We're excited to finally launch version 1.1 of Buzludzha VR. Over the last months we've been busy implementing some highly requested features
Smooth Locomotion
This much requested feature is finally available as an optional setting! Find it in the Controls section in the Settings menu. When enabled, player gravity and player environment collisions are also turned on, so be careful when climbing up the tower!
Night-time on demand
Toggle between Day/Night via the button on top of the tower.
Redesigned Main Menu UI
New Main Menu user interface that supports Dark Mode with transition animation when switching to night
Save Settings
Any customisations you make in the Settings Menu are now automatically saved so you don’t have to set them up each time you launch Buzludzha VR
Overall UX / UI improvements
Snap turn, with customisable Snap Turn Angle
Crouching with Right Stick
Item Hold Method (“Click and hold” or “Click to grab, click to release”)
Subtitles now rotate to follow you
Pimax users can now enjoy a better spectator mode. Press Space to switch between spectator modes. Press Alt+Enter for full screen.
Added a Quit confirmation screen to prevent closing down the experience unintentionally
New Additions
added an optional setting for click/unclick to grab/ungrab stuff, for better comfort with Vive controller grip buttons
added fall damage effect on hard falls when using Smooth Locomotion
added a warning sound cue on when we approach environment bounds whilst piloting the heli
added a pulse sound and animation to the “Return To Museum” button
added an optional setting for crouching to the right-hand controller (thumbstick)
added player footsteps sounds
added player gravity (only when using Smooth Locomotion)
added dynamic shadow casting to the flashlight
added lanterns to the path leading to the Monument
added a button for Day/Night switch to the viewing platform on top of the tower
added a faint outline to the Flight Mode button to better signify when we are in Flight Mode
added new impact sounds for most props
added a remote to control the slideshow in the conference room
added more hidden layers to discover with the revealing flashlight
added blob shadow to the helicopter for better visual grounding with the landscape
added Dark Mode for the menu UI and the transition animation when switching to Night
added the settings options to the save file so now settings persist on subsequent sessions
added fast travel destinations unlocking. Each now needs to be unlocked by visiting it first
added auto rotation and distance scaling on certain voiceover subtitles for better legibility
Other Improvements
Buzludzha VR is now over 400mb lighter
improved the visibility of the voiceover button about Buzludzha’s roof by moving it onto a plinth for better visibility
improved the Inventory and Menu button angle auto detection
improved collisions of wine bottles
improved collisions of armchairs in the reception
improved collisions of bathroom sinks
improved collisions of the torches monument
improved item handling
improved the audio experience in and around the helicopter
improved the door handling mechanic
improved the initial loading mechanic
removed the helicopter sway when player is on board
changed the voiceover snapping point about the Tower to a button
changed the voiceover button about the ruby glass to a snapping point
changed the voiceover button about the lion to a snapping point
changed the voiceover button behind the reception desk to a snapping point
made the climbing sounds emit from the grab locations
made the Shipka Monument light up at night
made most non-environment elements dim at night (eg. teleportation arc)
made more items in the environment pickupable
made the exterior wind louder depending on altitude
made the inventory slots animate to better indicate which slot the held item can be dropped into
made the inventory open with other fingers too, not just the index finger
made the explorable area bigger, which is now the same size as the fly bounds
made the fire extinguishers pickupable and interactive. Read the instruction label on the tank for more information!
Bug Fixes
fixed the occasional distortion of the bass drop audio during the Day/Night transition
fixed the audio cutting off on automatic taps in the bathroom
fixed the elevator buttons not registering clicks when pressed with a wine gun
fixed the lightmap streaming issue on the Buzludzha exterior concrete plate
fixed an issue where apples and oranges would roll indefinitely on flat surfaces
fixed an issue where the shadow blobs of certain props were occasionally not showing
fixed an issue where fast travel to heli wouldn’t exit flight mode
fixed an issue where the controllers would incorrectly vibrate when touching the helicopter floor
fixed an issue where one piano key had a redundant audio delay
fixed an issue where the flashlight would sometimes not show during the initial onboarding section
fixed a rare crash that could occur during the initial loading screen when using an Oculus headset
fixed the altitude value on the heli dashboard showing incorrect reading after the initial heli arrival
fixed the hand not always highlighting when over a climbable ledge
fixed the trigger button on Vive controllers animating other fingers
fixed the geometry of the Buzludzha mini model in the Museum
