Dec 2023
Introduction
Terratopia is a VR game, which the player explore how climate change affects marine life from the perspective of a dolphin.
Game Flow
The dolphins live peacefully underwater until one day human activities disrupt their habitat. Struggling in the damaged world, the dolphins eventually witness humans rebuilding their habitat, allowing the dolphins to return to their normal lives.
Level Design
Phase 1: Peaceful World
The yellow line is the player roadmap.
Area A：The dolphins guide the players into the map.
Area B：Tutorial, players learn how to echolocation, eating fish.
Area C：Practice what they learned.
Area D：Enter the cutscene, the scene darkens, setting the stage for the next phase.
Iteration
Initially, the first stage’s map aimed to create the atmosphere of a dolphin’s habitat by using an enclosed structure. The goal was for players to fully experience the joy and peacefulness of the habitat before it was disrupted, and increased explorable area of the map. However, during testing, it was found that the map was too large and complex, making it easy for players to get lost, especially in VR perspective. Therefore, it was changed to a linear structure and the map size was reduced.
Phase 2: Destroyed World
The yellow line is the player roadmap.
Area A: Enter the three-way intersection, adapt the new environment, learn using echolocation to find a way and avoiding red tide.
Area B: Enter open area, red tide appears, easier than previous area.
Area C: Enter narrow passages, easy to find a way, red tides increase, difficulty increases.
Area D: Open passages, red tide serves as both obstacle and guidance.
Area E: Exit, the narrow passage create a sense of tension. After get out the passage, the player feels relieved.
Iteration
The first version of the map aimed to showcase environmental changes after the destruction by providing open areas. The second version was refined based on gameplay, where the red tide would increase gradually as players progressed, requiring players to make selective movements. However, in the second stage, low visibility led to players getting lost during testing. Thus, in the third version, the roads were narrowed, and visual guides were increased to guide players, with dynamically generated fish guiding players towards the correct direction.
Phase 3: Restored World
After being engulfed by the red tide at the end of the second level, players will swim through an empty area, gradually approaching the restoration area under the guidance of dolphin companions. The restored environment will slowly unfold before the player’s eyes. As the player enters the restoration area, the screen fades out, signaling the end of the game.
Game Play Design
Phase 1: Peaceful World
Game Flow
Echolocation
Player can use echolocation to get fish’s location. When the fish is in the echolocation range, the fish outline will show up.
Eat Fish
Fish randomly swim in the water. When the player touches the fish, fish is eaten. Fish act as a guidance in the game.
Phase 2: Destroyed World
Game Flow
Red Tide
Red tide is one of the challenge in phase2. Red tide will approach players from far away. Since our game doesn’t has death mechanism, if the player explored 2 min but still doesn’t find a way our, the game will automatically transfer the player to phase 3.
Dynamic level difficulty setting
Phase 3: Restored World
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