Prototype the Future
Prototype the Future is a VR multiplayer sandbox game about envisioning and building the future we want to live in.
To create a sustainable future where people and nature can survive and thrive, we need to develop a set of skills, knowledge, and mindsets to collectively shape the future.
Timeline:
July 2023 (3 days)
The Team:
Simran Jagnik (Unity developer)
Janina Becker (Pedagogy)
Rae Ostman (Pedagogy)
Maggie Muldoon (Designer)
Nicholas Pilarski (3D design and sound design)
Karen Vanderborght (Project manager)
Responsibilities
Unity VR prototype including Multiplayer, animations, trigger interactions, physics, and UI.
Tools used:
Unity
C#
Oculus SDK
Background
XR Brain Jam, hosted by Games for Change is a hackathon that pairs researchers with XR game developers and digital creatives to explore the intersection of their domains.
“Prototype the future” is a sandbox game, which is tackling future literacy, in particular the creative shaping of one's own future, as an essential aspect of next-gen education.
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The game provides an immersive space to imagine and negotiate possible futures, supporting creativity and other essential elements of futures literacy. It is designed for use in secondary school classrooms, as part of a teacher-led curriculum, and community contexts.
“What if our current environment belonged to another world?”
Based on an initial reflection on their problem statement, players create ideas for life in the future. Then they add elements to their future landscape, talk about what they created and why, and consider how they can improve their design. Finally, they can zoom out and see how many different visions can come together to create a Blueprint for the Future.
These creative and collaborative processes will help students grow in various aspects of future literacy by offering an immersive space to imagine and negotiate possible futures supporting creativity and other essential elements of futures literacy. It is designed for use in secondary school classrooms, as part of a teacher-led curriculum, and community contexts.
Video Walkthrough
Prototypes
I was tasked with developing the Unity Multiplayer VR sandbox game. This included putting 3D assets in the environment, adding physics, skybox, simulations, UI, cameras and multiplayer setup and VR interaction.
CHALLENGES
Multiplayer game
Implemented multiplayer interactions for the first time using Netcode, tested it using two Quest 2s.
VR interactions
Implemented multiplayer interactions for the first time using Netcode, tested it using two Quest 2s.
Making objects stick
I tried various ways of merging 3D object meshes to make them stick together at the correct required angles.
Dual View Modes for Collaboration and Analysis
The game offers two distinct viewing options to cater to both collaborative design and archival study:
In-World View: Collaborate seamlessly with teammates within your constructed world, allowing for real-time interaction and refinement.
God View: Step back and gain a comprehensive overview of all created worlds. This zoomed-out perspective facilitates analysis, comparison, and exploration of diverse design solutions.
Environment and UI
Crafted a unified visual and verbal language for both the environment and user interface (UI), ensuring intuitive navigation.
Implemented timed gameplay, audio narration, and contextual prompts to provide clear direction.
Showcase at Games for Change'23
We got to showcase the VR at Games for Change 2023 in their Immersive Arcade section. It was exhilarating to get to know what people liked about the concept and execution.
