Effect of contrast on users ability to navigate virtual worlds

1. Effect of contrast on users ability to navigate virtual worlds Adam Chandler, Alex Farrell, Rory Shafto and Simon Turner

2. Answers to achieve • The purpose of this study is to show the contrast between visual navigation techniques. • By the production of quantitative and qualitative data we will be able to assess the most common techniques available, whether new techniques should be considered, and whether efficiency can be greatly influenced by them.

3. Introduction to Navigation • The ease of navigation around a virtual world is imperative in producing an enjoyable game • These can be visually contrasting, level design tactics such as leaving doors ajar, or allowing light to spill around a corner so that it attracts attention. • More obvious game design approaches include providing the player with a map that can be accessed inside the game, or placing glowing arrows above doorways.

4. Game and Level Designers can train the user into looking for entities in the game world. • It is often the level designer’s goal to make the user feel that they can go wherever they like, when in fact they are following a pre-determined path. • Meeting user expectations, giving them apparent freedom, and making them follow your path can be a difficult balancing act.

5. Research: Case Studies • For the project the team did a number of case studies • Fig 1 shows an example of a written case study, which was a starting point for our case studies

6. Research “One Page” Case Studies • Then the team did a one page case study to coagulate our results in an easy format.

7. Research: Academic Papers/Books • The team also put all the research from papers/books and put them in a format which helped us back up our study. • Beginning Illustration and Storyboarding for Games • By Les Pardew • Published by Thomson Course Technology, 2004 • ISBN 1592004954, 9781592004959 • 276 pages • This book goes through the layout of a game and how things are set up on screen. It goes into the planning of putting things on screen and the theory behind it and why it should be done like this. • It is interesting to our research because it tells a lot about navigational techniques like a HUD or onscreen map and the optimized position for it to be seen by a player. • ‘’ The area between the focal area and the edge of the video safe area is the best location for placing HUD elements. Placing HUD elements in this area will make them less likely to intrude on the action of the game’’ Pg 200 • Game Level Design: Ed Byrne • By Edward Byrne, Ed Byrne • Published by Charles River Media, 2005 • ISBN 1584503696, 9781584503699 • 344 pages • This book is interesting and covers a lot about NPC navigation and how they are used in the navigation off a playable character. Most of the book is your generic level design ideas. • But for our research its interesting because in our final project we may need an NPC as a navigational tool for the player to lead us to a specific goal. • ‘’ by connecting a series of path nodes you can create a trail of breadcrumbs, which the NPC can guide to a specific location’’ Pg 131

8. Level x2 contents Outdoor/Indoor

9. Top Down View

10. Isometric view

11. Engine Selection • It was our initial intention to use the Unreal 3.0 engine. Why we decided to go with valve • It includes all the entities we need to implement many navigation techniques. • All group members are familiar with the product, which should cut level production times down. • Great examples of visual navigation techniques are used in Half-life 2

12. Testing Techniques Recording • Two levels that are identical in layout • Will include outdoor and indoor sections • One level will contain navigation techniques and one will not • Each level will be times (checkpoint times will also be collected) • Video will be used to gather more in-depth results that can be reflected upon after testing. • Each participant will be given a series of questions upon completion of the level • Theses questions will help the design team to see if the navigational techniques are useful and help the player navigate the level • This will provide us with both quantitative and qualitative data.

13. Testing precaution • Each test participant will only play through one of the levels – not both. • This is so they are not aware of the route previously taken. • 50% will play through first and 50% play through second. This will make a balanced testing scenario. • Each test participant will be screened. We will be looking at mainly gamers as a skill based user. This will give us more relative results.

14. Examples Visual Non Visual

15. Examples Visual Non Visual

16. Examples Visual Non Visual

17. Conclusion • Milestones are key to our ability to tackle unforeseen events and any changes in the project. • Milestone 1: Completion of Preliminary Research (8th December 2008) • Milestone 2: Complete Level Construction (2nd February 2009) • Milestone 3: Complete Testing (1st April 2009) • Milestone 4: Hand In Date (4th May 2009)

18. The quote Through our initial research we have found many navigation techniques and how they are used in games.This quote was take from a Games Design handbook and show the importance and significance of our research. The quote is in reference to a game designer. ‘’Their essential craft is the ability to coax a player through a level without ever letting them know they’re being led by the hand” Pg 90 The Complete Guide To Game Development Art & Design By David McCarthy, Ste Curran and Simon Byron Published by ILEX, 2005 ISBN 1-904705-48-0 192 pages