Sprint 1 Character Design User Testing

User testing was completed with 5 participants, as some chose not to be named and for the sake of consistency, we have decided to leave all participants as anonymous. Similar to other teams, we ran into time constraints so this user testing was mostly conducted by a few members, while other members wrote JUnit Tests. An outline of the testing approach taken can be found here.

Focuses: Aesthetics, general fit, overall theme, improvements.

Interview Questions:

• What are your first impressions of the character? Does it remind you of something?

User 1: I like it, he looks neat but also menacing. Kind of spiky too? I don't think I've seen it before, no.

User 2: It's unique, I'll say that much. It's not that I don't like it, but he does seem like more of a personal drawing project than a game character. Reminds me of something from limbo to be honest.

User 3: Yeah the legs are cool, they sell it for me, I'm kind of on the fence but the spikes are all in the right places so that it looks more human-like, I'm not sure if that's what you were going for but I think it's a good touch. He reminds me of, like, the flash from the comic books, just because his legs look like lightning.

From these results, it's clear most users drew reference to previous games or forms of media where they recognise aspects of it's design. While these references weren't indicative of poor design, they weren't necessarily what the design was aimed to invoke from users. It should be noted that subtle hints should be given in the design to lean more towards being an electric, semi-formless shape, rather than a spiky man.

• Does this design fit with the broader visual themes of the game?

User 1: I would say it's a contrast to what is currently there. Like, you have this blue technical widget style technology background, and then a stark contrast red, glowing character. I also feel like that's kind of the point you want though. I'd say yes, it does.

User 2: It looks different to everything else in terms of colour, but given the context it's probably appropriate.

User 3: Seeing this makes me think the spikes on the legs aren't really spikes but like little electrical fizzles and stuff, right? Right, that blends better, but without knowing that it's a little hard to see. I think he's a little too small to notice the details at the level they should be seen at.

From these results, general notes were made on the contrast from the character to the broader visual themes of Runtime. However, it was noted that this is as expected given the context of the in-game universe. This may suggest the user may need to be given said context before they play, or it should at least be an optional lore piece they can look into.

• Does the mood given off by the character suit the style of the game? (You being a virus infiltrating a computer)

User 1: He's mean looking and has an angry face. Given that you're a mean angry dude, yeah I think he does.

User 2: This close up, yeah it does - the size it will be in-game though, I'm not sure, just looks like a red stick sort of.

User 3: Yeah for sure, electric spiked up virus dude definitely looks like he's an evil virus.

From these results, most participants had little issue with the mood of the character, but it should be noted that some users may feel the model is too small. Due to this, users may not see the finer details or understand the general aesthetic, which could lead to a lack of implemented mood.

• Do you agree with the character's colour scheme and general aesthetic in context of the other assets in the game so far (menu screen, buttons, music, etc.)

User 1: I said earlier that it's a contrast but that's probably what it should be. It wouldn't make sense to have the character be the same as what's chasing it, so I think red colour being the opposite of blue signals he's on the other team if that makes sense.

User 2: Yes I believe so, it seems to be the other side of the card to the whole computer antivirus theme, without being too jarring or absurdly different in art style.

User 3: 100%, looks like it belongs, no real complaints other than the character looking too small to really see the details enough.

From these results, it can be stated that no major changes need to occur with the general color scheme or aesthetic of the player character's design. This will be re-tested as the game develops, however.

• What recommendations do you have for this character?

User 1: If you can bring this guy to life with movement and behavioural like animations etc. I'd have a better load of feedback. I'd say keep him sinister looking, and work on the fluidity of his movements to stay in-line with that evil theme.

User 2: Make the dude bigger, or if that's too hard/won't work, make the actual model smaller so it does work - too much detail that can't be seen. That, or do like a zoom-in on him at the start, have him do a big zap of lightning and then start running.

User 3: I like it, not perfect but no real recommendations, no.

From these results, we can tell that animations should stay within the guidelines of being 'electric' and flow smoothly. It can also be stated that the implementation of a 'start animation' of sorts wherein the camera zooms in to the character would not only give the player some time to prepare themselves for the level start, but would also show the character model in higher-detail. This would reduce the need for a larger model, as the user can see any changes or details clearly from the beginning.