Play God – Be God (Even If It’s Only Electronically)
Part of the appeal of video games is the visual eye-candy that splashes
across the television screen. But even the addictive imagery is only
half of the equation. The remaining half is the magic bestowed upon our
eyes when this imagery comes to life. Animation that’s controlled by a
gamer is all it takes to escape into a different time and place – a time
and place brought to you by virtual reality.
As you can imagine, virtual reality is a hypothetical three-dimensional
visual world created by a computer. Players can enter and move about in
this world and interact with objects as if inside it.1 Some of the games
that are already on the market give a pretty good idea of what virtual
reality is and can do. Video games like Zelda, Halo, or Harry Potter
allow players to enter into an environment and interact with objects,
but they don’t allow the player to create an environment and that’s what
virtual worlds are all about.
Without a single ounce of programming experience, anyone can create a
virtual world and have loads of fun doing so. All one needs is an idea.
To begin, you’ll want to construct a plan that maps your idea of the
perfect world, the craziest world, or the oddest world that you can
imagine. Some virtual world software will give you a template of sorts
(a “starter” world) that lets you make additions and ultimately build a
world that you’ve always dreamed of. A good example of template use is
inside Maxis’ SimCity or SimTown games. Both games provide pre-designed
environments that provide plenty of space and opportunity to shape them
into one that you prefer.
Of course, you could always start from scratch. The only problem with
starting with scratch is that it takes more time and knowledge to add
some of the features that virtual worlds provide. Either way (from
scratch or from a template), most users build a world by adding objects
and scenarios – even deleting some until they’ve reached the perfect
balance.
A good place to find examples of what you could build in virtual world
gaming is online. Every virtual world program available offers sample
environments that players can download and install into their own
system. Some manufacturers of these games even hold contests and award
winners with free upgrades. Other suitable places to find ideas are from
fiction books: -historical, -fantasy, -futuristic, you name it. Science
fiction movies are a good resource for ideas as well.
Just understand that virtual gaming takes time. Rome wasn’t built in a
day and neither will your virtual world. There’s no rush and this is a
relaxing hobby. Take your time and have fun. Don’t fret over not knowing
how to build an object or lay down a map – you can learn how to do
these kinds of things in due time. Your goal is to create a world of
enjoyment and it won’t help if you find yourself frustrated all the
time.
When ready, you can add characters with their own unique histories,
habits, strengths and weaknesses. You can even give them goals or small
tasks to perform throughout the game. Giving your characters goals and
tasks will help you give the game a plot.
To get started, look for RAD (Rapid Application Development) Tools. RAD
tools will help you bang a virtual reality game together in no time and
with little difficulty.
Sunday 26 March 2017
Your Own Virtual World
About Unknown
Nathan is an online researcher and a prolific writer of articles that focus on technology, places and people. Nathan has worked in different industries such as the information technology industry, the travel and tourism industry and the retail industry. He has worked in several projects for blue-chip companies, that are part of the IT, travel and tourism and retail industries. His work and his passion for traveling has made him journey throughout the world. He has led large work-teams to accomplish business goals successfully. His rich experience undoubtedly helps him to write extensively.
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