Personal Graduate School Project
This VR experiential project present and safeguard the history, traditions, and stories of the Ashanti Kingdom. It creates a space where users can explore both the past and the present of the Ashanti people. Bridging the gap between time periods, it allows users to interact with traditional stories and experience historical events.
Design Document
Game Overview
Asante, Because of War! Interactive Experience is a first-person immersive VR experience focused on the rich history and culture of the Ashanti Kingdom, designed to serve two main audiences: those unfamiliar with the Ashanti culture and the Ashanti people themselves. For international users and history enthusiasts, it offers an introduction to the Ashanti Kingdom, allowing them to explore and understand the depth of this West African civilization’s legacy. For the Ashanti people, it acts as a digital archive, preserving and celebrating their cultural heritage for future generations.
Game Assets
The game assets consisted of 3D Models, Sound (Music & Interactive audio), Video and Terrain.
I used these assets at different scenes in the experience to illicit an organic response from the Audience. For instance, in the opening scene which is the Menu, there is an original drum tune which welcome the player in the space. This tune is unique to the Asante people and thus sets the user on the experiential journey. 3D models such human characters, architecture, animals and artifacts were used in various ways and approaches.
Human Characters, Animals, Architecture : These assets were used in storytelling and illustrating the way of life of the Asante people. In the Ancient “Asante Scene”, there are different scenarious such as Family setting, The kings gathering and a festival using these assets.
Environment Design
After conducting thorough research on how the 17th/18th century Asante Kingdom looked liked, I designed the environment to reflect the past for a genuine experience. In the environment, you will see trees, household animals like chickens, goats etc , household materials like bowls, vases, chairs and human characters. These assets were thoroughly selected to illustrate originality or atleast a close depiction of the past.
Immersion Strategy
I designed the game to offer an immersive experience, allowing users to fully engage with the rich history and culture of the Asante people. In my design strategy, I implemented a free roaming feature which enables players to explore the virtual environment at their own pace and to discover various elements of the Asante Kingdom organically. This freedom to wander enhances the sense of realism and personal connection to the scene. Additionally, I included Hotspots to provide a guided tour option with structured insights and detailed narratives about specific locations and artifacts. These Hotspots ensure that users can gain a deeper understanding of the historical context and significance of each element within the game, making the experience both educational and captivating.
Gameplay
Poster
