Ki-45 gunsight for slanted guns

[Treetop64]

Originally Posted by EJGr.Ost_Caspar

Really??? You need to be told to look upward if you want to look through something that is clearly above you?

In fairness, Caspar, that misses the point.
Obviously, one wouldn't have to be told to look up if they were physically in the aircraft. However, in a video game where even the simplest actions require specific keystrokes or button presses, it's always a good idea to include instructions, and not just assume that others will automatically know what to do.

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by Treetop64

In fairness, Caspar, that misses the point.
Obviously, one wouldn't have to be told to look up if they were physically in the aircraft. However, in a video game where even the simplest actions require specific keystrokes or button presses, it's always a good idea to include instructions, and not just assume that others will automatically know what to do.

While I would definitely agree in different circumstances where the mechanics were all new, looking around the cockpit is a control that should already be well covered.

Maybe an incorrect assumption by me as well but looking up should be on a similar level as firing the guns and therefore instructions on using the gunsight being redundant.

[Plane-Eater]

Originally Posted by IceFire

While I would definitely agree in different circumstances where the mechanics were all new, looking around the cockpit is a control that should already be well covered.

Maybe an incorrect assumption by me as well but looking up should be on a similar level as firing the guns and therefore instructions on using the gunsight being redundant.

If looking through the default gunsight is a specific key command, I don't think it's unreasonable for somebody to think that looking through an alternate gunsight will be a separate specific key command...

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by Plane-Eater

If looking through the default gunsight is a specific key command, I don't think it's unreasonable for somebody to think that looking through an alternate gunsight will be a separate specific key command...

This is a good point. That could create the impression that there is a specific key... I hadn't thought of it that way.

The trick with any documentation is always how much information is just the right amount and what is too much (and thus either insulting or unnecessarily verbose). Might need a tad bit more here.

[Plane-Eater]

Originally Posted by IceFire

This is a good point. That could create the impression that there is a specific key... I hadn't thought of it that way.

The trick with any documentation is always how much information is just the right amount and what is too much (and thus either insulting or unnecessarily verbose). Might need a tad bit more here.

User experience testing is an important part of discovering issues like this. It helps you discover where you've made assumptions about how a player will interpret things, and where they either need different information, or more.

I can tell from Caspar's response that for him, looking up through the gunsight seems perfectly intuitive, and from one interpretation, it is. From another interpretation of "gunsight A needs key 1, gunsight B must need key 2", using the view commands instead of "key 2 for gunsight B" is something that would only be discovered basically by trial and error or chance.

Solution: more beta testers.

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by Plane-Eater

User experience testing is an important part of discovering issues like this. It helps you discover where you've made assumptions about how a player will interpret things, and where they either need different information, or more.

I can tell from Caspar's response that for him, looking up through the gunsight seems perfectly intuitive, and from one interpretation, it is. From another interpretation of "gunsight A needs key 1, gunsight B must need key 2", using the view commands instead of "key 2 for gunsight B" is something that would only be discovered basically by trial and error or chance.

Solution: more beta testers.

Trouble with us beta testers is we eventually succumb to the group think as well and I know only one person in my professional life who is able to stay outside of that and not make assumptions about the user experience. Everyone else gets sucked in

[EJGr.Ost_Caspar]

I agree. A second gunsight might assume a second button. Shift+F1 is for 'gunsight view' or 'aim view' or what it is called - and here this means for both gunsights - which is the point, that we could have mentioned.

However... IIRC, you can reach that upper gunsight also with 6DoF movments (by mouse or TrackIR) in the normal 'flight view' - so the 'Shift+F1' hotkey is not essential.

I think, the good thing with simulations is, whenever you have a problem, try it to do as you would do in real life. In most of the cases it works.