LILY PAD - STORY:

The two Lily Pad characters, Willie and Dee, are on a mission to save their town. Their town has been dry for years, and crops and food are running out. They need to bring back enough food to save the town from starving. Legends say that there is a magical river where you can find endless fruit; with one bite of this fruit, you are nourished for months.

Willie and Dee travel on their lily pad along the magical river. Their job is to collect as much fruit as they can to bring back home. Help guide them through the river, collecting all the fruit possible, but watch out for logs, animals and other challenges along the way.

GAME DESCRIPTION - CONTROLS & MECHANICS:

Lily Pad is a game uniquely focused on storytelling. When you’re playing the game, there is an emotional connection with the story, and with Willie and Dee; you are invested in their success!

As you put on the headset, you will be immersed into a cinematic introduction with the backstory told for the Lily Pad game. As you begin playing the game, your job is to help the two main characters, Willie and Dee, collect as much fruit as possible as they travel on their lily pad. As Willie and Dee travel down the river, you’ll be able to swipe forward using the trackpad on the Samsung Gear VR to navigate, and tap to shoot down the fruit.

There are 4 levels in the Lily Pad game, with each level having a different theme. You will encounter different animals and experiences in each level. The animation will be unique according to how Willie and Dee catch the fruit, how you shoot at the fruit, how you shoot to free up logs, and how you interact with the environment. Combined, this variety has enhanced the entertainment factor.

INNOVATION:

Lily Pad has integrated innovative concepts around user cues, locomotion techniques and immersion.

User cues: When Willie or Dee need your help, or if you’re not paying attention while being immersed in the game, the characters will call for your help. It was essential to determine the right speed for the lily pad to move down the river, as when the user is immersed in the forest, there is a lot of see, shoot at, and explore. At the same time, you need to help Wille and Dee collect fruit. To reconcile this, there are audio and animation cues to call the user’s attention to the lily pad periodically.

Locomotion techniques: It was important for us to figure out the camera speed as you move forward across the landscape. When the camera moves too fast, or when the camera stops suddenly, users are likely to feel motion sickness. Finding the correct speed was crucial. In addition, to reduce motion sickness, we realized how important it was to have other creatures and visuals within the environment on which to focus your attention.

Immersion: Implementing the swipe function for the camera to move forward greatly improved the immersive experience. It’s certainly important for the user to be able to control his/her movement. As part of the immersion, you’re able to shoot more than fruit - such as rocks, hidden turtles and foxes. The user wants to enjoy and interact with the environment while also completing the game, which is why the swipe function was innovatively employed.