About the Game
The game is an puzzle based game, where you would have to solve the puzzle to pass through the dungeon. Solving the puzzle involves concentration of the individual, the more you concentrate the quicker you get through. A short and crisp intro to VR gaming
Title: The Puzzler
Skill level : Intermediate
VR in Game Motion: Waypoint based
Game time : Min 1 minute and You can stay on if you enjoy it.
OS: Android (4.4 Kitkat -7.1 Nougat)
Notable points of new stuffs learnt
- When deciding on a project and the design, we need to take the bottom up approach.
- End user is the key, we should always work towards what the end user would like to see.
- The game even if its simple gives the user a role to play of person willing to cross a obstacle and an purpose.
The Project Time
The time taken from the setting up and execution and enjoying the result was about 7- 8 days of work so would be in and around 64 Hours.
The toughest part
Baking and particle testing along with there materials to be performance efficient on mobile without allowing to let the frames to drop.
Goal of the game
A quick intro to VR using a Puzzle game, that you would require to solve in order to win the Game. Encourage user interaction in the VR world and help them get a feel of VR and excitement to try more things.
Making of The Puzzler
The game would require a simple and interactive puzzle, so we decied on one of the 'See and Pick' kind of puzzle, which would be easy for the user to manipulate.
First the Persona for the end user was created:
So keeping in mind the user, a layout was designed to be welcoming to the new users
The Dungeon will be in the midst of hills, Users would have to Enter the dungeon to get near the Puzzle. Once the way point(WP) is reached the puzzle game will start and user would have to follow and solve the puzzle. Once they finish the puzzle they can exit and retry if needed.
UI Design
Two UI was decided to be included, one to start the Puzzler game the second is to restart the game in case user wants to try again.
*The text in UI was tested for readability
The UI finalized was the 'Intro' on right and 'End/Restart' was the left side one.
Initial Design of the Game in unity:
So based on the design we start creating the structure, in order to avoid any closed feeling, walls on the right had openings.
Further iterations were done, to match the feedback from the Testing on others users.
Movement of user:
The user can move from one place to another using waypoints, there is no other freedom of movement.
User Testing:
Test 1:
Q: How do you feel in the place taller or shorter?
A: The roofs seem to be higher than usual.
Q: What kind of game do you think this is ?
A: Seems to be a game we play with our minds to solve something using the balls.
Q: Are the orbs visible to you ?
A: Yes I can see it, 5 of them.
Q: Is it easy or do you need to strain to see the orbs.
A: No its not causing any strain
Q: Does the place scare you?
A: No the place does not seem scary
A: The roofs seem to be higher than usual.
Q: What kind of game do you think this is ?
A: Seems to be a game we play with our minds to solve something using the balls.
Q: Are the orbs visible to you ?
A: Yes I can see it, 5 of them.
Q: Is it easy or do you need to strain to see the orbs.
A: No its not causing any strain
Q: Does the place scare you?
A: No the place does not seem scary
Test 2:
Q: Is the UI visible and readable ?
A: Yes both the text based fields are having clarity and visible in scene
Q: What would you think the UI is for?
A: Helps to start and retry the game.
Q:Any other suggestions?
A: The UI seems to be little higher than normal.
Q: How do you feel the movement is from one waypoint to another
A: Its normal and I do not feel any sequence
Based on user feedback changes to the overall height and the environment was made a little more darker.
Test 3:
Q: What would you say about the overall experience?
A: The puzzle and all looks fine, but why would I have to solve the puzzle.
This raised a question why would one walk into a place like this?
* Is he/she in a danger?
A: If he is in a danger why would he want to go out again, by solving the puzzle
* The player should have no other option
The second option was taken from above to make the scenario look like he has no other option to go further down a path
After further iterations
--> Mountain added, with a flat area on enough to place the Dungeon
--> Use of a fire particle based lighting inside the Dungeon.
--> Added water falls in the background.
Final Game Play Video:
The player is on top of a ridge and to cross to the other side he has to go through the dungeon of the Puzzler.
Seen the video yet? if not what you could have missed
- The Environment and setup of the scene.
- A look around from the POV of the player.
- The rules of the game,
*The orbs or highlighted one after the other in a random
sequence
*User needs to memorize the order in which they were selected
and select the Orbs using the reticle pointer.
*If you pick out of order the puzzle will start again and the cycle
will repeat until you match the order in which they were
highlighted
* Win and make an exit.
- You are aleays welcome back, so we have given you an option to restart after you win.
-Enjoy the view of waterfalls, if you do manage your need to retry the game.
The Experience:
In order to provide simple and rich experience the 'Why?' Questions helped bring a satisfying work, hope you do enjoy the experience :)
Future versions would have more puzzles and more fun.
Conclusion
A learning curve as it maybe the end results helps put a smile, Endind on an important stuff:
- The VR experiece eventhough it seems as if What you see is What you Get, but when we move it to testers or end user it is more if What you feel is what you Get.
- Users playing a key goal, pushes the quality better each time we have a discussion with them.
- At the same time we need to understand when to stop making changes as pushing more than what is needed into a scene also affects the User experience.
- What I would like to add in the game:
*Some tree props
*A time based challenge and the gates closing if the user fails to do it in the time limit, making the puzzle a more challenging task.
Attribute Props from
https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/props/weapons/6-medieval-shields-pack-3202
https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/essentials/asset-packs/unity-particle-pack-73777
Udacity VR Nano Degree
