Complete the Circuit
Looks-like Concept Exploration Model
Common features between our two storyboards, Virus Attack and Complete the Circuit, include lit paths and buttons on the room walls. I decided to create a scale looks-like model of the room to help us understand the height of the buttons on the walls and the game visual cues. While the model is primarily for the new Complete the Circuit storyboard, my findings are also applicable to the Virus Attack storyboard.
I built a 1:10 scale model using wall and door specifications from the project requirements. Because the gameplay involves pressing and holding buttons on the walls, we needed to understand how high and how far apart we can place the buttons so that the average player might be able to successfully reach and hold the buttons.
The average adult American man is 5'9" with a reach height of 7'. The average adult American woman is 5'3" with a reach height of 6'6". Since the target age of the open world is 15-35, I excluded considerations for children.
What was learned: This data means that the height of the winning buttons should be no more than 6'6" high and far apart. The average wingspand (hand to hand reach) is about the same distance as the person's height. However, a player could push one button with a foot while pushing the other connector button with a hand, which means the maximum distance between connective buttons should be the player's reach height, which for the average person is about 6'9".
A key part of the game involves the players receiving visual feedback. The target circuit is indicated via a flashing light. When they press and hold buttons connecting circuits, the pathway lights up green. When the players start to run out of time, the circuits start flashing red.
I wanted to test how colored LEDs might be able to show the colors needed for the gameplay feedback, so I inserted programmable LEDs into the wall of the model. I wanted a diffused colored light instead of direct LED light, so I placed the LEDs facing outwards and built a reflective wall outside of the game room.
What was learned: Colored lights could be a good way of providing feedback, but we should also consider people who are red-green colorblind when we are selecting colors. Maybe the flashing pattern or light intensity could be varied to increase feedback effectiveness for all players. Audio cues could also supplement the lights Light diffusion and projection will be important to experiment with when we build out a final model--players should find the lights exciting and fun, not seizure-inducing.
