From: henley@rtsg.mot.com (Aaron Henley)
Subject: Re: Virtual Reality
Keywords: What is it?
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 13:06:39 GMT

joseph@gkcl.ists.ca (Joseph A. Beernink) writes:

>I just found out that an arcade here on campus will be getting a
>virtual reality game come September.  I've heard a little about it,
>but I'm wondering exactly what it is, and what types of games are
>currently on these machines.  Sounds cool, but how cool is it?

I played a few games last week at a VR site just by work.

The first game was ethernetted together with 3 other pods (with
friends from work).  We were in a futuristic shoot-em up game.  You
had several levels and you could also kneel behind some of the 3D objects
to remain covered while you tried to shoot your opponents.  Your projectile
from your gun would arc, if you wanted to shoot further, the device could
sense your hand angle change (as opposed to your arm) and your guns angle
would change.  There was also a dragon type bird that would try to eat you,
when it picked you up you could still try to shoot up at it or shoot down
as it lifted you high above the game field.

Other games I saw or played.

Hero Quest (they called it).  You have four quest to get letters that
spell hero in different playing fields.  One your the size of a mouse
in a kitchen,  watch out for the trap and make sure the man doesn't step
on you.  Maybe the other mouse can help?

Next your in a maze, with pits and slides, listen...the object gets louder
as you get closer.

Next your in a house, very dark except for the lighting outside.  A dog
can help you with this quest.

Next jump off a cliff, pull your parachut (sp?) and land on a raft.  Then
manuver the raft to the shore to find your letter in a tree.


Another game was a dungeon type game.  Your a knight.  You start with a 
dagger, fight nasties, find goodies in chest, bash or unlock doors.  Oops
you see a sword, take your dagger and put it in your back pocket.  Then
reach around and pull out your sword.  I didn't see much of that game,
the guy playing it took about 2 minutes trying to figure out how to
open a chest.  The key thing he forgot is that you have to look at your
real hand to see your VR hand.  He spent alot of time with his hand against
his chest and looking out away from his body for it.

Pretty funny to watch people slashing at the air or spining around and
kneeling.  The head gear also had micro-phones so everything said was
heard.  Made it nice when competing with 3 other people.

One problem I had was that the gear was cabled to the pod you stand in.
Meaning you could turn 360 degrees, but not 361 degrees.  I found myself
having to spin 359 degrees the opposite way I wanted to turn to move the
direction I wanted at times.  Another problem is that movement direction
was based on the way you were looking not the way your body was facing.
It seems that the sensors equipment was on your waist anyway, why not
control direction that way.  This way you could look back and shoot while
your running away.

Next week the place is getting seat down pods and will load the space flight
like (WC), airplane, race car, or tank games.  They've got this 8 player
game where two teams compete against each other.  Each team has two people
in tanks and the other are on foot.

Response time could improve, but in 5 years will probably be seein this stuff
in our home in some sort.
-- 
------Aaron Henley, Motorola Inc.         UUNET: uunet!motcid!henley--------
------Cellular Infrastructure Division    UUCP : henley@rtsg.mot.com--------
My employer takes & deserves no Blame for what I say! (Just the Credit :^) )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games,rec.games.misc