Task 4 (Human Centric Design)
Dark Souls 3: The affordance of reaching a checkpoint is signified by a Bonfire.
The Dark Souls series is considered a difficult type of game, and many a time do players find themselves low of health after a long time of exploring. When in a situation like this, the sight of a bonfire, or at least reaching one, is extremely relieving for the player. With Zimmerman's definition of Meaningful Play, the impact of a bonfire for those playing dark souls is obvious. Players are able to rest, respawn, and avoid enemies by resting at a bonfire - it's the only truly safe place in the game. This is even further enforced by the fact that bonfires are a common icon for the series, due to their importance and relief they provide.
Final Fantasy XIV: The affordance of beginning a bossfight is signified by a magical gateway.
Within dungeons for Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV), there are three bosses throughout it. At the entrance of each boss arena, there is a 'barrier' which signifies the start of a boss arena. Due to this, this could be seen as both a negative and positive impact. While it's plainly negative, since you have to fight a potentially difficult boss, it may also be seen as a positive impact as this represents progress through the dungeon. 30 seconds after the boss fight begins, the gateway locks and it becomes impossible to enter - this would definitely be negative for players who have yet to enter the arena, as they would not be able to participate in the fight at all.
Super Mario Bros.: The affordance is gaining an extra life and is signified by a One-Up Mushroom.
A clear, classic example of a signifier and affordance is the one-up mushroom from the original Super Mario (and later games). It serves a singular purpose, to provide the player with an extra life. This is clearly impactful, as the more lives a player has, the more chances the player has to complete the level/game.
The Dark Souls series is considered a difficult type of game, and many a time do players find themselves low of health after a long time of exploring. When in a situation like this, the sight of a bonfire, or at least reaching one, is extremely relieving for the player. With Zimmerman's definition of Meaningful Play, the impact of a bonfire for those playing dark souls is obvious. Players are able to rest, respawn, and avoid enemies by resting at a bonfire - it's the only truly safe place in the game. This is even further enforced by the fact that bonfires are a common icon for the series, due to their importance and relief they provide.
Final Fantasy XIV: The affordance of beginning a bossfight is signified by a magical gateway.
Within dungeons for Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV), there are three bosses throughout it. At the entrance of each boss arena, there is a 'barrier' which signifies the start of a boss arena. Due to this, this could be seen as both a negative and positive impact. While it's plainly negative, since you have to fight a potentially difficult boss, it may also be seen as a positive impact as this represents progress through the dungeon. 30 seconds after the boss fight begins, the gateway locks and it becomes impossible to enter - this would definitely be negative for players who have yet to enter the arena, as they would not be able to participate in the fight at all.
Super Mario Bros.: The affordance is gaining an extra life and is signified by a One-Up Mushroom.
A clear, classic example of a signifier and affordance is the one-up mushroom from the original Super Mario (and later games). It serves a singular purpose, to provide the player with an extra life. This is clearly impactful, as the more lives a player has, the more chances the player has to complete the level/game.
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