In a video game, the player must understand everything and know everything. Because if he misses an essential information, he will feel frustrated! Imagine you are playing an adventure game. You are in combat, and nothing indicates that your hero is about to die. Suddenly, your hero collapses without warning, and it’s game over. This would be very frustrating !
The game must contact the player using clear signs for him to explain what happens in the game, and get his attention where it is needed.
For example, here is a screenshot of Sims 2 (released in 2004). Sims 2 is a game of life management, in which several members of a family are directed. It may need to control a lot of things at once ! How the game allows us to follow everything at the same time ?
Analysis of Feedback in The Sims 2
Nothing goes between the two girls! Icons above their heads represent social interaction (two characters holding hands) accompanied by a ” – “in red. This means that they come together to interact , and this interaction has been hating a little more . This symbol therefore gives two discreetly information: 1) the action is completed, and 2) the negative result. The player will be able to react accordingly: catch the shot or make the situation worse.
Notice a very discrete element when moving the mouse over one of the characters, here the girl dressed in black, her name, Lilith appears . Handy when you have a large family or many guests!
But many other elements give us clues about the current situation. The animation of the characters , for example: two adults are visibly talking and joking , and the interaction is going pretty well if we are to believe their posture. Sims 2 using hyper attitudes and postures caricatured which allow the player to understand his characters from the first glance.
All of these are so-called signs and Feedback .
The signs are used to alert the player about an event that will happen, or an important element of the game. For example, in Sims 2 , a Sim with a tonnage of “little need” is about to reach zero starts to jiggle, holding the bladder. A red bubble appears above his head to add a layer.
It is a sign that warns the player of event that is about to occur ( this character needs to go quickly to the toilet ) and allows the player to react quickly ( send the character to the toilet ) before it happens something serious ( to pee on it, it greatly affects the morals! ).
In contrast, the feedback information to give the player the outcome of an action he has done . This can be a feedback on one of his actions in the game (small signs above the heads of characters that indicate if they like more or less ) or simply on its interactions with the game ( when you click on a button, it changes color and a small sound plays ).
