Fundamentals of Game Design, 2 nd Edition

1. Fundamentals of Game Design, 2nd Edition by Ernest Adams Chapter 8: User Interfaces

2. Objectives • Explain how the user interface mediates between the player and the core mechanics to create the user experience • Discuss how principles of player-centric interface design can answer questions about what the player needs to know and wants to do • Know the basic steps required to design a game’s user interface Chapter 8 User Interfaces

3. Objectives (Cont.) • List options that can help to control a game’s complexity • Describe the five well-known interaction models • List the most commonly used camera models and discuss their advantages and disadvantages • Describe how visual elements supply information a player needs to know to succeed in the game Chapter 8 User Interfaces

4. Objectives (Cont.) • Explain how audio elements such as sound effects and music affect the user experience • Know the types of one-, two-, and three-dimensional input devices and discuss how they affect the game experience • List the most commonly used navigation systems and explain how each system controls action in a game Chapter 8 User Interfaces

5. What Is the User Experience? • User interface is often called the presentation layer • The experience must be entertaining • Outputs = Visual + audio elements • Inputs = Control elements Chapter 8 User Interfaces

6. Player-Centric Interface Design • Players prefer to use a familiar UI • General principles of interface design: • Be consistent • Give good feedback • Avoid seizing control from the player • Limit the number of steps required to do things • When appropriate, permit player to reverse actions • Minimize physical stress; provide shortcuts • Keep related info together on the screen Chapter 8 User Interfaces

7. Player-Centric Interface Design(Cont.) • Tell the player what he needs to know • Is he succeeding or failing? • What is he doing now and what should he do next? • Offer actions the player can perform • Move • Look around • Interact with NPCs and objects • Pause or save the game Chapter 8 User Interfaces

8. The Design Process • Define the gameplay modes you’ll need • Define the primary gameplay mode first, then move on to others • Then think about the visual elements and controls that will be needed for each mode • Define a different user interface for each gameplay mode • For each mode, design a screen layout, select visual elements, and define inputs • Build a prototype UI in PowerPoint or Flash Chapter 8 User Interfaces

9. The Design Process (Cont.) • Choose a screen layout • Main view will be the largest visual element on the screen • Find a balance between the amount of screen space devoted to the main view and amount for feedback elements and onscreen controls Chapter 8 User Interfaces

10. The Design Process (Cont.) • Tell the player what he needs to know • Select data from core mechanics that you want to show • Choose feedback elements to display that data • After defining critical information, move on to optional information • Keep in mind the general principles of good interface design Chapter 8 User Interfaces

11. The Design Process (Cont.) • Let the player do what she wants to do • Begin devising appropriate control mechanism for each action the player can take that affects the game • Create visual and audible feedback for actions • Map input devices to player’s actions based on chosen interaction model • Each time you move to new gameplay mode, note actions it has in common with other modes to keep control mechanisms consistent Chapter 8 User Interfaces

12. The Design Process (Cont.) • Shell menus • Shell menus allow the player to start, configure, and manage operation of game before and after play • Player should not have to spend too much time in shell menus • Shell interface is the first thing players see, so don’t skimp on design Chapter 8 User Interfaces

13. Managing Complexity • Simplify the game • Abstract some details • Automate some functions • Depth versus breadth • Deep interface places commands in multilevel menus or dialog boxes • Broad interface offers more options at one time • Best solution is a deep interface with keyboard shortcuts Chapter 8 User Interfaces

14. Managing Complexity (Cont.) • Context-sensitive interfaces show players their current options • Avoid obscurity • In the user interface, don’t sacrifice function for looks • Test the UI on someone outside your project Chapter 8 User Interfaces

15. Interaction Models • Means by which the player projects his intentions into the game world • Common types • Avatar-based—player acts through a character • Multipresent—player acts on many places at once • Party-based—player controls a group of people • Contestant—player acts as if on a TV game show • Desktop—similar to computer desktop metaphor Chapter 8 User Interfaces

16. Camera Models • Determine virtual camera behavior by asking how you want player to view the world • Perspectives are camera models that are largely fixed and unintelligent, e.g. top-down • Virtually all standalone games running on powerful game hardware employ 3D • Use 3D graphics only if you can do it well • Good 2D is preferable to bad 3D Chapter 8 User Interfaces

17. Little animation needed for the avatar You don’t need to design AI to control the camera Players find it easier to aim ranged weapons Players may find it easier to interact with the environment Player cannot see avatar Difficult to indicate avatar’s personality Camera angles are limited Certain moves are difficult Rapid movements may cause motion sickness Camera Models (Cont.) • First-person perspective • Used only in avatar-based gameplay modes • Pros and cons: Chapter 8 User Interfaces

18. Camera Models (Cont.) • Third-person perspective • Used for avatar-based games and allows the player to see the avatar • Most common perspective in 3D action and action-adventure games • Challenges for this perspective: • Defining camera behavior when the avatar turns • Intruding landscape objects between camera and avatar • Permitting player adjustments to the camera Chapter 8 User Interfaces

19. Camera Models (Cont.) • Aerial perspectives • Used with party-based or multipresent interaction models • Types of aerial perspectives: • Top-down perspective—used to display maps • Isometric perspective—camera angle is such that all three dimensions can be seen at once • Free-roaming camera—camera controlled by player • Context-sensitive camera model—camera moves intelligently to follow the action Chapter 8 User Interfaces

20. Perspectives (Cont.) • Other 2D display options found in Web-based games and on small devices • Single-screen—entire world on one screen • Side-scrolling—player sees the game world from the side as avatar moves left and right • Top-scrolling—landscape scrolls beneath the avatar and new challenges appear at top • Painted backgrounds—avatar and other characters appear in front of static backgrounds Chapter 8 User Interfaces

21. Visual Elements • Main view • Should be largest element on the screen • Main view options: • Windowed views—main view takes up part of the screen, with the rest of the screen showing panels displaying feedback and control mechanisms • Opaque overlay—small window superimposed over main view; the overlay obscures the main view • Semitransparent overlay—small window that players can see through partially Chapter 8 User Interfaces

22. Visual Elements (Cont.) • Feedback elements communicate details about the game’s inner states • Indicators inform about the status of a resource • Digits, needle gauge, power bar, small multiples, colored lights, icons, text are common types of indicators • Mini-maps show an area larger than the main view so player so orient herself • Colors give additional clues Chapter 8 User Interfaces

23. Visual Elements (Cont.) • Character portraits • Can give the player a better idea of the person • Can function as a feedback element if they change • Key issues regarding text in a game • To make localization easier, store text in text files • Choose typefaces and formatting carefully to harmonize with theme and present information clearly Chapter 8 User Interfaces

24. Audio Elements • Sound effects • Vibration (“rumble”) • Ambient sounds • Music • Dialog and voiceover narration • Repetition can be irritating • Create multiple alternative versions • Writing and acting must be good Chapter 8 User Interfaces

25. Input Devices • Three-dimensional input devices • Accelerometers (e.g. Wii controllers), GPS receivers • Two-dimensional input devices • Directional pads • Joysticks • Mouse or trackball • Touchpad and touch screen • One-dimensional input devices • Controller buttons and keys • Knobs, sliders, and pressure-sensitive buttons Chapter 8 User Interfaces

26. Navigation Mechanisms • Screen-oriented steering—push joystick toward the top of the screen to move the avatar the same direction • Avatar-oriented steering—push joystick up to move avatar forward in the direction the avatar is facing Chapter 8 User Interfaces

27. Navigation Mechanisms (Cont.) • Flying • Requires two mechanisms because the movement occurs in the third dimension as well • Usually first-person perspective inside cockpit • Point-and-click navigation • Used to give directions to semi-autonomous units • Uses a pathfinding algorithm • To give the player more control, allow him to set waypoints for the unit Chapter 8 User Interfaces

28. Allowing for Customization • Useful and easy to design • Include a key reassignment shell menu • Save all customization changes on a per-player basis (like the Nintendo Mii) Chapter 8 User Interfaces

29. Summary • You should now understand • What the player needs to know and how it can be presented • How to design a game’s user interface • How to use audio and visual elements • How the input devices affect the game experience Chapter 8 User Interfaces