it, instead, go to https://vr.google.com/cardboard/viewerprofilegenerator/ and follow the directions. It will take a few minutes, but you can set up your viewer properly there. Everything should look right in the game once you set your viewer.

Why no FOV options for Cardboard? You said…
I was horribly wrong. Adjusting the FOV made me properly ill, and it has a couple other negative attributes, too. The way the lens distortion works is based on your FOV. If you adjust the FOV manually, it doesn’t distort the overall image properly which leads to a weird bending effect that gives you a headache. 

Further, the head-tracking is based on these FOV values as well. If you look left, for example, the software knows how much you should see and how fast the camera should move to make “left” be where you’re looking. By adjusting the FOV, you no longer look around the world in a 1-to-1 way. This causes confusion with your inner ear, and makes you feel dizzy.

“High” graphics settings
While I can’t run it properly on my 2013 phone, your new one may be able to do it. Choosing the “high” option improves the shadows, and activates anti-aliasing to make everything look much nicer. The default setting is still “medium” which uses simple shadows and some texture filtering. “low” now has a lower system requirement, and should give you a few more FPS if you have a 2011-2012 mid-range handset. On Windows, “High” is the default and has awesome shadows and prettier everything.

Fun credits sequence
Enjoy the fun little scenario I put together to thank all the wonderful people that helped me make this. Select Credits from the main menu to check it out.Misc improvements everywhere elseSo many code changes that I’m not going to bore you with them! There’s a reason the new version of the game is nearly twice the size of the previous one.

UI Changes

• All-new user-interface.
  
• Loading screen transitions
  
• Screens to let you know when to put on and take off your VR headset
  
• The on-screen “back” button takes you back to the main menu
  

3D Scene Changes

• New credits scene
  
• Mute button
  
• Additional graphics options
  
• Minor changes to audio
  
• Ability to adjust FOV on all platforms
  
• Improved animation smoothness on Medium and High quality
  

Misc Changes

• Dozens of small bugs fixed
  
• Rendering issues specific to high-end dedicated graphics cards are now fixed
  
• SBS3D Windows Port temporarily disabled to port to OpenVR so you can use an Oculus/Vive in future versions.
  
• Many performance increases
  
• High graphics setting on Windows is now awesome