Final Exam Evaluation Reflection
Colin Winders
I was only able to go through one round of usability questions in which I asked around five people to go through my site and answer after they did. Although I wish I was able to make a second round, the first one brought along some helpful insight that would allow me to make my interactive game a lot better. Before handing out the usability tests, I had thought I had a pretty solid game and story in my hands and that I wouldn’t be able to improve much but after seeing people’s reactions it made me realize the work that I would have ahead would be equivalent to pretty much starting another project. To start, the most feedback I got was on the content of the game, then leading to how the user navigates the game, and finally the aesthetics of the game and story.
I received a lot of feedback on the overall content of the story. I had asked questions about the story itself and the animations and what feelings and emotions came out while reading and playing. I found that a lot of users wanted a more in depth story, rather than just being thrust into the decision you make right at the beginning of the game. In order for them to really get into the game they wanted to know the background of which your character has before diving into the story. I found that there were a lot of request for music or some sort of sound that should be placed into the game. Although, a narration wouldn’t be necessary, however, there were a lot of suggestions to add some music into the background to help evoke mood and emotion as well sound effects during the fighting scene to make it more engaging. I feel that these are all obtainable aspects that I could add to the game if I were given more time and that the criticism was helpful in giving a new vision to my game.
The navigation of the site was easier for users to understand and I received a lot of feedback on how the buttons were labeled clearly and effectively. As the game went on, however, users felt as though options were too limited and they wanted more ability for exploration especially during the fight scene. They wanted to see what certain buttons did and during the fight scene when they chose attacks they did not want them to just lead to dead ends but rather continue the fight. I was suggested to create a fighting system in which a health bar is incorporated and that there is multiple ways to win the fight. Seeing this made me want to go back and improve my project but I soon realized that the task in itself is like a completely new project if I were to pursue it.
Finally, the last bit of feedback I got on my game was how it pleased my users aesthetically. I found out that the artwork that I made and used for the game was actually accepted by the users that tested my game. They felt that the animations and the simple stick figure graphics were fun and not too hard to interpret while playing. I was informed that having the game animated was the right thing to do and that if the images were upgraded in quality the overall feeling of the game would become a bit too serious for the users liking. In the end, I found that there definitely is a lot of work that could be added to my game but the overall feedback and criticism I received was not too harsh but rather helpful. The only thing I would want is more time to go back and make the revisions and perhaps this project could continue in the future if I permit it to.
Usability Test: Deliverance
Url: http://mywebspace.quinnipiac.edu/clwinders/250/final/final.html
By Colin Winders
1. How does the overall mood of the story feel before going into the game?
2. Would you like there to be music or sound effects while playing the game or was it fine the way it was?
3. Was the navigation of the site confusing? If so, what could I do to make it more user friendly?
4. While playing the game did you find the animations helpful while telling the story or did they go by too fast and you didn’t pay attention to them?
5. Was it confusing which character you were in the story? i.e. especially during the fight scene?
6. Do you wish that there were more avenues to explore? For instance when you choose a fighting option the fight still went on?
7. How did the overall story appeal to you as a reader? Did it evoke any emotions? Was there a good balance between humor and seriousness?
8. Was the artwork satisfactory and the animations smooth? Did you enjoy them in the story? Do you wish they were better quality?