Role | Sound/Prop Designer
Team Size | 5
Duration | 1 week – Lightning Round
Class | Building Virtual Worlds, ETC, Fall 2017
Challenge | Build a fun, engaging world in one week
Platform | Makey Makey
Overview
MechaWarrior is a two-player experience requiring collaboration to control a robot through a city under attack by alien invaders. Halfway through the game, the system gets hacked by the aliens and all the controls switch, requiring the guests to communicate with each other to successfully move the robot and win the game.
Design Process
Three control panels were designed, fabricated, and wired to a Makey Makey. One guest was responsible for moving the robot’s legs forward, the other guest could turn the robot’s head, and a shield button was shared between the guests. We wanted three different kinds of interactions for the guests to play with, so two levers, a wheel, and a button were implemented onto our control panels. The panels were laser cut and supported using 2 by 4 pieces of wood.
The challenge with using Makey Makey is to make sure that the wiring is robust enough to handle gameplay and that the on/off region is distinct enough to be consistently recognized. Using foam to create a larger surface area for the different mechanisms ensured connectivity when used by the guests.