Epics of Terracotta Warrior

Open Box Intearction
Sand Box
Click UI
Two hand Transform
Puzzle Game

Inspiration

Our game, "Epics of Terracotta Warrior," draws inspiration from three key ideas: the magical capability of VR to facilitate time travel, the immersive and engaging nature of VR traveling, and our desire to promote the enduring Chinese principle of pacifism, connecting historical insights with contemporary realities in an engaging, educational format.

What it does

Our game offers a unique time-travel experience, allowing players to immerse themselves in the Qin Dynasty by embodying different characters from the Terracotta Army. This innovative approach to experiencing history leverages the power of virtual reality to bring ancient stories to life in an interactive and educational format.

Players begin their journey by assembling puzzles that, piece by piece, revive characters such as a Terracotta General. This puzzle-solving mechanic not only engages players in a tactile interaction but also symbolizes the reawakening of historical figures and their stories. Once revived, these figures narrate their tales about how Qin Shi Huang led them to unify China and what the terracotta warriors were built for.

Additionally, the game offers detailed explorations of artifacts such as the Bronze Chariot and Horses. Players can interact with these objects, dragging and scaling to examine the exquisite craftsmanship, gaining insights into the technological advancements of the time.

Our game also lets players experience the life of a common citizen in the Qin Dynasty, facing the harsh realities of strict laws and heavy labor. This role immerses players in the oppressive atmosphere of the era, highlighting the human cost of Qin's ambitious policies. Players understand how the dynasty's relentless expansion and lack of recuperation led to widespread discontent and its swift collapse after only two generations. This perspective offers a deeper understanding of the ancient regime's impact on its people, underscoring the importance of public sentiment in governance.

The gameplay is designed to provoke thought on deeper themes, such as the balance between war and peace. This is introduced at the start of the game through compelling questions that guide the player's journey. These questions not only set the stage for the narrative but also encourage players to reflect on the historical impact of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s policies and how they resonate with modern views on governance and societal development.

Through engaging mechanics, immersive storytelling, and thought-provoking themes, our game aims to provide a rich, educational experience that spans the annals of history, connecting the past with present-day reflections on empire, leadership, and the common good.

How we built it

Brainstorm: We begin with brainstorming sessions on narrative content, MR interaction methods, and game environments, setting the thematic and interactive foundation.
Refine the Idea: After establishing the game's direction, we gather references from similar games, history of the Terracotta Warriors and related cultural products, finalizing our game script for authenticity and engagement.
Technical Experimentation: We explore integration with the Presence Platform SDK and MR capabilities, selecting a scene for technical trials to ensure smooth real-time interactions.
Formal Development: Our team splits into three groups:
- MR Development: Builds the mixed reality framework.
- UI Design: Crafts an intuitive user interface.
- Video Editing: Develops promotional videos and graphics.
Demo Video and Promotional Materials: We produce a demo video and promotional materials to showcase the game’s features and market the unique MR experience.

Challenges we ran into

The main challenge we encountered was the unexpected incompatibility between the Meta Presence Platform and the Unity XR Interaction Toolkit. Most of our team members come from design backgrounds and lack programming experience. Initially, we attempted to integrate sockets into our puzzles using the Unity XR Interaction Toolkit, only to discover that it couldn't be imported into the Meta Presence Platform. As a workaround, we opted to give the shattered puzzle pieces zero gravity to address this compatibility issue. Despite this hurdle, the final outcome was satisfactory.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

As interaction designers, most of our work revolves around design with little involvement in programming. Throughout the coding process, we encountered numerous challenges and concepts that were initially unfamiliar to us. However, we persevered and successfully achieved the desired outcomes. Moreover, this project marks our first complete XR endeavor, spanning from initial brainstorming and prototyping to programming and video editing. Following the competition, we plan to refine our project further before deploying it to the Meta Quest platform. This journey has not only broadened our skill set but also instilled in us a newfound confidence in tackling XR projects.

What we learned

Throughout the entire process, we became familiar with the development and design procedures of XR. Particularly in the technical realm, which posed the most frequent challenges for us. The troubleshooting process emerged as our primary avenue for learning new technologies. Whether it was integrating Meta Presence into Unity, transitioning scenes, importing UI designs created in Figma into Unity, or creating scenes and terracotta warriors in 3D modeling software. During the collaboration process, we not only contributed our individual technical expertise but also engaged in mutual learning. We gleaned valuable XR-related skills and learned effective teamwork practices from our teammates. This exchange of knowledge and experience significantly enriched our project and strengthened our overall capabilities. Recognizing the importance of learning from one another, we fostered a collaborative environment where everyone's insights were valued and utilized to achieve our common goals.

What's next for Epics of Terracotta Warrior

1 Technical Enhancements: We plan to implement socket functionality to ensure that each puzzle piece seamlessly attaches to the silhouette of the terracotta warrior. This will enhance the user experience by providing smoother interactions and a more immersive gameplay environment.

2 Collaboration with Terracotta Warrior Cultural Bureau: We aim to collaborate with the Terracotta Warrior Cultural Bureau to obtain more detailed information and model data. By leveraging their expertise, we can optimize our models and enrich the storytelling experience with accurate historical context.

3 Expansion of Storylines and Characters: We intend to introduce additional storylines and terracotta warrior characters to provide users with a more diverse and engaging gameplay experience. This expansion will offer users the opportunity to explore various narratives and interact with a broader range of characters within the game world.