I've been hard at work trying to plan out the GUI for Fleet Calamity. I want to get several options and see what best fits the game, what is the easiest to use and what is the most visually appealing. I've got a few ideas down, but I want a couple more. Then I will be presenting the ideas to various people on Facebook and Twitter (Links to those below). I'll let the community pick what is the best.
Now for news on play testing!
Yesterday, 3/28/15, I had a group of people come over. I knew them all from my previous college, but two of them I more or less just met. In general I don't often get to hang out with this group, so I was thrilled that they would dedicate time to Fleet Calamity. The group had never played the game before and only two of them really knew much about Magic the Gathering.
What does that mean?
Well Fleet Calamity borrows several aspects from Magic and thus if you know Magic then its easier for you to get the hang of the game. However, I need to be able to teach people about my game without using Magic as an example. So yesterday I had two challenges, 1.) Teach people to play my game without any prior knowledge of it or anything like it. 2.) Prove my game can be more fun and engaging than a game they already know and enjoy.
Some of the issues found
There were many questions on the meaning of some cards due to poor wording. I am thrilled people are finding these and giving feed back on them as it helps improve my game, makes it easier to understand and people can just quickly jump in without guidance.
There was also issues with over powered elements. Hive mind, for example, can grow exponentially and just wreck your opponent. So a few options have been presented and I'll be testing them out as we move forward.
Other responses
The group was very responsive of the game and eager to give feed back. This was really good for me because I felt they were genuinely invested. One of the members even commented on that after his first Flotilla ship was destroyed he could really feel the intensity of the game and every decision he made. Another agreed, adding that she would get a hand of things she would love to play, but knew that her survival hinged on the right choice, which made her sacrifice playing a card she thought was cool for one that might defend her better, or otherwise assist her.
One individual I was concerned about. she didn't speak much, except to ask questions about cards, and generally kept to herself. I thought it might be due to her disliking the game and just going through the motions, but she later revealed that she is a more intense player and was playing to win. She kept her cards close to her chest and focused on her goal. (By the way, she destroyed her opponent!)
Survey
After the duels I asked every one a few questions about the game. Some key points they mentioned were making the key words more accessible to ever one, such as a cheat sheet for all players. They mentioned they would enjoy altering the fog of war to make it last longer, bring it up later or otherwise manipulate it via cards.
One key things I was concerned about was play time. the first few times we tested the game people would play for 3 hours and not destroy one flotilla. However, I have changed the game a lot since then and made it faster and more intense. So with new people learning the game I was concerned they might get board from not doing enough or just from playing too long. I had no idea how long new players would take. Well turns out they both won their games in about 2 hours and 30 minutes. When I asked them if they felt like it was a long game they replied that it felt right. They felt engaged and thus time was no longer a factor for them.
I'd like to personally thank the testers again for their awesome feed back! I'm glad they had such a fun time and I can't wait to test with them again. Maybe next time they will make their own decks and we can break the game with them!
If you have any questions, suggestions or comments please leave a comment below!
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