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Android/ iOS RPG Game UI. CS 352, W12 Eric Happe , Daniel Sills, Daniel Thornton, Marcos Zavala, Ben Zoon. Project Overview.
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Android/iOS RPG Game UI CS 352, W12 Eric Happe, Daniel Sills, Daniel Thornton, Marcos Zavala, Ben Zoon
Project Overview The purpose of this project is to design a user interface (UI) for a mobile game applicationthat runs on various touch screen Android/iOS devices. The application in question is a Roleplaying-genre game (RPG) where the player moves a character in the world and performing turn-based events.
What's the problem? • There are thousands of games in the market that use Android/iOS touch screen capabilities for users to control the game. • Most have poorly developed UIs • Created with an attempt to create a control structure similar to gamepads used for console gaming. • There has been a lack of consideration of how to effectively design a touch control system that is engaging and satisfying for the players of these games Image Source: http://www.androidpit.com/en/android/blog?tag=Malware
How would this help Users? • By creating a usable UI, android and iOS market shoppers would have a larger variety of options as to which games to download. • The user would also have a more pleasing experience playing the game instead of experiencing frustration and anger due to the poor usability of the interface. Image Source: http://www.mrthaibox123.com/?p=1060
Target Users The target users for this project are people (gamers, students bored in class, etc.) who find it interesting to play fantasy RPG/action games that use Android/iOS touch screen capabilities for users to control the game and meet the following criteria. • Know how to use a general Android/iOS application. • Own and android phone or some way to run Android/iOS applications. • Have access to the network to download the game. • Do not have a disability that prevents them from performing common Android/iOS tasks (reading text and graphics, performing multi-touch gestures, etc.) • Can read English
Arranged Buttons in a way that would allow for better playability of the user. • Source: http://campuslife.asus.com • Bad designs that helped determine what would be the best way to arrange buttons.
Button Arrangement • Source: http://www.techwench.com/
Arranged Buttons on the top and mainly to the left side of the screen.
Button Highlights only after User clicks on it • Changed the way in which the user was given feedback from the buttons (menus) • Originally when a user would enter a menu there would be buttons that were auto highlighted. • confusion for user • Made user believe his options were restricted to highlighted buttons. • Found user was not being given the appropriate feedback trough user interview and evaluating the interface using Nielson's heuristics. • Violating the principle of feedback • Justify the new design of our menus with the principle of feedback
Menu consistency • Menus within the game are consistent trough out each sub menu. • Main buttons are all round • When button clicked the button highlights to same color • All buttons have clickable appearance • Justify this design choice using the principle of Internal Consistency. • Note: at a point we experienced to much consistency to the point where the user could not differentiate between two different menu buttons.
User Input • Interviewed two users • Both users are “typical” college students • Both users own a smartphone device • Both users play RPG games • Both users prefer to play games in short sessions rather than long ones • User #1 does not like complicated interfaces • User #2 hates touch commands that are close to the physical device buttons • User #2 prefers simple character interactions • In conclusion: Both users prefer simple interfaces with straightforward commands
IU Evaluation • We want to make sure our users know how to equip weapons, use the “wheels”, and save the game. • Our UI elements must be away from the device buttons to avoid accidentally closing the application. • Touch events and actions should be simple and intuitive to the user.