Biol 1406 - Genetics Simulation

The project's inception dates back to 2018, although full-scale development did not commence until 2020, amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic. As a result, time constraints and limited personnel impacted the project's progress, leading to a significant reduction in team size over the course of its production.

Originally proposed by Karl Hogenbough, the project aimed to create a comprehensive laboratory experience encompassing various subjects within biology. Given its ambitious scope, our team opted to approach the project in smaller increments, gradually expanding its content. The decision to primarily focus on the topic of evolution was driven by the belief that it would be the most impactful aspect for student engagement.

To maintain a captivating and imaginative experience, our team was tasked with developing a visually appealing and distinctive style that would capture the students' attention. Additionally, we were requested to devise entirely fictional yet plausible creatures. This concept phase underwent several iterations before finalizing the selection of creatures and refining details such as the number of traits for students to discover.

Beyond the production challenges, the project faced logistical obstacles and real-world issues, including a change in project leadership and the departure of key concept and 3D artists. Consequently, some ideas had to be scaled back or adapted to align more closely with our desired end product. These factors necessitated an extension of the original one-year production timeline to accommodate the necessary adjustments.

The resulting final product encompasses multiple interactive features that directly impact the island, a dynamic day/night cycle, and the ability for students to save their progress and return to their island at any time, seamlessly continuing their journey from where they left off.