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【Week 3】 ▹Platformer Postmortem◃
【Feedback】 I was able to receive some feedback for my prototype after getting a classmate to playtest my game. I was hoping to get a few more features added before the playtest but considering it was only a prototype, the key mechanics were enough to show the tone of the game. They were given minimal amount of information on the game so it was a blind playtest.
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This is the feedback I received:
Q: What did you like about the game?
A: The concept of numbers in the game was interesting. The combat system where you build up power and use it to fight the enemies.
I'm glad they were able to find it interesting as it was the main mechanic for the game! I wanted it to be something that was different from a normal platformer. I'm also glad they were able to recognise right away on the objective of the game and how the combat system works.
Q: What did you dislike about the game?
A: Some of the platform placements were hard to reach during combat. At one point, the double jump feature was glitched out and I was stuck between the platform and the enemy making me die instantly.
As you can see, some of the arrangements of the platforms are not the most optimal for players. I didn't realise that there were areas where players would get stuck and result in an instant death. In my future iterations, I would make change it so that the players can move up to the platform from below so they can't get stuck in between the enemy and the platform. I would also arrange the platforms more appropriately so players can enjoy the game without the challenge of faulty maps.
Q: Any changes that should be made to the game?
A: Like the last question, just the arrangement of platforms so that the player can't get stuck while fighting enemies. Having a background would give a better look too.
If I was to further expand on this game, I would create bigger levels which may help in solving this issue too. As this was a prototype, I focused more on implementing the core gameplay to portray the idea of the game. Although it may not be the main focus, next time it might help to have simple backgrounds to set the tone of the game and express the theme!
Q: Any changes to the control / speed / physics of the player?
A: Movement was good, I would keep it as it is.
I wanted the jumping to be appropriate to the game so I played around with the values for a while. I'm glad they enjoyed it as that was the aim!
With all this valuable feedback, I know for future iterations what I need to focus on improving. Gaining player feedback allows me to know what is fun for them and what is not. After all, player experience is key!
I think for my next prototype, I will aim to get a few more playtesters so I can get a broader opinion on the game.
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Changes to the prototype design
Before anything else, I would first focus on the feedback I gained. It's important to keep the player experience in mind. If I was to continue working on this game, I would love to implement the other features that I couldn't add (which was mentioned in the previous post). This includes a Shop, player skills, and player debuffs. The shop will give purpose to the coins that players gain throughout their playthrough. These coins can be used to buy items that can either help keep them alive or give temporary boosts. They would also be given the option to buy weapons which help with their fights too. As for player skills, the simple combat system implemented in the game is a good basic feature. However, I believe it would enhance the gameplay if players had the option to choose different types of attacks as there would be various enemies which may favour certain fighting styles. Player skills would also include things like healing. I haven't established any way to heal the player in the prototype so that would be one of my main focuses! These skills will give the player more options to use their numbers on. I would also love to add variety to the maps and the types of enemies too. There are a few minor changes I would make such as smoother scene transitions.
If time permitted, I would like to add a tutorial stage for players to give them an easier time to ease into the game, flesh out the levels more and possibly add a simple story to accompany the gameplay.
For the most part, I was pretty satisfied with how my prototype went! Besides some of the issues found, I was able to express the main features of the game .
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