Game notes

Today is the 13th of July and I managed to turn my computer on, login into the Moodle platform and open Unity. That is about it for now as a little person next to me is not happy about not having my full attention.

Three days later, on July the 16th I managed to gather my thoughts and had a chance to expand previously written notes. 

Bicycle game notes.

1. Serious game where the player is being taught about bike parts, basic bicycle maintenance and how to perform small repairs so the bike can be used safely and with confidence.

It will work as a simple VR game, but could also potentially (in the future) be a part of a bigger VR project with several immersive parts.
This would be the first level, where the player will be familiarized with a bike build and its basic service. It is for now a stand-alone game, but could work as a first level of a more complex serious game.
The next potential part of the game would involve some casual cycling in a few different environments, such as a park cycle path, quiet road, cycle lane along a busy road and a velodrome.
The last and the most advanced level, would involve racing in a style of the famous grand tours, such as the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana. The player would take part in the race in an extraordinary environment, amongst the world class cyclists. It could also be possible to have a multiplayer mode in the races.
These could be potential future developments. For now, I am however focused on the bike workshop.

2. Virtual Reality game. Build in Unity for Android.  

My game will be build in the Unity engine and designed for Android. I will run it on the Oculus Quest 2 I have on hand. 

I decided to develop the idea of the bike workshop game as I am a cyclist and in my opinion it is important to know your gear and be able to look after it well. This game idea would work well in VR as there is no cost on risk involved in case something gets broken etc. The player can simply start over if something goes wrong, without physical damage or trauma.
If the further parts get developed, the player will have a chance to race in great tours. That is not something happening in real life to an ordinary person, but can be implemented in VR.
There are studies proving that humans learn most efficiently via their own experience.
VR is largely about providing understanding – active participation and engagement contribute to understanding/learning; thanks to that learning in VR can be more efficient than in the real world (Jerald, 2016). Therefore, VR experiences are valuable tools teaching people life skills, in this case bike maintenance (and confident cycling). 

3. Models built in Maya and possibly in Shapr3D. If ready-made online assets are used, then referenced accurately.  

I need to create a workshop – a virtual room with necessary tools, a bike stand and the overall look of the bike repairing place. 

The actual bike as the entity of the game will be built. It will have to have detachable parts, so the player can disconnect them, fix (with a click or a simple gesture) and put them back together, or replace broken parts with the new ones. It has to be supported through the right code assigned to the correct elements within the game, so when the player uses a certain button on the controller, desired action can be performed. 

4. UI elements + interactions. 

UI elements will be included in my VR game – a simple description and the aim of the game. 

5. A single player game. 

The concept is to have a single player game (for now). If the project is developed further in the future, the multiplayer mode could be introduced.

6. A backstory behind the game.

It is not an ordinary bike; it has been in the family for decades; used by a grandpa to commute to work, then by a mum to attend college and it has been handed down to the next generation so the player can cycle to university during the global pandemic. Might be the beginning of a real passion for bikes and cycling.
The above story was the initial idea.

7. Title ideas: Family Treasure, Family Business, The Cycle of Life, Fix Your VgeaR, Fix Your VR Gear.