GEN-3

https://astro-prii.github.io/The-Gen-Missions/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJIIpx5igOwds4zU-mSr5y2KvMHddnKf/view?usp=sharing

INTRODUCTION

"The Gen Missions" is a text-based game, similar to classic games like Zork and Colossal Cave Adventure. It is partially fictitious and set in the near future. The player is woken up by a strange robot who tells them they're on a spaceship that's just left Earth. The robot informs the player that they are experiencing short-term memory loss from the shock of launch and g-LOC and the robot then offers to take the player on a tour around the ship to jog their memory.

The player has a choice of which areas of the ship to explore first. It is mainly divided into 5 sections: the upper deck, crew quarters, life support module, the laboratory and the cockpit. As players move through each area, they are presented with information relating to the hazards of spaceflight. This is where the fictional and futuristic aspect to the game comes in as some of these risks are "handled" now in the future.

ONBOARD AREAS

• UPPER DECK - the upper deck of the ship has a massive viewing window through which Earth can be seen as the ship continues on its path. This is where the news of the mission taking at least 5 years is dropped and the player is exposed to the first hazard of spaceflight - DISTANCE FROM EARTH. They learn about the challenges of communication with Earth ,the fact that there are limited supplies aboard the ship and limited medical assistance
• CREW QUARTERS - the crew quarters are a way of showing the effects of another hazard - ISOLATION AND CONFINEMENT. The players are given a rundown of the amenities in their room and the fact that it isn't large. While they still have privacy, the room is small and doesn't offer much comfort away from home. Players are warned of the psychological stress involved in being confined in small spaces overtime and are encouraged to socialize with other crew in the communal areas. They are also informed of the regular physical and psychological evaluations they will subject to
• LIFE SUPPORT MODULE - this section of the ship allows players to understand another hazard posed by space exploration, HOSTILE/CLOSED ENVIRONMENTS. This room is filled with oxygen and carbon dioxide recyclers, pressure monitors, waste management systems, temperature gauges and other diagnostic tools that are carefully monitored to ensure the ship's internal environment is as good as it can be. Players learn more about how their environment can impact their health, namely the noise and light levels in the ship
• THE LABORATORY - the laboratory offers a chance to introduce players to the science work that can be done onboard. Although it is mentioned throughout the game, the laboratory is the main hub for experimentation onboard . The player still doesn't remember what their purpose on the ship is at this point but it's getting closer
• THE COCKPIT - the cockpit is the last stop on the tour and it's where players learn more about the effects of RADIATION. They learn bits and pieces as they travel through the ship about the dangers of radiation and the damage it can cause to our bodies but the cockpit is where they learn why the big windows all over the ship shouldn't scare them!

Now, you may have noticed that GRAVITATIONAL CHANGES have not been mentioned yet. This is because information regarding this topic and the effect it has on our bodies is sprinkled throughout the game.

GOAL OF THE GAME

By the end of the tour, the player is told that they are an ecologist and they are on the ship to work on a recombinant DNA project that will allow us to isolate the genes of tardigrades which allow them to survive certain harsh conditions of spaceflight. By isolating these genes, we will be able to create a new species of tardigrade that is better adapted to spaceflight AKA our Space Biology Superhero! The information gathered during this mission could also prove to have further applications.

WHAT BENEFITS DOES THIS HAVE?

The benefits of this game is that it takes information that can be fairly difficult to understand or find if you aren't a part of the science community and presents it in a more palatable way. It could also be a gateway for people to become more excited about the scientific work being done in space and fully realize the potential in it.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE?

I hope that this game sparks someone's interest in the sciences or shows them something they didn't know about. We live in a fast-paced world and I hope the slower and more minimalistic style of a text-based game can allow users to really digest the information presented to them as well.

WHAT TOOLS, CODING LANGUAGES, HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE DID YOU USE TO DEVELOP YOUR PROJECT?

I developed this first edition of the game using a platform called Twine. It uses a story format called SugarCube as well as CSS to visually influence how the story is played out. All artwork used in the game was designed by me using Procreate . The artwork was then hosted on ImgBB.

Data that NASA offers regarding the hazards of spaceflight was used. It provided valuable information as to why these hazards occur, the effect they can have on the astronauts and some ways to deal with them or monitor them.

This information is used throughout the game when informing the player of the various hazards. It is condensed and summarized in the hopes that it is easier to understand than if the player were to look up academic papers covering the same studies that the information is coming from.

Information was taken from the Human Research Program, GeneLab and the Canadian Space Agency's report on deep-space healthcare. Additionally, information gained through watching YouTube videos such as those starring Astronaut Chris Hadfield were referenced in subtle ways throughout the game. This really allowed me to bring some reality to the game and toss in a few Easter eggs for players that are already well versed in the space community.

My Space Apps challenge has been, well.. challenging! I decided to try taking on the challenge by myself to test my capabilities and this process has assured me that I am capable of just about anything I put my mind to.

To make this game, I learned how to use a whole new interface. I also learned about CSS and HTML, how to use them and how much coding goes on behind the scenes. Additionally, I got to work on my digital art skills by using Procreate to generate the background images for the game.

What inspired me the most to choose this challenge was my love of biology! I'm a graduate biomedical scientist but science has always been a part of my life and something I've been interested in. Now, I am on the path to becoming an astrobiologist! But I only realized that this was an option in the last 6 months. Even though I've always enjoyed spacey things, the thought never occurred to me to pursue a career in it because media always portrays science jobs in the field as engineers, astrophysicists or astronauts! I only realized there was a slice for biologists when I watched a documentary talking about it. This is my drive behind the game: to ignite that curiosity in someone else. In a fun way! That was my approach to this challenge.

It was not easy. Taking on the challenge alone meant I was responsible for absolutely every part of this project. There were times where frustration got the best of me and I nearly gave up when the sun started rising and I was still coding! But this challenge was an amazing opportunity and I'm so grateful I participated in it.

I'd like to thank my dad, who is back in my home country. He doesn't really understand what all this is but he's proud as can be and has always supported me. I'd also like to thank Sara, whose name provided the inspiration for the planet that is featured in "The Gen Missions".

• SugarCube Informational Page - https://www.motoslave.net/sugarcube/2/docs/#introduction
• NASA Human Research Roadmap - https://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/risks/
• NASA Space Biology Program - https://science.nasa.gov/biological-physical/programs/space-biology
• NASA GeneLab - https://genelab-data.ndc.nasa.gov/genelab/projects
• Draft genome sequence of Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae strain IF3SW-P1 isolated from the International Space Station - https://genelab-data.ndc.nasa.gov/genelab/accession/GLDS-470
• CSA "Health Beyond - Report of the Advisory Council on Deep-Space Healthcare" - https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/publications/health-beyond-report-advisory-council-deep-space-healthcare.asp#appendix-b
• "Fundamental Biological Features of Spaceflight: Advancing the Field to Enable Deep-Space Exploration" - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867420314574#:~:text=The%20features%20include%20oxidative%20stress,length%20alterations%2C%20and%20microbiome%20shifts.
• "These tiny indestructible tardigrades will reveal how to survive in extremes of space" - https://www.space.com/tardigrades-on-space-station-extreme-survival
• "Tardigrades in Space Research - Past and Future" - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5705745/
• "A Pale Blue Dot" - https://www.planetary.org/worlds/pale-blue-dot
• NASA "Growing Plants in Space" - https://www.nasa.gov/content/growing-plants-in-space
• NASA "Sleeping In Space" - https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/stem-on-station/ditl_sleeping
• NASA "Human Vestibular System in Space" - https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/9-12/features/F_Human_Vestibular_System_in_Space.html
• "Nitrogen Fixation: N-fixing Plants and Bacteria" - https://eos.com/blog/nitrogen-fixation/#:~:text=The%20role%20of%20nitrogen%2Dfixing,the%20soil%2C%20primarily%20as%20ammonia.
• "Artificial Gravity - Definition, future tech and research" - https://www.space.com/artificial-gravity
• NASA "Why Space Radiation Matters" - https://www.nasa.gov/analogs/nsrl/why-space-radiation-matters
• "Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health" - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551541/
• "The Effects of Space Radiation and Microgravity on Ocular Structures" -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8876783/
• CSS Tutorials - https://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp
• All images used in the game were designed by me and uploaded to a free image hosting site. They can be viewed here: https://ibb.co/album/t8Xrjk

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