User goals
Move forward continuously from point A to point B without missing out any part of the journey
Interaction
- The user presses forward using the controller joystick or directional pad
- The avatar moves forward, usually at a continuous velocity
- The movement stops (usually abruptly) when the joystick is released
- Works the same way for moving backwards
- The movement is either smooth and at a consistent height above ground, or may be accompanied by bobbing or swaying to simulate the rhythm of walking
Good
- It’s a very simple and easy to learn mechanism to move around a 3D environment as it works the same as as the standard approach in video games
Bad
- The visual sensation of movement often causes nausea
- The rushing past of scenery in the periphery is particularly prone to trigger the feeling of sickness
- The strange floating movement sensation caused by the visual information with no corresponding movement detected in the rest of the body, and in particular the vestibular system, is also a well known trigger for the nauseous sensation
- For this reason this type of movement is not recommended in VR for most people
Design challenges
- The main challenge is in making the movement feel realistic whilst at the same time reducing simulation sickness
- Some experiences aim to neutralise the sickness effect through ‘Dynamic Field-Of-View Modification‘ using soft edge cut outs that obscure the entire peripheral field of view during movement. We’ll cover this in another pattern later on.
- Certain VR experiences such as the game Onward have tweaked the standard locomotion mechanic to reduce the likelihood of VR sickness, to some level of success.
Linked to: Simple Teleporting