Multimodal reconstruction of landscape in serious games for heritage: An insight on the creation of Fort Ross Virtual Warehouse serious game

This paper identifies the significance of cultural landscapes in serious games as conveyers of cultural heritage and values the scientific reconstruction of the environment in digital-based learning tools. In this article we propose an effective methodology for producing historically validated landscapes in serious games for heritage which we adopted in the implementation of Fort Ross Virtual Warehouse serious game developed in Unity 3D. Fort Ross historical landscape has been produced through a multimodal approach incorporating data originated from LiDAR, terrestrial laser scanning, image-based 3D reconstruction, and 3D models created from historical and iconographical sources. This article seeks to answer specific research questions that belong to the field of serious games: what is the role of landscape in a serious game for heritage? Which landscape should we consider for reconstruction purposes and how? Which data acquisition technologies are optimal for use in which particular environmental scenarios?