Ghaida Zahran
Final Project: V-RA Mass Effect 2 Virtual Research Assistant Revised and Finalized Designs ITGM 709 / Spring 2010 Professor David E. Meyers
Introduction
Background Mass Effect is a role-playing game set in the distant future. An integral part of the game is researching new technologies that improve the player’s stats, like new weapons, prototypes, and armor.
Concept The current in-game research terminal has a mediocre interface that presents the following problems: No clear overview of all the upgrades in the game Current “list” format hinders the player’s ability to determine which upgrades they can acquire next The current interface is lacking the polish and realistic feel that the rest of the game has
Solution
Current game interface
Provide a means for game players to keep track of all the available upgrades while they’re playing the game without interrupting their gaming experience.
Target Audience
V-RA will be an iPhone/iPod app that players will be able to use while they’re playing the game to guide them through their upgrade options.
Regular game players who are frustrated by the game’s upgrade interface, and require a handy tool to assist them in researching all the available upgrades.
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Sketches
Information The following information must be organized and made accessible through different search queries: Upgrades: Weapons, Armor, Ship Enhancements, Prototypes Resources: Iridium, Palladium, Platinum, Element Zero Relationships between the different upgrades.
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Sketches
Weapons
Intro
Armor
Overview
Prototypes
All upgrades
Ship Enhancements
Filter by
Resource
(platinum, iridium, etc.)
Type
(armor, weapon, etc.)
Acquired upgrades
Element Zero
Platinum
Palladium
Iridium
Some resources are used for several types of upgrades
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Type
Display: Slider
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
Body: Apertura Regular
Bold
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
1234567890
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Color Palette
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Look and feel
V-RA Assault Rifle
Submachine Gun
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Mass Effect 2 Virtual Research Assistant
Start
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Sitemap
Shotfun Sniper Rifle
Heavy Pistol
Shepard Heavy Weapon
Submac hine Gun Weapon s
Other
Assault Rifle
Prototyp es
Search by
Overvie w
Type
Ship Enhance ments
Home
Biotic Minerals
Palladiu m
Armor Acquired upgrade s
Tech
Iridium Element Zero
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Platinum MediGel
Damage Protectio n
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Wireframes
Home
Minerals Sub-page Search upgrades
V-RA
Search
Mass Effect 2 Virtual Research Assistant
Minerals
Search upgrades in minerals
Search
Iridium
50,000
Palladium
50,000
Platinum
50,000
Element Zero
50,000
Acquired Upgrades Type Overview Options
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Edit
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Direction 1: Utilitarian
Home
Minerals Sub-page Search for an upgrade
Search
V-RA Virtual Research Assistant Minerals
Back
Minerals
Iridium
50,000
Palladium
50,000
Platinum
50,000
Element Zero
50,000
Acquired Upgrades Type Overview Options Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean consectetuer.
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Search for an upgrade
Search
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Direction 2: Omni-Tool
Description The Omni-tool in Mass Effect serves the
Search upgrades
V-RA
Mass Effect 2 Virtual Research Assistant Minerals
same function as a PDA does (in addition to awesome alien-neutralizing capabilities). It would then make sense to adapt the omni-tool’s look to V-RA’s interface.
Minerals Palladium
50,000 50,000
Iridium
50,000 50,000
Platinum
50,000 50,000
Element Zero
50,000 50,000
Reference
Acquired Upgrades Type Overview V-RA
Edit
Options Options
Omni-tool in Mass Effect 2
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Revised Design
Homepage Search
V-RA Virtual Research Assistant Minerals Acquired Upgrades Type Overview
Design Revision Due to the iPhone’s limited screen size, and to maintain a utilitarian approach, the overview will remain a part of the program but only as a secondary option. The main
Options
functionality will be accessible through more conventional iPhone-like menus. I aim to combine the utilitarian simplicity of the first direction with the visual appeal of the second.
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Revised Design
Minerals Search
Iridium
50,000
Palladium
50,000
Platinum
50,000
Element Zero
50,000
Back
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
V-RA
Edit
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Revised Design
Minerals > Iridium upgrades Search
Ship Enhancements Modular Probe Bay
50,000
Advanced Mineral Scanner
15,000
Prototypes ML-77 Missile Launcher M-622 Avalanche
15,000
M-920 Cain
25,000
Back
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
5,000
V-RA
Iridium
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Revised Design
Type Search
Weapons Armor Prototypes Ship Enhancements
Back
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
V-RA
Edit
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Revised Design
Type > Weapons Search
Assault Rifle Submachine Gun Heavy Pistol Sniper Rifle Shotgun
Back
ITGM 709 / Final Project Revized and Finalized Designs
V-RA
Edit
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Revised Design
Type > Weapons > Submachine Gun
Search
Damage
Iridium
Submachine Gun Damage 1/5
2,500
Submachine Gun Damage 2/5
2,500
Submachine Gun Damage 3/5
2,500
Submachine Gun Damage 4/5
2,500
Submachine Gun Damage 5/5
2,500
Shield Piercing SMG Shield Piercing Back
ITGM 709 / Revised and Finalized Designs
V-RA
Iridium 15,000
SMG
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran
Revised Design
Type > Weapons > Submachine Gun > SMG Damage 1/5
Search
Submachine Gun Damage 1/5 Iridium
2,500
Found in: Dossier / Archangel
Description: Squad bonus +10%
Back
ITGM 709 / Revised and Finalized Designs
V-RA
SMG
Spring 2010 / Ghaida Zahran