Aims/Objectives

Students will complete a provided game development tutorial, as well as complete an individual theme with navigation controls, instructions and enhancements (see below for details). Students will design and develop a theme for the game, applying User Experience concepts to create an immersive and fun game using appropriate media and feedback elements. They will also learn various skills, strategies and techniques covered within the tutorial and then design and development their own enhancements to the game.
Students are also required to find between 2 and 5 people who will act as users to give input and help throughout the design and development. No more than one of these users can be classmates. This user-centred design approach will also utilise these users in the final product testing, providing students with their individual perspectives about the product.
The objective is to create an enjoyable learning environment while covering a number of essential, and often abstract, concepts that will aid the developer in future development projects. The task will be broken into development milestones that the students will be expected to reach by the due dates.

Part A - Interface/UX Design (5 marks):

You will need to produce storyboards and flowchart in Word document; a wireframe prototype (OR rough prototype using GWD) with basic navigation structure to intro screen, help, game, credits, basic feedback elements; and user evaluation/feedback forms with appropriate questions. Things to check: Visual appearance
- Not everyone is a graphic artist – this is not expected
- Simple and elegant is as good as fast and flashy
- Be creative and explore the possibilities Theme implementation
- Advanced, different, unusual, funny, educational (it’s up to you).
- Ask: Does it suit the gameplay?
- Ask: Does it advance/detract from gameplay? Consider performance issues (eg: vector graphics vs bitmap graphics; too many animations or sounds)
Hand in: Design Documentation including flowcharts/storyboards in DOC/DOCX file. Must provide either (a) a link to wireframe prototype in your design document; or (b) a website folder if your prototype is created in GWD. Blank User Evaluation/Feedback forms in DOC/DOCX file.
Note:
Once you have handed in Part A, you will then present your design to your users and ask them to provide feedback using the Evaluation/Feedback forms. These completed forms will form part of your enhancement documentation.

Part B – Completed Tutorial and Enhancement Design

Completed Tutorial (10 marks):
All of the following must be working as required: Viewing player instructions Feedback elements
o Score, Wave, Lives Player hit
o Loses life, displays hit state
o When player is hit x times (all lives lost) player loses All bugs related directly to the programming of the tutorial should be eliminated Include an appropriate navigation structure and control buttons
Hand in:
webpage/website folder and any associated files (files that are needed for the functionality of the application). No hard copy of documentation for the tutorial is needed.

Enhancement Design (5 marks):
The following is a list of suggested possible enhancements, with a key to compare difficulty (*, **, ***). Note: replace "invaders" with attackers to fit your theme.
* Change the background image when the player reaches a new level
* Use images to display number of lives instead of the current number display
* Add more invaders at the beginning of each wave at higher levels, including smaller or larger invaders.
** Vary the points awarded for hitting invaders based on player’s current level AND the size/type of invader hit.
** Warp feature or change in speed depending on score, etc.
** Bonus lives: add an extra life when the score reaches key stages (eg: 1000 pts)
*** Allow the choice of a more powerful weapon at a key point (eg: 1000 points) for a set number of missiles. This weapon could have a different effect, score, etc.
*** Allow a shield to protect the player which could lose power with each hit – after 3 hits the shield is destroyed (even if the shield time isn’t over).
*** Change the objective of the game so you need to collect (by shooting) some objects while avoiding others.

Document using pseudocode (and optional flowcharts):
Your choice of 2 enhancements, including structure, decisions, processes etc. Doing more is OK but only 2 will be marked (please indicate clearly which ones you want marked).
Hand in: Enhancement design documentation in DOC/DOCX form. Completed Evaluation/Feedback forms

Part C – Final Product

Final Product Including Enhancements (10 marks):

Implement both your enhancements. You may do more if you wish but need only implement the documented enhancements. Coding is marked on:
Task difficulty Logical, tight code; extraneous code eliminated Efficiency – no redundancy (reusable functions, for example)
You will also need to design Product Testing forms which will be provided to your users for testing and completion.
Hand in:
webpage/website folder and any associated files (only files that are needed for the functionality of your game) Completed Product Testing forms in Word DOC form or scanned as PDF

Marking Criteria

See rubrics on MySCU site. Check:
Interface/UX Design Visual appearance / look & feel Navigation controls Usability and performance Appropriate instructions Theme – invaders, missiles, lives, wave, score displays Sound FX and animations Background story
Tutorial Everything works – no bugs All game conditions can be met Folders, files, and/or library and layer organisation Navigation structure and implementation. Extra commenting
Documentation & Enhancement Design Well-written, well-presented document with title page, table of contents, explanatory notes, page numbers, etc. Concept Document and Functional Specification content as per headings in template outline provided. Should included descriptions, concept art, storyboards, and other documentation to describe your game. Completed User feedback/evaluation forms Your two chosen Enhancements must be clearly identified in your documentation, along with any required storyboards and documentation. Additional marks will be given for more difficult enhancements Enhancement Choice(s) must take into consideration/respond to the feedback and evaluation of your users. Completed User product testing forms
Final Product Successful implementation of theme Successful implementation of enhancements Use of functions Logic and efficiency applied Identifiable modified code Removal of redundant code Final product functionality

Important Note - Late Assessments, Feedback & Documentation:

Even though the final product is not due until the beginning of Week 7, you need to have the first two parts submitted on the due dates.
There is a 5% penalty per day for late assignments, without special consideration being sought before the due date.
Some feedback may be given after submissions in Week 3 and 5 but marks will not be returned until after the final product submission in week 7. Enhancements MUST have documentation submitted in Week 5 to be eligible for marking in your final product. No documentation = no mark for that enhancement so please design first, then develop.

To Download Click Here > CSC10215 Developing the User Experience.pdf