OUTER MIND
University Year 2 Games Design Project - 2021
Experience what it’s like to become a Pilot Astronaut, float in microgravity and take necessary action to avoid destruction of your spacecraft. This is Virtual Reality; you are the one in charge.
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BRIEF
Create a Games Design document for my own original game design, supported by research, ideation, prototypes, marketing material and necessary development. This was an independent project with a heavy focus on personal development and acquiring new skills.
ROLES
Games Designer
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TEAM
Independent Project
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PROJECT DURATION
12 weeks
TAKEAWAYS​
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Designed and produced a professional game design document.
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Industry design processes - User-Centred Design, Gameplay Loops, Beat Chart and Experience Mapping.
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First time using Blender to produce 3D assets.
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An original game trailer - directed and edited by me.
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SUMMARY
I was determined to step outside of my comfort zone and design something out of this world (quite literally). I began looking into Virtual Reality, to take advantage of the immersive technology and design an experience for both escapism and reward. Players experience both authentic and fantastic elements of space, including microgravity environments and crucial astronaut procedures.
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To capture the essence of my experience, sound and haptics were essential to engage players and stimulate real interactions within the spacecraft. Examples of this include haptic feedback via Oculus Touch Controllers to replicate interactions between players and objects, or something as simple as the sound of the astronauts heavy breathing.
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Each element of the virtual environment was carefully considered, including the scale of the room and the placement in which each interaction would take place. Both physical and digital prototypes were essential when it came to highlighting the limitations of this and demonstrating ways to overcome them.
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I had the most fun researching how to create a sense of 'weightlessness' in the zero-gravity virtual environment and bringing my wacky imagination to life.
ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE
Understanding what was essential to achieve my initial project aims, relevant to Virtual Reality and an outer space theme.
GAME STRUCTURE & EXPERIENCE MAPPING
Beat Chart: To establish the structure of the game.
STORY-BOARDING
Storyboarding allows me to visualise and breakdown my game concept.
PROTOTYPING
Physical and digital prototypes to test and demonstrate how each interaction would occur. I developed a series of prototypes to further develop my gameplay experience, including lego animations, card-board control panels and travelling asteroids in Blender.
VISUAL DIRECTION & ART BIBLE
Using Blender to create a 'particle system'. This represents asteroids flying towards the spacecraft, eventually causing destruction. In addition to this, I experimented with colours, lightning and scale - taking into consideration the geographical setting.
VISUAL DIRECTION & ART BIBLE
Using mood-boards as reference images and inspiration to assist the environmental design and overall visual direction. This involved experimenting with textures and lighting in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
CHARACTER CONCEPTS
Character concepts for the NPC's within the spacecraft - a major part in the players discovery of their objective. This process began with reference images, silhouettes and initial sketches.
FLIGHT-DECK CONCEPT DESIGNS
Control panel/cock-pit design layout - taking into consideration accessibility and players ability to move around the physical space. I intended for players to take advantage of their spacious virtual environment. I initially gained inspiration from the 'Dragon Endeavour' (2020) flight deck interface, which consisted of limited controls but a more futuristic setup. Including touch screens and real-time information!
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USER-INTERFACE AND HUD
User-Interface and HUD concept designs to display player damage and provide dialogue responses during their initial space-craft discovery.
TECHNICAL DESIGN
Adapting a way for players to walk around their environment as an alternative to walking, due to different physical surroundings. The proportions of the virtual environment provide players with a realistic representation of a spacecraft.
MARKETING & PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL
A one-page-pitch to summarise the experience and establish the unique selling point of my new game idea, 'Outer Mind'.
MORE INFORMATION
For my full design process and Game Design Document please use the following link:
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