HW 11

1) Describe the user interface in your game
The user will use keyboard buttons to execute commands, and if playtesting shows it is too difficult to judge sound and light levels in the game environment alone, stat bars will be added. The phone will also act like a player menu, with the game map, tutorial/news texts, and the quit game option.

2) What role will the interface play in your game
The interface is designed to be minimal, and ideally there won't even be visible bars for the player to gauge with. This is important because the game is to emulate survival as closely as possible, and in real life people wouldn't have stat bars.

3) Intuitive interfaces give a feeling of control. How easy (or hard) is your interface to master?
It will follow the general rules of computer gaming, with W for forward, S for backward, E for use item, etc. For people used to computer gaming it will be very automatic, and for those who are not familiar I think they will be able to catch on quickly, though only play testing will show that.

4) Will your players have a strong influence over the outcome of the game? Please describe? If not, how can you change this?
The game ending itself never changes (you get out of the city or die trying), but your survivor type result will change based on the decisions you make and the time you take to complete the level. We will probably implement at least 3 survivor types, though there may be more.

5) Players like to feel powerful. Do the players of your game feel powerful? How could this be improved?
The game's objective isn't to make the player feel powerful, but the player could feel a sense of power over how competently they play the game (e.g. they are the best at stealthing under pressure) They also can feel powerful through players choices with NPCs, but it general the game is actually supposed to communicate a feeling of smallness, and the power of it is being able to survive rather then conquering.

6) What does the player pick up and touch?
Radios, lights, phone, revolver, rocks (maybe)

7) Does the interface map to actions in the world? How?
As  stated earlier, the buttons pressed by the player will affect the game world such as when they hit spacebar they crouch, W they move forward, etc. This doesn't map to the world in the sense that the Wii or Kinect would, but it's as direct as basic PC gaming gets.

8) How does your interface let the player see, hear and touch the world of the game? Could this be improved in order to make the game world more real to the player's imagination?
The player see's through the camera in first person, so there is no shifting of camera angles. The player will hear through 3D sound, especially since one of the main objectives is to make the game as quiet as possible so the monster won't find you. They touch the objects listed in question 6 and interact with them in various ways (e.g. destroy, use, fire). In a true sandbox the game could be improved to mean any object that a person could theoretically lift, but due to our time constraints the number of extra items will be limited.

9) The idea interface is invisible to the player. Does your interface cater to the players desires? What are these desires?
The player desires to play the game in the most straightforward way possible, so yes, by using standard controls the interface should feel invisible.

10) Can your interface be used without the players thinking? Is it natural?
If they are used to PC gaming they can, and it will come very naturally.

11) Assuming you can do what you want, how would you make your interface more natural?
If time wasn't a constraint and I knew how to use it, the Occulus Rift would be a great way to experience this game.

12) What kind of feedback does your interface present to the player? What do the players want to know? How does the interface relate to the player's goal? Will it help achieve that goal?
If the status bars end up being created, it will reflect their current level of danger. It relates to the players goal by helping them judge and navigate the environment. Since survival is the goal, if the player is careful to not let the bars get to a certain point they will be able to survive and win. The text tutorials will also teach players how to play and use the interface. 

13) Is the interface feedback continuous? Why or why not?
It is continuous because the player is navigating the level in real time.

14) Please describe the concept of interface modes? Does your game have multiple modes? Please explain (Lens #60).
An interface mode is a point where there is a significant change in the action you are doing, and in general it is best practice to obviously communicate that to the player. In our game, the player can change which item they are using, which in a sense alters the mode. As for usable objects, when the change the object in their grasp it will visibly change in the camera view.