CAGD 270 - 3D Game Level 1 v2 - 4/19/2023

  What went right during this play test was that the player was able to complete the level pretty easily. The players were not struggling too much while playing throughout the game. Some of the play testers liked how the level was not too difficult and it was easy to understand where to go. Something that went wrong during this play test is that some of the health packs did not work properly so they had to be adjusted mid playtest.

In order to improve the level for next time I will need to fix the broken health packs so that they will work with the finished product. Another thing that I can do to improve the level is to add in a few more health packs or move the existing health packs around to better fit into the game. As the level started you were introduced to fighting enemies and jumping over acid pits, then later on there was a whole section of the level dedicated to jumping and there was also a section where fighting the enemies could be a lot. In order to not overwhelm the player at that point in the game I could add the health pack in the middle of the fight area or at the end so the player can get some of their health back while having to fight the enemies.

The critical path was obvious to the player. The only point in the game where the player could potentially get lost is at the start. That is only because at the start the switch for the door is right outside the starting area and there is a wall blocking its line of sight from the starting area. The only way to see the switch is to look around the area and not just run straight for the enemy and the door in front of the player. Other than that, the level is very linear as there is not much exploring for the player to do that does not advance them in the level.

In the level there were moving platforms. I used the moving platforms in order to slow down the player a little bit because without the moving platforms the player could potentially just almost speed run through the level and never fight or interact with any of the enemies. It was very obvious where the player was supposed to go as there were no other pathways in the level except the main path to complete the level. The only thing that the player could do to not have them advance through the level is to go backwards in the level and go from wherever they are back to the starting room.