JADE
I have been working for a company located in the Netherlands called Persona3D. I worked here for about a year, both as an official intern and under the supervision of the school, working on several projects to establish the basics of the HOLODECK database. I worked on projects like JADE and SUUS.
Persona3D
The first half year I worked on this project in a team of 6 students. We managed to make a prototype for Persona3D without any unreal engine knowledge at the time. We learned the engine and made this experience all in the same 5 months.
First prototype
As the designer of the project group i focus on player experience and user-friendliness. The experience should enhance a musical performance and add something to it. All the interactions should have an influence, or should be influenced by the music in the game.
Blockout & level design
I worked closely with the artists in the team. I was responceble for making the world with the moddels the artists provided for me. I build the world and did the lighting as seen in these pictures.
Design challenges
The experience is based on a performed song within the world. The players will be able ro roam freely within a large playable area that should react based on the location of the player.
While a section of the song is initiated, the players must not be able to initiate the next part of the song before the previouse song part is finished.
First concept sketches
Players should all be derected to the same end point of the envirement but still feel like they could chose an diferent derection.
Alyways give the player a the feeling of being in a large and dense city without being able to see it. There is a view point where players can sense the scale of the city for the rest of the level.
Blockout V1
This blockout was made with TinkerCad instead of unreal to make sure the level design was just a bit more finalized before cluttering the unreal project.
This blockout will then be used as a template to build an updated version in Unreal.
The level was split into three sections. These sections should be long enough so the music initiates on the right moment.
Blockout V2
While finalizing the first blockout. Alleyways were added. These ways gave the players a option to split up and explore a bit.
While making this blockout in unreal, and implementing the view area. It must be made sure the player vision would always be blocked by buildings while still having the placement feel natural.
Final block out of the three level sections.
Testing and itteration
The start and second section of the game were tested in a blockout form. It was a test to see if the level took long enough for the players to explore and interact with to keep the music looping correctly. It was also tested if the players were clinging together or would split up.
After these tests I started with filling the scenes with the requested assets the artists made in the team.
Piecing it all together
After the blockout was fully tested and finalized I started on filling the envirement so players could interact with objects and would’nt get stuck. I focussed on getting the lighting right while adding assets. The envirement must feel moody but not uninviting.
Alleyway A and B
Exit Alleyway B
Bird view lookout point
City enter
Section three TV store
Enter section three
Section one
Section one exit into section two
Section three view
Section two alleyway C
Section one bar
view section two
Section one bar
Bird view
Glitch effects in alleyways
Final of section one bar
Lighting update city enter
Section one bar
Section one bar
JADE
Platforms: VR
Genre: VR music experience
Engine: Unreal engine 5,5
Dates: September 2024 / June 2025
Team size: 6 (sep - jan) / ~20 (feb -jun)
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Unreal engine 4/5
Metta quest 3 headset
Tinkercad
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Level design & Blockout
Gameplay progression
VR, UX & Interaction design
Intuitive gameplay mechanics
Music based mechanics
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Scrum
Notion
Miro
Google spreadsheets
Google documents
Storyboarding
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Pitching
Leading meetings
Managing daily standups