HitStun
Stat tracker for fighting game players.
ABOUT ARCADE FIGHTERS
Fighting games are characterized by directional inputs, 2-d side-scrolling, and as the name implies, a variety of fighting techniques and characters. The gameplay relies on chaining together attacks to form combos, which eventually lead to knockouts.
Fighters are somewhat unpopular in the game scene, with the most popular fighter by far being Super Smash Bros Ultimate, a game that brought the genre into popular media.
MY ROLE
I conducted background research, planned out interviews, iterated rapidy on design, created the wireframes, and finally designed a functional prototype.
THE PROBLEM
Many game genres have online databases that help players track stats (op.gg, u.gg, tracker.gg). Most FPS, MOBA, and RPG games have websites to host information online. The fighting game community currently lacks a database that displays this information, making it harder for players to improve their own gameplay.
RESEARCH
Some of the unpopularity of fighters can be attributed to the high skill ceiling, where players must memorize and repeat a string of button presses with unforgiving timing.
This, combined with the fact that most players in fighting game communities are veterans, leads to an unhealthy game experience for amateurs wanting to get into the genre.
I asked a few friends on Discord for their experience playing fighting games, and got these answers:
Fighting games take too much time to learn, I dont want to spend more time out of game than in the game.
...I tried Dragonball FighterZ (fighting game) once and I got completely stomped. Yea I'm good.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate is the only fighter I've played.
No one I knows plays, and it's mad hard to play.
Conversations with these players attributed the lack of popularity to the skill ceiling, and a lack of knowledge on lesser known fighters.
DESIGN
I began by first studying how other game databases organized their information.
Upon finishing my research, I observed a majority of the websites listing splitting their information into 3 distinct categories: tier lists, general information, and player information.
These categorizations are set up to aid the player in browsing a large database, minimizing wasted time.
I used this to lead my design process.
USER TESTING
I communicated with Dragonball FighterZ (DBFZ) players to see if it matched their expectations. The general consensus pointed me towards some minor QoL changes, such as implementing more color, while varying text sizes, boldness, and opacity to prioritize key information.
STYLE GUIDE
The style guide was based loosely on arcade colors that I remembered seeing as a kid. I used vibrant shades of purple and yellow as my base. The logo was designed by me using Clip Studio Paint.
CONCLUSION
This project challenged me to venture outside my comfort zone. I had to learn basic graphic design for my logo, as well as interviewing strangers online for their opinion on my work. Even with these challenges, I ended up with a product that I am satisfied with.
