Experiment Number 2 - Symbol Alignment - Fail 1
So I had done another test just before Christmas but forgot to post it on here so here it is. For this experiment, I got the inspiration from 'The Room'. It has little puzzle where the the player has to align number parts to find the number sequences for a lock. In my experiment though, instead of having a single point of movement and camera view. The player can move around in the room to see different angles of the parts of several numbers to align them to create the correct number. This then puts in a combination for a door.
I used a similar technique as my last test, in which I used the environment to give clues to the puzzles answer. I have also taken the feedback and results from my last test and made this experiment a three tier level. Starting off with a simple puzzle to place the idea behind the puzzles into the players mind. It then gets a little harder with a bigger puzzle/sequence and implementing the aforementioned environment hints indicating the order of the sequence and which numbers are needed.
Finally, the player then gets pushed into another room in which the puzzle is switched up a little. This puzzle changes the standard numbers (e.g. 1,2,3 etc.) to Roman Numerals making it slightly trickier, and again using environment hints on the walls in the form of dots and numbers - these indicate which numbers need to been entered and in which order according to the amount of dots.
So how did they do...
Test Subjects:
Jay: Figured the idea of the input fairly quick, but was getting confused with the delay on the feedback on the wall. Took a while to figure that the answers were on the walls. The only thing that frustrated him was the triggers not registering an input.
Josh: Understood the main idea behind the input from the first room. Like Jay got thrown off by the delay on the feedback for the sequences input. Took a while to figure out the clues were on the walls. Then took a while to figure them out.
Yannic: Took the longest to figure out the input. Got stuck with the way to open the 2nd room door mainly because he didn't notice the clues on the walls. Got stuck in both the 2nd and 3rd room because of the way the triggers were acting.
After Yannic I didn't do any more testing. This was because I saw a pattern of confusion coming from the use of the 'Line of Sight' triggers for the input device. I have redone these as 'Use' (a button press) triggers and added sound to the function to give the player more feedback. In the 3rd room I have tried a slightly different approach to feedback for actions by making the similar snap together in front of the player. Hopefully this will help limit the confusion around the input because the player will know they have done something.
I haven't had chance to test this build yet though so will hopefully be able to do a more extensive test with some of the 2nd and 3rd year BA students.
I used a similar technique as my last test, in which I used the environment to give clues to the puzzles answer. I have also taken the feedback and results from my last test and made this experiment a three tier level. Starting off with a simple puzzle to place the idea behind the puzzles into the players mind. It then gets a little harder with a bigger puzzle/sequence and implementing the aforementioned environment hints indicating the order of the sequence and which numbers are needed.
Finally, the player then gets pushed into another room in which the puzzle is switched up a little. This puzzle changes the standard numbers (e.g. 1,2,3 etc.) to Roman Numerals making it slightly trickier, and again using environment hints on the walls in the form of dots and numbers - these indicate which numbers need to been entered and in which order according to the amount of dots.
So how did they do...
Test Subjects:
Jay: Figured the idea of the input fairly quick, but was getting confused with the delay on the feedback on the wall. Took a while to figure that the answers were on the walls. The only thing that frustrated him was the triggers not registering an input.
Josh: Understood the main idea behind the input from the first room. Like Jay got thrown off by the delay on the feedback for the sequences input. Took a while to figure out the clues were on the walls. Then took a while to figure them out.
Yannic: Took the longest to figure out the input. Got stuck with the way to open the 2nd room door mainly because he didn't notice the clues on the walls. Got stuck in both the 2nd and 3rd room because of the way the triggers were acting.
After Yannic I didn't do any more testing. This was because I saw a pattern of confusion coming from the use of the 'Line of Sight' triggers for the input device. I have redone these as 'Use' (a button press) triggers and added sound to the function to give the player more feedback. In the 3rd room I have tried a slightly different approach to feedback for actions by making the similar snap together in front of the player. Hopefully this will help limit the confusion around the input because the player will know they have done something.
I haven't had chance to test this build yet though so will hopefully be able to do a more extensive test with some of the 2nd and 3rd year BA students.