Camp SELIDER
Virtual environment design
Visual storytelling
Graphic design
Worldbuilding
This is an award-winning tile-based map designed for the virtual leadership training event "Campamento SELIDER" (SELIDER Camp) which was three days long. This is an expansion to the SELIDER Morelia headquarters, to learn more about that part of the project click here. This event was hosted on the remote-social platform Gather.
Below you can watch the video of the event.
This expansion is comprised of a sculpture garden, a forest, a lake, an amphitheater, two cabins and four maps themed around the four elements.
Exterior maps overview
This space was designed with the intention of combining the elements from an in-person camp with the best features that virtual worlds provide. These maps were designed with daytime and nighttime versions that were switched as time passed to make the participants feel like they were part of a living world.
Lake and amphitheater
The amphitheater and the lake were used to give announcements, have reflections and trainings.
Cabins exterior
Just like in a real camp, the participants were assigned cabins and these were spaces designed to have conversations, give feedback and play games. The cabins are connected underground by a game room in the basement of the cabins.
Cabins interior
Forest
The forest was used as a recreational space, and when night came a fireplace was placed in the middle to meet and have a pleasant time.
Sculpture garden
The sculpture garden was used as a hub that evolved just like the participants did throughout the event. The participants unlocked portals as they overcame each of the challenges that allowed them to discover each of the four leadership cores.
Leadership cores reference
Each of the portals took the participants to the different fantastic worlds inspired by the organization's methodology and iconography, which relate the four leadership cores with the four elements (fire, water, wind and earth). When the participants overcame all the challenges they activated the central tower, which collapsed revealing a black hole containing the fifth element, Aether (the element of space, light, gravity and the unknown).
Custom tilesets
The maps based on the elements were built by designing custom tilesets with the intention of making a clear difference between the "real" world and these fantastic worlds with lots of places and things to explore and discover. These tileset packs were customized based on the ones designed by "Low-res artist".
The first tileset is fire, related to Presence.
Custom fire tileset
The second tileset is wind, related to Quick thinking.
Custom wind tileset
The third tileset is earth, related to Resilience.
Custom earth tileset
The last tileset is water, related to Critical thinking.
Custom water tileset
Fire map
The first challenge was the fire challenge (Presence), which consisted of a crisis in which the volcano on the map erupts. From this, the map turns into a crime scene and the participants are given an investigation folder to later investigate the opposing team's cabin in search of clues to solve a mystery. At the end of the challenge, both teams presented to a jury the conclusion they reached after the investigation in order to determine who was guilty.
Below you can see how the map transforms throughout the challenge.
Water maps
The second challenge was the water challenge (Critical thinking), this challenge consisted of a phased escape room in which participants had to explore various maps to solve puzzles that would bring them back to the surface after being trapped in the lost city of Atlantis. The first phase was on the surface, on a map full of waterfalls, lagoons, rivers, and a beach. The second phase was a transition to finally get to the Atlantis map where they had to decipher coordinates on a map to activate the portal that brought them back to the surface.
Wind map
The third challenge was the wind challenge (Quick Thinking), in which the participants faced each other in an improvisation tournament. Participants had to give a talk on a random topic from a slide show that they had not previously seen. The participants who were being disqualified were those who were in charge of preparing the presentation that the finalists would have to present in the final.
Earth maps
The last challenge was the earth challenge (resilience), in which participants had to go through mazes and solve teamwork problems. The first phase was a maze in which nothing was what it seemed, a maze full of dead ends and distractions that did not respect logic. The objective of this phase was for the participants to learn to focus on the goal and not get carried away by distractions and obstacles that we put ourselves. The second phase was in different mazes that, although they were easy to solve, hid a secret message along the way and without which they could not get out. This phase was intended for participants to learn to pay attention to their surroundings and not simply get carried away by what they believe to be the end goal. The third phase was one in which 2 groups had to solve a puzzle to help other people out. Finally, the fourth phase was the maximum test of resilience in which the participants had to leave a labyrinth with invisible walls that, when touched, were teleported to different parts of the maze.
This map along with SELIDER Morelia headquarters won first place in the second edition of the mapmaking contest called "Gather round" which is organized by the same creators of the Gather platform.
This project would not have been possible without the help of SELIDER Morelia volunteers, staff and board of coordinators.
Note:
These tilesets and maps were designed using parts of Gather's public tiles and Low-res artist tileset packs. Throughout the creative process, changes and adjustments were made to the tilesets to meet the needs of the project.