HW 11

1. Our main user interface will be with the keyboard and mouse.  The user will be able to control the movement in 3D space using the keyboard and the movement of the camera using the mouse.  The user can also attack using the mouse buttons.  The screen will also display useful information like amount of ammo, health, time remaining until a new round, and if time allows we may implement a mini-map. 

2. The interface will play the role of all the major functionality that the user can perform.  In a popup menu when the player clicks for help, the mouse will be able to select the options like exit and return to game.  In the game the interface will be how the user interacts with the world and walks through it.  The interface is also how the user interacts with enemies, clicking the mouse to perform attacks. 

3.  Our interface should be relatively simple and easy to learn.  Our interface will follow a lot of the conventions that are common in the game industry right now, like simple keyboard and mouse controls together with simple on-screen prompts and displays. 

4. The outcome of the game is very much tied to the player.  If the player does nothing the game will be over quickly with the viruses attacking and destroying the entire motherboard.  If the player is attentive and plays well, he or she can defeat each wave and progress to the next stage.

5. The player should feel powerful in our game.  The player controls the most powerful entity in the game, the antivirus program, which is able to neutralize the attacks with the weapons at its disposal.  We could continue discussing new and more powerful weapons to this end to improve the user's feeling of power.

6. As of now the player will not be picking anything up in the game.  We could potentially in the future implement picking up new weapons or powerups.

7. The interface directly maps to actions in the world.  The interface through the keyboard and mouse maps to movement and camera angle in the world.

8.  The player can see the world around him or her through looking around with the mouse.  The user can hear the enemies and any attacks that happen.  There could also be auditory cues for new waves of enemies or things like time bombs that the player could lay down.

9. The only parts of the interface that are not invisible are the ones that display important information on the screen.  We will strive to keep this sort of thing minimal in unobtrusive if possible.  These interfaces include the health display, ammunition and a time counter.  Keeping the player immersed is our goal, so fewer things in the way of the user's vision is better.  Our game will also be first person, which will also hopefully encourage immersion.

10. Our interface is natural insofar as it is similar to the standard interface of the game industry.  The keyboard and mouse are not very natural interfaces for players because most 3D games utilize them for movement.  Most players should be able to use our interface without thinking much about it. 

11. I think the ideal for this would be to have no obtrusive displays crowding the visual interface.  If the screen could be completely empty letting the user really immerse into the role of the first person character, that would be ideal.

12. The interface gives all the pertinent feedback that the player needs to keep playing.  The interface will display health, ammunition reserves and any other useful information.  The player also needs to know how much time before another wave of enemies attacks, which will be displayed as a timer.  This will help the user to prepare and get things like upgrades and make sure the previous wave is dealt with.  The goal in this case is to be prepared for the next wave which the counter helps with.

13. The visual interface is continuous so that he user has up to date information about their health, their position in the game, how long before the next wave and the effectiveness of their weapons (including ammo).

14. There will probably not be much visual change when changing modes.  There will really only be the normal mode of running around and fighting viruses and also a slightly different mode when repairing buildings and computer components.  That mode could have interfaces for upgrading and repairing the components.