How I approach VR projects - Desert Grandma

This is to showcase my current process for approaching VR projects. Currently I want to create a simple short story driven VR experience while implementing a few new systems that I haven't done before in the past. 

My first step is to decide on a project concept and then create a VR project scope. 

Project Concept 

For this project my concept is focused on a small adventure experience about a child who wants to help their grandma who is sick. I've developed a small storyboard about how I want the player to experience the story.

I do want to establish limits for the project which is that I want to finish it in 1-1.5 weeks. I try to keep that in mind as I work on the storyboard.

Concept/Story

The setting only has the child and the grandma. It'll be a lonely house in the desert. The grandma is the only family for the child.

I'm choosing a Desert because it removes they are naturally empty and reduce the number of art assets I'll need to make. It also puts visual emphasis on loneliness and hopefully strengthens the focus on family in the story. 

A simple character design inspiration for the grandma character.

The grandma is sick and that is the motivation for the story. There is a magic necklace that the grandma owns which is supposed to help those who are lost. Reveals that there is a cure high up in the desert mountains.

Child climbs the mountain to get into a cave. The cave has a plot twist for the child.

Gaming Systems Needed

As a part of the project scope I then try to think of all the systems I need to facilitate the experience. I try to divide this into two parts after I make the list with a rough time estimate. *Usually wrong since I don't have a lot of experience lol*

The first half is core systems to create a minimum viable VR experience that can be completed in the shortest time period and then the additional nice to haves if there is time.

Core System 

• Scene Loading System(1 day)
• Dialogue/Story Sequence/ Input system(2 days)
• primary button A to quit game
• primary button B to progress to next dialogue and story section
• Story tracker
• Climbing System (2 days)
• Basic Art(1 day)
• Sick Grandma in bed
• Necklace
• Mountain
• Reward

Total Time : 6 days

Additional

• Better Art Assets 
• Skybox - (2 hours)
• Hand models
• House in the Dessert Scene - Main Menu (2 hours )
• Haptic feedback - (2 hours)
• Sandstorm / Wind Effects (3 hours)
• Medicine Interaction ( 2 hours)
• Background music & Voice over (3 hours)
• 
  
• Action Scene
• I really want to try creating a VR action scene. Might try this if I can complete everything else quickly. Doesn't add a ton to the story other then making it cool.

Total Additional Time : 2 days

Total Project Time : 8 days