{"id":669,"date":"2025-04-11T20:15:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T20:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/?p=669"},"modified":"2025-04-21T19:57:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T19:57:08","slug":"week-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/week-12\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 12 &#8211; Full Game Flow Playtested &amp; Final Wishlist Set"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Week 12 &#8211; Full Game Flow Playtested &amp; Final Wishlist Set<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week marked a major milestone for our team\u2014we completed the second level (Pond Level), allowing us to run the entire game from start to finish for the first time. During our Soft Opening on Saturday, we invited faculty and mentors to playtest the full experience, which includes all three levels: Garden, Pond, and Upper Tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">Playtest Feedback Highlights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\">We received a wide range of valuable feedback, both technical and conceptual. Here are some key takeaways from the playtest session:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">\ud83e\udded <strong>Gameplay &amp; Mechanics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\" class=\"wp-block-list has-small-font-size\">\n<li>Some players had difficulty identifying if the items (like rocks or leaves) were placed correctly when they automatically snapped\u2014we need to add highlights to the target point.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Players wanted more freedom and meaningful interaction\u2014some felt the current flow was too guided or restrictive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Snap points, object behavior, and boundary logic still need refinement for smoother play.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">\ud83c\udfa8 <strong>Visual &amp; Animation Feedback<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\" class=\"wp-block-list has-small-font-size\">\n<li>The shrinking animation was considered too short and lacked impactful audio cues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some 3D models and animations felt unfinished\u2014e.g., birds not folding wings, objects clipping through grass, or minimal character movement during conversations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Environmental VFX and lighting transitions (especially for the magical shrinking and seasonal changes) could be improved for clarity and immersion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">\ud83d\udcda Narrative &amp; Instruction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\" class=\"wp-block-list has-small-font-size\">\n<li>While the overall message and environmental themes were appreciated, a few players were unclear on the goal of each task or the broader \u201cwhy\u201d behind certain actions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some suggested terminology adjustments to better match the tone (e.g., replacing &#8220;kid&#8221; with \u201cfriend\u201d or \u201cbuddy\u201d).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There were also notes on timing mismatches\u2014dialogue sometimes didn\u2019t sync with when items appeared or were interacted with.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">\ud83c\udfaf Purpose &amp; Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\" class=\"wp-block-list has-small-font-size\">\n<li>Most testers appreciated the game\u2019s focus on realistic backyard actions, but emphasized the need to create strong \u201cI did it!\u201d moments to reinforce learning and reward progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">Planning the Final Sprint<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">After reviewing all feedback, our team compiled a comprehensive list of improvements and features to implement over the next two weeks. Based on our internal discussion and what\u2019s most feasible, we finalized a &#8220;Wishlist&#8221; of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\" class=\"wp-block-list has-small-font-size\">\n<li>High-priority bug fixes (e.g., dialogue recording, spatial sound, NPC animations )<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Polish and VFX enhancements (e.g., improved shrinking sequence, clearer transitions)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Small interactive additions to create more player agency and satisfaction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">These next two weeks will be crucial as we move into our final build polish and prepare for the project\u2019s closing presentations. We\u2019re excited to bring everything together into a fully realized experience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-49329d62 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_5189-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-670\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_7659-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-679\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Week 12 &#8211; Full Game Flow Playtested &amp; Final Wishlist Set This week marked a major milestone for our team\u2014we completed the second level (Pond Level), allowing us to run the entire game from start to finish for the first time. During our Soft Opening on Saturday, we invited faculty and mentors to playtest the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":670,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_5189-scaled.jpg",2560,1920,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_5189-scaled.jpg",2560,1920,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_5189-scaled.jpg",2560,1920,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_5189-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_5189-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"large":["https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_5189-1024x768.jpg",1024,768,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_5189-1536x1152.jpg",1536,1152,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_5189-2048x1536.jpg",2048,1536,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"amorito","author_link":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/author\/amorito\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorized<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Week 12 &#8211; Full Game Flow Playtested &amp; Final Wishlist Set This week marked a major milestone for our team\u2014we completed the second level (Pond Level), allowing us to run the entire game from start to finish for the first time. During our Soft Opening on Saturday, we invited faculty and mentors to playtest the&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=669"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":688,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669\/revisions\/688"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/ecovision\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}