Event Center: Aggregation of in-game events
NetEase, November ’21
As a dedicated member of Thunderfire UX, I actively contributed to both interaction design and UI development for NARAKA: BLADEPOINT. This hands-on experience allowed me to play a pivotal role in shaping the overall user experience and functionality of the game.
In-game events, a cornerstone of F2P games, have been a vital element since the industry's inception. They cultivate engagement by creating excitement and anticipation, encouraging players to interact with the game. Over the years, these events have become increasingly popular, now serving as a crucial and exciting component of the gaming experience.
After the game has been launched for more than three months, to maintain player engagement, we regularly release diverse events corresponding to various festivals, including Christmas and New Year. Different types of activities are planned by different planners, and the common immediate solution is to stack them directly on the homepage. However, this approach is causing some issues for both users and developers.
1.
Too many different styles of entrances on the homepage lead to a cluttered layout.
2.
Similar activities appearing in different locations make it difficult to quickly locate the events.
1.
The graphic interface designer is tasked with creating a new logo for the entrance, to be used only once during the online period of each event.
2.
Engineers are required to redevelop similar components and create independent interfaces
Goal
To help users easily find events, it simplifies the process for them to become accustomed to it.
To alleviates the need for developers to repeatedly design and develop similar logos, components, and layouts.
Naraka: Bladepoint competes directly with games like APEX and PUBG in the battle royale genre. However, its promotion strategy differs, with less emphasis on in-game events and a lower promotional frequency compared to popular Chinese mobile games known for extensive event promotions like check-ins. Nevertheless, the diverse range of events in Naraka: Bladepoint resonates more comprehensively with our user base.
As we draw inspiration from Chinese mobile games, our priority is given to those with a high daily active user base, ensuring the overall quality of their games. We place emphasis on analyzing their design in the event interface.
Genshin Impact
Honor of Kings
League of Legends: Wild Rift
Game for Peace
open-world, action role-playing game (RPG)
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)
Battle royale (BR), MMOFPS
- logo
- logo
- “Event”
- rectangle
- “Event in progress”
- image of recent event
- rectangle
- “Event”
- image of recent event
1 level menu
2 level menu
Genshin Impact
Honor of Kings
open-world, action role-playing game (RPG)
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)
- logo
- logo
- “Event”
1 level menu
2 level menu
League of Legends: Wild Rift
Game for Peace
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)
Battle royale (BR), MMOFPS
- rectangle
- “Event in progress”
- image of recent event
- rectangle
- “Event”
- image of recent event
2 level menu
Conclusion
Home
Before
After
If placed like options 1 and 2, it demands seasonal elements and frequent updates, leading to increased development costs.
Option 3 acts as a buffer for short-term entrances, avoiding excessive visual attention. The permanent event center needs a distinct, frequently clicked placement.
Positioned between the team-up lobby and the start button, Option 4 ensures player attention during pre-game wait times, representing a strategic compromise among Options 1, 2, and 3. It effectively serves as a permanent entrance in the user interface design.
Event Center
The pop-up slider appears upon entering the game
News: the first tab of event center
Utilizing a carousel slider synchronized with the login pop-up slider to showcase the latest limited-time events.
Two banner sizes available, offering three versatile combinations for flexibility. Primarily showcasing version announcements, surveys, ongoing events, anti-cheating efforts, and more.
Inside the game
Primarily centered around completing in-game tasks, enticing players to explore various aspects of the game through rewards.
Outside the game
Events involving third-party applications, aiming to enhance user engagement through external communities.
Based on three different layouts, the visual designer created the following outcome. Interfaces of the same type exhibit high consistency, enabling the rapid development of new events by simply changing the background image.
Keyboard + Mouse
Gamepad
Keyboard + Mouse
Gamepad
has a higher frequency of use and is typically associated with globally fixed operations.
has a moderate frequency of use and is often used in conjunction with each other within the game session.
has the lowest frequency of use, and its position is less accessible. It is generally reserved for functions like bringing up menus, followed by subsequent operations.
Global Buttons
, 
, and 
buttons. Event Center-Specific Buttons
and 
. This allocation leaves the 
and 
buttons available for specific actions that may be associated with certain events. The game supports 13 languages, and a common issue is that foreign language expressions are longer than Chinese, potentially causing text overflow. However, different languages have approximately proportional lengths (refer to the data below). Therefore, it's essential in interface design to consider at least 2.5 times the length of Chinese.
Chinese / Japanese / Korean
English
German / French
Spanish / Portuguese
Russian
1x
1.6x
1.8x
2x
2.2x
這是中文的文字段落
This is an English text paragraph
Dies ist eine Textpassage auf Deutsch
Dies ist eine Textpassage auf Spanisch
Dies ist ein beliebiger Textabsatz auf Russisch
Balancing Visuals and Development Emphasis
Balancing design and UI development responsibilities within the team requires careful consideration of the necessity of visual presentation. It's crucial to assess whether relatively minor visual effects might disproportionately increase the workload for development. Further exploration is needed on how to effectively integrate visual design with engineering requirements for optimal balance.
Challenges in a Large Team
Working in a fast-paced and tightly scheduled large team requires strict control over working hours. Standardization becomes particularly crucial due to numerous team members, including not only designers but also various roles. Inconsistent deliverables can hinder communication across different stages.
Challenges of Design Innovation
In a large team where each stage is interconnected, prioritizing design innovation may not be the primary focus. Developing innovative strategies should be based on the game's unique style while considering design trends in the gaming market.
Knowledge Sharing and Succession
Consider establishing an effective knowledge-sharing mechanism to ensure a smooth information flow within the team. Provide comprehensive training and documentation to facilitate a quick onboarding process for team members taking over responsibilities.
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