Skills Redesign
THE CONTEXT
Blankos Block Party is a multiplayer online game developed by Mythical Games. It is a unique combination of a party game, a sandbox game, and a digital toy. In Blankos Block Party, players can customize and control vinyl toy characters called "Blankos" within a virtual world.
The Skills section, located within the game's main menu, provides players with the ability to customize character skills and assign special abilities. This project breakdown focuses primarily on addressing the challenges related to the Skills feature in Blankos Block Party. These challenges include the absence of a clear method to differentiate between skill types, which are divided into Passive and Active skills, as well as a lack of definition for each of the skills on the interface.
THE PROBLEM
How might we improve the Skills screen for an improved sense of navigation, definition and usability?
We highlighted some UX issues with the current design of the Skills Screen.
Passive Skills include Foundation & Power, whereas the Active Skills are the coloured icons beside the character, which do not respond to any interaction from the user whatsoever.
Foundation Skills are fundamental moves whereas Power Skills are meant to be boosts. Both require assignment and there are 3 slots to fill each.
THE GOALS
To Improve Understanding of the Feature
In Blankos Block Party, skills are divided into subsets and are specific to each character, meaning they cannot be swapped or replaced. However, the current presentation of skills in the game may not provide immediate clarity on how they are used during gameplay.
Fixing Information Architecture
The information display should be tailored to what is essential for the player's purpose. This involves optimizing the screen space to prioritize Skills, providing their definitions and previews for application, along with basic character information and their corresponding artwork.
WHAT WE DID
Passive Skill 1: Foundation Skill Flow
This is the landing page the player sees when they enter Skills. Active Skills are placed directly under the Blankos Character.
On the right side, players can find their Passive Skills - Foundation and Power.
To access customisation options for both, players can utilise the console joystick to toggle between the options. Toggling into Foundation expands the foundation skill slots.
Hovering over each of the foundation skill pops up a description explaining the skill option and a preview demonstrating it in play.
Passive Skill 2: Power Skill Flow
Players can access Power on the same landing page that is entered from clicking on Skills.
Toggling into Power expands the power skill slots.
Hovering over each of the power skill pops up a description explaining the skill option and a preview demonstrating it in play.
Active Skills Flow
Players can access Active Skills on the same landing page that is entered from clicking on Skills.
Toggling into Active Skills expands the skill slots.
Hovering over each of the active skill pops up a description explaining the skill option and a preview demonstrating it in play.
MAIN TAKEAWAYS
A crucial aspect of achieving success was promptly communicating any concerns, obstacles, or uncertainties that emerged during project management and development. It was important to also consistently communicate every action taken in the form of regular standups, even if it seemed redundant at times. By taking these proactive steps, it ensured that there was alignment in workflow and expectations, which the entire team greatly appreciated.