Devlog 06 (Updates)

Welcome to Devlog 06 Updates/Planned Updates

This weeks devlog is centered around feedback received during my Marble Machines testing session held on Tuesday of week 12 and additionally some extra feedback received later on, during my testing session I aimed to assess 4 key areas. Mechanics, enjoyability, art and sound, I was fortunate enough to have 5 testers on the day and received some fantastic feedback on the game and some constructive criticism on areas that can be improved.

Starting out with peoples general experience with the game, I had noticed that a lot of players found the levels too difficult, this meant some players never progressed far enough into the game to experience all the mechanics I had included in the build, I did however notice that everyone was thinking uniquely in how to solve the problems of the level which was very exciting for me as I aimed to create a game that would allow players to play creatively.

Another thing I noticed is that players generally enjoyed playing the game which was very encouraging, however some players said they were indifferent when asked whether they wanted to keep playing the game.

If I had the opportunity to test again I would definitely have added an unlock all levels button so players could experience any level they wanted too, however overall the testing process was painless and highly successful.

Some critical and specific feedback I received indicated that their were still minor bugs but they didn't interfere with the overall fun of the game.

Feedback received

• Someone suggested a clear all button as some players likes to build a lot of tools to begin with and figure out the level that way.
• A hint system was also mentioned as some players had a hard time figuring out some mechanics.
• Players experienced a bug where the tool would play instantly behind the build bar and would not be able to remove it.

"Magnetize positive and negative reverse, makes more sense for positive to push"-Jeremiah

Restart button seems not very useful as marbles reset automatically. Restart clear, or automatic clear tool button."Tammen 

"Tools appear over the next level screen. Build bar obstructs the area you want to build, difficulty too hard, bottles unpredictable, maybe not updating on fixed update? Sandbox vibe is nice."-Lindsay

Updates

After some contemplation I decided to tackle the tasks that were achievable and would add the most amount of improvement in the limited time left of this semester.

Tweaked UI configuration to more clearly display the information of the game.

Build bar now has a hide button, allowing players to utilize the space underneath the build bar.

Restart is now a clear all button allowing to reset the level.

Each level now had a hint button allowing for users to learn the mechanics more easily.

Implemented various more sound effects for the game, including marble hitting wood, button clicks and level succeed sound.

Planned Updates

After the testing session I definitely know which areas I need to work on for the game, however being on limited time for this semester I will write a list of things I plan on implementing in the future.

• Reduce difficulty of levels, the first levels could be the final(most difficult levels) of a section instead of the only levels in the game, I hope to expand a section for introducing a mechanic into multiple levels allowing player to experience different kinds of challenges using specific tools.
• I also hope to implement more tools, and mechanics of interreacting with the levels, like some non static obstacles or enemies.
• Fix spike blocks killing marbles when a marble hits it on its flat side.
• Fine tune the audio more.
• Overall break down levels to introduce mechanics much more slowly and easier to understand.
• Magnetize particle moving in the direction they push/pull.