MIT3643 Computer Games Development

1
MIT3643 Computer Games Development

• Lecture 9 User Interface Design

2
User Interface
3
User Interface Design

• Outlines
• Overview
• Purpose of the interface
• User Interface- Input Device
• User Interface- Graphic Display
• Other considerations
• What makes a good interface?
• Configuration/Customization
• Rules of Game Interface Design
• Interface Trends

4
(No Transcript)
5
Overview

• The games interface is the language you use to
  speak to the game.
• Games are usually made up of several big, and
  hundreds of small decisions the big ones can be
  achieved by making many little ones. The player
  makes a lot of small decisions all the time. The
  interface for making them should be as invisible
  as possible.
• A main function of an interface is to let player
  make decisions much more easier and quicker,
  especially the most commonly used functions.

6
Purpose of the interface

• Our first consideration in designing the user
  interface was to define its purpose. Our three
  main goals were interaction, information, and
  entertainment for the user
• Interaction it allows the player to interact
  with the game. The first and foremost purpose of
  the interface is to translate data between the
  game logic and the player. Without the interface,
  you can't play the game. The interface tells the
  player what's happening in the game and lets him
  or her respond accordingly.
• Information it displays information about the
  setting, characters, objects, and events in the
  game. This information allows players to make
  decisions. Images incorporated into the game
  often display information more efficiently and
  effectively than text. This can be done either
  through illustrations or through symbolic
  representations.
• Entertainment visual element adds value to the
  play experience. Detailed illustrations are great
  for giving players a feel for each character's
  image or the local color of the setting. They
  make the game world richer.

7
User Interface- Input Device

• Joystick / gamepad
• Mouse and Keyboard
• Steering wheel
• Gun
• Musical Instrument
• Sport Item
• Touch screen
• Motion Sensing Device

8
User Interface- Graphic Display

• A game graphic interface can consist of the
  games front-end menu, the games Heads-Up
  Display (HUD)(or On-screen Display), or any other
  way that the user interacts with the game. The
  HUD is used to present information during the
  game and its design usually depends on the game
  type. For example, the HUD for a shooter game
  might present only present information on health
  and ammo, but for some games , the HUD interface
  is the game.

9
User Interface- Graphic Display
10
Other considerations

• Hardware limitation video card
• Screen size different resolution
• UI customization
• Localization Text as graphic?

11
What makes a good interface?

• Simplicity Build an interface that is easy to
  figure out and doesn't require an instruction
  manual. Information should be accessed and
  responded to without a lot of intermediate steps,
  commands, or keystrokes. The information is on
  the screen when the player needs it. Players
  shouldn't be trouble to figure out how to use the
  keyboard, mouse, joystick, or other tool to
  continue playing the game.
• Consistency Player should be able to do the
  things in the same way everywhere in the game
  and to find vital information in the same place
  all the time. Using a logic in the layout that
  allows players to anticipate where information
  can be found and how commands can be executed in
  different parts of the game.
• Immersion preserve the illusion of immersion in
  the game world is to disguise elements of the
  interface as parts of the game world. (EG the
  palm interface in Splinted Cell)

12
Configuration/Customization

• For most modern PC game, Hot Key system is a
  must. Experienced players may want it.
• It is nice to enable players to customize the hot
  key.

13
(No Transcript)
14
Rules of Game Interface Design

• Interface defines gameplay interface has been
  explained to be the interaction with the virtual
  world. In a very real way, the interface IS the
  game, and it defines how a game is experienced.
  If an interface is easy, perceptive, and fun, the
  game will benefit greatly.
• Simplify the interface and use the minimal number
  of keys to do maximum number of actions.
• The supreme interface will never be noticed If
  the player simply plays the game without noticing
  the interface, your interface design is a
  success. If the player notices the interface and
  must struggle to master it, then you have failed.

15
Interface Trends

• Game interfaces are getting simpler. This is
  increasing development complexity for the express
  purpose of decreasing play complexity.
• Many games are foregoing explicit controls for
  automatic behavior. For example, a
  semi-automatically selection of various attack
  mode depends on how close to the target. Also an
  auto-jump is activated when faced with an edge.

16
Issue for Discussion

• Trend of User Interface Input Device ?
• Interface change the originality of the game play
  ?