1. List the components of the HUD (Head Up Display = every informational, status, ID, or tool): Health meter, Friends, Catalog, Menu, and two chat options. It also lists the names of characters around your avatar.
2. Describe how each component of the Toontown HUD is used to inform you of things not visible to the camera? Health meter keeps you aware of your mortality within the game. The Friends button allows you to keep track of your friends within the game. Catalog is meant to keep you aware of all the things you can buy with the money you earn from playing minigames. The two chat options are meant to allow you to talk to people within the game.
3. Describe how other toons, maps, objects, and the Head-Up Display (HUD) help you locate other users and objectives? Usually a character will pop on the screen to tell you your mission and if you happen to forget what that mission was the game will tell you what it is through the HUD.
3. What other ways – other than text – are used to inform you about the world, how objects work, and your avatar's status? Character animations help and if something is movable an option will appear.
4. Give some examples of how color, shape, contrast, position, motion, and sound in Toontown allow you to know what is and is not interactive?Color = Usually its the pastel and muddy colored items that are non-interactive.
Contrast = Vibrancy in the game is a visual clue that an item is either important or interactive.
Position = When your avatar is in the right spot a message will activate that something is interactive.
Motion = I've seen a character stop dead in its tracks when an event happens.
Sound = A sound happens when an item is interactive to confirm its status with the user.
5. How are various tasks and goals communicated to you at the start of the game? How and why does this evolve as you gain more experience? Goals and tasks are communicated by a character telling you what to do or the game telling you the objectives on the bottom screen in a message.
6. Name several ways that you are encouraged to complete tasks and attain goals. Unlockable items that can be bought through earning money from minigames help encourage gameplay. Interaction with other players also help advance the game.
7. What is the step-by-step procedure you must complete before defeating a Cog? How are you guided through this procedure? How does this change when you're attempting to defeat a relatively powerful Cog? The fighting system within the game is turn-based. Each character takes a turn, they can either choose to attack with a joke or just stand and allow another player to attack. Once everyone has chosen an action, the cog will attack, then each character has their turn. I haven't seen this model change because I've never been in a fight alone with a powerful cog.
8. Which features of Toontown contribute to an immersive feeling (like you are really there)? Being able to jump and move around in a 3D open space helps me feel like I am immersed in the game.
9. Which features break that immersive feeling? The extremely busy HUD breaks the immersion because it just keeps me aware that the screen is too crowded.
10. Attempt some collaborative actions such as EZ Chat and teaming up to fight Cogs. Describe the basics of what you did and the results. What were the limitations you experienced? I would chat with my buddy, but we could only use family friendly dialogue. In order to get into a fight the both of us would just run up to a cog, usually other people would join in. I noticed that a lot of people didn't fight because they just wanted the experience without using their items.
11. The concept of “health” of each avatar is a key element in all online virtual worlds. In Toontown, how is “health” managed and its status displayed? Health is measured in hit points by a number on your HUD. Its called happiness within the game, but really its hit points. Depending on how much damage you taken your number decreases.
12. Chose ONE of the Book features and briefly describe/sketch how you would redesign it to be part of the HUD, i.e. omnipresent in the user’s view. Design both a compressed and expanded form. Add notes to your sketch to convey how it would work.
13. What features did you find the most difficult to use and why? How would you redesign them to operate better? I wish the controls were better explained. I don't think most people know that you can jump in the game. The objectives during the minigames come on the screen too fast, I'm left wondering what am I doing.
14. What features would you add to help yourself navigate better? I would add a compass and a better world map. The world map is pretty, but its not exactly clear where you have been and where can you go.
15. How do objects in Toontown tell you how to operate them? A message usually appears on the screen saying how to operate objects.
16. What was your favorite activity in Toontown? I like exploring Toontown, the world is colorful and I wish I could explore more of it without having to battle a cog every minute or having a mission.
18. Comment on 3 aspects of ToonTown that relate to the HOH-Agency Chapter.Toontown can fit within the category of games as symbolic dramas it fits all of the criteria.
Instead of being a completely linear game, Toontown allows the user to explore to an extent. The game was designed similar to a labyrinth.
Similar to the child telling their parent, “This game will never end,” Toontown does not seem to have an end. This is a very similar case with all MMO's, I don't think the people of Toontown will ever be safe from the cogs.
In conclusion, I think There was made much like Toontown was, to create an accessible virtual world for a the average person. Where There lacks in it's customization, it makes up with an easy to use interface and large easy to naviate world. However, this does not make There better or worse than SL. Second Life features all customizable big world, its satisfying to be able to change and build things.
