CONTEXT
Game - Call of Duty: Mobile (2019)
Call of Duty: Mobile is a 2019 first-person shooter video game developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Activision for Android and iOS
Challenges -
Analyze in-game features that can be improved for new and upcoming COD: M players for engagement and retention strategies
Create suggestions to improve the current UX flow in the tutorial screens via player engagement and retention evaluation
Role - UX Designer/Analyst
Project Length - 2 weeks
Skills - Flow Analysis | Wireframing
Tools - Figma | Photoshop
This is a project that I have worked on from attending an advanced UX course.
GAME ANALYSIS
Game Analysis helps understand the strengths and weaknesses of player behavior and can help shape the design afterwards
I have used a YouTube video to analyze this report. Link here
I have split the video into five main sections:
Basic gameplay control tutorial
Tutorial Content
- Move tutorial
- View tutorial
- Shoot tutorial(Rifle Type)
- Aim tutorial
- Simple & Advanced shooting control tutorial
- Change shooting control in the setting tutorial
- Reload tutorial
- Weapon tutorial (Sniper Type)
- Scorestreak tutorial (Predator Missile)
Experience Goals
[Usability] Players understand all the potential movement and aiming controls
[Desirability] Players find the shooting mechanics fun and exciting
[Scalability] Players want to unlock more weapon types + scorestreaks
Store + Loadout tutorial
Tutorial Content
- Currency acquisition
- Lobby screen
- Store screen
- Weapon purchase
- Loadout screen tutorial
- Weapon equip (M4)
Experience Goals
[Usability] Player can easily equip their loadouts and change their character before game starts
[Desirability] Players can understand how to find all their desirable loadouts
[Scalability] Players find it easy to purchase item in the store, including the free items
MP Match gameplay tutorial
Tutorial Content
- MP Lobby screen
- Loadout change
- Reconfigure the advanced control
- Game mode objective
- Sprinting (not taught)
- Melee kill (not taught)
- Victory MVP Screen
- Leveling up (LV 1 > LV 2)
- Player XP + Weapon XP
- Battle-pass tasks
- Detail Scoreboard
Experience Goals
[Usability] Players can easily understand the objective and find ways to win the game
[Desirability] Players find all the movement very fluid and all weapons very satisfying
[Scalability] Players can discover what and how they got killed with via killcams
Leveling - up tutorial
Tutorial Content
- Leveling up rewards screen
- Level-up reward acquisition (Grenade)
- reward acquisition in battle pass screen (Weapon XP)
- Grenade Equip in loadout screen
- Weapon upgrade using weapon XP (M4)
- New scope + scope equip
Experience Goals
[Usability] Players can easily understand how to find their desired items in the loadout
[Desirability] Players find all the rewards exciting, including the free ones
[Scalability] Players can easily discover new weapons they can unlock in the loadout screen
Wrap up + PVP Match (Post - Tutorial)
Tutorial Content
- End of Tutorial notification
- New player Sign-in reward
- Battle-pass tutorial
- Scorestreak screen (not taught)
- Mode select (not taught)
- Gameplay: Mini - map expansion + wall mantle + Sliding (not taught)
- Grenade toss (not taught)
- Leveling up (LV 2 > LV 3)
Experience Goals
[Usability] Players understand all the potential movement and aiming controls
[Desirability] Players find the shooting mechanics fun and exciting
[Scalability] Players wants to unlock more weapons types + scorestreaks
ENGAGEMENT EVALUATION
Engagement evalution focuses on how to keep players constantly engaged in the game and how to keep them longer in the game
The great
Moving + Viewing
The players will be reminded how to do these actions regularly and it is instant, efficient and rewarding.
Shooting + Aiming
The players will be reminded how to do these actions regularly and it is instant, efficient and rewarding.
Levelling up
Levelling up gave players an understanding of what to expect every time they have new content/items to unlock.
Has the potential
Gameplay Settings
Players were only taught how to change the shooting setting. Players will have a moderate difficulty to form a regular habit.
Lethal + Tactical equipment
Tutorial only taught by equipping the item without telling players how to use it. It will be hard for players to form a regular habit.
Scorestreak
Players were taught how to use it, but it is only for one type of scorestreak. Players will have a moderate difficulty to form a regular habit.
RETENTION EVALUATION
Retention evaluation focuses on how COD:M establishes player and game identity.
Player Identity
-
An Elite Operator
-
Fighting against the other elite team
-
Defeating enemies
-
For Glory and Pride
Game Identity
In CoOD:Mobile, players play as well-known characters in the CoD metaverse. You are trying to fight against the other elite team with precise gunplay and fluid movement on a handheld device.
ANALYSIS SUMMARY
After breaking down each tutorial section, here are the key issues I have identified.
-
Players comes from all gaming background and experience. This tutorial only covers very little information for the game. It needs an optional page for players who don’t understand the overall game flow.
-
Players need to understand what they did correctly and thus rewards would be needed for them to feel the encouragement.
-
The current battle-pass tutorial is injecting in bits and pieces all around the FTUE experience. Players needs a clearer battle-pass tutorial.
SUGGESTIONS
After identifying some key issues, here are three suggestions to help improve the current tutorial flow.
Players always get rewards for finishing any tutorial
This approach helps to prevent player confusion by building step-by-step guidance, ensuring that players can grasp foundational concepts before moving on to more advanced content.
2. Cover all content before proceeding to the next
This approach helps to prevent player confusion by building step-by-step guidance, ensuring that players can grasp foundational concepts before moving on to more advanced content.
3. Create optional tutorials for all experience-level players
After covering some fundamental tutorials, for some new players that need a bit more guidance, optional tutorials can be added to ensure they understand the material, and of course, rewards will be given if they want to learn more about the game.
CONCLUSION
Outcome
Analyzed the COD: M tutorial screens for new players and did a thorough feature breakdown
Created suggestions for the tutorial screens based on the analysis report
Created a workflow that democratizes the new workflow propose to improve first-time player experience
Post-portem
Set a clear breakdown to showcase each section’s strengths and weaknesses
Create a retention and engagement analysis to showcase methods that can bring back players
Create suggestions for dev teams to have some potential action items