NPC Functionality User Testing Team8 - UQdeco2800/2022-studio-1 GitHub Wiki

The Preliminary Functionality Test ties in with User Test 1 under (PAGE REFERENCE). This preliminary test gained user insight for overall expectations and functionality requirements of the NPC toward Atlantis Sinks.

User Test 1 - Gameplay Functionality Test

Description

This functionality test aims to take place as a final point for validation from a user’s perspective, aside the Junit testing. With less focus on the design, the functionality tests the implemented functions as per the Task and Feature Ticket and determines if expectations for Sprint 3 have been achieved, similarly to the previous sprint.

Purpose

The purpose of this again is to test that the functions implemented have not only met the outlined goals per the feature ticket but also operate efficiently during gameplay for all users.

Method

Along with gameplay, the user will be given a questionnaire to fill out to respond to. This is because the NPCs are not necessarily features for the user to interact with, or has limited interaction. Method:

  1. Launch the game; Atlantis Sinks

  • a. Test 1: Once beginning gameplay, observe and comment on what you see in terms of the NPCs. Where are they located? What are they doing? When are they being spawned and why? How many NPCs are there?

  • b. Test 2: Try clicking on the NPCs, what do you come across?

Results and Analysis

Observing user attitudes and behaviours here gives key insight into the success factors and concern factors for the functionalities implemented in this sprint for NPCs. Our findings suggest great strength in spawning the NPCs at an appropriate time and with an efficient approach. As per Partaker 3, they states 'it was great to see the NPCs disappear at night'. Another commented (Partaker 2) that, 'I'm not sure of the logic, but I can see the number of NPCs being spawned is dependent on something and stops spawning at a particular time." This particular comment references the spawnNPC function specifically and its ability to spawn relative to the number of Structures built. Promisingly, users were able to operate the game smoothly with the implemented functions of the NPC and make sense of its motives and role toward Atlantis Sinks a whole.

Concerns were mentioned across majority partakers, however, when demonstrating the bonus goal of animation. Although a bonus goal for this sprint, the team was successful in designing and partially implementing the animation on the NPC as expressed under 'Design Testing'. However, a bug was suspected when the NPCs return from nightfall with a black box over their character. Regardless, the team is still proud of the operating NPCs without animation and that is conforms to all goals per the Feature Ticket.