Dev Update 02.14.2021

Hello! I have some exciting news to share with you today… Let’s dive into the updates!

Project Disc is now Circle1!

I never planned for the name “Project Disc” to stick around. In fact, the reason this game was named Project Disc in the first place is because I didn’t want to commit to a name and brand at the beginning. Now that we’re starting to release to testers (more on that in a minute), it felt like the right time to officially name this game. I’m really happy with where we ended up.

I chose the name Circle1 for a couple reasons, mainly:

It’s an official Disc Golf term that is often associated with positive performance and skill.
It’s simple and easy to remember, even if you’re not familiar with Disc Golf terms.

You can get a quick look at the early branding I’m playing around with below. You’ll notice that “1” in the Logotype serves a dual purpose of representing the number one and also symbolizing the flag on top of a basket. The Logomark takes it a step further, and uses a literal circle to represent the “Circle” part of the name while also depicting a circle around a basket (aka the “Circle 1”).

An early preview of the Circle1 Logotype and Logomark — An early preview of the **Circle1** Logotype and Logomark

Early Access for Quest Testers

I’m excited to announce that invites have started to rolling out to Oculus Quest testers! If you signed up for Early Access and indicated that you own an Oculus Quest, you will be receiving an email from me with instructions on how to install Circle1 through Oculus App Lab.

This initial release (v0.2.22_alpha) will include both Oculus Quest 1 and Oculus Quest 2 testers. Fair warning: Circle1 is currently prioritizing the experience on the Oculus Quest 2. The Quest 1 experience is currently fine but not nearly at the quality experience that I hold the game to. In future releases, I will add Quest 1 specific logic to ensure the game runs just as smoothly as on the Quest 2.

If you know someone with a Quest who should be on this Early Access list, please send them our way!

This pre-release will allow players to try out the custom physics model we’ve been building for the last two years in the Training Dome - a large, open gym to practice your throws. You can find more info about what’s included in this version of the Training Dome below.

Ground Effect

As you’re aware by now - getting the physics “right” is important to me. This means spending a lot of time researching and updating the physics model with both the obvious and subtle forces a disc experiences while in the air. One of the more subtle forces a disc experiences is the Ground Effect.

There are great illustrations and explanations of ground effect across the internet, so I won’t dive into the physics here. Instead, I will provide an overly simplistic explanation of Ground Effect: When a wing (or flying disc) gets really close to the ground, it experiences an effect (the Ground Effect) which reduces drag and increases lift. In many cases, the wing appears to “float” while in Ground Effect.

You’ve probably experienced this before if you’ve thrown a lot of discs. Sometimes, your disc seems to hover just above the surface of the ground for a bit longer than it should have. Ground effect varies based on the surface of the ground, where smooth and hard surfaces will have a more noticeable Ground Effect than varied soft surfaces.

Circle1 now features its own simplified Ground Effect model. As seen below, when a disc enters Ground Effect, it will gain a slight increase in lift and a slight decrease in drag. The magnitude of this effect is relative to the disc’s distance to the ground, the ground material, and the angle of the disc relative to the ground’s normal.

Example of the ground effect. Notice the disc with ground effect seems to “float” more than the disc without ground effect as the discs get closer to the ground. This may seem insignificant, but this effect can add an additional 30 feet of distance … — Example of the ground effect. Notice the disc with ground effect seems to “float” more than the disc without ground effect as the discs get closer to the ground. This may seem insignificant, but this effect can add an additional 30 feet of distance in certain conditions.

Training Dome Updates

With the first release (v0.2.22_alpha) to Quest Testers, I wanted to make sure and provide a place for players to test out the physics model I’ve been working on the last couple years. The latest version of the Training Dome allows players to throw an infinite amount of each of their discs, control a variety of air conditions, and change the multiplier applied to the power of their throws.

UI Updates

Now that Circle1 is starting to release to testers, I wanted to create a better experience than dropping into a random part of the game. Players will now go through a full bootup sequence and have access to a Main Menu.

It’s a small win - but a win nonetheless.

Additional Changes

For transparency, I’ll include a full list of changes made since the last update here:

Added Circle1 to Oculus App Lab for easy distribution and updates.
Added a build number into the Main menu.
Removed the “Pitch” display on the ThrowTrack as there was a bug preventing it from showing an accurate angle.
Updated the flight model of the Sol to have more turn and harder fade.
Updated the flight model of the Ara to have more turn when thrown with force.
Removed legacy training dome menu.
Created loading screen for scene transitions.
Added Main Menu.
Added Splash Screen.
Added “Fade In” script for scene transitions.
Updated the culling distance on baskets to ensure they are visible at farther ranges.
Removed anonymous throw logging from Unity Analytics as it was overflowing the event limits imposed by Unity.
Added measurement graphics to disc flight test scene.

As always, please share your thoughts or questions at hello@hitlabs.co.

That’s all for now!