SaED Week 9: Beta Test Week 3

03/05/21 - 07/05/21

Veteran Feedback & Novice Feedback

With most of the feedback now implemented from both testers, I was concerned that their ideas would clash due to their contradictory opinions. Fortunately, however, I was able to find a compromised position that made both testers happy and satisfied with every mechanic in the game, along with the positive gameplay loop that it provided. There was no constructive feedback provided this week as both testers had none to offer. Since I was unable to obtain relevant feedback from them this week, I decided to get them to complete the same questionnaire that they responded to a couple of weeks previously, in order to determine any differences.

Final Spreadsheets, Compared to First Draft

First Spreadsheet

Final Spreadsheet

Differences are highlighted. Red means they were nerfed. Green means they were buffed.

Answers to Questions from Each Tester (Updated) – (Veteran Tester) (Novice Tester)

1. Did each creep feel imposing but still relatively easy to deal with? Please explain.

Yes. Each creep felt like they had their place and was a joy to take down with the towers offered to me.

Yes. Even though I think certain creeps such as the heavy creep are still a bit much to deal with at times, I realise now that this is a problem that solely lies with me and I have to consistently change strategies in order for this to no longer be an issue for me.

2. Did each tower feel useful? Please explain.

Yes. Each tower was worthy of its inclusion. Some more than others, I am still a consistent fan of the flame tower!

Yes. Now that I have been given ample time to process the purpose of each tower, each of them are unique and provide a good gameplay experience.

3. Were there enough consistent resources to allow for ample experimentation? Please explain.

Yes. The amount of gold I could collect through a fair combination of clicking on the map, the price of towers and the gold dropped from creeps makes it feel like I can experiment consistently without feeling too overpowered.

Yes. Through strategy and keeping an eye on the map sharply, I was able to place towers at my leisure while still feeling the urge to hold onto further resources for later for even more experimentation down the line.

4. Did the price for towers and their upgrades feel fair? Please explain.

Yes. Each value attached to each tower felt like it was worth the price of entry.

Yes. Now that the value for towers have been updated to comply with their new balanced state, I was able to choose my towers wisely and be rewarded for it despite the price of some of the more powerful towers, it always felt worth it.

5. Were there any harsh difficulty spikes? Please explain.

No. I am more familiar than ever with the set of waves within the game and while certain creeps can catch novice players of guard, (and admittedly veterans like myself), players can quickly come back from this, even while losing a handful of lives.

No. It took me a while to finally click with this game but when I did, I had a blast with the overall difficulty curve of the game.

6. Did anything strike you as being incredibly unbalanced? Please explain.

No. Other than the flame tower which I still think is the easiest path to victory, I had too much fun utilising it that I wouldn’t have it any other way. Each game needs to have their own dominant strategy to lure novices in after all. While the flame tower is good, without extra support, players will quickly realise its worth and when and when not to use it.

No. The creeps were the main concern for me here as always thought the towers were always relatively balanced anyway. While creeps like the speed creep and heavy creep can be hard to deal with at first, I’m glad they were introduced this way as it teaches players the importance of balancing certain towers with certain creeps to make a winning combo.

7. Did the pacing of waves feel smooth and consistent? Please explain.

Yes. With the cutting down on empty time between the earlier waves, I felt more engaged than ever when playing through the latest build.

Yes. With the decrease in speed from the initial wave of speed creeps, I now think each wave paced in a way where its apparent what lessons are going to be taught to players and how their strategies will be tested.

8. Did the weaknesses of each tower make up for its usefulness? Please explain.

Yes. My beautiful flame tower, once so deadly and prominent in my strategies has now been put in check with the rest of the towers on offer. Like the rest of them, it is very useful in the right situations.

Yes. I see now the importance of tower synergy and how other tower’s weaknesses can be made up with the addition of new, different ones.

9. Were you able to understand certain tower/creep synergies? Please explain.

Yes. Buff creeps provide excellent coverage and keep gameplay fresh and interesting. The splash tower alongside the electric tower is easily my favourite synergy!

Yes. Discovering the weaknesses of certain towers only to be saved when in conjunction with others was immensely satisfying to find out.

10. Was it immediately clear what purpose each tower and creep served? Please explain.

Yes. Now with updated icons to make it slightly more obvious what tower is going to be built, once players are before the two thirds mark, the purpose of both the creeps and towers should be very much drilled into their heads.

Yes. Judging the creeps purely by their appearance, it is quite apparent what they are and what they are capable of based on their size, colour or particles they exude.