UI/UX Design: A Reworking of Subnautica's Interface

Overview

Subnautica is an open-world survival game currently available through early-access on steam (as of the time of this publication). I love the immersive atmosphere of the game and the stunningly beautiful geography. This game is full of creative innovations and I have enjoyed it thus far with only one exception: the user interface. So I decided to do a critical analysis of the design and usability principles being used in the Subnautica UI to evaluate if changes could be made to improve the player's immersion.

Identifying Issues

To accomplish this, I used Universal Principles of Design, by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler. I started off by just playing the game and jotting down notes of thing I noticed. Then I consulted the design principles to identify and understand any issues in the user interface. This collection of principles helped me identify 5 key elements that were lacking: Uniform Connectedness, Comparison, Immersion, Mental Model, and Propositional Density. Here are how they are defined in Universal Principles of Design. 

Uniform Connectedness: Elements that are connected by uniform or visual properties, such as color, are perceived as being more related than elements that are not connected.

Comparison: A method of illustrating relationships between patterns in system behavoirs.
Immersion: A state of mental focus to intense that awareness of the real world is lost.
Mental Model: People understand and interact with systems and environments based on mental representations developed from experience.
Propositional Density: The relationship between the elements of a design and the meaning they convey.

These principles of design mostly focus on the relationship between the player and the user interface. They are all related to each other and will help make a seamless interface.

Here is the current user interface, in-game. 

As you can see, the game is full of these really immersive environments, but the UI pulls you out of that. Changing between tools means looking at icons just floating over the first-person perspective. The stat overlays (oxygen, health, nutrition, and dehydration) look odd as well. The color and theme are not coherent or constant between elements. So it will obviously be important to tie these elements together, bringing uniformity and immersiveness to the player. 

Prototyping Solutions

One system already used in the game is the PDA, an in-game interface that allows players to conduct various tasks. The important thing about the PDA is that it's digetic, allowing us to maintain immersion without losing functionality. Its something I kept in mind while examining solutions. I started by scrapping the entire UI. The tool selection, stats, and depth were all removed so I could start from scratch. I then started reworking the stat overlays.

First, I started workshopping different ideas for to to relay this information without using icons. To really help sell the immersion of this information, I decided it should all be incorporated into the gameplay itself. After doing some research on what real symptoms would arise from dehydration and starvation, I had a strong foundation. This foundation, of stats being relayed through physical changes, also served to tie all the elements together. 

Immersive Stat Overlays

Stat                                                                                                               Suggested Interaction

Health                                                     Blood on inside of visor, flooding more as damage is taken

Oxygen                                                                                                           Bubble Gauge Indicator

Dehydration                                                                                                  Blur/dizziness to emulate

Nutrition                                                                                                    Hands shake/hypoglycemic

Initially, I thought it would be interesting if the tools were being projected through Augmented Reality on the PC's hand.

This seems to be more intuitive to the VR version of the game, but I wasn't sure it would translate smoothly. While hotkeys 1-5 are still used, the icons are moved off the floating UI and instead projected on the character's hand.

Eventually, I decided to get rid of the icons and go with a holographic projection, since this is a sci-fi game, but I think either one works.

Changes took several iterations to find a system that congruently presented itself as immersive to the game world. Finally, I landed on these changes.

New Interface

Since dehydration and starvation are now conveyed through visual feedback systems, there is no need for them in the UI. Since starvation will be shown through shaking hands, there is no real way to show this through a screenshot. Here is another look at the UI however, with dizzyness and blurriness being shown to indicate dehydration.

And one last show showing what a high damage scenario looks like.

Alternatively, I was informed that blood appears green underwater, due to the nature of the water absorbing the color red. Here is an alternative blood color to help weave together more immersiveness. It also makes the game more "alien" in nature, which fits with its genre.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, I think I was able to identify a few areas of the user interface that really benefited from immersive changes. Through design principles, I was able to create a user interface that is (hopefully) more intutitive and easy for the player to use, without losing functionality or immersion in the game world. Here is a final side-by-side comparision of the UI, mine and the original.

My Game Design Philosophy

My approach to game design is based on the philosophical benefits that can be gleaned from video games. Everything I try to accomplish through design revolves around providing the player with a challenging experience that promotes creativity through new occurrences. It is a breakaway from the typical design patterns used in this medium, as it is built upon the neurological functionalities that occur when playing a game. This methodology avoids shallow methods seen in the industry at large and instead focuses on the experience being delivered to the player. It is entirely about their fulfillment, on a biological level. Through neuroplasticity, players can be exposed to stimuli in games that give them a fulfilling experience.

Thesis Project

There are three tenants to this game design philosophy that I have designated as “The Three A’s.” They are Adaptive Gameplay, Active Learning, and Achievement. Adaptive Gameplay refers to constantly changing the challenge presented to the player. One of the key components to promoting plasticity in games involves constantly matching the player’s skill level (Medeiros, 2017). Video game players are used to a typical system where the better the get, the easier the game is. This actually results in a “autopilot mode” on behalf of the player, as no new stimuli is introduced (Kurtzman, 2013). So instead, I implement an adaptive staircase method that challenges the player by making the game more difficult, or stimulating, as they get better. The goal is constantly push the player further, initializing plasticity in the brain (Medeiros, 2017). 

            The second “A” pertains to Active learning, a way of presenting stimuli to the player in a manner that promotes an obtained knowledge through a three-step process (Gee, 2007, pp. 1-27). Game progression should follow a sequence of learning, thinking, and action (Gee, 2007, p. 78). Not only should progression follow this pattern, but it should offer multiple solutions for advancement (Gee, 2007, p. 134). Understanding the different ways that people learn is essential to avoid bottlenecking player’s through a supposed “right” methodology of learning. The way to truly analyze this is to consider all types of problem solving methods and experiment with new ones as well. Innovation on the designer’s end promotes innovation from the players as well.

            The final thing we need to accomplish through game design is to deliver a sense of Achievement to the player. Being able to step back from a game and feel a sense of real accomplishment is vital (Schell, 2015, pp. 133-146). Without this sense of achievement, a player would not continue to play the game (Schell, 2015, pp. 133-146). A lot of games focus on extrinsic, or external, rewards. Instead, design should be focused on intrinsic rewards to help support creativity and self-actualization in the player (Gee, 2007, p. 223). Once the player knows what they want from the game, they can explore creative avenues to get there instead of aimlessly wandering.

These three aspects all work together in unison to help promote an environment that stimulates the player. Through this methodology the player is constantly being challenged in ways that promote active learning and achievement, thus providing them with a truly enriching interaction not seen commonly in the industry at large. Experimentation is paramount in progressing a medium forward and should be cultivated more. This design philosophy fosters freedom for designers to implement new types of gameplay and change how they are able to interface with the player.

References

Gee, J. (2007). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy: Revised and updated edition (2nd ed., pp. 1-27, 78, 134, 223). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Kurtzman, L. (2013). Training the Older Brain in 3-D: Video Game Enhances Cognitive Control. UC San Francisco. Retrieved 10 June 2017, from https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/09/108616/training-older-brain-3-d-video-game-enhances-cognitive-control

Medeiros, J. (2017). How to 'game your brain': the benefits of neuroplasticity. Wired UK. Retrieved from http://www.wired.co.uk/article/game-your-brain

Schell, J. (2015). The art of game design (2nd ed., pp. 133-146). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Game Design Post Mortem

The following is a Post Mortem of my time as a Game Design intern while attending the Game Design Master's program at Full Sail University.

Post Mortem: The goal of this section is to reflect on your year and identify critical points of learning.

  In your reflection consider - What went right? What went wrong? Why did things go right or wrong? How did things go right or wrong? How did the important events you chose to focus on affect the overall experience?

     What is the final takeaway/newfound insight that you are leaving with?

Throughout my year in Capstone I faced several critical moments that would inform my decisions during the overall experience. However, I would like to talk about a single experience that really helped to inform the rest of my time at Full Sail University.

As a game design intern, my role was to help student teams flesh out their design by helping to implement various aspects. As such, the relationship I had with teams was often tense. I was an outsider who, more often than not, was coming in during a late stage of development to help address design or usability concerns. One such experience with a team early on in my capstone would be critical moment of learning.

I was helping a team of developers who were trying to implement some unique design elements into their game. Their implementation left play-testers confused and overall progression in the game was not clear. My role was to help the developers understand the concerns of their target audience and recommend ways to help balance the design between the two parties. When it came time for me to make recommendations, I addressed the group in a casual way and ran through a bulleted list of suggestions. I got blank stares and no response. I considered that there were different methodologies to learning. Perhaps my dry, non-visual approach wasn’t easily conceptualized by the developers?

I tried again, this time emailing them a PDF with recommendations and step-by-step instructions. There was media imbedded throughout the file: images, videos, and gifs demonstrating a certain design element or possible implementation. This got a more positive reaction and I got actual feedback. I realized the audience I was working with simply needed a more visually-stimulating presentation. I made a final PowerPoint presentation, with limited text and more imbedded media. I used screengrabs of other games that the team was trying to emulate; showing them creative ways to implement and balance features. This moment taught me that everyone is different and I can’t make assumptions about how someone else might learn or conceptualize material.

There were a few things I did wrong in this situation. The first was making the assumption that the way I processed information would be similar to the rest of the team. Making a better effort to get a feel for each team member early on would have helped me. I also think it went wrong initially because I didn’t fully grasp their inspiration. Once I had a better understanding for what games had inspired their work, I had an easier time relating material to something familiar to them that also drives their passion.

I think the most important thing I did right was to keep trying until I could make a connection with the team. They could tell that I put in the effort and appreciated it. Going forward, we all worked better at communication to help achieve their goals. I also carried this on to the rest of the teams I worked with during my time in capstone. I strove to place communication above all else. Going into the industry, this experience will help me greatly as I will work at studios of a variety of different cultures and size. Being flexible and adaptable in how you communicate with your team is vital.

Star Wars: The Old Republic (A Critical Analysis)

This month, in Game Usability and Testing class, I was tasked with examining how game design elements were used. I decided to evaluate Star Wars: The Old Republic, created by BioWare in 2011. Check out my results below (go full-screen for maximum effect).

Star Wars: The Old Republic (A Critical Analysis of Game Design Elements) from Alexander Rybak

User Experience Feedback

A few months back, you might remember a post here about my participation in helping run a Student Game Expo (SGX). Since then, the monthly expo has grown exponentially and pulls in a good crowd every month. Though not actively running the SGX anymore, this month I did contribute by developing a way to get feedback from SGX attendees. One of the most valuable tools at a dev's disposal is the player. Understanding who your target audience is and what they think of your game could dramatically guide the direction of development. Thus I saw the SGX as an opportunity to gather feedback directly from the player, that I could then turn around and disseminate back to the teams.

With a thorough background in user experience, flow state, and video game heuristics, I set out to develop a feedback form that would provide the developers with valuable information. To this end, I pulled upon previous research I had conducted and used The Play Experience Scale: Development and Validation of a Measure of Play by Pavlas, Jentsch, Salas, Fiore, and Sims as a starting foundation. I also used Game Usability Heuristics for Evaluating and Designer Better Games by Heather Desurvire and Charlotte Wiberg to determine a sustainable formula for measuring heuristics.

Next, I developed the feedback form online using Google Forms and set it up for the SGX. I was there facilitating the feedback station to help the SGX attendees provide their thoughts. I also had a section on the form that would allow players to provide their own feedback directly to the developers. After the event, I consolidated the raw data collected and started charting and graphing the results. My ultimate goal was not to just dump the raw data to the team, as they might not have the same experience and understanding of video game UX. The information should be easy to read and understand by the teams, to ensure they can get the most out of it. After I was done, all that was left was providing the data to the teams. Below is a sample of how I presented the feedback to a team.

Automaton assault from Alexander Rybak

User-generated feedback should always play a part in informing the developers what people want from their product. Even just making the team aware of things they might have overlooked can be extremely helpful for teams that inadvertently suffer from tunnel-vision after months of working on a project. Got questions about obtaining UX feedback for your game? Comment below and I'll be glad to help!