Uberlaufer A Virtual Reality Game Manual Version: 0.908 (Draft) Uberlaufer by August Branchesi Published by Überläufer is a registered trademark All Rights Reserved Foreward Special thanks to my family and friends who have been supportive of this passion project over the last 2+ years. It takes a lot of time and effort to make a video game, let alone a procedurally generated VR game. I do have a normal job, so this project has been worked solely on nights and weekends with my head down at the computer. I could not have done it without their patience and support. Back in high school, I absolutely loved the original Castle Wolfenstein games by Silas Warner and Muse. I spent countless hours playing these games on the C64 and Apple II. Überläufer is a love letter to these original games, re-imagined in Virtual Reality but with a different backstory and completely reworked to include rogue-like gameplay and new mechanics for VR. I wanted to accentuate the stealth portions of the game, ramp up the “tension” of escaping, and lean on real historical assets. It combines elements of some of my favorite games that I think creates something unique. In addition to gaining a lot of XR experience for my regular software engineering job, this game was also a way to share some stories about real people in Germany and Austria who bravely challenged the hate, bigotry and extreme nationalism of the Third Reich. In America, we don’t hear about those stories, so this was one way to share them. A message that is more important today than ever. At the end of this manual you will find links to various sites that offer information about these resistance movements and the people behind them. The Story You play as a German Wermacht soldier in World War 2 who opposed the Nazi party and has been imprisoned in a dungeon. You are freed from your cell by the German resistance with only one pistol and limited ammunition. You must complete your objectives and then find the exit to escape. Gameplay This game is procedurally generated. This means every time you play, the dungeon layout, enemies, objects and objectives are different. Every time you begin the dungeon, an AI generated photo and short biography of your character are also generated. You can view these in your Soldbuch (Soldier’s book) from within the game. If you perish, you must start over again in a brand new dungeon with a new character. As you play the game, however, you are earning credits towards achievements which can unlock additional weapons, perks and enemies. The more you play, the better you become at the game and will progress further. Do not be discouraged dying on your first try, the game is meant to be challenging. Progression If you escape the dungeon, you can continue to the next dungeon taking control of a new character and continue this process until you perish. Regardless of whether you succeed or not, you will be working towards achievements that unlock other weapons, perks and additional enemies that may spawn in the dungeon. You also earn experience points that can be spent at the beginning of a dungeon to equip your character with a weapon or perk immediately. The shop appears in the room where you start, and allows you to spend experience points to bribe a guard for these items. Once you pass through the door exiting the start area, the shop is no longer available for that dungeon, so be sure to stock up before you enter! There are currently two different dungeon types: German Dungeon This is a standard dungeon with medium lighting. It is always the first dungeon. Stalag This dungeon is in greyscale with the exception of specific colors. It has a gritter, old war movie feel. The lighting is normal, but can be a little scarier. Controls The game can be played seated or standing. You can reset your headset view at anytime through the menu. The options menu has multiple settings for comfort, control and to increase immersion. For example: • You can hear letters in native German or English while the text remains English • Turn off object highlighting • Disable blood effects • Enable sensitive symbology from World War II • Use snap-turn or smooth locomotion • Tunneling effect for people sensitive to motion sickness • Swap left and right controller locomotion controls Navigating the Dungeon Your Soldbuch (German for Soldiers Book) provides your character’s biography and objective information as well as information on usable inventory items. To access the Soldbuch at any time, lay either hand out flat in front of you with your palm facing up. You will see the Soldbuch appear and can grab it with your other hand. The right hand side of the Soldbuch will show a map of the explored dungeon for the current floor you are on. If you find the full map when exploring the dungeon, you will be able to see all areas on the map. You are the red dot on the map. Looking at your map leaves you vulnerable to enemies, so keep your eyes and ears peeled! Opening Doors and Chests To open doors and chests, simply grab and pull by pointing your hand at the handle. Cells doors require a silver key to open (can be used once for each door), or can be shot open. Shooting cell doors may attract nearby guards so always be aware of your surroundings when you do this. Health You can always see how much health you have by looking at the tattoo on the bottom of either wrist. The tattoo will slowly disappear as you lose health and your hands will become more bloody. There are no “health packs” in the game although there is a small health boost you can purchase with earned credits at the beginning of the dungeon. Weapon Handling You can store one firearm in addition to the firearm you are holding. To store a weapon, simply place it to your chest and let go. To retrieve it, put your hand to your chest and grab (like you are pulling it out of your jacket). There is no need to look down to retrieve your weapon. Simply pull it from your chest. You can quickly swap weapons by simply dropping your current weapon in your jacket. It will be stored and if you already have a weapon in storage, it will automatically be swapped and put into your hand. Reloading Weapons To reload a weapon, empty the clip by pressing the primary button on your controller holding the weapon. Grab a new clip with your other hand by reaching behind your back and grabbing. You can then place the new clip into your firearm. Most weapons require you to cock the gun before firing by grabbing the bolt and pulling back. You are now ready to fire. You can always see how many bullets and clips you have available by pointing the firearm straight up. Reload management is crucial to surviving! Always be ready! Weapon Types The following weapons are currently in the game. Others are planned in the future. P08 The standard P08 is always available when you start a dun- geon with two magazines. It has eight rounds and a sight you can use for aiming. It has an average sound profile for alerting nearby enemies. Suppressed P08 This is a P08 with a suppression device attached, making it less noisy. It does not attract guards as far away as other firearms, but is harder to aim as it has no sight. This weapon must be unlocked via an achievement before it can appear in the dungeon or be purchased. C96 The C96 has more bullets (ten) in a clip, easier reload and a sight but requires special ammo clips or an ammo box that spawn less frequently. It is better as a secondary weapon. This weapon must be unlocked via an achievement before it can appear in the dungeon or be purchased. MP40 This sub-machine gun has a large capacity and rate of fire (fully automatic), but is harder to control. Use two hands to make your shots more accurate. It requires special ammunition which spawns less frequently and definitely attracts more attention. This is a great secondary weapon when you are in a pinch. This weapon must be unlocked via an achievement before it can appear in the dungeon or be purchased. Grenades Grenades can be purchased in the shop before entering the dungeon once you complete a specific achievement. Using a grenade requires two hands leaving you at a disadvantage since you will have to store your weapon. To charge the grenade, grab the bottom, pull and throw. Grenades can also be used to replace a booby trap after it has been defused or detonated. To reset a booby trap with a grenade, simply hold the grenade near the booby trap and let go. Enemies This is a brief overview of enemy types. There are different variations of each enemy that may have different roaming behaviour, equipped weapons, accuracy and posture. It is up to the player to learn their behaviors. Standard Wermacht Soldiers Officers Special Ops Winter Soldier Most enemies have a chance of surrendering when injured except for the SS. When surrendering they will always drop their weapon which can be picked up and used or stored. It is up to you on what to do with them, but knocking them out can be helpful towards earning some achievements. SS Assault Trooper The SS assault troopers are easily identified by their black uniform and gas mask.