High-Level Project Summary
Project Pegasus is a 2D free-to-play role-playing survival game that showcases the adventures astronauts experience in deep space and simulates the wonders of space travel. It will educate the younger generation by communicating space education through the language of gaming. In-game quests teach the young ones about the tasks and protocols astronauts do in space. It also implements a user-friendly platform that can be enjoyed by middle-schoolers and adults alike. The game utilizes NASA-backed data in a creative way that provides a fun learning environment and encourages the next generation to pursue their dreams in space exploration and learn science in the form of space education.
Link to Project "Demo"
Link to Final Project
Detailed Project Description
The scientific field of Space Exploration has always been fascinating to the curious mind. It is often compelling, intriguing, and at the forefront of technological innovation. However, real-world space science is often too complicated for the average kid to digest. There exists a wide variety of popular simulators and games regarding this, yet none have succeeded in creating a medium that could simulate the wonders of real-world space exploration. Notable projects such as Kerbal Space Program and Star Citizen are exceptional on their own, however, these games have not implemented science-backed health risks in their mechanics.
Project Pegasus is a free-to-play two-dimensional RPG-survival game that simulates the adventures of space travel astronauts face in exploring the cosmos. Players will manage a team of up to four astronauts by giving out tasks while taking care of each astronaut’s health and well-being. The user will also be responsible for mitigating ship compartment malfunctions, home-sickness, microgravity-induced bone and muscle loss, and many more. A mission to the moon could take up to 10 minutes of gameplay, while a trip to Mars, Io, and other destinations could take up to 30 minutes from the user. All of this is implemented using Unity version 2021.1.22f1 using C# programming language. The pixel artwork conveys a simple but nostalgic atmosphere that players will surely enjoy.
Space Agency Data
In providing the background of our project, we used an article in JAXA, a partner of NASA, that features where the Philippines is now with regards to its space education. When a player starts the game he is offered three destinations for the mission. Using NASA’s real-time solar system exploration planet overviews, we provided information about these destinations such as the name, distance from Earth, and a short description of the destination. Should he or she be curious, links to the NASA website are found below each destination.
After choosing the destination, the player is then greeted with the actual game where they can find four bars at the upper part of the screen. These bars represent the game’s health system derived from NASA’s articles about the body in space. The same article gave us an overview of the factors that might affect the physical health of the crew member. We used the information on bone and muscle mass loss, microgravity, and radiation hazards the astronauts face, to create a model for our crew’s physical health. The articles guided us in creating the corresponding quests that crews need to fulfill to survive.
The behavioral health research in space by NASA has given us clear insights as to how an astronaut faces psychological struggles. With their study, we created a model for the psychological health of the playable character. This article highlights the importance of social interaction with fellow crew members to help keep them focused on the mission. Using NASA’s website, we also researched the third-quarter effect, where morale and motivation decline three-quarters of the way into a mission, regardless of how long the mission lasts. As the player explores the various parts of the ship, special parts in the ship when approached, introduces an actual research study by NASA. As the player logs these, it is recorded in a special database that is accessed in the main menu. This offers supplemental information and lets players get immersed in the science behind the game.
Hackathon Journey
Our team was formed a month before the start of the competition. We planned on getting together under our team lead’s house and worked on the event while following proper health protocols.
Some of the team members have had prior experience with hackathon events, and the majority of us are passionate about game development. This was a major edge we utilized in the project development
In tackling the project development, we divided the tasks evenly among the members. Each of us had a specific role, and we could not function without each other. One major challenge was the script drafts. The mentors of the local lead were very fundamental in giving us instructions, guidance, and direction. Another major challenge was designing the gameplay and mechanics. We had to go back and forth on the judging rubrics and the potential considerations of the challenge.
The group would like to thank Engr Occidental for orienting us at the last moment despite our late registration. The guidance was a small step to a huge leap. To Mrs. Realuyo for providing us a place to stay to conduct our project development.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all those involved behind the scenes and to our friends and families who never stopped believing in us.
References
Abadie, L. et al. (2021). The Human Body in Space. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/bodyinspace
Abadie, L., Lloyd, C., & Shelhamer, M. (2015). Gravity, Who Needs It? NASA Studies Your Body in Space. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/your_body_six_month_in_space_11_18_15_0.pdf
Austin, S. (2009). Growing Minority Student Interest in Earth and Space Science with Suborbital and Space-related Investigations. AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, ED53B-0539.
Bell, S., & Vander, S. (2015). Behavioral Health. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/content/behavioral-health
Bollweg, L., & Norsk, P. (2019). About Human Health Countermeasures (HHC). Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/elements/hhc/about
Cheng, MT., et al. (2015). The use of serious games in science education: a review of selected empirical research from 2002 to 2013. J. Comput. Educ. 2, 353–375 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-015-0039-9
Earth’s Moon Overview (2021). Retrieved from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moon/overview/
Io Overview (2019). Retrieved from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/jupiter-moons/io/overview/
Kim, Y.-H., Jeon, J., Choe, E. K., Lee, B., Kim, K., & Seo, J. (2016). TimeAware: Leveraging Framing Effects to Enhance Personal Productivity. 10.1145/2858036.2858428.
Mars Overview (2021). Retrieved from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars/overview/
Sese, J. M. (2021) Space Research and Development in the Philippines. Retrieved 2 October 2021, from https://iss.jaxa.jp/en/kuoa/news/pdf/06_APRSAF22_Philippines.pdf
Steam Market Stats. Top 100 Most-Played Games (2021). Retrieved from Steam: Game and Player Statistics (steahttps://store.steampowered.com/stats/mpowered.com)
Tags
#Adventure #Survival #Health #Space-Travel #Software #Game #Application #Gamification #Simulation
Global Judging
This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.