One additional aspect I focused on in this demo is player feedback, or "juice." The shotguns are exemplary in this regard. Using vectors such as simulated recoil, detailed haptic impulses, over-the-top SFX, wiggly physics joints and squash-and-stretch-style animation, even in demo form this weapon feels better to fire than any gun I've encountered before in VR.

NLOG (hence christened Worm Punk) was selected by vote for further development as one of three capstone projects which my peers and I would work on, full-time, throughout our final semester in the FSU Game Design program. The core tenets of my pitch were as follows:

1. Intensity. Players move fast and hit hard. As long as rounds are short and we design for moments of enforced rest, we can reasonably subject players to much higher speeds and more urgent threats than other VR games.
2. Simplicity. One level, one loadout, one gamemode. Because the concept is relatively experimental, we need to focus all of our resources on serving the core gameplay in its most basic form.
3. Comfort. It doesn't give anybody a headache. Our magic bullet here is instantaneous, linear acceleration. As demonstrated in the NLOG prototype, players can hurl themselves through a huge 3D level without experiencing vertigo if we apply accelerations to their body suddenly and in a way which is directly related to the orientation of their hands. This direct physical control produces a sensation similar to climbing, which VR players are much more tolerant of than systems which simulate walking or flying.

Sticking to the aforementioned core design pillars is what made Worm Punk work as an experiment, but the essence of Worm Punk is in its balance and gamefeel. I am a huge believer in the need for games to adapt as they are developed, and thus our process was highly flexible. Rigorous internal playtesting allowed us to pinpoint what about combat was actually fun (i.e. evasion techniques, developing situational awareness, getting good at aiming) and what was detracting from the overall experience (i.e. shotgun recoil blasting you away from your target). No mechanic is too sacred to cut.

Knowing how much mileage players get out of holding and fidgeting with virtual gadgets, we designed pieces of equipment to be unusual, elaborate and multifunctional. Making affordances for discovery is our secret fourth development tenet. Worm Punk is built so players have the opportunity to reveal new functionalities hidden underneath its tutorialized mechanics [ADD IMAGES OF CHAINSAW].

I can't say exactly why the name Worm Punk stuck with me. The best case I can make for the title is that it feels tonally in line with the grunge and absurdity I wanted to shoot for. The concept needed player characters which are non-human, otherwise it would be wandering into the realm of "ultraviolence," and there's something special to me about worms. I think I just like that they're these perfect little freaks who thrive in confined spaces and eat dirt. But I digress.