Modbox (2016), the multiuser VR physics sandbox from indie studio Alientrap, is getting an update next month in hopes of making the app more of a “Unity-like experience – only simplified,” says developer Lee Vermeulen. The update is said to include a desktop-based editor and visual scripting system.
Vermeulen released the news via a Steam forum post, saying that in addition to the ability for multiple players to script entities at the same time, the March update will allow a player to edit or script while viewing through a traditional monitor as another player is in VR. Vermeulen says the desktop scripting mode is better for tasks like entering in text, while VR is better for 3d creation and level design.
The upcoming update to Modbox represents an extra layer of complexity for users, but also allows for a more comprehensive division of labor when it comes to collaborative game creation and prototyping. You can check out a preview of the upcoming changes here.
Unity launched its own VR editor back in December 2016, and while the editor itself is an intuitive interface for VR game creation, it also comes along with all the complexity of the Unity game development platform—something that may seem daunting to newcomers.
Modbox’s latest update, the result of 3 months of work, saw a complete rewrite of the majority of Modbox code for better online play, performance, and UI, the developer say.
Modbox is currently in Early Access on Steam, supporting HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
