Design: Core Storm

Game Overview

Core Storm is and interactive, Augmented Reality (AR) puzzle/strategy game to be used for testing and training of Executive Function Modules. Developed in Unity 3D for use with the Magic Leap One headset.
The player begins their journey as a fresh engineer aboard the star-ship vessel the S.S. Vibrato, with an important duty: Manage the ship’s core and protect it from Flares (core storms) that flare up.

This is me totally geeking out with the Magic Leap :3

Features

Augmented Reality game-play through use of the Magic Leap One headset
Immersive puzzle solving within a stylized sci-fi space setting
An interactive experience designed for Executive Function testing

Design Summary

Executive Functions to be Addressed:

Core Storm is designed to test and increase the receptiveness to these traditional EF Modules:

Working Memory: Holding on to multiple pieces of information in order to solve a problem or carry out a task
Attention to Detail: The ability to achieve thoroughness and accuracy when accomplishing a task
Long & Short-term Memory: Memory defined by either duration or capacity. Link
Planning: The ability to create steps to reach a goal and to make decisions about what to focus on
Time Management: The ability to use one's time effectively or productively
Soft Skills: personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people

Player Objectives Supported by EF

Core Storm is designed to incorporate the aforementioned EF modules in a single AR immersive experience utilizing the Magic Leap One (ML) headset. The game’s systems are directly designed to address the weaknesses of traditional, 2D EF game-play modules. These are addressed by the following:

Working Memory: elevated with use of all available conveyance theories facilitating users with various learning styles. The dynamics of the game-play are simplistic, elegant, and self-informing.
Attention to Detail: Fully and clearly defined objectives that inspire the player to analyze and optimize key game-play strategies.
Long & Short-term Memory: Evolving game-play dynamics that are self-informing, discernible, and challenging; compelling the player to evaluate their strategies in both the long and short-term without loss of immersion.
Planning: Going beyond the pragmatic strategies of planning, eliciting an internalization and elevation of the player’s own efficacy in task management.
Time Management: Effective use of all available conveyance theories to facilitate users ability to absorb all the information in ways that best suits them, leading to increased confidence in game performance and, by extension, an increased use of the player’s performance over time and total capacity.
Soft Skills: Dynamic systems that are understood through observation of, and identification of behavioral patterns and measured outcomes.

GAME PLAY minute

Begin a session with a fully functioning ship core
Prepare for incoming Flares (core storms)
Observe the flare’s color, pattern, audio, and other behavioral indicators
Position the shield that corresponds to the color of the flare before it discharges and damages your ship’s core.Survive the duration of the session with as much of your core’s health remaining
Receive a session ranking based on your performance

Mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics | mda

The following sections outline the design framework of Core Storm.

mechanics | Player Actions

Core Storm’s mechanics are the available actions the player makes:

Defend the S.S. Vibratto’s core
Position shields
Observe threats
Manage execution

Dynamics | Systems that give meaning to

Core Storm’s Dynamics are the systems that give the player’s action meaning:

The Core’s health: Health

The Core’s shields: Color, rotational speed

Flares (Core Storms): Color/texture, spawn rate, total lifespan, behavioral state changes, projectiles

Behavioral States Changes

Spawning- All unique color flares spawn into the scene through audio and visual cues
Idle- The time that passes after spawning, before it’s attack state
Attack- Includes the audio/ visual alerts which indicate this state has begun, and the projectile discharged by the flare there after.
- Projectiles- Attack component governed by total fire duration and velocity.
Death- the termination of a flare immediately indicating the exact moment a flare instance is gone from play.