Jump School

Task Force Hermes is sent to Draco’s Jump School to train on the use of elytra for air infiltration missions.

Type: ChapterPosition: STF | ?.?Setting: 2031 | Draco’s Jump School, Witt

Teaching Points

I was thinking about how to create a story for the game that would give a player elytra and train them in its use and then I started thinking that it would be a great opportunity to think about basic gravitational physics and aerodynamics.

Science:

  • The physics of failing objects including gravitational potential, potential to kinetic energy conversion (equation), terminal velocity, and air resistance as friction.
  • Basic aerodynamics: lift and pressure differentials and control surfaces.

Mythology & History:

  • The Legend of Icarus.
  • The dream of human flight from da Vinci’s flying machines to Wing Suits.

Proposed Gameplay

A mission in the game will move the player through a sequence of training exercises, facilitated by NPCs, that will prepare the student for gaining their elytra badge, nicknamed “Wings”.

  • Scene 1: Classroom: history, physics, and basics of flight
  • Scene 2: Moon Room [do we teach moves? what can you do?]
  • Scene 3: Naked Jumps – jumping off towers without elytra into water
  • Scene 4: Spashdown – jumping with elytra into water [from towers or mountains?]
  • Scene 5: Phaethon’s Bane – first jump off Dragon’s Tower onto pad
  • Scene 6: Earning your wings – second jump of Dragon’s Tower, you get to pick where

Additional missions:

  • Dragon’s Wings: learn how to use fireworks for powered flight.
  • Spitfire Wings: learn to use weapons and shoot targets while in flight.
  • Thread The Needle: fly through “The Needles Eye” without fireworks.
  • Flying Fish: use fireworks to flying into and back out of water.
  • Dragon’s Teeth: fly a course through the spires of in the Red Sands.
  • Poseidon’s Chariot: use a riptide-enchanted trident for powered flight during the rain.

Dragon’s Tower

Task Force Hermes

Draco’s Jump School

Story Outline

Story outlines use [7] The Seven Questions and [7] The Shape of Stories frames for their structure.

Why | Theme / Plot Potential

Alpha | Imperative

Beta | Situation & Setting

What (Internal) | Characters

What (External) | Challenge

Who | Meetings

How | Events

Crux | Climax

Where | Character Review

To What Extent | Connections

Omega | Moral / Plot Realization

Meta

Research Ideas?

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Suggested Keywords:

[keyword], [keyword]

Draco’s Name: Rex “Draco” Sohn: a tribute to Rex G. Finney, one of the first US wingsuit flyers Clem Sohn, a dare-devil who prefected a wingsuit, both in the 1930s.

Here’s some resource videos that might make it into the classroom training:

Physics of Falling Objects

Physics of Falling / Terminal Velocity

Physics of Wingsuits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBSDxYKcZGk

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