Research
The puzzle game “Mendel,” which was released in 2018, has received accolades for its calming effects. Growing and breeding plants in the game unlocks new species, allowing players to relax and concentrate while exploring the tranquil realm of botany. A sensation of serenity and focus are encouraged by the easy-to-understand mechanics, relaxing sound effects, and background music. Players may monitor their progress and see how their virtual garden is doing as they advance through the game, which gives them a sense of satisfaction and success. Overall, “Mendel” presents a distinctive and engrossing gaming experience that allows players to escape from the pressures and diversions of everyday life, making it a really meditative experience.
In the simulation game Plant Daddy, players are given the task of cultivating and maintaining a virtual garden that is home to a wide variety of plants. Players are required to properly tend to the needs of their plants, making choices that affect their development and growth, and adjusting as their demands change over time. With deep systems and mechanisms that reward careful attention to detail and strategic thinking, the game has a lovely graphic style that belies its depth and complexity. Plant Daddy delivers a complex and immersive gaming environment that is both engaging and demanding, accompanied by a sophisticated and ominous musical score.
A sophisticated simulation experience called Viridi raises the bar for virtual gardening. A rich virtual garden with delicate succulent plants is given to the players to maintain and cultivate. The gameplay is focused on making decisions that will help one’s garden grow and develop, and it necessitates a fine balancing act between strategic thinking and careful attention to detail. The game’s immersive and fascinating qualities are further enhanced by the minimalist design style and ethereal musical accompaniment, which together create a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. Players have the opportunity to participate in a particularly satisfying and engaging gaming experience with Viridi that mixes elements of simulation, management, and strategy.
A smart and mindful gaming experience called Flower encourages users to interact with a lovely and tranquil virtual world populated by flowers. The wind is controlled by the player, who uses it to direct a petal across a variety of magnificent vistas while also unlocking additional flowers and learning about the world’s mysteries. Players are encouraged to focus on the present moment and let go of tension and distractions thanks to the game’s minimalist design, fascinating soundtrack, and simple controls that create a peaceful and immersive environment. Flower invites players to build mindfulness and improve their general feeling of well-being by offering a serene and quiet experience.
Abzu is a thrilling underwater adventure game that whisks players away to an alluring and mysterious realm. Players in this game set out on an expedition to explore the depths of a sizable ocean and discover the secrets of an ancient civilisation. A tranquil and otherworldly mood is created by the visually amazing images, which are accompanied by a haunting and atmospheric soundtrack. This environment encourages players to thoroughly immerse themselves in the game. Players may easily interact with the undersea world and the variety of marine life that inhabits it thanks to the game’s simple but elegant controls. Abzû gives players a distinctive and enlightening gaming experience that masterfully combines elements of exploration, adventure, and reflection, offering a break from the rigours of reality that is at once peaceful and energising.
A beautiful and illuminating game experience called Journey leads players on a meaningful journey to a far-off mountain. Players take on the role of a robed figure travelling over an expansive, beautifully depicted desert while coming across numerous obstacles and other travellers. Players are encouraged to take their time, reflect, and form relationships in the game’s tranquil and immersive setting thanks to its simple design and ethereal soundtrack. Journey places an emphasis on ambiance above traditional gameplay mechanics, providing a distinctive and enlightening gaming experience.
I already had a concept in mind, and my research has helped me focus my thoughts for gameplay. Given the benefits of virtual reality technology, I believe a meditative plant harvesting world exploring game would be a very fitting genre.
Immersion: Virtual reality technology offers a level of immersion that is unmatched and is essential to creating an enjoyable and compelling gaming experience. As a result of the players’ complete immersion in the game world, their actions and interactions there are more natural and lifelike. As a result, there is a greater sense of presence and a closer connection with the game world.
Relaxation and Stress Management: This genre has the potential to be used as a therapeutic tool for stress management and relaxation due to the meditative and introspective nature of the game and the calming effects of virtual reality technology. This is crucial in today’s society, when stress levels are frequently high and finding strategies to reduce it is of the utmost importance.
Natural Interactions: The use of hand-held controllers, which offer a more intuitive and natural form of connection with the game world, is one of the defining characteristics of virtual reality technology. As the player is required to carry out tasks like gathering plants, exploring the game world, and engaging with the environment, this is especially pertinent in contemplative plant harvesting games. When these actions are carried out naturally and intuitively, they become more immersive and engaging, improving the player’s entire experience.
Aesthetic Appeal: Compared to typical 2D games, virtual reality technology enables the creation of three-dimensional, 360-degree environments that are more immersive and aesthetically pleasing. As the player can actually look around and explore the world, this improves both the player’s sense of presence within the game world and the environment’s capacity to believability. Further boosting the player’s experience, virtual reality technology may produce a sense of scale and depth that is challenging to reproduce in conventional games.
In conclusion, the meditative and tranquil qualities of a plant harvesting globe exploration game allow for a highly suitable pairing with virtual reality technology. An engaging and meaningful gaming experience may bring peace and tranquilly to an often chaotic world thanks to its immersive nature, relaxation and stress-relieving properties, natural interactions, and aesthetic appeal.
Mood Board:
A moodboard for video games is a tool that aids in defining the appearance and feel of a game. It consists of a selection of pictures, drawings, typography, colour schemes, and other visual components that are meant to capture the intended mood, ambiance, and artistic style of the game. A moodboard serves as a visual reference for everyone working on the game and helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the desired design direction.
A video game moodboard can have a variety of aspects, depending on the particular goals and objectives of the game, but some of the more typical ones are as follows: • Pictures of locations, people, and items that reflect the desired art style and tone of the game.
• Colour schemes that are meant to inspire particular feelings and moods as well as establish the tone for the game’s setting.
• Text styles and typography that support the intended ambiance and mood.
• Graphics that characterise the game’s aesthetic, such as illustrations.
• Modeling after games, movies, novels, or other media that fit the desired tone and aesthetic of the game.
The components of a moodboard for a video game can change depending on The importance of mood boards for video games is multifaceted.
A video game mood board offers a clear and succinct visual depiction of the desired look, feel, and environment of the game.
Clarifies the vision: This makes it easier to make sure that everyone working on the game’s development, including designers, artists, and programmers, is aware of the desired design direction.
Promotes communication: Mood boards can be shown to stakeholders, such as publishers and investors, to get their support for the project and to explain the game’s goal.
Enhances consistency: By using a mood board as a guide, game developers and designers can make sure that every element of the game—including the art, sound, and user interface—is in line with the desired tone and style.
Saves time and resources: A mood board can help to save expensive revisions and rework by identifying the design direction early in the development process. It saves time and resources that would otherwise be used to repair errors or make adjustments when everyone involved in the game’s production is aware of the desired style and tone.
Inspiration: The production team can find inspiration from a mood board for a video game. The components on the mood board might give designers and artists fresh ideas and inspiration for the game.
Design and prototyping
There are various advantages to prototyping a level for a virtual reality game before it is fully completed, including:
Testing gameplay mechanics: Before devoting time and money to full production, the development team can test the game mechanics to make sure they are entertaining and engaging.
Recognizing technical obstacles: VR games frequently experience particular technical obstacles like motion sickness or tracking problems. The team can recognise and fix these issues early in the development process by prototyping.
Improving user experience: Before the final game is created, a prototype can assist the development team in identifying any potential issues with the player experience and implementing fixes. with the player experience and make changes before the full game is produced.
Game design refinement: By using prototypes, the developer can improve the game’s layout and make changes in response to user feedback. This may result in a polished and pleasing end result.
For a variety of reasons, developing a glossary for a virtual reality game is crucial.
Consistency: A glossary promotes consistency in the vocabulary used in the game by ensuring that all players utilise the same terminology and definitions for important terms and ideas.
Clarity: A glossary explains concepts used in the game simply, assisting players in comprehending the environment and gameplay.
Documentation: A glossary acts as a guide for upcoming game development and maintenance, assisting in preserving the game’s original goal and vision.
The player experience: Players who are unfamiliar with VR games or the particular genre can better grasp the game and the VR technology with the aid of a glossary. This can lessen irritation and enhance the entire gaming experience.
Localisation: Localisation, or the process of customising a game for several locales and languages, can also be referred to in a glossary. By doing so, it may make sure that the right words are utilised across languages and that the translated versions adhere to the original.
Level prototype :
White cuboid = Player
Orange capsule = NPC
Green cubes: Trees
Pink cylinder = Save point
Purple half-sphere = Pickup object
Black border = Sides of game
Blue plane = Water
Light green plane = Walkable
This is a 3D environment I have bought from the unity store, I think the alien garden environment is on theme, and the sense of otherworldliness also evokes a sense of stimulation.
For the following reasons, this venue could be a nice place for a meditation game:
Aesthetic appeal: An alien environment’s distinctive and odd appearance can be visually appealing and engrossing, giving the player an immersive experience.
Environment sounds that promote relaxation: The rustling of leaves and the chirping of insects can help to create a tranquil and relaxing environment that is perfect for meditation.
The unusual plants and animals of the jungle can serve as a rich source of inspiration for the player’s imagination, luring them into a relaxed state of profound meditation.
Opportunities for exploration: The user can explore the alien area and find new species and environments, which can provide the player a sense of discovery and adventure and improve their meditation experience.
This is a leaf monster NPC I have bought. I think it would be a NPC because:
A leaf monster’s peculiar appearance adds a creative and visually interesting touch to the game’s jungle setting. This can enhance the game’s visual appeal and provide gamers a more immersive and interesting experience.
Its inclusion in the game may act as a motivator for gamers to explore new areas. The leaf monster’s enigmatic and alluring appearance might pique gamers’ interest and compel them to explore the jungle in search of new flora.
For instance, it can be challenging to catch and need a certain number of plants to be collected before it can be caught. This can give the gameplay a deeper level of complexity and present additional obstacles for players to overcome.
It may act as a narrative component in the game, giving players a stronger sense of immersion in the setting. It might play a part in the game’s lore or act as a quest-giver, opening up additional opportunities for players to explore the game’s universe and learn the truth about the leaf monster and the alien jungle. Players may feel more a part of the game’s universe and its characters as a result, which can increase engagement and interest levels.
Game Mechanics
Game objective: Collect flowers and complete quests
Rules: Player has to play within given area, collect flowers, use save point, and speak to npc to gain quests
Goal: complete quests and advance to next level when possible, play around and have fun!
Game Storyboard: Player goes to npc to retrieve a quest, listens to music emitted by each plant in order to collect plants specified by npc, goes to save point, then back to npc for the next objective.
When prototyping, a game storyboard outlining the game mechanics might be quite useful. It gives the game’s flow a visual representation, and it enables the developer to see how all the mechanisms work together. This can ensure that the final product satisfies the required aims and objectives and assist detect any potential issues early in the development process.
For the player to finish a mission, there are various steps in the game mechanics. An NPC (non-player character) gives the player a quest to gather a certain amount of plants in the beginning. The player must listen to the music that each plant emits in order to harvest the plants. According to the NPC, the music will influence what kind of plant the player should gather. The player must visit a save point after gathering the necessary plants in order to save their progress. The player then goes back to the NPC to get the next objective. This kind of feature incorporates exploration and resource management into the game by requiring the player to interact with the NPC, gather resources, and save their progress.
Main functions
Initially the plants had been called flowers, as I was going to use a different 3D environment, but I’ve chosen not to change the script in order to minimise risk. Plants have an enum that determines the colour of the plant. I have implemented a flower manager that allows me to choose specific colour for the plant. I am also able to determine how many leaves each plant gives. These are later on used for quest purposes. Each plant has a script called ‘player detection’ which uses a boundary box that works by a trigger when the player is in range. This then plays a specific audio related to the specific plant. That allows the player to determine which plants are in the area.
Once the plants have been collected they are removed from the map (in this case they are being disabled and not deleted). This makes the player able to collect all the plants around the zone. This means the player has to take action in order to respawn the plants. For this reason I have created a ‘sleep’ script which is placed on a fire pit that is stationed on the map. When the player gets near to the fire, he is able to a button to sleep. This will use a fade out – fade in effect with black background indicating that the player is sleeping and waking up. After the player wakes up, all the plants will be respawned around the map, furthermore, alongside the set effect (fade out fade in) the audio is also played. The process lasts 1-2 seconds.
The ai character inside the game also has quest scripts implemented. When the user collects enough flowers indicated by the quest, the user should get in range of the ai and press the button to give back all the plants. Only the player is able to request another quest from the ai. If the user has not completed the previous quests they will be unable to have a new quest.
The quest script has a variety of functions that it deals with. Firstly, it randomises the kind of plant colour the player has to pick up, this contains an equal distribution, the second step will determine using the plant colour information, how many plants the player has to pick. This is done due to the fact that there is a lot more green plants than red plants. This also means if the player has to pick up 100 red plants it will take hours to do so, for this reason, the balance has been implemented. The quest manager also keeps track of the amount of plants that need to be collected and given back, which also allows the player to give back flowers in batches. When the game starts the player obtains the first quest automatically, after that, the player has to meet the requirement of having to give back a certain amount of flowers before they can take a new quest. This is done on purpose so the game doesn’t automatically create a new quest for the player but allows the player to decide when the new quest should be started. Each time the player performs the action of giving the flowers back to get a new quest, the flower manager will send an update of the information displayed on the UI by changing the text and colour if needed.
Another script known as inventory script has been implemented, which stores the information on how many plants the user currently has, starting from 0. The inventory listens to 2 different scripts, one of them being Questlogic which tells when certain plants should be removed from the inventory bag and how many. The second script is called pickup flower, within the flower manager which will tell the inventory how many plants to add and what type.
Lastly, for easier implementation and working on the project workspace was designed without using VR but instead, a basic mouse camera was implemented. This allows the player to play the game in 3d rather than VR and helps in testing of any implementation performed without the need to plug in a VR headset which can be a health hazard for the tester when 100a of tests must be performed and the games have to be restarted multiple times.
Playtest
A playtest often consists of a number of actions intended to assess and enhance a game while it is still in the development stage. Depending on the game, the specific tasks required in playtesting may vary, however some frequent components include:
User testing entails getting users to try out the game and give their opinions. Informally play sessions where players are free to explore the game at their own leisure or formal usability testing where players are required to perform certain tasks can both be used for this. Bug Testing: This involves finding and fixing any technical issues or glitches that arise during play. This can include issues with the game’s performance, such as framerate drops, or problems with the game’s controls or mechanics.
Testing for balance involves assessing the game’s level of difficulty and making necessary changes to make sure that it is both difficult and not frustrating for players. This may entail modifying the difficulty of specific levels, altering the potency of in-game skills or weapons, or tweaking other gameplay mechanics.
User Interface Testing: This involves assessing the user interface of the game, including its menus and control schemes, to make sure that it is simple to use and intuitive. This may entail altering the design, including new features, or improving those that already exist.
Gathering player feedback entails finding out what the players thought of the game overall as well as on the controls, visuals, sound, and other aspects.
For VR games, playtesting is essential for a number of reasons:
User Experience: Unlike typical video games, VR games demand a special level of immersion. Playtesting ensures that the mechanics, controls, and overall design of the game are simple to understand and comfortable for players, lowering the possibility of motion sickness and other unfavourable side effects.
Playtesting can reveal problems with a game’s gameplay mechanics, such as difficulty balancing, which might reduce a player’s pleasure of the experience. A better player experience can be achieved by making modifications to aspects of the game that may be too easy or too difficult.
Technical Problems: A variety of technical requirements, such as device compatibility and performance optimization, are frequently present in VR games. Playtesting aids in locating any potential technical difficulties, such as bugs, framerate decreases, or compatibility concerns, allowing you to fix them before to release.
Level Design: Playtesting can give you useful information on the level design of your VR game, such as where the player might become lost, stuck, or run into other issues. This can assist you in enhancing the game’s general structure and flow.
User feedback: Playtesting gives you the chance to get immediate feedback on your game from players. In order to make sure that your VR game matches the needs and expectations of your target audience, this input can be immensely helpful in directing your development process.
Sources
3D Models:
NPC (leaf monster) – https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/character/other/character113-leaf-monster
3D environment – https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/sci-fi/alien-planets-vol-3-204886
Campfire – https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/bonfire-lowpoly-5bfbb9ff05fa4d139affb7af5fecee3f
Resources:
Configuring your Unity Project for XR
https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/configuring-project-for-xr.html
Set Up Development Environment
https://developer.oculus.com/documentation/unity/book-unity-gsg/
GETTING STARTED DEVELOPING FOR VR
Control your camera to look around using mouse in Unity
Introduction to VR in Unity – PART 1 : VR SETUP
Unity VR Game Basics – PART 7 – Continuous Movement
Beginning C# with Unity – (Parts 1- 24 Watched) – Getting Started
Learn C# Scripting for Unity in 15 Minutes (2023 Working)
Full Unity Course – Learn Coding in C# by Building Games
Beginner-friendly script tutorials
Unity Tutorial for Beginners – C# Coding
Chatting with NPCS – GAME dialog – unity3d ink
How to Pick up and Drop Objects/Items! (First and Third Person, Unity Tutorial)
Creating An Inventory System in Unity
Unity INVENTORY: A Definitive Tutorial
Unity 5 Tutorial: Quest System #1 – The Quest Class (Videos 1-7 watched)
Music:
Clean Bad Soul Energy 417 Hz
Most Divine Frequency 963 Hz
Solfeggio Frequencies 852 Hz
639 Hz Connecting Relationships I Music to balance emotions I Solfeggio Healing Frequency
396 Hz Let Go of Fear & Guilt
Critical reflection
Multiple issues were encountered when developing the VR game in Unity using C#. One of the biggest problems was the camera, which was used to navigate about the area but wasn’t made expressly for 3D or VR movement. The gamer found it challenging to navigate because of this. This issue may have been resolved by implementing a suitable 3D camera for testing.
One problem was the inverted keys, which caused difficult-to-navigate movement on the Z and X axes anytime the player changed direction. This was fixed by reducing the colliders’ radius, which made it simpler for the player to pick up single flowers.
The large colliders linked to the flowers caused them to be picked up too rapidly, which was another problem. The solution to this issue was merely adding colliders to the parent prefab, which was then applied to the bulk of the children, hence minimising the amount of manual work. However, not all flowers could be picked up since some of them were improperly unpacked when the asset owner first placed them on the map. To rectify this, manual work was needed.
Additionally, the accompanying music wasn’t playing, some plants may be picked up. This occurred as a result of improper flower unpacking, which prevented the collider attachment on the parent prefab from functioning on the particular child.
New quests also had problems, such as the same task being delivered repeatedly and script communication problems that prevented the quest from updating or falling into negative values. This was fixed by modifying the system and enhancing script connectivity, which allowed quests to be accurately shown and refreshed. The likelihood of receiving the same mission twice was decreased for the new tasks.
Another problem included the NPC, where the collider was broken and the player and NPC’s conversation either never happened or happened after the player departed. Multiple colliders were made, one of which prohibited the player from passing through the NPC while the other served as a trigger to rectify this. Due to communication problems between the NPC and the UI, there was also a problem with the NPC not speaking to the player properly. This was resolved by adding a special action that activated the user interface (UI) as soon as the player approached the NPC and delivered a predetermined random text to the UI.
Due to the flowers being allocated to a separate parent with a different texture, unexpected things were also being picked up. By personally repairing the assets and checking every flower to make sure the right ones were being picked up with the right sound and texture, this problem was fixed.
The simultaneous play of all sounds in the game made it challenging to distinguish between them. This was fixed by creating a range system between the player and the flower, which altered the loudness in response to the player’s proximity and improved the ability to distinguish between the sounds.
The size of the colliders and occasional errors also caused the player to occasionally fall through the map. This was fixed by conducting further research and testing on the map to repair the problematic regions.
I believe the following additions would improve the game:
Animation: The user experience may be substantially improved by adding animations to the AI characters’ behaviours, plant growth, and other interacting items in the game. Animations for the AI’s inactive state, strolling, conversing, and responding to player activities can all be included in this. The plants’ growth and colour changes as well as those of other environmental elements like rocks, trees, and rivers may all be animated. The use of animations may assist make the game environment come to life and increase immersion.
Weather system: Including weather effects like snow or rain may give the setting a more immersive and dynamic feel. The weather system may use a random number generator as its foundation or follow a predetermined timetable. Different weather conditions might change how the game is played by lowering visibility, blocking access to some regions, or changing the auditory scenery.
Day/Night cycle: Including a day/night cycle that changes the lighting, background music, and other game effects may significantly enhance the mood of the game. The lighting may be pleasant and brilliant during the day and eerie and black at night. This may have an impact on how the player travels through and interacts with the environment, as well as how the AI character and other NPCs behave.
Particle effects: I could improve the game’s quality by including particle effects for certain actions like picking up a plant or dozing off by the fire. The visual impacts of rain or snow can be improved by adding particle effects to the weather system. Particle effects may be utilised to improve visual appeal and give the gaming environment a more lively feeling.
Variable gameplay: This can involve including adversaries or other challenges for the player to conquer. Combat can be introduced gradually, beginning with easy foes and becoming more challenging as the player advances. As a result, the game will be harder and more interesting for the player. I would also think about including a wider variety of objects that are more challenging to obtain. For instance, there can be rare things that can only be located in particular places or objects that are more difficult to get because of barriers or adversaries defending them. The player will be motivated to explore more and the game will get more difficult as a result. The game will grow more sophisticated and interesting for players by incorporating both combat action and a wider variety of things, which can assist to maintain their interest and keep them playing for longer.
Inventory management: If I had a wider variety of objects, I would put in place a mechanism for classifying and arranging them so that players could simply keep track of the things they had amassed. Items can be arranged in this way according to kind, colour, or task. The player’s total quantity of goods gathered, the items they still need to collect, and the stuff they’ve returned to the AI character can all be seen on the inventory management system’s display.
NPC challenges: Adding more tough NPCs, such as one that pursues the player, may make the game harder and make it more replayable. The NPC may follow the player, assault the player, or make an effort to impede their progress, among other AI rules and behaviours. By presenting players with fresh obstacles to conquer, tough NPCs may make the game feel more exciting and dangerous and boost replayability.
Interacting with the environment may be made easier by including more interactive elements in the environment, such as trees, rivers, and rocks that can be scaled. Players may encounter fresh difficulties as a result of these things, such as dodging dangers, traversing rivers, or climbing up trees. Players may be given fresh options for exploration through interactive items, opening up fresh perspectives inside the game’s universe.
Save/load system: Including a store/load system that enables players to save their progress and come back to the game at a later time can increase the game’s accessibility and general enjoyment. The save/load system has the capacity to save details about the player’s present location, the state of the surrounding area, and the progress of any open missions. As a result, gamers won’t have to restart their game from scratch and may pick up where they left off. Since players may try out various play styles and techniques without having to start again, the save/load mechanism can also make the game more replayable.
I am pleased with the way the game came out. First off, gamers may have engaging dialogues with the AI character thanks to the carefully thought-out and planned speech and character scripts for the AI. The player’s input affects the AI’s replies, which are then decided by a random number created by C#, providing an element of unpredictability and increasing the game’s replayability.
The flower manager in the game works in conjunction with an enum to decide the colour of the plants. The player will have complete control over all of the game’s plants. Another clever feature is the player detection script, which uses auditory signals to notify players of approaching plants. It is clear that I have taken into account the player’s progress by allowing the opportunity to reset it, if necessary, by being able to remove plants from the map after they have been harvested and then resurrect them using a sleep script.
Players may complete a range of activities that are generated randomly using different plant colours and dependent on the existence of specific plants in the game thanks to the game’s robust quest system. The quest manager keeps track of the player’s progress and ensures that they are unable to start a new quest until they have completed the one they are presently on.
The inventory system was carefully considered; to keep track of the player’s progress and inventory, two additional scripts—Questlogic and Pickup Flower—are monitored by the inventory script. Players must be able to keep track of how many plants they have gathered in order to finish the assignments.
A basic mouse camera was used to construct the project workspace rather than employing virtual reality, which streamlines the testing process and removes any potential health dangers for testers. Additionally, it removes the difficulty of playing the game in VR for some players and makes it simpler for them to play in 3D.
In conclusion, creating the VR game in Unity using C# was a difficult but worthwhile effort. Although there were initially issues with the camera, movement, colliders, and flowers, the development team was able to fix these problems and enhance the player’s overall gameplay experience. The addition of the AI voice and character, mission scripts, and inventories gave the game more complexity and engagement. The testing procedure was made easier and more productive by using a standard mouse camera rather than VR. The result is a relaxing and aesthetically pleasing game.
When building the game, I was unable to move around the scene once it was in VR. This is maybe because the references and Standard provided by the Unity Team have not been working properly, possibly due to the version of Unity or software within the Oculus Quest device. Here were the settings used: