Exercise 1.1 Become a Tester
"Take on the role of a tester. Go play a game and observe yourself as you play. Write down what you are doing and feeling. Try to create one page of detailed notes on your behaviours and actions. Then repeat this experience while watching a friend play the same game. Compare the two sets of notes and analyze what you've learned from the process." (Fullerton, 2019)
My Play (notes)
All of the pop-ups for side quests and prize collections makes me annoyed I just want to get to gameplay I never play with the sound on. It drives me crazy.
When the opening screen shows what you have to achieve in that round I pay pretty close attention to what I am going to be looking for. I have a hard time getting it all before the screen closes. I have to refer to it on the right-hand side before I start to play
My strategy is to create as many chains from the bottom as possible in order to open up the board for more playing surface. I move quickly through my first few moves without thinking too much about the types of squares I need to collect.
Once a few large strings have been achieved I feel a sense of accomplishment and drive to find more of them. When posed with more than one large string option I look for the one that will eliminate the types of squares I need to collect. When stuck for which string is the best play I am really influenced by the shining moving sequence the game creates to keep you moving. I know it is not always the best move but I am drawn to that. I really ignore the game effects of the fiends shooting at the slug as it is not that important to me. I focus on the puzzle aspect of the game. I realize at about 4 moves left that I don’t have a chance to win as I have not collected enough squares to generate the bomb power needed to get the remaining squares. I do however play it out trying to get the longest and most power strings possible.
Friend's play
The player is really at ease with the game. Quickly assesses what needs to be achieved and moves forward very quickly. She does not seem to be bothered by the graphics or pay much attention to the fiend’s actions once she has made a string. She seems very focused on the puzzles. She is very choosey about which strings in which order ignoring the game’s graphics to point her in the direction of a sting. She pauses while making strings to ensure she is getting the most out of them sometimes correcting her course. She is able to play while having her attention on a video playing on a tv in the background. She plays in silent mode. Her decision making is swift but also checked as she moves through the puzzles. At 3 moves left I thought she was not going to make it but she showed no outward signs of defeat rather intense determination to find the way through. Her trial and error strategy of strings to create the most impact was successful and she won with ease. She is much more advanced in level than I am, and collects her resources like keys for upgrades in much larger quantities than I. When I asked her she said she only spends them when she has to upgrade a fiend.
Analysis
Observation of someone else's gameplay is difficult. You can see what body language they exhibit and pay close attention to facial expressions, however, without questions to clarify emotions or thought patterns, it is really difficult to gauge the level of enjoyment, frustration, satisfaction or fun the individual is having. The play notes for myself included many emotional responses to aspects of play, however, the observation of the second player is really a very physical telling with the exception of the clarifying question asked at the end.
Although both players were at varying levels of expertise, there is an overlap with gameplay. This is likely dictated by the rules, assets, constraints and objectives of the game. The differences in play were evident in the speed, and strategy of each player. Both players seem to ignore the same aspects of the graphics of each game, choosing to focus on the task to win. The experience level seems to dictate the approach to puzzle solving.
It seems as though this game has been tested to balance challenge with success. It was challenging enough that I failed but fun enough, and I have had enough success, that I wish to keep playing. The other player has many hours invested in this game because the play has been so fun and yet challenging. This was definitely a player-centred experience.