Dev Update 11.08.2020
Time for another Dev Update! There has been a lot of progress with Project Disc and I should be able to get a demo version of the Training Dome out to early-access testers within the next couple of weeks. Let’s dive in to the updates!
Wind and Wind Effects
A good chunk of recent development has focused on adding wind and wind effects into Project Disc. Project Disc’s wind system allows for much more than just a simple directional wind. Instead, wind regions in Project Disc allow a variety of variables to be introduced into the flight environment, such as gusts and turbulence. Below, you can see an Anti-Gravity Sol disc being thrown into a slight headwind with some turbulence. Notice the wobble of the disc as it enters different pockets of turbulence.
Example of a disc flight path being altered by turbulence.
The disc flight physics are able to react to the changes in wind in real-time, allowing for unique flight paths on every throw. Below, you can see an example of the wind’s effect on an Anti-Gravity Sol flight path. Notice in a headwind, like in real life, the disc will fly less far but have more turn, while in a tailwind the disc will fly farther but fade much earlier. This is all modeled after the real-life physics that wind has on disc trajectories.
The flight path of the Anti-Gravity Sol disc in different wind directions & speeds.
The wind in Project Disc is also able to be divided into regions, allowing wind patterns to change on different parts of the hole. They are meant to capture the dynamic nature of real life environments. The below example shows the effect of a strong right-to-left regional wind after the disc crosses into the open from behind the wall.
An example of a disc being affected by regional wind after crossing into the open.
To make it easier for the player to be aware of the wind, I’ve added a small particle effect that allows the trail of particles blowing in the wind to be visible. These particle effects will match the speed of the current wind as well as areas of turbulence.
Example of the wind visualization. The ground looks a little funky due to the compression required to upload this GIF.
Target Sound Effects
There’s nothing quite like the sound of a disc impacting the chains of a target or bouncing off the band. Unfortunately, there is not a large repository of high-quality disc golf sounds on the internet. After a little Googling on sound engineering, I decided to take the plunge and try to make my own sound effects. Below you can see an image of my modest setup.
Recording the sound of a disc entering the chains from close range. The blanket prevents the disc from making a “clunk” when falling in the catcher, allowing the sound of the chain impact to be isolated. Recordings were done in a garage to produce the “indoor echo” that one would expect to hear in an enclosed training dome.
After an hour or so of trial and error (thanks to my wife and sister-in-law for the help), we were able to generate over 50 different sound effects of the disc striking the basket at different locations, angles, and speeds. After a bit of cleanup in an audio editor, the custom sound effects were ready to go. The sound effects in Project Disc will take into account where the disc hits the basket, how the disc hits the basket, and the speed of the disc hitting the basket to decide on the appropriate mix of sounds. Below you can see the first draft of these effects.
Given the early success of these custom sound effects, I’m excited to apply the same approach to other parts of the game to produce a truly unique and immersive audio experience.
Training Dome Demo
I’m still making a few final additions to the Training Dome before releasing the first draft to early-access testers. Everything is working well at this point, and all that is left is some polish.
The first version will not sport any scoreboard or obstacles, and instead will let testers practice with three different discs in an open environment.
Below, you can see a quick demo of me executing a 250ft shot (after 40 tries).
Bug Fixes / Enhancements
In addition to the above work, I also delivered some bug fixes and small enhancements. Just a brief list:
Discs and Disc Skins now preload on initial scene load to remove lagging on disc spawn.
Player will now move to the center of the throw area when re-centering.
Snap-turning will now rotate the the player around where they are currently standing (not the center of the room).
Text no longer appears “shimmery” on some of the Training Dome menus.
I hope this update is useful for you and provides some insight in the direction Project Disc is headed!
As always, please feel free to share your thoughts or questions at hello@hitlabs.co.
That’s all for now!
