The game design course creates an excellent user interface

What is a user interface?

In general, we always associate the user interface (UI) with the software application. This term refers to content that is directly interacting with the user in the software. It contains choices that users can get at any time, how these choices are displayed on the computer screen and the interaction between the user and the computer (through the mouse/keyboard, game handles, etc.). In general, the user interface of a video game is divided into 2 parts: the input interface (that is, how the player controls the game) and the output interface (how the game communicates to the player the results of their actions and other aspects of the game's status).

If you make a digital game, do they also have a game interface? Of course, especially since the game lacks the control of the computer to the rules of the game, you need to grasp their game interface. If the player does not understand the rules of the non-digital game, they will choose to stop the game. As a game designer, the last thing you want to see is your elaborate game mechanism and gaming experience being destroyed by the interface problem.

In a non-digital game, the user interface refers to the game component itself, which can either drive the player to interact with the game (by manipulating the game component) or to receive feedback (by watching the game state). So what we really want to talk about today is the design of the final game component.

Ui_simcity (from tintone.com)

User interface Design

How can you highlight your user interface? analysis from two aspects:

Easy to use. If you already know what you want to do, can the user interface help you accomplish the tasks you expect faster and easier?

Easy to learn. If you are a new player in a game, can you easily get information from the user interface and learn what you can do in the game?

But it's often hard to weigh both. For example, a special "hotkey" setting on a computer (shift/art/ctrl/cmd key combination, etc.) can help us to perform common tasks more quickly and easily, such as saving files or switching between different applications. But if a hotkey is the only way to accomplish a task (like some older word processors lack a menu option), it is difficult for users to learn and understand the application the first time.

You can often see this trade-off in the presentation of information about desktop gaming. For senior gamers, charts, appendices, keywords, special logos and icons can help them better understand the state of the game, but they will only be more puzzled by novice players who don't know the signs at all. You can also use the usual writing to describe the content, so that the new player can make a clear view, but it will also waste those who have mastered the rules of the game players time, forcing them to repeatedly absorb what they have mastered.

Sometimes, you can also include both sides of the content. Modern software applications include hot keys and menu options, and some even "beginner" mode, which hides some advanced features that make menus simpler and easier for users to understand. The card Game "Wisdom Card: Brigade mage Duel" contains keywords, but it also explains the meaning of these keywords to those who are puzzled by the insertion method.

Think about your game mechanism and what players need to do to follow these mechanisms. How do you better emphasize the wording without confusing the novice player? or how to get experienced players to feel a smoother game experience instead of just repeating some content or performing some automated steps.

2 Availability Modes

The availability of computer applications has two related concepts: User mode and program mode. User mode refers to the view of the user (that is, the player) about the operation of the computer. and the program mode is to refer to how the software works normally. (In a non-digital game, "program mode" refers to the design of the real rules of the game, and user mode is the user's understanding of these rules.) )

The problem is right here. The program pattern is always right. And if the user mode and the program pattern are consistent, there is no problem. But if there is a disagreement between the two, then when the player tries to do something and expect something, it tends to be a contradictory result. If this happens in a computer game, it will frustrate the player's morale and make commentators think it is just a "bad game control".

In a desktop game, if the user mode and the "program" mode are violated, the player may violate the rules of the game and play the game incorrectly. Sometimes it makes the player feel like they're having a low game experience, because some aspects of the game are out of balance. Sometimes, though, players may find the game experience great, but later, when they play the game "correctly" with other players, there is a disagreement about the rules.

User model (from OTAL.UMD)

changing user mode

We are often able to encounter user/program pattern uncoordinated situations in the game test. It's like this: in every Test group, there are always some players who make some mistakes when they first touch the game. This is a problem that does not conform to the "easy to learn" rule.

But the more serious problem comes from a user interface that violates the "easy to use" rule. It's like this: one or more players will always accidentally violate the rules of the game. You have clearly pointed out to them that they have also relatively corrected their behavior. But when faced with the same problems again, they will make the same mistake again and again because they forget. And then apologize to you again and again, eventually turning the player into a "stupid" character? That's not what you want to see.

In this case, the ideal solution is to change the user mode. That is, you need to change the player's expectations or actions to match the "right" mode in the game. Unfortunately, this is often difficult to achieve. Because humans are habitual animals. We have created the mental model associated with the world around us and are firmly dependent on this pattern. Changing patterns is a relatively slow process that requires more effort, but few people are willing to commit to the game.

In order to teach this in my course, I have enumerated the design stories of fighter jets. A long time ago, an army noticed that a special aircraft triggered a pilot's accidental ejection (game State Note: The pilot's ejection seat randomly activates the safety of the pilot) far more frequently than other types of aircraft. By the cost of military aircraft, this situation can cause high cost losses, so the army quickly summoned engineers to find out what the problem was, but in the end it still did not recognize any possible mechanical or electrical problems. Finally, it was suggested that a problem be found in the aircraft trained by the pilot who had accidentally ejected. And it turned out to be a great idea! Because all pilots who are trained on a training plane have a throttle and an ejection seat that is exactly the opposite of the setting on the actual plane. So when these pilots were driving the new aircraft, their mental models of aircraft manipulation were firmly rooted in their minds, and the training of new aircraft was hard to change.

Identify user mode

Well, since we can't change the user mode, then when you find that the user mode and the game are conflicting, you should change the game interface to fit the user mode, or trigger a completely different new user mode. But how can you master the game's user model for the first time?

The quickest way is to ask actively. Look for players who are playing a game that is similar to your game. Ask them how they think about the process of the game (or how they will accomplish the task, or what they should do). When you ask more people, you will soon be able to get a clear agreement.

Another easy way to identify user models is to play a game test. Watch when players play games and record when they start making mistakes.

Finally, if your game pattern still tends to be contradictory, you should think about the problem of that ring. Players can play the game smoothly only if all conditions are in balance.

Who is responsible for this?

Sometimes you will be curious as to why many people blame usability problems on game designers. After all, if you create a good game and have a reasonable set of rules, it's important for players to read and follow these rules. Why do they break the rules of the game and become your fault? Some people really don't have the talent for games, or they don't play games seriously, and why do you have to be responsible for these people's mistakes as smart designers?

Well, I need to be clear, first of all, it's not a player's fault. They may be learning from others about how to play games, or they are in an easily distracted environment, so it is hard to read the rules of the game intently. They may not have access to the rules of the game at all, because they may buy second-hand games and have skipped the rules. The statements of possible rules are not using the first language they know, and so on. This can explain why so many smart, rational players often violate the rules. So do not belittle the value of these players, you should spend more time to help them better read the rules of the game.

Second, many usability problems appear to be user (player) errors, but they are often problems caused by the user interface, but they can be modified. If your game is easier to operate, the player will not be prone to making mistakes. As a designer, you should be responsible for the usability of your game, so you will find that the player will be able to master the game more quickly, make fewer mistakes, and have a better gaming experience.

Create a good user interface

Now that we know how to identify a bad user interface, how do we create a good user interface? In general, a good user interface consists of two things:

Meet the expectations of the user;

Give the user feedback immediately.

If the game does not meet the user's expectations, it is that we mentioned the user mode and the game mode has been divided. There's also a way to design the user interface: Give feedback to the player instantly, letting them know if they're doing it right or wrong (and being able to realize for the first time what they've done wrong and why they're wrong).

Here's another way to look at the good user interface:

Make it easier for players to do the right thing;

Make it hard for players to do wrong.

For example, suppose you have a desktop game with many symbols. Maybe you only have a set of tags to record the player's score and set a fractional track around the chessboard. Maybe there's a map in the game board that divides the different areas, and players have their own troops in different areas. There may also be a global market for sourcing and selling, and a market list to differentiate between different types of products.

Although it is always easy to confuse different game digits, if each symbol has a different size and shape, and each symbol has a corresponding shape in the space, what is the situation? In this way, we will be able to more clearly judge that the small sign must walk on the small fractional track, Star product tag must belong to the star product price track, and so on.

How do players remember to adjust the value of different products on each track? It is clear from the chessboard on the right side of the track that the rule summary can help the player to remember better. How to solve the combat problem? The unit strength, statistics, and capability information are printed in the army position, and the remaining rules are summarized on the board or on the reference Card, or can be resolved by means of mutual notification between the players before the game.

When you start designing the user interface, you can refer to the following procedure:

First, make a list of tasks to help players clarify the game line, so that they can more easily face the task of the game.

Second, pay special attention to common tasks, that is, the tasks that players frequently encounter. Because of the low frequency of complex tasks, there is no need to be particularly concerned.

Test the game over and over again.

Use of colors

When used properly, colors can help you better convey information to the player. This is a very effective way: color does not need to occupy additional game component space, because the component itself exists, all you need to do is to paint it. Here are some tips for using colors in the game:

The two colors most easily captured by human eyes are red and green, followed by Blue. So these colors are always more prominent, can easily attract people's attention, but if you use too bright color will easily cause the player's visual fatigue.

But don't rely solely on color, because there are definitely people who are color-blind in your users. In addition to the use of different colors, you can also change the color intensity (such as black and white can also bring you a different effect) or use a variety of shapes and other methods to distinguish between different objects.

Qrossfire-symbols (from Joshblog.net)

Make use of color consistency. If you use the same color to depict multiple objects in a game, it means that the objects are related to each other. For example, I played in the desktop game, there are five different resources, and each has its own color, each player has its own color, and the color of the player will coincide with the color of the resources, but the same color players and resources do not exist between the link. This setting makes the player feel puzzled, and they assume that a color player necessarily has the same color resources, but that's not the case.

More user interface Design tips

Ranking in no order:

If possible, take automatic action or clear tasks that do not contain any interesting decisions. Every time a player clicks or presses in a video game, or throws a dice or flips a card in a desktop game, it needs to be influenced by some interesting motives. If the player receives some maintenance tasks first and then feels the fun of making decisions, you need to think about how to simplify the boring process.

Use visual metaphor. So we can see what they represent, respectively. If your player is in control of some representative roles, you can use some type of checkers, which is better than using wooden squares. Different pieces will give the player a different view of the game.

Similarly, if you use icons to represent specific abilities in a game, choose icons that resemble their representations as much as possible.

Keep in line with the game of the same type. In role-playing games, red hearts represent life, and blue water droplets represent magic. Why would you do that? Because other games do that, and your players take it for granted that you understand your game.

Don't think "this is too obscure, we can explain in detail in the manual." "Remember, your players don't necessarily have manuals, or they don't necessarily look at the contents of the manual." So you need to make the user interface as clear as possible so that the player doesn't need help with the manual.

Lessons learned

Creating an excellent user interface is a different skill from the core system design, but it is a skill that deserves our in-depth study. You need to remember that user interface design is a very broad area, and what we're talking about in this article is just a little bit of fur.

This article compiles from the game state, the original source.

Translation source gamerboom.com, reprint please indicate the source link.