Due to the unique physical properties of a frisbee, specifically Lift and Gyroscopic Stability, I had to develop some additional physics systems on top of Unreal's pre-existing library.

Aerodynamic Lift

The most recognized characteristic of a frisbee is its floating feeling as it glides through the air. In the real world this is caused by the shape of the disc transfering air resistance to provide an upward force on the frisbee. Some simple math algorithms allowed me to simulate this feeling while still utilizing the strengths of Unreal's physics libraries.

Gyroscopic Stability

Another key characteristic of a frisbee is how its rotation stabilizes it as it flies. By determining the speed and angle of how the frisbee was thrown with the VR controls, I could calculate approximations for the needed values to include this within the needed frisbee physics systems.

One of the biggest challenges I faced in making this game is the how confusing UI can be in VR. I chose to make all button interactions physical as an extension of grabbing with my hands rather than relying on a VR mouse and pointer system that is hard to navigate with.

By using a radial menu, I could compact the inventory interaction without distracting from gameplay. This strengthened the VR experience by making everything feel very tactile.

As someone who is sensitive to motion sickness in VR, It was important to me to create a player movement system that minimized any feelings of nausea.

My research divided VR movement systems into two primary categories: Point and Click Teleporting and Traditional Controller-based Locomotion. While teleporting vastly reduces motion sickness in most players, it also separates the player from the gameplay and can often be disorienting.

To integrate teleporting into the gameplay I combined it with the core mechanic of disc golf: Throwing. Utilizing the 3 main disc types (Driver, Mid-Range, and Putter). I developed a system where players can teleport to the location where the disc lands. This allows the player to not only attempt to finish the disc course, but also use their throwing as a way to avoid swarms of enemies.

No zombie game is complete without swarms of undead rushing the player. Using Unreal's AI systems I introduced interactive zombies that vary in health, speed, and attacking behavior. These zombies use behavior states to react to both the player and each other.

Due to the performance limitations of VR, I knew I needed to minimize the amount of zombies while still conveying the stress of an overwhelming horde. Each zombie sends alert events when their behavior changes which allows the entire horde to work together. The biggest example of this is when a zombie first sees the player, it alerts the rest and the entire horde flocks towards the player's last known location. This keeps them in relatively concise groups around the player which gives off the illusion of a larger wave than there actually is.