One of the strongest links to our game, InterInsta, is Crazy Taxi. I decided to do a breakdown of the core A-to-B loop in Crazy Taxi to further understand the pieces that come together to make the whole experience. I often utilized a simplified interpretation of the MDA framework in order to analyze this game, and found it valuable in identifying roles for certain elements, I call this out in parenthesis when I feel it's worth doing so. Excuse me while I learn how to make decent looking blogposts...

Identifying Starting Screen HUD Elements:

Game Time (Location - Top Left): 

A persistent time counter that decreases indicating the remaining time the player has to complete missions within the level

Total Earned (Location - Top Right): 

A persistent score counter keeping track of the score collected throughout the length of the level

Customer Pickup:

There are three main elements to the Customer's design: the customer character model, the floating icon, and the pickup circle. Each of these elements serves a unique purpose in providing the player with information and guiding them through the pickup process.

The Customer Character Model (Aesthetic):  

The customer character model is the visual representation of the customer. When the player approaches the customer, the character will wave and try to get their attention, making them feel like a point of interest in the game world. This movement is similar in role to the bobbing motion of the floating icon, which also helps to draw the player's attention.

The Floating Icon (Dynamic):  

The floating icon is a dynamic UI element that provides information about the customer's location and fare value. The icon floats directly over the customer's head and bobs and spins to make it visually distinctive. The color of the icon indicates the fare's distance, which in turn determines the base fare value and the potential score the player can earn. This color is also shared with the pickup circle, linking these two elements together. 

The Pickup Circle (Mechanic):

The pickup circle represents the area where the player must stop in order to pick up the customer. It is a circle on the ground with a radius around the customer model. Like the floating icon, the pickup circle uses color to indicate the fare length and the implied difficulty of the trip. By linking these elements together, the floating icon and the pickup circle create a cohesive whole that provides the player with the necessary information to successfully pick up a customer.

During Pickup:

So the pickup has been initiated, what happens now?

Customer:   

The Floating Icon and Pickup Circle that were attached to the customer character model disappear as the model runs into the cab, conveying to the player that the objective of picking up the customer has been completed. This gives the character model more purpose than simply being a point of interest, as it now signifies a completed objective.

Arrow: 

 A green arrow appears over the player character, pointing in the direction they should be heading. The arrow points towards road-point nodes rather than the exact location of the destination, giving the player an immediate direction to follow. The arrow starts as bright green and changes to red as the player gets closer to the destination. Interestingly, this UI element was patented by SEGA.

Initial Destination Information (HUD): 

The player is presented with additional information about the destination on the HUD. This information remains on the screen for around 5 seconds, and any relevant changes to the information are displayed during this time.

Picture (Aesthetic): 

A picture of the delivery location is displayed, providing information about its color, form, texture, and framing. Each location has a unique element that can be identified at a glance, making it easier for the player to recognize the location. 

Name (Dynamic): 

The name of the location provides context and additional information, such as indicating the regionality of the location. For example, the Levi's location is located in the same region as the other corporate sponsor locations, and all of them are situated on the same street. 

By leveraging the player's familiarity with these regions, the name of the location can help them pinpoint it even if they don't have the exact location memorized.

Distance (Mechanic):

After picking up the customer, the distance metric in meters to the destination is displayed. The HUD remains on the screen for around 4 seconds after the player drives off, and the distance metric updates in real-time. This provides objective feedback on the player's progress, allowing them to measure their speed and quickly adjust their strategy if needed.

Delivery - Start of Delivery (Part 1):

At the start of the delivery phase, the player is given additional UI information that is crucial to the core gameplay loop.

Current Fare (Top Right):

The "Current Fare" counter, which unfolds from below the "Total Earned" counter, represents the score that the player will receive upon successfully delivering the customer. Initially, the value of this score is based on the length and perceived difficulty of the route to the destination. However, the score can increase during gameplay through tips, which will be explained later.

Fare Timer (Above Customer):

The "Fare Timer" appears over the customer once the delivery begins, indicating the maximum time allotted for the delivery. The timer's color moves from green to yellow to red depending on how much time is left, with green indicating that there is plenty of time and red indicating that there is very little time remaining. If the timer reaches zero, the customer will jump out of the taxi and the player will not receive any fare.

Delivery - Middle of Delivery (Part 2):

During the middle of the core loop, the player navigates through the roads, lines, and nodes, while avoiding obstacles and performing stunts such as jumps and skids. The rubber hits the road.

I am going to brush through the specific mechanics involved during this time as I want to remain focused on the loop it encompasses.

Obstacles (Cars):

Other vehicles on the road serve as the primary obstacles for the player. If the player hits these cars, their own car will slow down as a result. The size of the cars affects their weight, and therefore the amount of force that they exert on the player upon collision. However, the player is rewarded for narrowly avoiding these obstacles by weaving between cars or flying over them, earning incremental tips from the customer. The customer cheers or chides the player depending on their performance

Stunt Tips (World Space -Above Customer):

The various stunts that the player can perform during delivery earn point rewards from the customer. When the player successfully executes a stunt, the customer cheers and a point value appears above them, indicating the value of the performed task and the score yield. This immediate feedback serves as the center of "Fiero" for the player, providing a sense of success and progression while performing the core gameplay loop. Earning tips is a central element of the game.

Action Identification (HUD Location - Mid-Right): 

Relative to Stunt Tips, the player will also receive HUD information related to the quality of the action performed, such as a jump off a ramp, weaving between cars, or an elongated skid on the road. This feedback helps the player know exactly what they did to earn tips. By combining this feedback with the immediate feedback from the customer, the player can learn which actions are earning them points. This area also tracks combos, keeping record of the player's successful stringing of actions.   

Delivery - End of Delivery (Part 3):

At this point, the player reaches the end of the delivery by spotting the destination location with their own eyes, which is rendered in the world space on screen. To help the player understand their relationship with it, additional indicators appear.

Destination Perimeter (World Space Location - Upper Center):

One of the most noticeable indicators is the green perimeter drawn around the destination location. This boundary works similarly to the Customer's Pickup Circle, and the player will already be familiar with how it works from their previous experience picking up the customer. The player needs to park their car within this boundary to complete the drop-off. An important design feature is that the boundary animates strongly, which captures the player's attention and helps gain the player's attention and maintain it.

Arrow (World Space Location - Upper Behind Time (Sorry lol)):

As soon as the Destination is in view, a red arrow squashes and stretches into place. This provides further feedback on the destination and indicates the precise spot where the customer wants to be dropped off. Instead of just parking at the edge of the Destination Perimeter, the player can focus on this vector while driving to the location. Although there are no consequences for accuracy beyond some audio cues, it contributes to the player's sense of mastery and proficiency and provides them with a clear location to aim for.

Completion:

Hooray, a fare has been completed with time to spare!

At this point, the player receives the fruits of their labor, but there are still a few pieces of information they must receive before starting over again.

Delivery Rating (HUD Location - Bottom Center):

This is a rating which indicates plainly to the player how their performance was. In the standard Arcade Time Attack mode of the game, this outcome contributes to adding more time for the player to continue playing.

Location Name (HUD Location - Bottom):

This once again reiterates the location that the player has gone to. This helps anchor the player in their current location so that when they receive a new location nearby, they can mentally map this completed location and the next location.

Fare Timer (World Space Location - Center):

A big payoff for the player is the additional time that the Fare Timer has when the delivery is complete. The number will count down, with sonic-rings floating to the fare. This provides a bonus reward to the player for their speedy delivery and further underlines the value of expedient deliveries. The animation itself appears to be a connection from the in-world UI elements to the HUD UI element, further connecting the relationship between the two methods of information.

Current Fare & Total Earned (HUD Location - Top right):

Much like a slot machine, the HUD UI element for the Fare Score and Total Earned Score light up and squash and stretch, capturing the player's attention. The Fare Score's numbers roll and spin down as the Total Earned Roll up, representing the transfer of point values. This ultimately indicates to the player that the points are now banked and belong to their final score, and they are no longer in the process of being earned. This is another point of "Fiero" for the player, watching the fruits of their labor become solidified and accounted for. This effectively ends the core loop of the game, and the player starts again from the beginning, oftentimes with a new potential fare in their view.