Phase 4
Week 13
Target Audience
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Continuing with the work from the User Persona, after discussion with the team, we also need a broader scope for the audience that we're targeting. Ultimately, the type of gamer that is most likely to play our game is one that enjoys casual gaming.
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What is casual gaming?
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"A casual game is a video game targeted at a wide, mass-market audience, as opposed to a hardcore game, which is a game targeted at a more niche audience of hobbyist gamers." (Wikipedia)
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"A person who plays games but aren't competitive. Usually, they are just there to be social and have fun but if they end up losing in the game they wouldn't mind. They don't put in a lot of effort to try to win. They may or may not play long hours of games. A casual gamer doesn't place their gaming as a first priority." (Urban Dictionary)
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"The term casual gaming refers to video games which do not require a major time investment to play, win, and enjoy. A casual gamer is a player who enjoys any video game without investing significant time to it, playing it spontaneously, irregularly, or infrequently." (Computer Hope)
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"Casual is so far best defined by the easiness of the game experience in its expanded sense, covering the whole experience from the accessing of a game to playing it."
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234781375_Casual_games_discussion)
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"Further analysis showed how most casual as well as traditional gaming was equally engaged in by both men and women."
So a casual game is a game which; will not require lots of play hours in order to complete it,
using this time to play in a way which winning or losing doesn't feel as important. The most significant aspect appears to be that time investment is valuable to the player and that gameplay should be short, both to learn all the mechanics and to have a sense that they can stop playing whenever without punishment.
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Because our game is meant to be played with this type of attitude, where the game really is a long as the player wishes it to be, a space without goals or skills to build up. No story to complete or any advanced mechanics that take time to learn, it would seem that The Voyageur is a perfect casual game.
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For the GPP
The intended audience is the casual gamer. Built to be a calming, relaxing experience without goals or significant mechanics to learn, this casual game experience allows for players to drop in and out of a journey at their leisure, in their own time. With no story or a time limit to impose a sense of pressure to get to the end, the game has a pace that only the player brings into the game session. The gameplay can last between 20 minutes to 2 hours, with only the current of the rivers to keep the player moving forward. Making the game more of an overall experience than an all-out game, it is tailored to the casual game experience.
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The type of person that would fit into this category would be one that has a busy lifestyle, with not many space hours to dedicate to gaming. Maybe someone who once used to be an avid gamer but now has less time to give to their once loved hobby. Aged between 18-35, the largest gaming demographic. Targeted at both genders, using a character without an obvious identity. They have interests for the nostalgic art style from pixel art, minimalist animations and simple movements. Also having an appreciation for the natural world, wildlife and scenic landscapes, our audience enjoys the essence of the outdoors, the sounds and colours which might not be obtainable with their geographic location or schedules.
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Giving players control
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With the knowledge that casual gaming heavily relies on time constraints and the ability to control the pace of the game, rather than the game demanding to be played in order to be completed, I've realised how important it will be to enforce the game's experience with giving players control. Using the "Indirect Control Method #1: Constraints" from The Art of Game Design, A Book of Lesnes, Jesse Schell explains that giving players control can have both positive and negative effects. Giving them too much control can be daunting, so a good example that works for the art style is that although in a forest, technically an explorer can venture where ever they wish, on the 2D, side scroll view, a lot of the choice on where to travel has been removed from the players. Including forks in the roads which will ultimately end up back on the same path then installs a feeling of freedom for the players.
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Other mechanics like paddling the canoe use this method of design. To have a constant river current gentle pushing the canoe in the correct direction of travel, it removes two things; the option to travel backwards and a misunderstanding of the game's directional purpose. While hopefully installing in the players a sense of a journey that is moving in that direction, the player is given control even over that pace. They can slow down the push a little by holding the paddle in the water, or speed up the pace by paddling. So although the canoe will ultimately end up at the next section of land, players have some say on the speed at which this happens.
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The Mechanics and Features
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Up to now, the game has been designed as an overall concept with overall rules, project goals and research to educate decision making. The mechanics and features have been spoken about and discussed but not outlined by myself. It has seemed that focusing so much on the experience, what the interactions are and how they'll work in version out, outlining them as separate and coherent documents has been forgotten.
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Link to the Version 1 Mechanics
The details explain the intentions of the required mechanics and how we intend them to be used alongside the other mechanics. With enough explanation on how the players will be able to use inputs to control these interactions as well as some data points where necessary. It is difficult at this point to suggest variables as a lot of playtesting will surely give us the required information.
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There are aspects in the game that help it stand out to be the game it is designed to be. Creating features that help the USP and experience have been a very important part of this journey and each of them explained, support and enhance that. These have been chosen in accordance with the design rules and although some elements may not be outlined in Version 1 of the game, they are expected to appear in later versions.
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Concept Art
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Although there is little time left in this designing phase, I felt it necessary to create some artwork showing the layout and 'camera angle' I've had pictured [See Sketchbook 1, pages 28,29]. This can help us to decided on how the level will be put together in the game engine and understand what should be on each layer. A lot of this has been left by the weigh side but I believe myself and Alex have had a very good understanding of the visual style from the beginning. Still, more needs to be put onto paper to actually show this, so we are able to crit and work out any kinks.