During this lesson we covered planning of the manual and task analysis.
Before writing a manual, we need to think about things like who it’s for and why we are writing it, as this will inform how the manual is written, what language is used and what tone is conveyed by the writing. On top of this, it is important to know the topic well before we start writing, as we need to be able to effectively write about a topic to be able to continue the process of drafting the manual.
I have also completed a task analysis:
Who? People who play video games, generally 18 to 30 year old males. I also believe that younger players may require parental figures to explain the manual to them. As there is a large increase in the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons, the game which inspired my game, I may need to think about players new to this type of game.
Why? Text-based games are complex and have rules that are difficult to understand, therefore it would be handy to have a guide that players could refer to, in order to find out information about the game, without having to display this information in the game.
What? The manual should include steps on how the game should function. The manual should provide a reference for players, so they can easily find out how to perform their desired action. The manual should provide extended information about the game, to allow the user to find information without it having to be displayed in the game.
Where? It will be used within people’s homes.
When? The manual will be used before game-play to help the user understand how to play the game. It will also be used during game-play as a reference for the user.
How? The user will refer to the manual as a reference during game-play.
I believe that the task analysis was a good use of my time, as it allowed me to better visualize both the purpose and the stakeholders of my manual. I used the information gained from this process to alter my draft manual appropriately.