Observing the Impact of Visual Clarity and Projectile Mechanics on Player Perception, Reaction Time, and Strategy, in Movement Shooters

Sammanfattning

This bachelor thesis aims to investigate the impact of visual clarity, projectile mechanics, and animation style, on player perception, reaction time, and strategy, within a movement shooter. The game project is developed in Unreal Engine 5.7.4, and the research tied to it is relevant to game designers who seek to improve gameplay readability, responsiveness, and weapon feedback, specifically regarding projectile weapons. Using a research-through-design methodology, the research was divided into three interconnected studies: target acquisition on a whitebox map versus a textured map, player strategy when shooting moving targets using a projectile weapon with projectile falloff, and the effect of exaggerated versus realistic animations on reaction time. Results of the research showed that visual noise had limited impact on target acquisition, as player familiarity was a more influential factor. Projectile mechanics affected player strategy to a significant degree, encouraging players to adapt their playstyle in order to complete the shooting task. The animation study found no statistically significant relationship between reaction time and the type of animation displayed. The research concludes that adaption and familiarity strongly shapes player perception and performance in a movement shooter. It suggests that visual communication and responsive weapon mechanics are of greater importance than simplifying or reducing visual complexity.