Testing the Idea... PART 2!

Over the Past week we have been testing the level and working out its kinks.

We've found had a variety of feedback, however most of the time the theories I personally set out to conquer have proven correct!

ALSO! We had the first completion of the level this week! This is a massive success! =D

However, I'm going to write about the tests we have done recently, what problems arose and how they've been fixed.

First of all, a lot of the main issues that we have come across have been one of two things. Either, a problem on my part (for getting certain kismet scripting wrong) or something’s just weren’t clear enough for the player to understand, although they were close to understanding, as when we told them after their test they then thought it was relatively simple.

The new darkened corridor.

So currently we have had about 9 people test the level, and all of them seem to understand what they are doing to some respect, however only one of the nine have completed it.
Three of the testers, Ryan, Farron and Josh, seemed to get stuck after finding the first code, as they thought that they don’t 'need' to explore to find others, they assume that a code is given after each puzzle has been solved. Though the other 6, Adam, Gary, Ollie, Jack, Adil and Joe, all understood that the code appeared in the dark. They all figured this out different ways however; though all are ways I wanted to happen. The three ways this is possible are:
1. The Map indicates that 'UVs' will appear in darkness.
2. I changed the code so that it was visible at the end of a darkened hallway at all times whether the lights are on or off.
3. Through exploration of the facility, should the alarm go off at the correct time, there are two other locations of codes that can be found if they are in the right area at the right time.
Based on these results I have only changed one more thing in the level and will be testing to see if this helps, I have made a symbol UV visible in the 'Jump Room' to indicate that there will be a code to find there as well.

The Visible symbol through the Jump Room Window

Crates infront of the Jump Room

Moving onto the jump room itself, this has posed quite a few issues. A lot of the tester’s didn’t understand what they had to do in this room, so much has had to be changed. When the player enters this room they if they look up they will notice a platform sticking out of the wall, this is to show the player where to go, but also how to get there. Should they walk close to a wall, a platform will push out and into them knocking them back slightly but its main indication is that there may be more in this room. If they look on the wall, the pattern for the platform layout is also on the wall, so they know where they have to jump to reach the top!
One problem I did think of however is the fact we haven’t taught the player to jump yet, so before they get to this room, I will be adding crates for them to jump over, to let them understand that jumping is an option before they enter the room it is needed in.

Shot of a door closing.

One main problem we found was that when the alarms went off, there wasn’t a great amount of time for players to get back to the centre, as I had set the timer to about 40 seconds for them to get back to the main room. We noticed this wasn’t nearly enough time as most of the testers would get stuck outside a lot and end up resetting. However this did help prove they understood they must get back to the centre to turn the alarms off, and also if they didn’t they would reset and everything would be back to normal, kind of like a 'Perma death'. So to stop this, I changed the timers not only on until they get reset, but the length of time it takes for a door to shut, just so if they player see's the door shutting, they will then understand the others will be too.
Along with this, most of the testers also understood that the alarm lights are timed and also that when the alarm lights that appear when the alarm is going off, are used to guide them. the other few thought they were either just for aesthetic purpose, or where a little disorientating. So nothing here needs changing.

The Botanical gardens

Next is the 'Botanical Gardens' Room, this is the main puzzle all the testers have made it to, due to the first code appearing in the dark Hallway being the code for this door. In here, the player must insert three vials into the correct plant pods, to then release a gas (which isn’t implemented just yet) to kill a plant that is blocking the door out. In here we have three more indications on what to do:
1. The first indication is the plant that blocks the door. The plant that blocks the player in is also a plant in three of the pods on the inside of the room, indicating the correct place to put them.
2. The correct pots will have symbols on them, each of them correspond the symbol on the Vial that needs to be inserted into the pod.
3. Should the player read a 'Hologram' that is on the pod, each will say a different colour, which is also an indication to the colour of the vials.

Before the symbol was moved

After the symbol was moved

What the Holograms look like in some areas

What the holograms should look like

Interestingly enough, most players (apart from one who linked the plants together as well) get here and only use the symbols to match to the correct pods. Although this might be because the holograms aren’t displaying correctly at the moment, and I have noticed a few of the testers go to read them before doing anything else. Here the only things that will currently be changed is the texture on the bots, and also the placement of one of the symbols as it was in too much darkness for testers to see.

BUBBLES! (Inside the water tank)

Currently only two people have made it to the 'Water Tank' room, however there have been a few issues here which i have no changed/fixed. The first time we noticed the tester (Jack) didn't turn around to notice that bubbles were coming from the floor when one valve was turned. So to give the player more of an indication that the bubbles actually exist, I have made it so the bubbles now come out of the valves in the area too when one is turned. This definitely had an impact on the second tester (Joe) as when he noticed the bubbles appear and disappear he then realised that something was happening. Although some of the scripting was incorrect, which ended up making him think he had to do other things he still understood the bubbles meant something.

Dark Room Before

Dark Room After

Two people have made it to the dark room also, our first tester Ollie and the current last tester Joe who also completed the level. Ollie didn’t particularly attempt the dark room, though Joe did. Joe tried a few things first; though mostly just running into the room and realising each time he did he got reset. Eventually he learnt that when he pressed the buttons on the outside it was showing him a safe pathway through the room. Whilst watching him I quickly realised this room was far too difficult and so I have changed a few things. First of all the room is now always lit, but when the player presses the button on the outside of the room they will go off and reveal part of a path in UV ink. I have also moved the second button that used to be outside, to the inside of the room as a sort of waypoint, but it also gives the next part of the safe path to the end.

Generator Room

A lot of the testers while exploring the level usually come across the generator room, which is used to help power an orb in the 'Zero-G' room. They all seem to think it’s important but aren’t sure how. So to help indicate what it’s used for, the texture of it is being changed to show the symbol for the 'Zero-G' room.


 
All of the testers have currently learnt their way around the level after a few times of wondering around, which is great! If they haven't after a while however they have gone straight to the map to figure it all out. They have also made a connection with the 'Chevrons' being there to guide them, however not all have made the connection to the colours of the chevrons to the colours on the keypad, most seem to associate the green chevron to the leaves outside the botanical room for example.

Finally, all the testers have also understood how to interact with things from the get-go, which is mainly due to their prior experience of playing PC games. This is perfect as I was aiming the main basis of this theory towards gamers; this shows that the controls don’t need to pop up on the screen for them to know what to do. Even if they didn’t understand how to interact, they saw the 'E://...' on the computer screen at the beginning and then understood 'E' was the interact key.

Above is the test video for Adil's test! again its quite long (not as long as some of the other testers though which ranges from 45mins-2hrs) Unfortunately I cannot upload Jack's test as my computer seems to die when I try to due to it being over an hour long!

Tests will be continuing until next week before the final hand in for my MA!

LATERS TATERS!