FA1 Text-based game

FA1 Text-based game

1. Scope of the problem

   • Context
     • Text-based games
       • Genres
         • Sci-fi
         • Horror
         • Fantasy
         • Mystery
       • Features
         • Variables
         • In-game locations
         • Dialogue
         • Choices
     • Web-based applications
       • Tangible/visible components
         • Text features
           • Title
           • Lists
           • Headings
           • Paragraphs
         • Visual features
           • Videos
           • Gifs
           • Images
       • Technical components
         • Python
           • Flask
           • Text-based game code
         • HTML
           • CSS visuals
             • Fonts
             • Colours
             • Backgrounds
           • Webpage structure
   • User-experience focussed requirements
     • Safety
       • Hint page for keyword dictionary and tips
       • Saving/retaining progress
     • Enjoyability
       • Various endings for replayability
       • Quality story
     • Ease of Use
       • Logical keywords
       • Clear User Interface
   • Task-based requirements
     • Minimum 3 user interfaces
       • Text input
       • Visual elements
     • Map included
       • Current location indicated
       • Available directions for movement
     • End goal/condition
       • Using a specific item defined by a variable
       • Reaching a specific room/area
     • Text dialogue for users
       • Story communication
       • Instructions for playing & completing game

2. Restrictions of solution

   • Constraints
     • Time limit
       • 3 weeks for draft
       • 5 weeks for final
     • Scope
       • Task criteria
       • Appealing to user persona target audience
   • Limitations
     • Software
       • HTML
         • Visually and technically simplistic
         • Cannot update itself in real-time
       • Python
         • May cause web app to run slower due to high memory consumption
         • Usually very specific in keyword acceptance
       • CSS
         • Low complexity
         • Difficult to update web application designs in real-time
     • Solution-specific
       • Text-based game
         • Specificity of keywords
         • Lack of varied gameplay
       • Web application
         • Limited visual features
         • Difficulty in saving progress

3. Usability Principles

   • Utility
     • Problems
       • Errors in player navigation
       • Errors with variable management e.g. unregistered item pickups
     • Solutions
       • Ability to reset player position back to last saved position
       • Indication of current user inventory
   • Learnability
     • Problems
       • Complex controls
       • Confusing navigation
       • Unclear keywords
     • Solutions
       • Tutorial messages
       • In-game map of locations
       • Dictionary of accepted keywords
   • Effectiveness
     • Problems
       • Necessity of overly repeated keywords
       • Keywords that are long and annoying to write
     • Solutions
       • Allow moving several times in each direction
       • Allowance of shorter alternatives to keywords to be used
   • Safety
     • Problems
       • Game not saving between sessions
       • Users becoming lost or confused
     • Solutions
       • Downloadable save states based on user progress
       • Ability to access a 'help' page
   • Accessibility
     • Problems
       • Blind users
       • Deaf users
       • Epileptic users
     • Solutions
       • Audio alternatives to text and images e.g. narration
       • Images representing audio & captions on videos
       • Reduced presence of problematic flashing lights/colours and/or epileptic warnings

4. Possible solutions

   • Existing inspirations
     • Sci-Fi
       • Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
       • Planetfall
     • Horror
       • Anchorhead
       • The Lurking Horror
     • Fantasy
       • Zork
       • Enchanter
     • Mystery
       • The Witness
       • Mystery Mansion