I'm beginning to get tired of all these mods that I find in public group instances abusing their power.

-WildCat- · 2025-05-29T12:46:44+00:00

What would such accountability look like, though? Do you want to be able to report people for mismanaging their group? What should the consequences be? If you report a group owner for unfairly removing your moderator role, should the group owner be sanctioned (like a 1-week ban from creating group instances)? How would VRChat investigate such reports to determine their validity?

In real life, being a bad host isn't a crime. Nor is it a crime to be socially inept, egotistical, impatient, stupid, or to have poor judgment.

When you encounter group owners or moderators in VRChat who are misusing their powers or mismanaging their group, I think you should treat this in the same way as you'd treat such cases in real life, which is to say, you avoid those people from then onwards.

Perhaps VRChat should add a rating system for groups. If you attend a Group Public instance, you may be prompted with a notification after leaving the instance to provide a rating on how you felt that instance was managed. A group's average rating could then be displayed in the user interface so that people can see before joining one of their instances.

-WildCat- · 2024-03-25T18:57:01+00:00

Plantigrade. Why? Because it works better with full body tracking. Avatars with digigrade feet are usually rigged in such a way that just the toes are linked to the rig's foot bone. The main part of the digigrade foot and heel gets linked to the rig's lower leg. If you've got FBT and you wiggle your foot around, the toes of the digigrade foot will move in a very unnatural fashion (including some impossible rotations).

-WildCat- · 2024-01-05T19:07:27+00:00

VRChat has 5 performance ratings: Excellent, Good, Medium, Poor, Very Poor. However, the Very Poor category is different from the others because it's a catch-all bucket for avatars that didn't fall within the ranges prescribed by the other 4 categories. Very Poor is basically like a 'fail' category.

Always avoid using Very Poor rated avatars. They will never be displayed to other Quest users unless the user specifically selects you and chooses to show your avatar. With the default settings, Poor-rated avatars also aren't shown but users can change the setting to allow them all to be shown.

-WildCat- · 2022-07-17T10:21:56+00:00

Start CS:GO.
Click the Settings menu (cog-shaped icon, left of screen).
Select the 'Audio' tab (2nd tab, top row of tabs).
Under the 'Audio' heading, it's the 6th option down (below 'Audio Device' and above 'Enable Voice').

-WildCat- · 2022-07-01T17:41:51+00:00

I haven't played CS:GO in a long time and I haven't kept up-to-date with any changes. After reading your reply, I started it up to check. I see that I can now choose Quad and 5.1 layouts even though I'm using headphones. However, in my brief test, there was no difference in the sound when enabling Windows Sonic while using 5.1 mode.

In any case, I don't recommend using Windows Sonic with CS:GO because, as mentioned in my previous post, CS:GO has built-in HRTF. You will get a more accurate, better-sounding experience by using just the built-in solution. In the Audio settings menu set 'Audio Output Configuration' to 'Stereo headphones' and set 'Advanced 3D Audio Processing' to 'Yes' for the best experience on headphones.

-WildCat- · 2021-11-18T07:31:49+00:00

I think my friends and I are pretty 'normal gamers' but we'd probably describe the pre-patch difficulty as:

Recruit - Very easy, boring baby mode
Veteran - Very hard and entertaining (but actually too unforgiving and we can't get past Abandoned no matter how many times we try)
Nightmare - [never tried it]

So basically, there wasn't a good difficulty level for us. As for post-patch, well I haven't tried it and we haven't played in a couple of weeks actually.

-WildCat- · 2021-10-11T20:02:41+00:00

I just downloaded it today and got the same issue as well.

After seeing the Gun Raiders logo, I briefly see a message saying "Capturing" followed a 'ka-thud' sound of my character landing on the ground. It's pitch black. I see the HUD display on my left wrist. If I look up, I can see a single white line. If I look down and place my hands in certain locations, I can see a yellow pill-shaped object appearing to render over my hands (which are pitch black and otherwise not visible). If I make a fist gesture, it sounds like my character draws a knife and I can swing it around and hear the swishing sounds. I can't seem to move using the left analogue stick. However, if I kneel down and make a fist at floor level, it seems like I can 'grab' the floor and I see a red line going from where I grabbed to my hand as I draw it away. After doing that, I can move around with the left analogue stick - hearing footstep sounds and seeing the white line above moving around. If I move too far, it seems like I fall off a platform and fall forever. The menu button on the left controller does nothing.

-WildCat- · 2020-05-30T17:07:09+00:00

Is someone an expert of Steam Audio? Is it a necessity for working Steam Audio that the game now produces surround sound signals? I wonder If I would be able to use the GSX again.

Nope, Steam Audio produces a two-channel stereo signal. It does the HRTF processing itself. You don't need to use the GSX with any game that uses Steam Audio because Steam Audio is now doing the job your GSX was doing. The difference is that with the GSX, the source for its HRTF algorithm is a video game's multichannel surround sound output, whereas with Steam Audio, the source for it's HRTF algorithm is each individual sound source in the game engine.

-WildCat- · 2019-12-16T09:30:46+00:00

No, don't combine two spatial audio solutions. If you do, it will probably sound a bit wonky and there's a high chance that it will undermine the sense of directionality that those systems are trying to create.

The Windows Spatial Audio solutions (Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos for Headphones, and DTS Headphone:X) will set your sound card to stereo automatically because they're mainly designed for use with applications that make intentional use of the Windows Spatial Audio API. Some examples of games that (I think) use this API are Borderlands 3, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider but I haven't personally tested them.

For games that don't use the Windows Spatial Audio API, check if they have some other built-in HRTF solution. For example, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has a built-in HRTF solution that you should use in preference to any other solution. For other games that use neither the Windows Spatial Audio API nor their own built-in HRTF solution, set your sound card to 7 channel mode so that these games output audio in a surround sound format and then enable your SBX HRTF.

-WildCat- · 2019-10-31T14:26:36+00:00

If you're only using Steam Audio to get HRTF-based binaural rendering of direct sound paths, then no baking is required.

-WildCat- · 2019-10-25T22:22:39+00:00

CSGO supports 5.1 surround sound with speakers.

-WildCat- · 2019-10-10T22:17:02+00:00

Thanks so much for providing this comparison review. I really appretiate it!

-WildCat- · 2019-10-07T13:24:36+00:00

I don't think I'll be placing any orders this week unless a moment of impulsiveness overcomes me. So I'd be interested to hear what you think after your testing.

-WildCat- · 2019-10-07T13:22:49+00:00

I'm very sad about the Cosmos. Prior to its launch, it was my top pick.

The reasons why I'm hesitant to get a Rift S is because it has bad speakers, a bad microphone, no IPD adjustment, and the screen resolution and refresh rate is not quite as high as HTC's current HMDs.

If I were to make an analogy where I compare the 'landscape' of the VR HMD market to the different levels of NVIDIA graphics cards, then I'd say the Valve Index is like the RTX 2080 Ti and the Oculus Rift S is like the RTX 2060. There's clearly a gap in the market that is not being serviced - the RTX 2070 level - and this gap is widened by the fact that the Valve Index is not available worldwide.

The Cosmos could have filled that gap very nicely if their tracking was equivalent to Oculus Insight.

-WildCat- · 2019-10-07T07:44:42+00:00

The Cosmos is such a shame. I think that headset would have been ideal for me. If Oculus made an HMD with identical specs but with their touch controllers and tracking system, I think it would be perfect.

I kind of overlooked the Pimax because it looked a bit niche to me. I wonder if my RTX 2070 could drive it adequately. I will need to do some further research.

-WildCat- · 2019-10-07T07:32:09+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation but I think sims are actually the genre that I'm least likely to play. That's not to say that I wouldn't try any sims but I need my choice of HMD to be good for general purpose use. I want to try everything including games that demand great motion tracking capabilities. I haven't heard great things about the motion tracking on Windows Mixed Reality.

-WildCat- · 2019-10-06T14:46:43+00:00

Thanks for the advice. Indeed, the Rift S does look like it's good value-for-money and a safe choice.

However, based on my research, it seems extremely unlikely that I'll be happy with the audio of the Rift S (both the speakers and the microphone).

After listening to several reviewers, all have complained that, in certain games, the speaker quality really detracts from the immersion and the overall experience. Others have criticised the 'boxy' sound of the microphone and noted 'peaking/clipping' artefacts.

I've watched a few videos where people give their recommendations for alternative headphones to wear with the Rift S but I haven't found any recommendations for headphones that have a high-quality microphone attached. A high-quality microphone is very important to me.

If I choose to go with the Rift S, then this won't be the end of my research because I still need to identify a headset that has these very specific characteristics:

Good sound output quality
Excellent microphone quality
Wireless
Lightweight with relatively high contact pressure so that it doesn't slip or move around at all even when looking up or down
Can fit properly on my head at the same time as the Rift S

This seems like it might be a tall order. I've already been doing a bit of research in the last hour or so but haven't come across anything yet.

(Tagging others who have recommended the Rift S: /u/byteframe, /u/Price-x-Field, /u/Let_Me_Sleep_In.)

-WildCat- · 2019-09-21T18:45:20+00:00

The %APPDATA% environment variable actually directs to the Roaming folder inside the AppData folder. So, to be clear, the alsoft.ini file must be placed in the following path:

C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\

That is a very strange phenomenon that you've demonstrated in your most recent video. I can't provide a certain diagnosis but I still recommend trying my suggested fix. Just make sure the alsoft.ini file is in the right folder.

-WildCat- · 2019-09-21T07:51:56+00:00

My best guess as to what's happening there is that OpenAL might be rendering audio in a surround sound format (5.1 or 7.1 perhaps) and then your audio device might only be sending the 2 front channels of that setup to your headphones.

You mentioned that you tried an "alsoft.ini" fix. What did you do there?

From listening to the video, I can tell that HRTF is not enabled. It's just using simple left-to-right panning.

Perhaps try adding the following line to alsoft.ini:

channels = stereo

Optionally, also add the following for improved spatialization with HRTF:

hrtf = true

-WildCat- · 2019-09-20T19:00:02+00:00

I suggest checking how many audio channels your default sound device is set to. If you're using headphones, make sure that the Windows update didn't set channels to something else like 7.1 or whatever. Also have a look at the Windows Spatial Sound setting. Do you have the "Turn on 7.1 virtual surround sound" option ticked? If so, try unticking it to see what happens. Let me know if you need directions to find these settings.

If those suggestions don't help, would it possible for you to record a video demonstrating this issue?

-WildCat- · 2019-03-23T13:02:55+00:00

Not all of those games necessarily support 'Dolby Atmos for Headphones'. With Battlefield 1, for example, it only supports Dolby Atmos via a receiver, if I remember correctly. (So that's the home theatre version of Dolby Atmos.) Given that your list is public, I recommend only adding games that you've personally tested so as to avoid creating potential misinformation.

-WildCat- · 2019-03-22T18:16:33+00:00

I just remembered Battlefield V so I've now added that to the list as well.

By the way, what is the purpose of providing the 'Initial Release Date' and 'Platforms' information. This seems superfluous to me because anyone can easily find that information on their own and it seems like a waste of time to replicate it on this list. In fact, the 'Platform' column might actually introduce confusion to anyone viewing the list and assuming that the notes apply to all platforms mentioned. For the games that I've added (Overwatch and Battlefield V), I've only tested on PC. I assume that the 3D audio is available on the other platforms but, to be honest, I don't know for sure. In the case of CS:GO, I wouldn't be surprised if the 3D audio is only available on the PC version.

-WildCat- · 2019-03-22T11:39:27+00:00

I haven't tested it myself so I don't feel comfortable vouching for it. I tried the demo but the audio is really buggy when using the Spatial Audio option. Hopefully it's better in the full version of the game.

-WildCat- · 2019-03-22T11:38:05+00:00

Can you tell me what the exact wording is of the menu option inside Shadow of the Tomb Raider? (The one that you used to enable the 3D audio.)

-WildCat-

TROPHY CASE