🌕Phase Beta (Final)

Assigned Week 08 Oct 29 MACRO PROJECT PHASE BETA - You are entering the last phase of project creation for this class. However, I encourage you to think about this project beyond the scope and time frame of this 14-week course, should you want to pursue VR development.

Weeks 09 - 11: Analysis and Iteration You will now analyze and review the results from your in class surveys. Use a Google doc or spreadsheet (created in your folder in our Class Google Drive) to document your analysis. Questions to address:

1. How can you improve the experience?

2. Was there anything confusing about the experience?

3. Were there suggestions for more development (of the interaction, story or environment)? Do you need to add features?

4. Were there parts that the audience felt uninterested in? Do you need to cut features?

5. Do you need to re-conceptualize the entire project? Go back to the drawing board?

Based on this analysis, revisit your schedule and make necessary task and milestone updates. Make sure to schedule small changes (one or two at a time) and then schedule testing. Do not try to implement all changes in one go.

Post links to your analysis documents on your class process blog in the Macro section.

Weeks 09-12: Integrating Art Assets Finishing and integrating into your project all assets you have been compiling .

1. Texture your models

2. Make prefabs in Unity

3. Replace environment assets

4. Add final sounds for physics

5. Add soundtrack for experience

6. Add particles or FX

7. Add instructions (if needed)

Make sure you are saving multiple copies of your Unity Project (or scenes) to indicate your iterative process.

Weeks 11-13: Playtesting Playtesting, in the context of this class, refers specifically to the process of exposing your project in development (or some specific parts of it) to its intended audience, to identify potential design flaws and to gather feedback.

1. Create a new survey for playtesting.

2. Schedule time in the VR studio for visitors to playtest your VR experience.

3. Document all playtests and analysis of visitor feedback.

Some notes on Playtesting/Usertesting: QUESTIONS

1. What was the most frus­trating moment or aspect of what you just played?

2. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?

3. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?

4. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the expe­ri­ence, what would it be?

5. What were you doing in the expe­ri­ence?

6. How would you describe this game to your friends and family?

The easy to remember (though ridicu­lous) mnemonic is ffwwdd:

Frustrating Favorite Wanted Wand Doing Describe

The order is on purpose. And yes, you may get some of the same responses, but often you don’t, and those subtle differ­ences can be telling. Someone might say X was the most frus­trating but then what they wanted has nothing to do with it, or their wand changes something else. All are good ways of getting input, which then you will have to decide what to do with the infor­ma­tion- but at least you’ll have it.

And number 6, ​‘describe’, is very inter­esting. If they describe your game as a puzzle game and you thought you were making a story game- where is the discon­nect?

Always keep in mind that your goal is to analyze the results and determine what actions to take. Not all problems need a fix, but if you note obscure issues and then you start to see them, or variants, more often, you’ll be able to piece together trends that may need addressing.

(Source: https://www.schellgames.com/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-playtest-questions)

Week 14: BETA PRESENTATION Presenting your MACRO PROJECT in class to classmate, professor and visitors. More instructions will be posted here on preparation for this final critique.

SEE End of Semester Deliverables for a complete list of all files that should be uploaded to your folder in the class google drive.