ACCESSIBLE DEAD ISLAND: PLAY TEST OBSERVATION NOTES

         The most recent assignment set, tasked me to take a modern first person shooter and make it more accessible through balancing. The challenge here was doing so, whilst retaining the game's original spirit. If I had a choice now, I would use Borderlands 2 as a bases for this assignment given its complexity, but at the time, I was still mesmerized by Dead Island... I still am really.

    My approach? Take an inexperienced gamer. Make them play Dead Island. Analyse what they could and couldn't do. And finally, modify Dead Island enough that the same player could understand and play the game. The player's demography and resultant notes follow.

GENDER: Female
AGE: 22
TYPE: Casual Gamer (little to no experience)
FAVOURITE GAMES: "I don't really play games. I'll stick Peggle on when I'm bred, or SongPop"

• Player understood the Menu
• Player did not know how to select a character class.
• Player understood how to skip a cut-scene
• Player found it hard to move
• Player understood the on-screen prompts to pick up items
• Player didn't understand the currency value next to loot
• Player understood that if there is no interaction symbol, its not interactive - vice versa
• Player thinks the flashlight should come on automatically in dark areas
• Player didn't understand what the way point meant
• Player found tutorial fine - "It's easy so far.... it's boring"
• Player didn't know where to go in extreme situation
• Player didn't understand how to sprint
• Player didn't even now their was a cross-hair and its function when she did
• Player did not understand the quick time event for the counter attack
• Player thinks the lock-on system should be more sensitive - player aiming above heads
• Player understood how to accept a quest
• Player didn't understand the concept of weapon statistics - picking up weaker weapons
• Player understood how to use the UI to level up
• Player didn't understand the HUD elements - "Oh right! They should be labelled"
• Player thinks the health limit could be more generous
• Player did not understand their was stamina bar and its importance in combat
• Player understood how to break down a door, but said "It could be a bit more obvious though"
• Player didn't understand how to follow the way-point on the map

      In all, each of these notes prompt large changes in the visuals and tweaks towards the mechanics. Unfortunately however, we did not have enough time to play with the other mechanics such as the Crafting Bench, the Driving and the Guns. I'll just have to figure that one out myself...

          In addition, as of late, certain personal issues have effected my ability to attend some lecture. Unfortunately, that means I have little knowledge of the subject this essay feeds from. I guess I'll have to give it my best shot and hope for the best!

DEAD ISLAND - DEEPSILVER (2011)

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