So, what we have above is (hopefully) the final version of the GUI. You may notice that we’ve put in an exp bar below the health bar, to make it easier for the player to figure out exactly how far he has to go before he levels. I was against the idea originally, because I figured that if I put an exp bar up, the game would feel too “grindy”, as if the player was only playing to get another skill point and get one more step down the skill tree. I was opposed to this mainly because I figured that it would be too “cheap” to actively remind the player that he is being rewarded for time spent, not for skill or engagement.

Then I realized, that’s what we’ve been doing all along with the skill system.

The skill system itself is a Skinner Box, as is the equipment and upgrade system. All of these things were put in because they reward the player for simply playing at a basic level of competence for an extended period of time. For this, players get rewarded with shiny new weaponry and gadgets. I didn’t figure it out because the equipment upgrade system was such a basic convention of action games (more play = more powerful weapons) that I simply didn’t think of the ramifications. Regardless, I am now trying my best to make sure that these mechanics go down as easily as possible. Players will still have to deal with mechanics backed by operant conditioning, but with the addition of the exp bar and certain other widgets, the plan is to make as easy as possible.

More next week, I need to finish up the variables for weapon accuracy before I go to sleep.