Client Feedback
Technical Summary:
With Gold and the project as a whole coming to an end, we submitted several gameplay videos, documenting the large variety of unique features that each method offers, different mechanics, and the new first person perspective. Although we didn't include a playable version alongside the videos, we had put the game onto a free publishing platform that the game could be accessed for free. The above document is a glance at some specific elements of the project and the team, looking into communication, how we met deadlines, and how we can improve the game to give a better user experience. This document is a great way of understanding what we are accomplishing well, and what we can further develop to help elevate us further. This continues to show the benefit of communicating with the client, helping us to generate ideas, but to also help with the direction we should move ahead with.
Reflection:
I am personally a bit mixed on this feedback, similarly with the QA Feedback we received, considering that a large chunk of my time was spent ensuring that the Escape Methods were a lot more accessible, and that the markers were fully implemented into the game. I do think the controls could be better presented to the player, rather than above the door, but we've always had a controls menu on the Main Menu, and inside of the Inventory, so other than developing a Tutorial level, I don't see any other ways I can enhance the understanding of the mechanics more. I do think it would be an interesting test to see what would work better, allowing the player only one method, or having them follow all of the methods until they escape in the last method. This could very easily be done through some random arrays, that select a method only once and permanently set the objectives to follow that method. To make sure this would work well, and receive worthwhile feedback, have people test the current version and the updated version to see what they find more enjoyable.
Gold Standard Client Pitch
Technical Summary:
The above video we showed to our client to express some of the new additions and explain a lot of the core mechanics of our game. We took this opportunity to show off the First-Person perspective and the new improvements alongside it, we really wanted to express the unique style to the experience when you play through the game, which I think this captures perfectly. We also used this opportunity to explore a mechanic often ignored by playtests and the gameplay we capture, the Contraband Boxes. They're quite a unique feature in the game, that's been available for use since Alpha, but can often be overlooked by how it's not really expressed in the level, or something documented anywhere in-game.
Reflection:
I think this is the best showcase of our work, we were very prepared with footage for this and had plenty of brilliant ideas and features to show off, there were a couple of things I'd have liked to have talked about in this, such as the improved Escape Methods, and why we reordered them in this version. However, this doesn't detract anything for how good this was in comparison to the Alpha and Beta pitches that we weren't totally prepared for.