I wanted my Capstone Project to be the game which takes place in winter night. While creating the scene enviroment I had an idea about big Enemy and his little monsters. They came to the human lands to enslave people. Player is a lone scout on a mission from local Earl which can provide an opportunity to win for the defending side.

Considerations

Player needs to take the sword and go to save your word. Magical abilities are also present manifesting by saying “Fire” to launch powerful fireballs to defeat the enemy. Alternative story-line provides two ways to accomplish the mission: retrieve secret war plans from night monsters camp or defeat the enemy leader.

Game Play Video

Screenshots

Statement of Purpose

“Nordhall.The lone scout.” project will be interesting for users who love to play Vive VR melee fighting games. I plan to show in this project best of my game-buildign skills.

Conclusion

I based the movement on using familiar Vive Home mechanics. Performance was optimized based on profiler data for best production. It was pretty amazing how fast game became after applying them.

It took around 100 hours to complete full project and I’m quite happy with the result. I have received a lot of experience but I know that it isn’t perfect and there is still room for improvement. I’m simply overwhelmed with emotions and I really like to create VR experiences… there is still so much to learn in this area.

Introduction

Nowadays sport and healthy lifestyle are in the spotlights. Majority considers it a hobby while some brave souls become professional athletes.

The idea of “Fitness Space” project is in applying VR for more effective sports time management. You no longer need to leave the house for training, just put VR headset on and choose the necessary training program instead. Forward to perfection!

Considerations

Each user has training level which is used for fitness program selection. FPS should be kept steady so that players don’t experience simulator sickness in the scene.

Game Play Video

Screenshots

This screenshot shows the environment of Fitness Space. It looks as futuristic fitness.

This is your entrance to the Fitness Space. It gives you access to 5 training zones.

“Boxing Area” training zone. Do your workout and watch motivation video.

“Cardio Area” training zone. Take running course and watch a video.

“Aerobic Area” training zone consists of TRX and yoga. Enjoy it!

“Gym Area” training zone is a perfect place to do hard workout.

DESIGN PROCESS

Statement of Purpose

“Fitness Space” project is interesting for new users of VR same as for its fans.

It allows to save time and money on the road and workout with personal trainer. The program itself is a personal mentor for the users.

Persona

For example, to showcase the user of this program I have taken as a basis the people which have family and work, and they accordingly don’t have enough free time for themselves.

Sketch

This is the first version of the sketch. The idea consists of 5 training zones in which the user can choose for themselves the desired workout.

CONCLUSION

I based this project on comfortable transitioning between fitness zones. I’ve used text and pictures. And the most important thing it’s a video in each of the 5 zones, which motivates the user to do workout.

It took around 50 hours to complete full scene. I was delighted to have an opportunity to work on this project. I have a lot of experience but I know that it isn’t perfect and there are some places that need corrections. I’m always happy to learn new things. The road ahead has a lot of surprises and I’m keen to experience them.

Choosing platform

Students don’t have access to large funds so buying HTC Vive or Oculus Rift is out of question. Therefore, they are focused on a more budget option — Google Cardboard.

App description

Nail Design app provides a selection of materials, colors and textures so that user could create awesome piece of art.

To implement the learning process app uses 3d models but not high polygonal ones to preserve the performance of the VR experience. It is very important for mobile applications.

Students act as spectators though they need to make a choice of materials, colors and textures to use in design they want to create. There are several viewpoints from which user can observe the process.

Conclusion

Taking the information above into account only two platforms can be suggested at this stage: Google Cardboard and Daydream.

I want to take you to the world of mysterious forest and magic. I created the game “A Dense Forest Puzzler”. Emotions overwhelm me when I work on new projects. Recently I didn’t know anything about programming and development of VR. In the previous project “A Maze” I faced the problem of the performance of the scene and the quality of its display on the Cardboard. When developing the “A Dense Forest Puzzler” I took into account previous mistakes and used low-quality textures and low-poly objects. This made me study the GoogleVR SDK more deeply. I studied the lighting and its settings and how they should be adapted for a certain scene.

Considerations

“A Dense Forest Puzzler” shows basics of VR to new users, helping them to acquire new skills which they will later use in more complex games. Main goal is to keep FPS steady so players don’t experience simulator sickness in the scene.

PUZZLER

Game Play Video

Screenshots

1. This image displays the overall picture of my Puzzler scene. Terrain I made with mountains and with various trees and bushes. A bright moon illuminates our dense forest in the clear starry sky.

2.This screenshot shows an old wooden house that stands in the thicket of the forest, after entering into which mysteries await you.

3.This is a view inside the internal room where the player has to prepare a potion so that he can get out of this bewitched house.

4.When the puzzle is solved, and the sorcery is destroyed — the player can leave the house and continue his journey.

DESIGN PROCESS

Statement of Purpose

Puzzler Project is a mobile VR experience for new VR users, which is a variation of ”Simon says” game.

Persona

In the age segment, I focused on students and young people who are just beginning to learn VR and plunging into this mysterious world, remembered fairy tales in childhood.

Sketch

This is the final version of sketch. This sketch shows the idea that I had for this project. I decided to create the atmosphere as in fairy tale: “A dense forest, which hides in itself the magic mysteries”

USER TESTING

User test 1:
1. How can you describe the mood of the environment you are in?

“It feels comfortable and nice. I’m in the dark forest and hear different ambient sounds. I see big trees and glowing mushrooms. I guess that I’m in the magical forest. Unknown forces caught me and transferred me to the house. I see mushrooms of different colors.”

2. Could you describe how you feel yourself in the scene?

“I feel small and billboard looks very big.”

3. Do you see everything clearly?

“When the mushrooms are lighted up I see their glow very bad.”

User test 2:
1. How can you describe the mood of the environment you are in?

“It feels like night environment but its too illuminated. I feel that I’m somewhere in the forest in the mountains. I like glowing mushrooms.”

2. Could you describe how you feel yourself in the scene?

“I feel myself smaller than I really am.”

3. Do you see everything clearly?

“Yes, I see all very well.”

Result
Changed illumination made it less intense. Fixed the player height that the player doesn’t feels small. Increase intensity of mushrooms glow.

CONCLUSION

When I created the game “A Dense Forest Puzzler” I’ve invested a lot of time to make movement smooth and make lighting in vogue the sense of safety and comfort.

NEXT STEPS

Results are decent. I’ll put my new skills to create new VR project.

“A Dense Forest Puzzler Project” was originally published in AR/VR Journey: Augmented & Virtual Reality Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.