Hello Eternium Developers,
Kind Attn.: Red (Developer) , Liana-Daniela (QA Specialist)
First, my heartiest congratulations and thanks for creating this exceptional game and offering it virtually free of charge. Eternium is truly a labour of love, a work of art and a feat of engineering. When I started on this mobile game as a visually impaired new player last year, I encountered some challenges that could put off less-perseverant gamers. Ergo, I hereby humbly submit for your benign consideration a few suggestions to:
Ideator Credits: Many of these suggestions are from other players on this Forum; I have just given a visual representation to their ideas. So, I have tried to remember and give credit to those whom I could recall. If I missed anyone, please PM me so that I can assign due credit under that suggestion.
Note: This is my sole, consolidated post for suggestions. Unfortunately, vBulletin places restrictions on post length and comment count. So, I am compelled to split this post into multiple “Comments” (with links from the main post). Regret the inconvenience to readers; and my apologies to the moderator (Travis).
PS: Explanatory graphics created using Microsoft PowerPoint and Paint (and limited by deuteranopia); kindly bear with their quality, or lack thereof…
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND ASSUMPTIONS
Following are the design principles and assumptions based on which these suggestions are made:
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
Following changes to the current game terminology/ features/ presentation/ behaviors are made/ recommended in these suggestions.
Textual Changes:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Kind Attn.: Red (Developer) , Liana-Daniela (QA Specialist)
First, my heartiest congratulations and thanks for creating this exceptional game and offering it virtually free of charge. Eternium is truly a labour of love, a work of art and a feat of engineering. When I started on this mobile game as a visually impaired new player last year, I encountered some challenges that could put off less-perseverant gamers. Ergo, I hereby humbly submit for your benign consideration a few suggestions to:
- Reduce attrition of new players due to small-screen (sub-4.7”) challenges.
- Enhance the user experience of visually impaired (myopic and color-deficient) players.
- Improve GUI experience via consistent visual design and intuitive interactivity.
Ideator Credits: Many of these suggestions are from other players on this Forum; I have just given a visual representation to their ideas. So, I have tried to remember and give credit to those whom I could recall. If I missed anyone, please PM me so that I can assign due credit under that suggestion.
Note: This is my sole, consolidated post for suggestions. Unfortunately, vBulletin places restrictions on post length and comment count. So, I am compelled to split this post into multiple “Comments” (with links from the main post). Regret the inconvenience to readers; and my apologies to the moderator (Travis).
PS: Explanatory graphics created using Microsoft PowerPoint and Paint (and limited by deuteranopia); kindly bear with their quality, or lack thereof…
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND ASSUMPTIONS
Following are the design principles and assumptions based on which these suggestions are made:
- Standardization enhances predictability and intuitive interaction.
- Localization requires ~30% more space in text boxes. In case of overflow, scrolling is preferred over shrinking the translated text to fit the box.
- Accessible design is an inclusion strategy to increase and retain player base.
- An Exit option without taking action is preferred in interfaces.
- Majority (51%+) of players are male, with Blue as the predominant color of choice.
- Majority of players are right-handed and few are ambidextrous.
- Majority of players are relatively new and require JIT instructions to continue.
- Players who spend money are aged 25+ and many may have defective vision.
- Though it's a role-playing game, Eternium should not ask the player to "kill" anything/ anyone (a la Bluewhale) or declare "You're Dead!". The hero dies in battle, not the player; the hero receives life, not the player. This is an anthropomorphic slip (and it may have legal consequences in certain jurisdictions), so should be avoided. The distinction between "You" and "Your hero" in the interface text needs to be explicit.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
Following changes to the current game terminology/ features/ presentation/ behaviors are made/ recommended in these suggestions.
Textual Changes:
- Global level—
- ALL CAPS used in titles, table header-footers, and hard buttons for better visibility. Soft buttons feature Title Casing.
- One-word page titles changed to 2 words for better clarity.
- Page titles—
- "Gear" page title changed to "Hero's Armory". The new term better reflects the activities happening on that page.
- "Craft" page title changed to "Gear Smithy". The new term does not confuse with Jewelry crafting. To further distinguish the 2 procedures, the term "Forging" is used for gear and "Crafting" for jewelry.
- "Stash" page title changed to "Shared Stash". The new term better communicates to new players about its function.
- "Store" page title changed to "In-Game Shop". The new term prevents confusion for new players about "Storage" and "Stash". "Hero's Shop" could be even better.
- "Abilities" page title and term changed to "Skills". The new term translates better. "Ability" is a generic term in many languages, whereas "Skill" is a specific term. Consequently, "Ability Rating" becomes "Skill Rating".
- "Jewelry" page title and items changed to "Talismans". The new term appropriately reflects the purpose of the item. Newbs who find "jewelry" superfluous for battle may relate to this new term better.
- “Reward Calendar” page title and term changed to “Rewards Calendar”, as it essentially a calendar of rewards.
- Terms—
- “Rank” is changed to “Level” for skill upgrades. In ranking, the lowest number is the highest rank, whereas the upgrade numbers imply increasing level (like in Karate, Six Sigma, etc.).
- “Chest” on the current Craft page is changed to “Vest” in the new Gear Smithy page.
- “Quality” (as in gear/ gemstone quality) changed to “Grade”, as the former term indicates a defective item in case of lower-grade gear/ gemstone, effectively confusing new players. Quality is a technical term and is inexact in the game context.
- "Necklace" changed to "Necklet". The new term is appropriate in the game context and matches the current image. "Collar" is even better.
- "Gems" and "Gemstones" need to be distinguished (as requested by Qeltar , BAgate , et al). Perhaps, "Crystals" can replace one of them. Perhaps, "Crystals" can replace one of them.
- "Buy" and "Purchase" need to be distinguished. The former term should be used for "hero 'buying' items" whereas the latter should be used for "player 'purchasing' IAPs". This clarifies "Buyback" and "Restore Purchases" too. Upon "buying" using Gold or Gems, the hero "receives" items, whereas upon "purchasing" using real money, the player "gets" IAPs. Here, a potential anthropomorphic confusion is prevented.
- To avoid textual redundancy and to give better clarity to newbs, the gray description below the popup title of gear and skills follows these specs:
- Standard gear is identified by its level, grade (i.e., Common/ Uncommon/ Rare/ Epic/ Legendary), and class (i.e., Weapon/ Armor/ Talisman), not its type. E.g.:
- Level 1 Common Weapon, not Common Sword.
- Level 10 Uncommon Armor, not Uncommon Shield/ Cape/ Helm/ Shoulder Pads/ Vest/ Gloves/ Pants/ Boots.
- Level 20 Rare Talisman, not Rare Necklet/ Ring.
- Special gear is identified by its level, grade, and status. E.g.:
- Level 30 Epic Living Item, not Epic Sword/ Mace/ Pistol/ Cape.
- Level 40 Legendary Named Item, not Legendary Sword/ Mace/ Pistol/ Shield/ Cape.
- Level 50 Legendary Set Item, not Legendary Helm/ Shoulder Pads/ Vest/ Gloves/ Pants/ Boots.
- Gemstones are identified just by their level. E.g.:
- Level 1 Gemstone.
- Level 6 Gemstone.
- Wherever applicable, skills are described by their level and class. E.g.:
- Level 1 Attack Skill, not just Attack Skill.
- Level 5 Utility Skill, not just Utility Skill.
- Level 10 Passive Skill, not just Passive Skill.
- Standard gear is identified by its level, grade (i.e., Common/ Uncommon/ Rare/ Epic/ Legendary), and class (i.e., Weapon/ Armor/ Talisman), not its type. E.g.:
- The word “Set” is used in the popup title of Set gear to distinguish from Named items for newbs. E.g.: Adventurer’s Set Gloves instead of Adventurer’s Gloves, distinguishing it from, say, Elban’s Scepter.
- A humble request is hereby made to replace the names of trials with the surnames of developers and top players (such as Level 5 badge winners and the first player to reach the highest trial). This would be a significantly meaningful gesture of honor.
- All popups are fitted within 800x600 pixels.
- All popups and interfaces are precisely aligned (using guides) for consistency.
- Text and buttons are sized for 4.7"-screen mobile device.
- For consistency and greater flexibility, tabs are replaced with buttons, except for the Build tabs. Whenever buttons display tab behaviors, their font size changes (as an exception). The active button (tab) has larger fonts, while its inactive counterparts have smaller ones.
- Like all other gear, jewelry items also could be prominently visible/ shine on the hero. Given the effort that goes into creating these items, their visibility could be quite satisfying for players.
- Set and Named items could have a unique border, differentiating from Standard gear (Credit: starshine531 ).
- Modifications to existing—
- The current “Heroes” page is presented as the “Menu” page for simplicity and clarity. All non-build buttons common to all heroes are placed here.
- The current “Menu” page is presented as the new “Hometown” page. All non-build buttons for a specific hero are shifted here.
- Clutter reduced on “Abilities” pages via a popup bypass to increase visibility of information therein.
- Clutter reduced on “Friends” page by splitting it into 2 functionalities:
- Friends’ Heroes page, for only viewing the heroes of friends.
- Join Friends page, for inviting, adding, deleting, PvP, and also chatting with friends.
- The inconspicuous hotspots/ hit-boxes/ buttons on the currency-balance indicator have been deleted. Instead:
- “Buy-Gold-with-Gems” option shifted to the In-Game Shop.
- “Purchase-Gems-with-Money” (IAPs) option spun off into a separate, prominent popup, titled “Support Eternium”.
- Resequencing of stories with 3 new bosses and 2 additional dungeons.
- Entirely new—
- “Sort Crafted Talismans by Stat” functionality included on the “Jewelry” page as a pain-reliever during the crafting procedure.
- “Friend Chat” functionality introduced for enabling player collaboration (and possible newb-enabler).
- “Game Tutorials” external link introduced as a newb-enabler.
- “Dictionary” functionality introduced as a newb-enabler.
- “Notes” functionality introduced as a newb-enabler.
- “Accessibility Settings” functionality introduced as a pain reliever for differently abled players.
- “Buy-Gems-with-Gold” concept introduced in the In-Game Shop as a pain-reliever for long-term players.
- “Player Badge” concept introduced as a recognition system for long-term players.
- “Mount” concept (replacing the companions) introduced as an alternative.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 00: Standardization and Cascading Style
- 00.1: Objects Library and Accessibility Specs
- 00.1.1: Cascading Style Library
- 00.1.2: Accessibility Considerations
- 00.2: Templates
- 00.2.01: General Background
- 00.2.02: Popups on Menu Page
- 00.2.03: Sub-Popups on Menu Popup
- 00.2.04: Alert Popups on Menu Popup
- 00.2.05: Soft Popups on Menu Popup
- 00.2.06: "Build" Tabs
- 00.2.07: Sub-Popup on Build Tab
- 00.2.08: Alert Popups on Build Tab
- 00.2.09: Soft Popups on Build Tab
- 00.2.10: Build Accessories
- 00.1: Objects Library and Accessibility Specs
- 01: The "New Hero" Interface
- 01.1: New Hero Description
- 02: The "Menu" Screen
- 02.1: Welcome and Alert
- 02.2: Heroes Gallery
- 03: Menu > Unlock Hero
- 04: Menu > Delete Hero
- 05: Menu > Log Out
- 06: Menu > Daily Quests
- 06.1: Begin Daily Quest
- 06.2: Continue Daily Quest
- 06.3: Complete Daily Quest
- 07: Menu > Support Eternium
- 07.1: Canceled Payment Alert
- 08: Menu > Support Eternium > Event Value Packs
- 08.1: Event Value Pack Item Description
- 09: Menu > Seasonal Event
- 10: Menu > Game Settings
- 10.1: Language Settings
- 10.2: Accessibility Settings
- 11: Menu > Join Friends
- 11.1: Invite Friends
- 11.1.1: Clipboard-Copy Message
- 11.2: Add Friend
- 11.3: Join Friends (with friends)
- 11.4: Friend Chat
- 11.5: Delete Friend
- 11.1: Invite Friends
- 12: Menu > More Features
- 13: More > Restore Purchases
- 13.1: Restore Purchase Alert
- 14: More > View Achievements
- 15: More > Submit Promo Code
- 16: More > Delete Account
- 17: Menu > Player Badge Alert
- 17.1: Player Badge Display
- 18: The "Hometown" Screen
- 19: Hometown > Leader Board
- 19.1: Vital Stats
- 19.2: Gear Stats
- 19.3: Trial Stats
- 20: Hometown > Build Notes
- 20.1: Save Alert
- 21: Hometown > Friends' Heroes
- 21.1: Vital Stats
- 21.2: Gear Stats
- 22: Hometown > Eternium Mail
- 22.1: Mail with Soft Button
- 22.2: Mail with Hard Button
- 22.3: Mail with Promo Code
- 22.3.1: Mail launching Promo Code popup
- 23: Hometown > Rewards Calendar
- 23.1: Collected Reward
- 23.2: Missed Reward
- 24: Hometown > In-Game Shop
- 24.1: Shop with Mount Tokens
- 25: The "Build" Interfaces
- 25.1: Hero's Armory > Vital Stats
- 26: Hero's Gear Stats
- 26.1: Presenting Gear Comparison
- 26.2: Presenting Named Item With Reforge Button
- 26.3: Presenting Set Item On Right Panel
- 27: Gear Reforging
- 27.1: Presenting Instruction
- 27.2: Selecting Stat to Reforge
- 27.3: RNG Action
- 27.4: Final State and Reset
- 28: Sell Alert
- 29: Buyback
- 30: Inventory Expansion Alert
- 31: Champion Level
- 31.1: Champion Points
- 32: Build > Shared Stash
- 32.1: Stash Expansion Alert
- 33: Build > Gear Smithy
- 33.1: Gear Picker
- 33.2: Forging Preview
- 33.3: Gear Forging
- 34: Build > Talismans > Crafting
- 34.1: Crafting Stat Picker
- 34.2: Crafted Item Sorter
- 34: Build > Talismans > Fusing
- 35.1: Presenting Fusing Instruction
- 35.2: Fusion Result Preview
- 36: Build > Combat Skills
- 36.1: Skill Description
- 36.2: Skill Upgrade
- 36.3: Finish/Abort Alert
- 36.4: Synergy Level
- 37: Build > Battle Team
- 37.1: Mount for Warrior
- 37.2: Mount for Bounty Hunter
- 37.3: Mount for Mage
- 38: Build > Dictionary
- 39: Build > Notes
- 40: The "Gameplay" Modes
- 40.1: Story Mode
- 40.2: Story Sequencing
- 40.3: Trials Mode
- 40.3.1: Leader Board
- 41: Story > Training Grounds
- 41.1: Scenario Selector
- 41.2: Training Play/ Pause
- 41.2: DPS Stats
- 41.2.1: DPS Stats
- 42: Story > Arena
- 42.1: Arena Story
- 42.2: Arena Story Finish
- 43: General Story and Trial Battlefields
- 43.1: Story screen
- 43.2: Trial screen
- 43.3: Battlefield Map
- 44: Battle Victory and Defeat Presentations
- 44.1: Battle Victory message
- 44.1.1: Combat Stats
- 44.2: Battle Defeat popup
- 44.2.1: Post-Defeat Shop popup
- 44.2.2: Battle Exit Alert popup
- 44.1: Battle Victory message
(Click a link or scroll down for detailed suggestions...)
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