Interview/Testing Week 7B

So as usual right after Interactive Prototype I was due, we had our user testing and interview/surveys in the B prac.
I asked several specific questions in regards to what I was testinng my prototype on.
There were two specific things that I wanted to test in this prototype:
1. When a mine explodes, what happens after that, immediately change to the opposite colour or clear off the area
2. the scoring system of the game:
   a) the old scoring system was scoring two points in the game to win. 3 marks in a line earns a point.
   b) new system is a best of 5 rounds based game. to win a round, simply make 4 marks in a line.

Here are the questions that I prepared from my Statement of Delivery II and also feedback answers that I got from interviewing the testers.

a) Was the exploding of the mines interactive enough? eg: The mine revealing itself for 2 seconds and then disappears or even should sound effects be added into the game.
        - The delay feels abit long.
        - The delay seems fine.
        - The interaction is there, but the it sometimes seems too slow to know whether the tile is safe or not when a mark is placed there. Try to find a way to reduce the delay so that users will know what's happening
        and there's no delay.
        - There's no problems recognising the mine. If you don’t realise it you obviously have issues.
   
b) What do you think of the concept of ‘opponent’s mark’ appearing after the mine explodes? Does it give too much advantage or it is a good implementation instead of just making the mines disappear and the same tile empty again.

   - It is a good idea. What do you think about mines goes off but generate another in another place.
   - It gives alot of advantage to the opponent and the game ends too fast when player is unlucky.
   - The implementation is good as it gives more advantage to the opponent.
   - Better if it returns to nothing. Because it gives the opponent too much of an advantage.


c) What do you think of the new scoring system concept? Is it better compared to the original ‘3 marks one point, two points to win’ concept?
   - The current scoring system > old.
   - U might necessary don’t need to have the best out of 3. The rules does not have to be inbuilt. Players can set the rules himself.
   - I like the multiple of rounds. I prefer multiple rounds compared to the old system. One round seems to end way faster and boring.

d) Is the help button necessary in the whole game at all? (This question is to be asked for further feedback on the future prototype as some users previously thought that the ‘help’ button doesn’t actually help them at all as it gives the opponent an advantage to know where the mines are.

   - Help button: opponent look away/close eyes
   - That could work. With opponent's looking away. Not knowing about where is the mine. hypothetically the idea would be good, but need to check if its actually helping the player, when testing.

e)      Any other feedback/suggestions to improve the game?

   - Changing the map of the game from a 4x4 map into a 6x6 map, with 6 mines. Score 2 lines of 5/6 to win the game. This would make the game end longer.
   - Fix the BUGs of player checks/wins!! I like the hovering effect. Make sure player who loses starts the new game (round) first.
   - With the 6x6 map idea, maybe try it with more than 1 MakeyMakey? So that you could build a bigger board and make the game longer.
   - The game can be 6x6. it can be theoretically 6x6, but for the prototype's purpose, just because of the constraints of the MakeyMakey, you can make a 4x4 one instead.
   - Scoreboard. Indicators to know who's turn it is. Instead of static number, make circles as scoreboard. More interactive.

Self Reflection after the testing and interviews:
- I think that the implementation of the new concept of mark1>mine>mark2 is good compared to the old concept although it gives a heavy advantage to he opponent.
- I also like the new scoring system, although one of the feedback i received was that I should allow users to have the freedom to set their own rules. eg: how many rounds/games should they play.
- I am considering to make a 6x6 map and then implement the usual 4x4 map for the MakeyMakey just for testing. as a 6x6 would mean a longer game, a bigger map, more mines, MORE FUN!

Will start on the MakeyMakey soon!! stay tuned!! thanks for reading! (: