After I made the demonstration via the timeline function of Unity, I tried to set the cameras’ animation on the timeline firstly to guide the players’ experiences with fixed view angles and specified time triggers. Then, I summarised the three modes and realised the learning from the three different modes:

The three modes of participation:

1.1 setting the fixed cameras to offer fixed perspectives for players

1.2 first-person perspective, but the triggers were made by the fixed animations and visual effects and guiding the players’ attention by music. However, the players could not control the view angle and these triggers; they could participate via the fixed settings and triggers.

1.3 Virtual reality. The scripts should be considered the ideal idea to recall the triggers via player scripts. Players are the main characters and participate in their visual experiences. They could create their participation path to identify the animations and interactions in Unity. The VR’s remote buttons could evoke all the interactions, and the decisions are made by players rather than solid settings.

The thinking and learning from the three interactive ways

I reviewed the project’s goal, which I learned at the beginning of the semester(dmsppresence23,2023), which is to build the embodiment of the concept of presence by digital media, and I re-evaluated how the presence could be. After I completed the demonstration of the enhancement of the project, I realised the three modes of participation might lead to different impacts on players to explore the entire project. Virtual reality could offer more visual effects to players for the visual sense perspective. Also, virtual reality and remote controllers and work with the scripts might contain an obviously positive way to assist in achieving the goal of presence for the interactions and individual experiences because players could decide what they would encounter in the virtual forest and how their experiences would be.

Sense of vision

I think virtual reality (VR) could be a positive way to enhance virtual world participation, which could assist with interactions, explorations, and a sense of vision. Paes et al. (2021) discussed immersive environments with non-immersive environments, which mentioned VR experience. They discussed the hypothesis of IVR (immersive virtual reality) with users’ perception of the concept of presence. And the results expressed that the exam results are the IVR presents the better realistic perception experiences. Meanwhile, the IVR could offer better outcomes for users to sense the virtual space more accurately(Paes et al. 2021). And after participants wore the VR devices to join the project on the presentation day, I noticed that VR technology could offer more cognition and interactions for players to explore even if the same digital environments.

Technology learning

Oculus rift

The difference between these two VR device versions might lead to different user experiences for the project due to the multiple rendering way and sensor adjustment. Even if this project might consider mainly using the Oculus Rift as the primary VR device, and the sensors were required to adjust and reinstall the package in Unity if a switch laptop was necessary.

Future Improvements

The interactions in Unity

I think it might be considered to improve this project to add more interactions in the future. Based on the concept of presence, what I learned from this course: how to improve interactions and engagement might be necessary for presence. It would be better if I could guide and lead participators to engage and involve more.

The personal virtual exploration in Unity

I think the current version might not offer options for the participants’ own explorations. The two versions, the one before the presentation and the improvement one after the feedback, might not achieve the individual exploration goal. The players’ virtual role might be thought of as one primary reason that the perspective might be solid from a tree view. However, just like the feedback, the tree branch might also move back. Being a virtual tree to explore a tree view might be explicit, and there are also various possibilities to explore.

The virtual reality(VR)

I think it is potential that adding more advantages to virtual reality’s functions might bring immersive environments experiences. Virtual reality is an advanced technology that brings people to join the virtual world with more visual sense. Meanwhile, it could get remote to guide players to choose and interact inside the virtual world with more immersion. This project now uses a VR device that could indicate players to better immerse in the forest and storyline. However, I think it might be better if this project used more virtual reality advantages than now; there are no interactive functions from the remote. It might be potential to add more remote options to let players select a tree or interact with animals.