Feedback from demo session
Recently in class we had a demo session where we all brought in what he had worked on so far, we could all play each others games and give them feedback about whats good, bad and what they could do to improve it.
Coming into the session I knew which areas of the game I wanted feedback on, I got feedback on other areas but I wasn’t all too worried about these as I already had plans to implement these at a later date. The main area I wanted feedback on was the tanks controls and how moving the tank felt, the other areas were the cameras position/rotation and the map design.
Tanks controls I asked the players whether they found the controls of the tank confusing and whether or not the tank felt realistic to control.
Most people said they found the controls of the tank confusing at first but once they had a bit of time to get used to them they were fine. As for the tank itself, some people had said that it felt fine and it moved slowly like an actual tank would but the turrets rotation was too slow. Others said it seemed to glide a little when turning.
Although I was generally happy with the feedback I got about the tanks movement and controls I personally wasn’t 100% happy with them. After speaking with my tutor he said it might be worth implementing the lever system actual tanks use to drive. In a tank there are 2 levers which control the 2 tracks, pushing the left lever forward will move the left track and same goes for the right lever and right track. If the tank wishes to turn it simply brakes with one track and goes forward with the other allowing the tank to turn on the spot. To implement this with my tank I would have to change the script to only allow forward and backward forces and then apply the script to the 2 tracks instead of the whole tank.
Camera I asked the players whether they liked where to camera was positioned with the tank, and whether or not they think the camera should follow the tanks rotation or the turrets.
The cameras position was absolutely fine, if its any closer the player looses to much vision and any further away then they can see too much of the map. Everyone said they would rather the camera followed the turrets rotation, but with the new implementation of the tank it will be difficult to get the player to be able to turn the turret as well so I will keep the turret stationary on the tank.
Level design Everyone I asked said they liked the design of the level and said that it was big enough that it allowed the players to choose their own root round the map, while being small enough that it wouldn’t take you too long to find the other player. Some of the corridors the players can go down will need to be widened but by how much will depend on how the new implementation handles corners.
Overall the feedback was very very helpful as it helped me to clear up some debates I was having with certain choices. It has also helped me to know which way to take the project forward to create a game which everyone will enjoy playing. If anyone is creating a game, I highly recommend getting a mix of people to come play your game and get their feedback. Having a mix of people is important, for example when I was stuck on deciding what controls to use I asked someone who I knew didn’t play many games. Their feedback was valuable as they had no prior knowledge of game controls.