FOUAD HAFIZ

BIG SKIPPER is an educational game in which the player takes control of a fishery operating in a small self-contained ecological system. Through buying and selling various different kinds of boats, the objective is for the player to make the fishery economically viable while maintaining the integrity of the fragile ecosystem. It was created using the open-source Blender game engine.

THE INTENT
What makes BIG SKIPPER unique is the utilization of an authentic scientific model generated using real fish population data. Player actions are processed through this model to produce scientifically accurate effects in the game. A joint effort with the UBC Fisheries department, the BIG SKIPPER project was conceived with this real-world scientific connection in mind. Designed for a high-school audience, the game aims to educate players about three critical environmental messages:

1. Ecosystems are fragile and easily imbalanced. 2. The elements in an ecosystem are all interconnected. 3. Ecosystems require human management and maintenance.

On BIG SKIPPER I was in charge of Art direction. This meant conceptualizing a visual theme for use throughout the game and creating both 3D and 2D art assets which maintained a consistent and cohesive style. The design and scope of the project were substantially constrained by the necessity of drawing scientific data from the UBC servers. Working closely with Bryant Davey, the game designer, and Jason Chang, the TD, I found myself spending most of my time on the tedious task of creating and tweaking the multitude various elements which were required for the user-interface. The oft-repeated cliche about how creating a UI is harder than it looks is incontrovertible. I was assisted with character design and concept art by May Tang.

C R E D I T S
Jason Chang
Bryant Davey
Fouad Hafiz
Karin Schmidlin
May Tang