EVERY TIME YOU HEAR A MEOW; SQUEAK OR YOUR POSITION WILL BE GIVEN AWAY AND MARCO WILL PROBABLY GET YOU! IF YOU DO MISS THE SQUEAK TIMER FIND YOUR NEAREST TUNNEL. GOOD LUCK!
Polo APK can be downloaded here:
https://vrjam-submissions.s3.amazonaws.com/signed/4354cf11bc9b/plaSzMkwQhqS3ITdxsKS_Polo_1.0.0.apk
Polo: Cat Edition APK can be downloaded here:
http://bananafat.com/Polo_CatEdition_1.0.0.apk
Get ready to experience the timeless clash between mouse and cat with a friend or solo across three incredibly unique Maps. Maps include The Bastille, The Lodge, and The Chantry. One player uses the GearVR to enter the reality of a mouse named Polo while another player controls Marco the Cat from an Android phone or tablet. Polo can also be played as a single player experience in which case Marco is controlled by the devious AI.
Polo the Mouse
Polo’s objective is to eat 6 pieces of cheese hidden throughout the map. Each piece eaten will increment his Cheese Wheel by 1 until reaching 6 at which point Polo will have won the round. Polo is controlled in first person using the GearVR HMD in combination with an Android Bluetooth Gamepad. Polo has two main actions he must perform. Eat and Squeak. Eat by gazing at a tasty piece of Cheese or smelly Onion. Squeak by pressing the 1\A button on the gamepad. If an Onion is found it can be used by pressing the 2\B button on the gamepad. Mouse Training is included in game to cover all the basics you need to know.
Marco the Cat
Marco’s objective is to catch Polo. Marco’s view of the game is from an overhead perspective; Polo is only visible when within Marco’s limited FOV. Marco is controlled by tapping on the device’s touchscreen. Marco can also perform the following actions by tapping them: Meow, Close Gate, Light Tunnel Stove, and Pounce.
Meow - Squeak mechanic (Marco Polo)
Every time Marco Meows Polo has a fixed amount of time to respond with a Squeak before his instincts will take over and he will do a Giant Squeak. A Squeak can be heard and seen by Marco only if he is close by. A Giant Squeak will alert Marco to his position regardless of distance. When Polo is in a Tunnel he does not need to respond to a Meow.
Mouse Gates
Mouse Gates slow Polo down and help Marco track Polo’s whereabouts.
Tunnel Stove
The Tunnel Stove can catch Polo in a fiery death and prevents Polo from stalling in a Tunnel. It acts as the "fish out of water" mechanic from the source inspiration.
Tunnel Teeth
Tunnel Teeth make navigating from room to room undetected a bit more dangerous.
Onions
Marco hates the smell of Onions. Two Onions are hidden on each map and when used can cancel a Squeak Timer and will make Polo invisible to Marco for a brief period of time.
Cheese Wheel
The Cheese Wheel is Polo's UI and tracks how many pieces of cheese he has eaten. It also serves as a visual indicator of Eat time, Squeak time, and Heat Time. The Cheese Wheel UI was specially designed with the VR player in mind to provide a comfortable and non-intrusive UI experience.
Asymmetrical LAN Play
Connecting and playing a game of Polo with friends is made seamless by utilizing LAN-Broadcasting and the Bolt Networking Engine. All that is needed to play Multiplayer is to run Polo: Cat Edition on an Android device running Jellybean 4.2, 4.3 or KitKat 4.4 on the same Wi-Fi network.
Goals and Inspiration for Polo:
Create a fun real-time game of hide and seek/Marco-Polo that could be played with two people but with only one GearVR. My kids were a huge inspiration for this as they are not old enough to experience VR but still want to engage.
Create an optimized game that could be played for long stretches without overheating the device but still pack as much atmosphere and detail as possible into each map thru the use of clever culling while avoiding pop-in and hallways.
Create an engaging single player that begs for one more round to be played.
Create an experience that could only be possible using Virtual Reality by using the scale of the mouse player versus the set pieces that surround him.
Create a comfortable VR experience by creating a smart and comfortable non-intrusive UI.
For more details visit: http://bananafat.com Polo is being developed for the Mobile VR JAM 2015 by: Marc Hansen
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