A game's instructions?
by Scott Coursey · in General Discussion · 09/30/2006 (9:29 pm) · 2 replies
I wanted to ask anyone reading this about their thoughts on providing instructions to a game. As I see it, there are three ways for a player to read about how to play.
1. An in-game GUI. This is something akin to the .hfl files Torque uses in its getHelp() function call. The information would be completely contained within the game.
2. A link from the game to a URL. The URL could point to a PDF or set of Web pages on the player's computer, or refer to a specific location on an external site.
3. A PDF or set of Web pages that sit next to the game application. The difference from this one and #2 is that there is no internal link within the game to access the information. Therefore, the player is always assumed to know how to play.
Of course, some clever readers may invariably scream, "Ah, but how about a combination of those!?" Yes. True. A combination could be possible, but I wanted to suggest the above and seek some sort of feedback.
Now, as a bit of a background. The game I'm working on would also have a bit of history I would like the player to read. I could also provide this information with the above methods, but I'm not sure how to proceed. I was hoping I could get a feel from others on what they thought.
Thanks,
ScottC
1. An in-game GUI. This is something akin to the .hfl files Torque uses in its getHelp() function call. The information would be completely contained within the game.
2. A link from the game to a URL. The URL could point to a PDF or set of Web pages on the player's computer, or refer to a specific location on an external site.
3. A PDF or set of Web pages that sit next to the game application. The difference from this one and #2 is that there is no internal link within the game to access the information. Therefore, the player is always assumed to know how to play.
Of course, some clever readers may invariably scream, "Ah, but how about a combination of those!?" Yes. True. A combination could be possible, but I wanted to suggest the above and seek some sort of feedback.
Now, as a bit of a background. The game I'm working on would also have a bit of history I would like the player to read. I could also provide this information with the above methods, but I'm not sure how to proceed. I was hoping I could get a feel from others on what they thought.
Thanks,
ScottC
#2
First, make the controls really easy to pick up and learn, and make the GUI easy to access and learn.
Second, provide in-game hints using floating text etc.
Only as a third and last option, try to provide an exhaustive help file. The most important part of that should be a search feature, and a detailed index that makes sense to the user (rather than to the developer).
The only way to make sure you've got it right is to test the program on people who aren't developing it, every once in a while. Take a laptop to a LAN party or something, and have three people try it out WITHOUT TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO. Write down where they get stuck. Fix those places, and repeat with three new people next time.
10/01/2006 (7:54 pm)
Nobody reads help files unless your GUI is just too hard to understand.First, make the controls really easy to pick up and learn, and make the GUI easy to access and learn.
Second, provide in-game hints using floating text etc.
Only as a third and last option, try to provide an exhaustive help file. The most important part of that should be a search feature, and a detailed index that makes sense to the user (rather than to the developer).
The only way to make sure you've got it right is to test the program on people who aren't developing it, every once in a while. Take a laptop to a LAN party or something, and have three people try it out WITHOUT TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO. Write down where they get stuck. Fix those places, and repeat with three new people next time.
Torque 3D Owner Jay Barnson