Movement Controls
The movement controls in Event[0] are not typical for a first person game. Usually, you move your avatar with your keyboard (WASD) and your camera with the mouse. In Event[0], camera controls are traditional, but you move your avatar with the mouse buttons. Furthermore, if you continue going forward for several seconds, the character begins to run automatically. The keyboard is dedicated to the interaction with the AI exclusively. This design choice was made to facilitate the interaction with the AI and improve the immersion.
My task was to make sure that these controls were satisfying and could easily be learned by the players.
user tests (Playtests)
Throughout the development of the game, I prepared and conducted several playtest sessions. Each time, I collected data about how the players used the controls and what they thought about them. These controls were likely to prove problematic because players are not familiar with them.
HYpothesis & PROTOCOL
I had a few initial hypotheses about the controls such as “the player moves their avatar with difficulty” and “the player doesn't understand how to run.”
Then I defined observable criteria and made questionnaires with Likert scales to collect quantitative and qualitative data.
RESULTS
I observed that the players experienced no problems with the movements that required no precision. In contrast, precise movements (e.g. facing terminals) were very hard to execute because of the lack of strafing.
100% of players found the controls destabilizing at first but said they adapted quickly. The movement speed was rated satisfactory, and the avatar was rated pleasant to control. The main criticism was regarding the lack of strafing.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Most first person games are FPS (First Person Shooters) and require players to move fast and aim accurately. Event[0] is a narrative and exploration-centered experience without enemies, so there was no need for a similar level of precision. However, even if the lack of strafing is not critical, it's still a problem when the player tries to place their avatar in front of a terminal.
I made recommendations about this to the team, and we decided to decrease the speed in the area around the terminals automatically. It allows the player to be more precise and to get in a better position easier. For example, if everywhere else aboard the ship one click corresponds to one step, around the terminal it corresponds to a half step. I also recommended limiting the number of obstacles on the floor.
Conducting multiple playtests allowed us to adjust the speed and precision of controls.
While it is not optimal for AI interactions, we decided to add an option to switch to a more traditional control scheme from the game menu.
impacts on the game
Having the movement controls on the mouse buttons allows using the keyboard for AI interactions only. You just have to move toward a terminal: when you are close enough, the terminal screen plays a “switch on” animation, after which you can start using the keyboard.
With standard controls, you already use the keyboard to move. The question was how to draw a line between the player movement, and the AI interactions. The solution was to give the control of the screen to the player. When the player wants to talk with the AI, they have to come near a terminal and turn it on with the left mouse button click. This action deactivates the movement controls and allows the player to use the keyboard to type. Once the conversation is over, the left click reactivates the movement controls and turns the terminal off.