Major Project I / Task 3

on

17.03.2025 - 23.03.2025 (Week 7)
Ng Kar Yee / 0367743
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Major Project I / Task 3

INTRODUCTION

TASK 3⇒ CONCEPT PRESENTATION

For our task 3, Mr Kamal and Mr Kanan introduced Concept Presentation, where we are needed to culminate the project development process, bringing together the ideas formulated in Task 1 (Proposal Development) and the design explorations conducted in Task 2 (Design Proposition). In this phase, we will need to refine and present our final design solution, demonstrating its feasibility and effectiveness in addressing the identified needs of their target audience. The presentation will focus on the technical, creative, and conceptual strengths of the project, highlighting the design decisions, development process, and technical feasibility tests. Our work must be effectively communicate through a well-structured presentation, emphasizing attention to detail, organization, content clarity, presentation formatting, aesthetics, and style, ensuring that the project meets industry standards and practical execution requirements.

In this exercise, we are required to,

REFINED PROPOSAL

In this stage, we refined our proposal as it is a crucial step in ensuring clarity, feasibility and alignment with the project's goals. This process also allowed us to incorporate feedback, ensuring that the proposal meets expectations and follows necessary guidelines.

We have refined the below from the previous task.
  • Introduction
  • Problem Statement
  • Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
  • Detail Concept Breakdown

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

For task 3, I decided to cover most of the documentation part of the proposal while En Yu, Li Vern and Emily focus mainly on covering the sketches, 

Here are the detail breakdown on what we were responsible on, 
1. Lim En Yu
  • Sketches
  • Technical Feasibility Test
  • Canva Slide 
2. Low Li Vern
  • Sketches
  • Technical Feasibility Test
  • Canva Slide 
3. Emily Soh Ching-Ling
  • Refine Sketches
  • Canva Slide
4. Ng Kar Yee
  • Refine Proposal (Introduction, Problem Statement, USP, Detail Concept Breakdown)
  • Canva Slide

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION (USP)

Experience the rich heritage of the 12 Chinese Zodiac like never before! Our VR project brings Chinese traditions to life with an authentic, culturally inspired game style where we move beyond the Western aesthetics commonly seen in the market. Unlike passive learning tools, this immersive experience allows players to step into the world of the Zodiac Animal, participate in the legendary Great Race and engage with interactive tasks that reflect each animal’s unique traits.

With the market lacking engaging and immersive educational tools, our VR experience fills this gap by providing firsthand exploration of Chinese culture in a dynamic and memorable way. Unlike traditional PC gameplay, VR offers full sensory immersion, allowing players to feel as though they have truly traveled back in time to experience the Zodiac story firsthand. By interacting with the environment naturally like walking, grabbing objects and talking with the characters, players gain a deeper emotional and educational connection to the culture. By blending storytelling, gameplay and cultural education, we offer a revolutionary way to learn the Zodiac system which makes tradition exciting, interactive and accessible to all.

DETAIL CONCEPT BREAKDOWN FOR THE GAMEPLAY

Introduction

At the start of the game, players would have a brief introduction on the 12 Chinese Animal Zodiacs, which has a history of thousands of years. Since this culture might be unfamiliar to some players, a brief introduction will explain its significance. Many might wonder how and why the zodiac system was created and why the animals are arranged in a specific order.

To guide the players, the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) will appear as a guide figure. Curious about the legendary Great Race that determined the zodiac order, he tasks the player with traveling back in time to witness and oversee the race firsthand. As the player explores, they will meet and interact with the zodiac animals, learning about their roles in the race.

This stage also serves as a tutorial, where the Jade Emperor teaches players basic controls such as walking, jumping and interacting with objects and characters. As players progress, they will complete tasks, collect coins and engage with the zodiac world, setting the stage for an immersive cultural journey.

Interaction Stages

With an open-world setting, players are free to explore the beautifully designed environment which consists of three key themes, a lush forest, a Chinese cultural temple-designed village and a serene bamboo forest. As players follow the designed path given, they will interact with different zodiac animals, helping them overcome challenges while uncovering the story behind the Great Race. Each successful interaction rewards players with symbolic zodiac coins, deepening their engagement with Chinese culture.

Interaction 1: The Monkey, Goat, and Rooster’s Challenge

While exploring the world, players encounter a restless Monkey pacing anxiously. The Monkey explains that his friends, the Goat and Rooster are in trouble therefore asking players for help. Upon agreeing, players will follow the Monkey along the path to where the two animals are.

Upon arrival, players discover that the Goat is injured. To assist, they must follow a guided button prompt to help the Goat recover. Once the Goat is healed, the Monkey requests further help in fixing their crashed boat, which is stuck near the river. Players must search the nearby area for three wooden planks and two ropes to repair it.

After collecting all materials and repairing the boat, the three animals invite the player to join them for a short boat ride across the river. As a token of gratitude, they each reward the player with a symbolic zodiac coin before continuing their journey in the race.
Interaction 2: The Lost Ox

After parting ways with the three animals, players arrive at a village. Players will meet the Rat, who is searching for his friend, the Ox. The Rat was worried as it was unable to find the ox, therefore asking players for help. Upon accepting, the rat offers a symbolic zodiac coin in gratitude for accepting the task.

Players embark on a journey through the bamboo forest, where they eventually find the Ox stuck in clumping bamboo. To free the Ox, players must follow a guided button prompt to clear the obstacles. Once freed, the Ox expresses gratitude and gifts another symbolic zodiac coin before heading off to continue the race with the mouse.

Final Stage

After helping the Ox, the players and the ox finally reunite with the Rat. Grateful for the Rat’s effort in searching for him, the Ox kindly offers the Rat a ride on its back to the finish line. The Rat eagerly accepts and together they race towards the end of the Great Race. As they approach the finish line, just when it seems the Ox will claim victory, the Rat suddenly leaps off the Ox’s back at the last moment, crossing the finish line first and securing first place in the zodiac order. The Ox followed closely behind, taking second place in the race.

With the race concluded, the player is teleported to the final stage, where they must interact with a guided button to trigger the ending sequence. The 12 symbolic zodiac coins reappear, arranging themselves in order from first to last place, forming the official zodiac sequence. As this happens, each of the 12 zodiac animals materializes above their respective coins, reinforcing their placement in the zodiac cycle.

Finally, the Jade Emperor reappears, briefly explaining the story behind the Great Race and expressing gratitude to the player for completing the journey. With this final lesson, the game concludes, leaving players with a clear understanding of the zodiac’s origins, its significance and the personalities of each animal, all through an engaging and immersive experience.

FINAL CHARACTER SKETCHES

Our animal character designs are inspired by the five traditional Chinese elements which are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each zodiac animal is assigned an element that influences its overall design, colors, and textures.

Figure 1.0 Monkey Turn Over

Figure 1.2 Ox Turn Over

Figure 1.3 Mouse Turn Over

Figure 1.4 Goat Turn Over

Figure 1.5 Rooster Turn Over

Figure 1.6 Jade Emperor

FINAL ENVIRONMENT SKETCHES
Our map is split into 3 themes, each inspired by elements of Chinese culture and mythology to create a rich and immersive experience for the player.


Figure 1.7 Flower Theme

Blossom Isle: Flower Theme
The first theme is Blossom Isle (花影岛 - Huā Yǐng Dǎo), a serene place covered in vibrant flowers, which symbolize beauty. In this sketch, the architecture is inspired by ancient Chinese buildings. we aim to create an experience where players feel connected to the rich history and beauty of traditional Chinese landscapes.

Figure 1.8 Boat View
Figure 1.9 Willow River Village 

Willow River Village: Village Theme
The next environment sketch showcases Willow River Village (柳河村 - Liǔ Hé Cūn). According to the storyline, players will follow the animals on a boat to arrive at this village. This moment is meant to be exciting, as the player gets to see the village's impressive architecture and beautiful scenery. After getting off the boat, players can explore the village freely, looking at the detailed buildings and surroundings. The goal is to make them feel fully immersed in the world, as if they are really stepping into an ancient Chinese village. Through this environment, we want players to experience the beauty of the village and feel connected to its atmosphere. This helps make the game more engaging and enjoyable

Figure 2.0 Emerald Bamboo Grove

Emerald Bamboo Grove: Bamboo Theme
The third theme is the Emerald Bamboo Grove (翠竹林 - Cuì Zhú Lín), , which is a mystical bamboo forest filled with hidden secrets and the echoes of nature. China is known as the Kingdom of Bamboo, making it the perfect setting to immerse players in an authentic cultural experience. 

Figure 2.1 Environment Overview

STORYBOARD

MIRO BOARD

FINAL DOCUMENTATION

FINAL PRESENTATION

Major Project I - Task 3 by Victor

FEEDBACK

WEEK 7

  • Overall ideal is very clear
  • Good job on testing 3D Modelling part
  • Visual Style advised to be higher def (Look references in Gigantic, Fortnight and Overwatch)
  • Do more technical feasibility especially in Unreal Engine

REFLECTION

Working on Major Project 1 task 3 which is Concept Presentation have been a fun ride where I got to learn that refining and culminating a proposal highlight the importance of continuous improvement, attention to detail and the ability to adapt based on insights and feedback. Incorporating feedback played a crucial role in improving its persuasiveness and effectiveness. Additionally, organizing the proposal in a clear and professional manner helped enhance its readability and impact. Moreover, we have the opportunity to analyze and explore the work of professional designers. This project was challenging yet interesting for me as I get to take part in a real life project from head to toe however with the guidance I got from Mr Kamal, Mr Kanan, my groupmates and my friends, I managed to finish the tasks.

BEHIND THE SCENES

After weeks of overwhelming and zillions of Google Meet meetings with my groupmates, we finallyyyyy reaching the final stage where we embrace our final physical presentation and shooting session (Feedbacks :) with Mr Kamal and Mr Kanan. We weren't as nervous as previous however we still practiced a few time before the presentation. Thankfully, everything went well and the lecturers, Mr Kamal and Mr Kanan gave us some advices to improved our proposal. 

Figure 3.0 Before Presentation

Figure 3.1 After Presentation

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