This week, we made good progress in both design and engineering.
Design-wise, designers have created a PowerPoint prototype to demonstrate the basic gameplay mechanics and the primary cooperation mechanism. We had several playtesters try and critique our prototype . The majority of them enjoyed the back-and-forth verbal communication the prototype introduced. On top of that, they gave insightful opinions on the prototype’s gameplay and how it pairs with the topic of the game. Their feedback helps us improve game mechanics and interactions.
As progress was made on the story and gameplay interactions, other design implementations were tested. For example, UI/UX designers have successfully converted 2D video clips into playable 3D planes in game and started working on the interface for videos.
Engineering-wise, engineers started to work on development of essential mechanics for the next prototype. For example, we tested the possibility of using multiple pairs of VR controllers and found that it is an impractical solution with the current VR plugin. However, VR controllers paired with a keyboard or any other input device has proven to be a feasible solution. Engineers have also tested out the feasibility of simultaneously having three interactable UI canvases in the scene.
The setting for our game is the Amazon river. Thus, the fidelity of the river is crucial for immersive VR gameplay. Engineers have successfully generated 3D-water visuals with realistic movement shaders and floater physics. For the scenery, engineers have also created an algorithm to procedurally generate trees, which will benefit us in building the game’s Amazonian environment.
This week, the team worked hard to make real progress toward building a bigger prototype that we intend to showcase and test by Week 7. The team is confident about the direction we are heading, and we are excited for next week.