Understanding Methods of Control & Player feedback
• Forms of feedback • Information and communication • User psychology • Control method design.
This consists of 4 Areas
• In the early stages of development game designers will need to plan out their games through navigation and layout diagrams:
• Then play prototypes of small section of the games as soon as possible to test to see if they actually work and are playable, plus to check if they are engaging. This helps them continue to design the game effectively.
Planning & Testing
• Heuristic – Enabling a person to learn for themselves through set tasks • User Satisfaction – How can you keep people interested and engaged? e.g. Player experience goals A developer needs to keep people feeling challenged, but also happy and not make it too difficult! You need to measure functionality against user satisfaction.
Control Method Design
User Needs: • Is there enough or too much information presented to the player for making important decisions as and when required? • Do you need to rapidly analyse lots of information to make quick decisions on your objectives or to help you with in game tactics?
Information Communication
All of these are used to influence the player and to create an immersive experience: VISUAL • Player Viewpoint • Lighting Effects • Colour Psychology • Camera Techniques (reveals and foreshadowing) AUDIO AND TOUCH • Dialogue • Music/ • Sound Effects • Environmental Sounds • Vibration
Forms of feedback
• Memory – Both long and short term • Reasoning – Does something make sense? • Metaphors – Comparing two things together e.g. s/he spilled the beans • Perception – Individual interpretation of the game world • Cognition – Knowledge, Attention, Judgment, Evaluation, Problem Solving, Comprehension etc)
Appealing to a gamer’s psychology
• A designer will also need to consider the models that they provide for the player to play the game: For instance, is it/there: • Avatar-based? • Different game modes available? • Omnipresent you are in control of • others e.g. in games such as the Sims and Black and White? • Party-based? etc
Interaction Models
• Choose 1 game to analyse that you have played and that you are familiar with • Go through the information on methods and control in this presentation as well as completing further research and analyse this within your chosen game • You will need to include videos of gameplay, screenshots etc. Research into the game and its developers to help you if necessary • Be prepared to present your results
Task