Week #7 Devlog

November 2, 2023 - November 15, 2023

This week we spent time working on improving the game based on feedback we got from industry experts as well as other students. Luckily, we had the reading week to help us get caught up with 

Here is a video explaining our changes: https://youtu.be/UFaj0AEp9Qc

These are our notes and feedback from the playtesting sessions.

Notes

• X-ray should be placed somewhere nearby the player spawn
• Why does the architect have an X-ray? Do we need to explain?
• would be cool if the stories connected
• thematic link between mechanics and rooms/ ghosts
• a character or object in all of them, some kind of thread that you’re following
• some incentive to unlock secrets of the level, secret lore when you take photos of other items in the room
• Suggestion to hide the prompt in the UI, to incentivize the player to explore the room
• gives the player incentive to read the story and interpret it in the right way
• aspect ratio of camera is different than the photos themselves -- a little difficult to tell what's going to be on the edges of the photo
• You might not want to allow movement when the player is viewing the album.
• Do not allow the player to move onto the next tutorial step until they complete the previous step (ensure they take the photo before the next step becomes available).
• Persist the camera shutter buttons.
• Separate the art style of the prompts that are not taken and the pictures that have been completed (to provide the users a better sense of what has been done and what has not).
• It wasn't clear for that first player that there was a hallway in the first level, might want to use some indication there (lighting, props, etc).
• Allow players to pin the prompt they want to use (instead of the game mandating it).
• Concerned about the scope of what is left for levels 2 and 3. 

And these are the TO DO’s we’ve established for ourselves for the week.

TODO

Overall

• Return right trigger function to take photo
• When camera is being looked through, the full animation should play even if player releases the trigger before it completes
• Make the viewfinder a square so it matches the prompt
• Implement audio sfx 

UI

• Increase contrast for UI elements
• Show controls constantly
• Enlarge prompt
• Investigate prompt filter alternatives
• Keyboard controls 
• UI Assets we need from art team (also noted in respective sections)
  • Main Menu
  • Settings Menu
  • Level Select
• Level end screen, featuring the ghost name and date of death 

Bugs

• spam shutter button acts weird, want to lock shutter button before the photo disappears, or restart the animation when player takes a new photo before the previous photo disappears
• Spam zoom in camera button bugs the viewfinder ui

Main Menu

• Play button should open level select scene (or make it in scene TBD)
• Replace assets
  • Gather and submit list of UI needed by art team
• Music

Level Select

• To do as a separate scene or within main menu TBD (leaning towards scene)
• Allow player to choose 1 of three levels
• Each level should have a title, image, and description of the story and level specific mechanic
• Make it clear when a level is cleared
  • Replay level text for levels that have been completed
  • Play level text for levels that are not completed

FTUE / Tutorial

• Each level should have a tutorial for their specific mechanic
• Whichever level is selected as the first level should have a FTUE
• FTUE / Tutorial should progress when player meets a criteria/action while locking out a select group of actions
• FTUEs
  • Movement / Looking around
  • Opening Camera and taking a photo of a prompt
  • Interacting with the photo album

Photo Album

• Add effect on/around the prompt
• The description should be from the PoV of the ghost
• Don't allow movement when the player is viewing the album
• Make the photo in the album much larger, move other ui to the right
• Add a final 6th page that is shown during level complete, which includes info about the artist
  • Also includes function/ux for user to go back to the level select

Painter Room

• Other room should be more obvious. Lighting leading to it or something
• Rewrite photo captions
• Integrate sound files + ask for more if needed

Architect Room

• X-ray lens physics to be reworked, should be far smaller and should be draggable on xz plane only (y is fixed), also disable physics on it while being held
• Make room more spatious
• X-ray lens should be more obviously draggable (move it closer to spawn + border glow thing)
• Replace models with ones from art team (those will be done around the 12th)
• Integrate sound files + ask for more if needed

Botanist Room

• Integrate sound files + ask for more if needed
• Redesign room