Sunday, January 22, 2017

Presenting our game


We had a fantastic learning experience!

Like most game development projects, the more you learn the more you realize there is to figure out, especially when it comes to inverse kinematics.  We were able to successfully track hands and feet, and it really adds to the experience. We had a fantastic team this time, and everyone figured out how to work together quickly.


Our team


Front row: Tania Pavlisak, Sean Siem, Staishy Bostick Siem, Livio De La Cruz, Rob Rood.
Back row: John Germann, Dave Pavlisak

Playing the game

The moment of truth ... players trying out the experience for the first time.





Player robot defending downtown

Wave Bot is a giant robot VR experience with four motion inputs, tracking hands and feet. The player robot defends Smashville, Tenn., from enemy robots by stomping and punching the invading menaces.


Firing tanks

Tanks, which provide scale and context in the experience, will fire at the attacking enemy robots, but they will not do much damage. The fate of the city rests on the player!


Player robot with legs

The player robot now has legs! In alignment with the Global Game Jam theme - waves - the robot's arms and legs ripple when they move.




Foot tracking

Rob is testing the leg tracking for the first time!


Foot sensor holster

A devkit Vive controller will be strapped to each leg, allowing players to stop and kick attacking vehicles. The team is creating a custom holster prototype.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Enemy robots

Enemy robots are attacking the city! The player will use the giant claws to fight and defend the helpless townspeople.

Tanks and trucks

Tanks and trucks, powerless against the enemy robot invasion, are fleeing the city during the attacks. Sean created these vehicles to show context and scale, as well as provide items for the player to kick and hurl at enemy robots.



Claws!


Livio got the giant robot's claws are working! In our experience, the player will use the claws to defend the city, smash enemy robots, tanks and cars.

Work in progress: Giant robot


In our experience, the player becomes a giant robot responsible for protecting Smashville, Tenn. John drew up some ideas for the head. The team reviewed the concepts and went with the lower left (minus the mohawk).



The body is taking shape!
Early concept


Adding lights
Now with steam!

Theme: Waves

Global Game Jam's 2017 theme is Waves. We are creating waves with our giant robot's rippling arms. Crush tanks, cars and enemy robots with the mechanical noodle arms.

Welcome


Wave Bot is a giant robot VR experience with four motion inputs, tracking hands and feet. The experience was created as part of the Global Game Jam - Seattle Indies Workshop Jan. 20-22, 2017.

Defend Smashville, U.S.A., from enemy robots by punching, kicking, and hurling tanks, and vehicles with your clawed hands or feet.

The HTC Vive usually only recognizes two hand-held controllers, but our team has added a pair from a devkit Vive using their USB/Bluetooth dongles to also track foot motion. Each controller is then addressable in Unity.