Playtesting

1. Playtesting Cheryl Seals sealscd@auburn.edu COMP 7970

2. Assignment • Read Chapter 8 • Game Design Workshop: Designing, Prototyping, and Playtesting Games • By Tracy Fullerton, Chris Swain, Steve Hoffman • http://www.tar.hu/gamedesign/gamedesign0057.html COMP 7970

3. Playtest & Final report • Select playtesters: friends/classmates, not on team • 5+ required; plan the playtest (see rest of slides) • Observe playing your game • What is harder/easier than expected • Interview them after • What was fun about the game • What could be improved: short & long term • Improve the game based on comments! • Read and follow directions on:http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~sealscd/COMP7970/project/Group_Project_Specs.doc COMP 7970

4. What is Playtesting? • The “most important” activity in game design • It is NOT: • Casual weekend gaming • Just “play the game and gather feedback” • might not reveal real issues with the game • Internal Design Review with team • Designer & team play the game and talk about the features • Need real players • Bug Testing by QA team for debugging • QA team goes through and rigorously test each element of software for flaws • Focus Group Testing • Marketing exec sit behind two way mirror watching sample group play and discuss the game with a moderator asking them how much $$$ they would pay for game • Usability Testing • Systematically analyze how user interacts with your software by recording their mouse movements, eye movements, navigation patterns, etc. COMP 7970

5. What is Playtesting? • It is • Something the designer performs through the entire design process • Getting insight into how players experience game • Informal/qualitative  structured/quantitative • Somewhere along this continuum • Answers questions • Is the game functioning the way you want? • Internally complete? • Balanced? • Fun? COMP 7970

6. When do we Playtest? • Iterative • Less fundamental changes as process progresses • “Let’s wait till we have a beta product…Players will get the best experience” • NO! COMP 7970

7. Model for iterative game design: Playtest, evaluate, and revise COMP 7970

8. Steps in Playtesting • Selection • Recruiting • Preparation • Controls • Analysis COMP 7970

9. Recruiting and Selection • Self testing • Reveal glaring problems • Then testing with friends • Not objective • Then test with strangers • Selection is important • Target demographics • …but widest selection possible (AOE II case study) COMP 7970

10. Age of Empires II Case Study Graph of player Errors over time COMP 7970

11. Running a playtest session • Don’t talk too much • Use a script • Let the user make mistakes/figure things out • “It’s the game that’s broken, not you” • Think Aloud • This practice has players talking constantly while playing • Can be distracting, but can give some good insight • Interview/survey • Beware of leading questions COMP 7970

12. Running a playtest session • Don’t be defensive • Beware…testers will want to please you] • Really! • Groups generate ideas • Individuals evaluate • Can use groups, individuals, or combination COMP 7970

13. The Play Matrix • Core aspects of all interactive experiences • Stimulates discussion • Have tester analyze gameplay using matrix • Should your game be moved in the matrix? COMP 7970

14. Play Matrix COMP 7970

15. Running a playtest session • Note taking critical • Video or audio recording • Interview • Game specific questions needed • Don’t wear out your participant COMP 7970

16. Playtest data • Objective or subjective • Quantitative or qualitative? • What can you measure? • Develop clearly defined questions to answer with data • Test control situations • New feature, special event, common technique, the end of the game COMP 7970