- How effective is the game at getting new players ramped up?
When trying any new game, it always takes users a bit to understand the rules and get accustomed to how to play the game. If the activation energy it takes to understand a new game’s rules is too high, it might drive away new players. We want to make sure that we have clear, succinct, and meaningful rules, and that the game itself actually makes sense. A useful prototype here might be a rulebook with the rules, alongwith the actual elements of the game, this way we can observe the adaptability of the game. I predict that this might be difficult at first, but we will figure out how to make the game more simple, intuitive, and addictive.
- Does the game successfully facilitate a narrative aesthetic?
One of our game ideas currently is a dating show game. We want the game to be like a story (think reality TV dating) that drives the player to come back and continue the story. If we aren’t able to achieve this narrative aesthetic, there is less reason for why players will want to continue or even play our game. We would need some fully functional prototype of the game that allows players to become involved with the characters in the game and observe whether players are able to become invested in their character’s love lives. I imagine this will be a bit more difficult than other questions, and will require a bit of iteration. I think that dating shows for the most part are very engaging though, so we will ultimately be able to figure it out!
- How can be best end the game and decide a winner?
One idea we had was for players to vote on which couples should win. This is how many reality TV shows work (Too Hot To Handle, Perfect Match). We also thought maybe there could be a “narrator” third-party character that chooses who they want to win. We’re not sure which is better considering there are limits to the number of players and number of characters. This is an integral part to the game, and is what will make the game fun and competitive for people! A functional version of the game with both techniques could help us to determine which works better. I personally think that the voting method will work out better since it adds another obstacle for players to want to appease other players. The third party narrator approach might make the game more boring, since the outcomes are seemingly subjective.
