Laser Dance is an upcoming mixed reality game that aims to utilize Quest’s passthrough capability beyond just a background. In this Guest Article, developer Thomas Van Bouwel explains his approach to designing an MR game that dynamically responds to different environments.
The Challenges of Designing Adaptive Levels
Adapting levels to accommodate various room sizes, layouts, and players’ mobility levels is a significant challenge in roomscale mixed reality (MR) games. In order to address these challenges, efficient room-emulation tools for quick level design iteration become a necessity. This article explores the development of Laser Dance’s adaptive laser patterns and the developer tools created to facilitate this process.
Understanding Laser Patterns in Laser Dance
Laser Dance’s levels consist of a sequence of laser patterns. Players move between two buttons, and each button press triggers a new parametric laser pattern. These patterns dynamically adapt to the room’s size and layout. Depending on the room, laser positions are calculated parametrically rather than predetermined.
Creating Adaptive Laser Patterns
Various techniques are employed to position the lasers in Laser Dance’s levels. One approach involves applying a uniform pattern throughout the entire room, such as a grid of swinging lasers. Another method determines the laser pattern based on the orientation of the buttons relative to each other.
An algorithm developed by Mark Schramm, a guest developer on the project, allows for custom pathfinding between the buttons. This algorithm maximizes distance from furniture and walls, ensuring a safer path for players. Other laser patterns, such as a laser tunnel or obstacles within the player’s path, can be created using this algorithm.
Simulating Room Layouts with Emulation Tools
To overcome unexpected results or bugs in specific room layouts and to assist in level design, a set of room-emulation tools was developed for Laser Dance. These tools simulate and compare levels across different room layouts, enabling direct visualization and adjustment of laser patterns.
Adaptability to Player Characteristics
Just as rooms differ, players themselves have varying attributes and physical limitations. Laser Dance aims to adapt its levels to different players and their mobility restrictions. Players can set their height, shoulder width, and minimum crawl height, allowing levels to adjust certain parameters accordingly.
Emulation tools also incorporate different player presets, allowing direct comparison of how a level may appear based on different player profiles.
Data, Testing, and Privacy Considerations
An essential aspect of adaptive game design is addressing potential issues resulting from unexpected room layouts. To address this during development, Laser Dance includes a feature that allows players to share their room data, enabling the replication of specific issues using the emulation tools.
While this raises privacy concerns, player consent is required to share room data, and clear communication regarding data usage is essential. It is equally important for MR platforms to establish clear limitations and communicate how sensitive room data can be accessed, used, and protected.
Building Custom Tools vs. Platform Tools
While custom tools offer flexibility and greater adaptability to specific requirements, platform-specific tools provided by Meta and Apple are increasingly available for developers. These tools allow testing in a simulated virtual environment without a headset. However, custom tools remain valuable for situations where more specific testing is required.
The Development of Laser Dance
The development of Laser Dance is ongoing, with the goal of creating an enjoyable game that serves as an introduction to mixed reality. The emulation tools built for Laser Dance have expedited the level design process, and player participation in playtesting is encouraged.
Conclusion
Designing adaptive levels in mixed reality games requires considering various room layouts and accommodating players’ characteristics and limitations. Room-emulation tools and player presets help developers visualize and adjust laser patterns accordingly. Privacy concerns regarding sharing sensitive data should be addressed through informed consent and clear communication.
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