Alpha Test Demo for my upcoming game!

[ClayMeow]

I like that idea, but i must admit i also think it adds to the experience not being able to see very much.

 

Yeah, definitely. Guess that's what testing is for, right? heh

[El_Capitan]

So... are you going to incorporate features such as:

The flashlight start to grow dimmer until you find fresh batteries for it.

Finding a different flashlight, or maybe even a candle or lantern for different types of viewing.

 

[Nyt]

So... are you going to incorporate features such as:

The flashlight start to grow dimmer until you find fresh batteries for it.

 

Is this game going to become like Alan Wake or something lol

[ClayMeow]

So... are you going to incorporate features such as:

The flashlight start to grow dimmer until you find fresh batteries for it.

Finding a different flashlight, or maybe even a candle or lantern for different types of viewing.

 

We're most likely steering clear of batteries. This is the modern era....it's an LED flashlight that can last a hundred hours. lol

 

We have, however, discussed alternative lighting and whatnot. Only this "prologue" area is inside the house. You will eventually venture outside, so that will provide us with many more opportunities to introduce different game mechanics...and yes, even enemies. We have a lot of ideas and plan on working on this beyond graduation, developing this into a full-fledged indie game worthy of Steam.

[rourkchris]

Played and filled out the survey.

[Fogel]

Funny you mention that. We've discussed that in class that maybe every time we enter a "room", thunder and lightning occur, illuminating the room for a few seconds before it goes black. That way, aside from seeing the artwork, players can get a quick glimpse of the layout.

Would it sound cheezy if I said I really like that idea? Honestly, I do though. If you want to beef up the difficulty you can have a loud crash after the lightning is gone so the player wonders what fell or what else is in the room.

[ClayMeow]

So today was the due date for this. If you guys are interested, you can find our usability analysis below. I had one of my team members write it, though I did edit some of it.

 

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We received a total of 21 testers, most of whom had some experience with PC platformers. As a quick run-through of what went right: The title screen conveyed its message well, the "play" button was easy to find, the black-and-white color scheme was enjoyed, and nearly all the players were interested in seeing the game further developed.

 

There were several key concerns we identified from testing. First, the flashlight was considered too small for navigating a platforming environment, which combined with the color scheme made it difficult to see the environment. We plan on increasing the size of the flashlight and using code to add a feathered effect to the flashlight. This will be accomplished using the "cacheAsBitmap" command, "setMask" command, and adjusting alpha levels.

 

Second, there were some control issues. Depending on the operating system/browser, the player would sometimes start in the crouched position, which made it impossible to jump. We believe the problem stems from using the SHIFT key for crouching (seems to be handled as a "special" key by Windows, making it a toggle), so we will change the control to a different key such as "S", as well as use code to set the character to a standing position upon starting a level. This also taught us to ask for the testers' browser and OS in future tests.

 

Another issue with the controls was that the instructions for crouching were impossible to see because they were too far ahead of the area the player needed to crouch under. This is a simple fix; we just need to move the hint closer to the point it is required. When we increase the flashlight size and add feathering, that should help as well. On the bright side, when testers did figure out the controls, the general response was that they were simple and intuitive.

 

The sounds of the game seemed to elicit mixed responses. There was no clear consensus on whether the voice acting and footstep sounds were enhancing the experience or simply an annoyance. In fact, some testers did not even notice the footsteps at all.

 

The opening scene of the game, despite being a placeholder, turned out to be enjoyed by a sizable portion of the testers, saying that it conveyed the mood of the game well. Those who did not like it claimed that the scene made it hard to understand what was going on, which may not necessarily be a bad thing for a mysterious horror atmosphere. When the final version of the scene is implemented, we should see a more noticeable majority enjoying the scene.

 

In conclusion, we should focus on making the areas easier to navigate and ensuring the controls function properly. Sound and voice work are not as big a concern at this time, but should still be noted for future development. The introduction scene should receive more testing upon completion to see if there is a change in the way players react to it.

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If you participated in the survey, thank you very much! Out of the 22 current survey responses, 14 of them listed OCC as the referrer!

[Stonerboy779]

What about the 80-90% masked shadow figure of the player?

Or lighting flash to illuminate level at each new instance with some possible continued lightning flashes.

[ClayMeow]

What about the 80-90% masked shadow figure of the player?

Or lighting flash to illuminate level at each new instance with some possible continued lightning flashes.

 

Do you mean wasn't it mentioned in the usability analysis? Those are more ideas we have for future iterations than analysis of our usability testing. I brought it up in this thread because we're openly discussing it, but the usability analysis is simply supposed to be analyzing the results and it's not like anyone mentioned either of those things.

[Stonerboy779]

They are mentioned in this thread and I did mention one of them in my servey is all.

[ClayMeow]

They are mentioned in this thread and I did mention one of them in my servey is all.

 

The analysis was done on the survey results, not what was discussed here, though in our presentation to the class, I did mention all of it. But like I said, I didn't write the analysis.

[BluePanda]

Did you get an F?