Studio II Revised Statement and Abstract

Thesis Project: Skylab Vimana 




Thesis Statement

Skylab Vimana's unique game structure creates a social system that forces users to think about the impact their moves make on other players, for better or for worse.



Abstract
We are living in a high-tech, user-centered world where the levels of interactivity are increasing. Though technology gives us a sense of personal and independent agency, we are often found in close quarters with our peers, and often forget how our actions can affect others. Though we consider ourselves to be teammates with our colleagues and co-workers, but it becomes apparent that a competitive spirit yields gain.

Interactivity creates a great sense of connection between users. Currently, popular multi-player games do not always create interactivity that reflects human interaction in a fully realistic way. Rather than being able to rely on the designated roles of accomplice or enemy, my thesis game creates a social atmosphere in which collaboration is encouraged but antagonism is tempting. Skylab Vimana is a game in which characters find themselves sharing a claustrophobic and panicked space with their teammates, whose progress can cause the detriment of others. Players are described to be teammates but will soon find that they can get ahead at the expense of their peers.
Users will be able to fully view each other's actions in real-time and plan accordingly. In the real world, our actions are often noticed by others and influence their performance, especially in a collaborative or vocational environment, and certainly in the realm of economics. SV's gameplay aimes to recreate a more realistic social dynamic, promoting social responsibility. Players will be allowed to team up, and / or team up against other players in a freelance, real-time world that requires quick and critical thinking at any given second. The users will need to stay on good terms with their peers if they want help later. Some users will inevitably get the chance to move ahead of the crowd, but this will render them vulnerable to attack.

My hope is that the gameplay creates the experience of more personal relationships with fellow players. My prediction is that the level of influence that players can achieve in this game will create the sensation of being in close quarters with other players. This in turn will create an "intimate" atmosphere of social gameplay that will force players to consider their actions in direct relationship to the status of their peers.