State Change Signaling

Going from a paper prototype to a digital one (and the problems that come from that)

One benefit video games have over board games is that computers can do all the math.

The cost to this benefit is that the player might not realize when the computer has done something. For example, if the player took damage and didn’t notice their health value change.

The solution to this problem is something I’m calling State Change Signaling.

This topic has been on my mind as I’ve implemented the features from the Demonlocke paper prototype into the digital prototype.

There are an unlimited number of ways that these state changes can be signaled, but some are better than others.

The most basic (and frankly quite boring) way to signal a state change is through text. The original Pokemon games did this often. Every single action and change in state was told to the player through text. Modern players don’t have much patience for this dated method.

A more interesting list could include screenshake, particles, sprite flashes, screen flashing, symbols/icons, and sound effects. Darkest Dungeon is a good example of using minimal text to convey state change to the player.

Timing is important too because players need time to process the change. As a designer you will be very familiar with your own game and each change in state. Your sense of timing will most likely be off. Make sure to give plenty of time to each major state change. A single action in Darkest Dungeon can take up to 2 full seconds to complete. This is way longer than I expected it to be when I decided to count frames. Actions in my game Demonlocke at the time were taking around a half a second. I’ve since corrected this.

State change signaling is a skill that you must develop as a game designer. Make sure your players understand what is happening. Give them plenty of signals so they are aware of each change and give them sufficient time to process it.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

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