If Beach doesn’t get a cut then he just might be the last incorruptible dude left in the country. Because I keep buying everything he gushes over. And true to form I’ve done it again. Fun game. I love the controls, even the rudder. At first I was finding it devilishly hard to not mix yaw with roll. But after an hour or so it seems that my wrist is learning. VTOL is shaping up to be very much like the sims some of us grew up with in the early nineties–sims which concentrated on gameplay. Those games compromised on fidelity because they had to. VTOL does too somewhat from the perspective of sim fidelity. But as Beach and others have said, the weapons modeling is pretty slick. One really neat little detail is how the sim applies a very subtle amount of vibration in the controller when the stick is displaced quickly. It provides a tactile feel even though you’re just twisting your fist in air. The sensors detect the subtlest of movements. I might even go way, WAY out on a limb and say that this could be the future of desktop controllers. Just have a simple stick with a centering spring but no electronics and let the sensors track displacement and twist.
Yes - I think you’ve tapped into that joy that I’m finding with VTOL VR. It’s incredibly immersive in, for lack of a more appropriate word, primal way. The large movements to reach controls and flip switches feel exaggerated due to the size of the cockpit, but that sort of scales nicely into making the simulated world feel bigger and more there. Hard to describe. And there are just dozens of super nice touches that you don’t really recognize until you’ve spent some time in there. The HUD information modeling and the fairly robust weapons systems logic is really incredible.
And it is really cool to see the AI slip up on your wing on a mission. Heck…I’m just having a blast doing tanking and carrier landings.
I have a lot to write about it for the review - but I want to make sure I do it justice, so it is taking a bit longer than I had anticipated.
Glad you are enjoying it. I really hope the developer sees fit to add multi-player as that would be a lot of fun with you guys.
I can’t wait! And I am glad it’s taking some time to do it justice. The game is groundbreaking and deserves the time you are giving it. The guy who created it obviously knows the flight sim genre well. He took complicated systems and boiled away their complexity revealing only their fundamental purposes so that anyone can understand how to use them. Believe it or not, it was your Macarena video that sold me. I am always looking for a way to feel part of the space I am playing. That was why I was so gobsmacked by ARMA as a flight sim. To walk up to a helicopter, open the door and fly made the flying more meaningful somehow.
Oh by the way @smokinhole - if you run out of campaign missions - you can take a look at the VTOL VR Discord channel and there are a bunch of user created missions of varying quality there (some are just demo/tech demonstrators, and some are more well thought out). If you go to the Discord channel
Once you are there - you can search within the Mission Editor channel for “has: file” within that channel and it should list all the posts that have a file attachment. I downloaded a dozen or so missions (haven’t played but a couple of them).
Thanks Beach!
Looks like it updated today:
v0.0.10p6
Mission Editor
_ - Fixed error when attempting to save with a path that has no points_
Units
_ - Added allied and enemy MANPADS units_
_ - Added allied main battle tank unit_
_ - Fixed broken machine gun turrets on tanks_
_ - Fixed broken rail path behavior for ground units_
_ - Fixed broken landing behavior for AI aicraft from last build_
F/A-26B
_ - Fixed weapon launch indicator light not attached to canopy frame_
AV-42C
_ - Fixed invisible text in GPS MFD page_
_ - Fixed HUD brake indicator overlapping HUD messages_
_ - Changed “Labels” light switches to “INST” (instrument)_
_ - Fixed instrument light switch tooltip_
General
_ - Added jet wash effects when over water_
_ - Added visor and NVG toggle buttons for both vehicles_
_ - Fixed errors when launching game with multiple custom missions with same ID_
_ - Custom missions with duplicate IDs will be renamed on launch_
_ - Custom missions installed incorrectly (incorrect filepath) will be repaired_
I watched some videos and got really interested. I have learned though, as you say sir"Do I need another SIM?" Well this is a game, so there. Lol
The price is real cheap too. So, do I need to get thi on steam? Do I need hand controllers? I was about to pull the trigger but I have to ask first.
Thanks BeachAV8R
You could definitely wait for a sale - I mean, it is worth it at full price, but it DOES go on sale now and again.
I think it is only distributed on Steam, it IS Early Access, so temper your expectations, and yes, you definitely need hand controllers. You could wait a couple weeks for a review by me…I’ve been a bit slammed at work. But it is really, really, really fun in VR.
Uuuuh I need controllers… they’re like 100 bucks right now. Think I’ll wait. I’m wanting to give Xplane 11 some love. Then there is the DCS Hornet refueling ect. ect…
Thanks for the heads up. Can’t wait to read your review
Buying the controllers is a big deal for other games though, and well worth the price of admission if you can swing it.
VTOL VR and Lone Echo (AMAZING game) would be ample justification for buying the controllers IMHO, even if you didn’t end up using them for anything else.
Hand controllers or a well made extension for the warthog stick? what should I spend my pocket money on? I hardly ever do anything but flying on this machine.
You are missing out on other great VR experiences if you don’t have the controllers. Plus the controllers ship with an extra camera sensor for even more robust head tracking.
EXTRA HEAD TRACKER? Ive had my eye on that for a while… SOLD… I got to find that deal…
Another update:
v0.0.10p7
Mission Editor
- Fixed units sometimes displaying out of order in unit lists
Units
- Added death animations to infantry soldiers
- Added rocket launcher variant of enemy drone gunboat unit
- Fixed MANPADS having difficulty locking targets
- Fixed issues with disappearing ground units
Equipment
- Added salvo option for rocket launchers
General
- Added indicator in mission selector if custom map is missing
- Fixed mission selector menu issues when a custom map is missing
- Fixed lighting glitches on ship wakes
- Fixed death caused by body physics shaking when framerate is low
- Minor optimizations to scripts
Akutan
- Lowered city seawalls
- Fixed city LOD
AV-42C
- Added mission 7 to The Island campaign
F/A-26B
- Replaced old quick-flight missions with custom quick-flight campaign
Also maybe worth noting that if you run the beta branch you get TREES! Not many mind you but its a start.
VR hand controllers on the way. You guys and Amazon… I’m ruined lol
I am happy as a pig in mud!! My Oculous touch finnally came in. After searching for the touch + sensor bundle I gave up and ordered “just” the touch for 99 USD on Amazon. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found a sensor was included. YAY!!
Next stop, VTOL VR
And after VTOL VR, try Lone Echo. 
LOL!
You can’t buy the touch controllers without the extra sensor.
I’ve checked out the videos on Lone Echo. Looks intriguing. I might try it
I had no idea the sensor was included. I’m so clueless hahaha