The VIPER Mission is a virtual reality game developed by Team Moonsters for the Moonshot Museum in partnership with Astrobotic. This experience is designed to spark interest in lunar exploration among middle school students through an engaging simulation of Astrobotic's Griffin lander and NASA’s VIPER lunar rover. Players are tasked with navigating these machines during lunar landings and exploration missions, mapping the moon's terrain, and searching for water ice, which is crucial for future space endeavors.
This VR game not only introduces students to the mechanics of lunar exploration but also delves into the importance of space missions. It will help support the Moonshot Museum's mission to inspire a diverse audience to pursue careers in the space industry and significantly contribute to the museum’s educational outreach and funding goals.
Furthermore, the project aligns with the museum's recent achievement in securing the 2024 NASA grant for STEM Education, underscoring its commitment to fostering educational excellence in space science. The actual mission, set to launch in late 2024, aims to map the location of water ice and other potential resources, highlighting the real-world importance of the game's objectives.
Overview
Project basic settings
Platform
Quest 3
Tool Used
Unity
Team
5 Members
Duration
4 Months
My Role
Game Designer
My Responsibility
What I did in the project
The VIPER Mission is a 4-month project with 5 team members consisting of 2 artists, 1 game designer, and 2 programmers. I am the game designer of the team.
Game Design
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Hand tracking control scheme for both Griffin landing and VIPER movement
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Designed the camera searching function and drilling interaction
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The narrator's guidance and other visual guidance
Level Design
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Created the moon's surface
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Designed for a process of introduction to basic controls to free exploration
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Continuous iteration for appropriate difficulty
Sound
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Recorded the narration of the game
Game Flow
The process of the game
Landing Animation
A VR cutscene shows the Griffin lander approaching the moon, with the control center explaning the mission.
Landing Control
The player controls the Griffin lander during the final phase of its descent, aiming to land within the designated target area.
VIPER Tutorial
The player learns to control the VIPER rover by navigating through checkpoints guided by the control center.
Shadow Area Exploration
After learning the controls, the player will enter the permanently shadowed area and freely explore for water ice.
Leaderboard
The player will be able to see their own score and compare it to previous players' scores on the leaderboard.
Map
The moon surface map
The player progresses through checkpoints, learning the functions of the VIPER one by one. After the introduction, the player can freely explore the area to search for water ice.
The map is divided into two areas: a tutorial area and a shadowed area. In the tutorial area, the player is introduced to the controls of the VIPER. In the shadowed area, the player utilizes what they've learned to search for water ice and move towards the goal before VIPER’s battery runs out.