MOON BASE: A SPACE SHOOTER VR EXPERIENCE
Team Members: One
My Role: XR Designer and Developer
Duration: One Week
The primary objective of this game is to give user an experience of a First Person View of the space and shooting as many asteroids as possible in the given frame time possible.
BRIEF OVERVIEW
The mixed reality game that we created gave me the idea to create a game that is purely in virtual reality. Based on that idea, I decided to create a shooting game in VR and also create an experience of the moon and a space environment of sorts.
DESIGN PROCESS
Since this was a solo project, I had to do everything from scratch. The initial storyboarding was done to understand the flow of the game and the interactions that would be required. After that, I started creating the 3D models and prefabs that would be required for the game.
Key Takeaway: Creating optimized 3D models and prefabs is very important for the game to run smoothly!
Storyboarding
I created the storyboard that would help me visualize how the player would continue the journey and the list of interactions that will be needed throughtout the game cycle.
Key Highlights
Immersive Gameplay -- Science Fiction -- Intuitive -- Realistic Interactions -- First Person View -- Space Shooter
Target Audience
The target audience are probably the people who are interested in FPS games. People who are interested in VR games and want to experience the space in a different way with a fast-paced shooting game.
GAME GENRE: Casual, FPS, Shooting
AGE RANGE: 15+
REQUIREMENT GATHERING ACTIVITY
Based on the storyboard, we gathered the requirements for the game. The requirements were divided into four categories: Scene, 3D Assets, Functional Needs, and I/P Interactions. For each scene, I tried to identify the 3d assets and other needs that would be required along with the interactions if needed.
| SCENE | 3D ASSETS | FUNCTIONAL NEEDS | I/P INTERACTIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCENE: Mayank is entering the moon surface, after wearing the VR Headset. He is transported to a base on the surface of the moon. | 3D ASSETS: Moon Surface, Podium Asset, Planets, Instruction Canvas. | FUNCTIONAL NEEDS: Instructions and Guidelines. | I/P INTERACTIONS: N/A. |
| SCENE: Suddenly, a swarm of asteroids comes into view, hurtling towards you at high speed. | 3D ASSETS: 3D Asset of the asteroids, moon base assets. | FUNCTIONAL NEEDS: Instructions and Guidelines | I/P INTERACTIONS: N/A. |
| SCENE: Mayank reacts quickly, using weapons to defend against the incoming threat. | 3D ASSETS: 3D Asset of the asteroids, moon base assets, Gun Assets. | FUNCTIONAL NEEDS: Shooting the asteroids, Asteroid Speed, Timer, Soundtracks. | I/P INTERACTIONS: Grip Button to hold the guns, Trigger to shoot the guns, and also to control the game system. |
| SCENE: Mayank engages in intense space combat, firing lasers and missiles at the oncoming asteroids. | 3D ASSETS: Guns, Sparks from the gun animation, Asteroids, Instruction Canvas. | FUNCTIONAL NEEDS: Soundtrack, Scoreboard, Highest Score. | I/P INTERACTIONS: Grip Button to hold the guns, Trigger to shoot the guns, and also to control the game system. |
| SCENE: Explosions light up the darkness of space as the protagonist maneuvers deftly to avoid collisions. | 3D ASSETS: 3D Asset of the asteroids, Asteroid Destruction Asset. | FUNCTIONAL NEEDS: Animation when the asteroid is destroyed. | I/P INTERACTIONS: Haptic Feedback when the laser is fired from the gun. |
USER TESTING AND INSIGHTS
First Prototype Implementation:
- Implement basic gameplay elements:
- Implement grabbing functionality.
- Spawn asteroids within the environment.
- Integrate scoring system and timer.
- Develop a game controller with three states. (Start, Waiting and Over)
- Most players found it immersive and engaging.
- Some found the game was ending earlier than intended.
- Some found the haptic feedback for the gun was lacking.
- It was difficult for players to understand the trajectory of the bullet.
KEY INSIGHTS
Based on the feedback, I decided to improve the game further and add more features to enhance the gameplay experience.
Second Prototype Implementation:
- Game Play mechanics and features were further improved.
- Implement better haptic feedback for the gun.
- The gameplay duration was increased.
- Enhance lighting within the environment.
- Add post-processing effects to improve visuals and atmosphere.
3D MODELS AND PREFABS
GAMEPLAY VIDEO