Problem to solve
In most cases, people will not be spending a large amount of time in an XR headset, so it’s safe to assume that over time they may forget the various controller options needed to interact within a specific application.
How can I remind people how to use the controllers during the experience?
What’s the best way to teach people how to use the controllers?
Moss’s solution
Instead of only showing you all of the different interactions needed at the beginning of the experience and hoping you remember them, Moss teaches them as they’re needed in context.
As the story progresses, they use a subtle ghosted controller to demonstrate which button to use for what interaction. And the objects you can manipulate directly have a nice highlight to distinguish them from the rest of the world.
If you forget or are unsure of the next objective, after a certain amount of time of not progressing, they cleverly use Quill’s body language to direct your attention on where to look or go at certain points in the story.
Issues with the solution
One thing I notice that changed at some point is that they no longer teach all of the interactions as needed – only some of the key interactions. e.g. They used to show you how to jump when you first need it, but that seems to have disappeared – unless it remembers me since I’ve already played the game to a certain level.
You can access a diagram of the controls in the menu, but you have to remember how to access the menu in-game, which is not ideal. It would be better to activate the ghosted controller after a certain amount of inactivity at a point where the specific interaction is needed.
For example, if Quill is at a point where they need to jump, and jumping doesn’t happen after a certain amount of time, activate the ghosted controller for that interaction.
Microinteractions
| Trigger: | At certain points in the story progression when a new interaction is needed to continue. |
| Sound Effects: | None |
| Voice Over: | None |
| UI Text: | None |
| Visual Cues: | Button interaction is highlighted and animated. |
| Controller Interactions: | When the correct button is used, or interaction is completed correctly, the ghosted controller goes away. |
| Haptic Feedback: | Controller vibration when… – trigger is pulled – controller is in proximity to interactable object Quest: Short vibration on button PSVR: PS4 vibration on controller |
| Environmental Cues: | Glowing ghosted controller is placed in the environment. |
Download it and try it
Moss is a cross-platform VR puzzle adventure available on PSVR, Steam VR, and the Oculus store.
Moss by Polyarc
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