Project Overview

Client:

Personal Project

Lifeform function:

Research and Design

Area of Study:

Interaction Design, UI Game Design, Simulation

Targeted Goal:

Redesign Euro Truck Simulator 2 UI.

Euro Truck Simulator 2?

Euro Truck Simulator 2, commonly referred to as ETS2, holds a special place in the hearts of the simulation gaming community.

With a staggering 9 million copies sold worldwide, it has firmly established itself as a beloved title.

The game's core objective is to immerse players in the authentic experience of being a truck driver in Europe.

This entails tasks such as delivering goods, managing drivers and routes, and encountering iconic landmarks throughout the European continent.

ETS2 captures both the joys and challenges of life on the road, allowing players to embark on virtual journeys across Europe from the comfort of their screens.

Why Redesign?

Since its release in 2012, ETS2 has received numerous updates and DLCs to ensure its gameplay and graphics remain contemporary.

However, the same cannot be said for its user interface (UI). Recognizing the potential for a successful console port of ETS2, I undertook the challenge of redesigning an unofficial UI for the game.

My goal was not only to enhance the aesthetics of the interface but, more importantly, to devise innovative solutions that would deliver the best possible experience for console players.

The Process

Quantitative User Research

We created a questionnaire using Google Forms to investigate how players engaged with ETS2 and to identify their primary challenges when initially playing the game, along with the solutions they employed to overcome these difficulties.

To gather responses, we shared the questionnaire within the ETS2 SubReddit community.

Customer Journey as-is

Once we gained a deeper understanding of the user perspective, we embarked on the development of a comprehensive customer journey, providing a visual representation of every user step, particularly from the viewpoint of a new player.

This process allowed us to propose solutions for implementation, encompassing both structural enhancements and a keen focus on optimizing gamepad interactions.

Competitive Analysis

The Competitive Analysis was crucial for identifying potential solutions in our project. To select the competition, we relied on input from players through Google Forms and focused on some of the most popular simulation games on the Steam platform and Xbox. Our analysis included the following games:

Farm Simulator 19:

• Strong Points: Minimalist aesthetic, big buttons for gamepad, avatar/profile creation with scroll/side options, complex buttons always on-screen, expandable map, non-intrusive HUD, in-game option menu with customization, map selector.

• Weak Points: Lack of guidelines on GPS within the map, inability to customize tractors and attachments simultaneously.

Elite Dangerous:

• Strong Points: In-game input mode switching (fight buttons, harvest buttons, text), complexity using button combinations, diegetic HUD, guided navigation and rules presented as guidelines, user-friendly customization menu with a gamepad.

• Weak Points: Complexity necessitates practice and tutorials, steeper learning curve after breaks, information overload on the screen, complex customization and mission systems.

  

Project Cars 3:

• Strong Points: Designed for gamepad use (Windows 8-style menu for d-pad), excellent car view (menu positioned to the side and low), car selector, in-race HUD, innovative in-game map presentation, user-friendly settings menu.

• Weak Points: Excessive use of colours, the unclear hierarchy of information, user navigation challenges within the interface, and excessive steps for certain actions.

  

SnowRunner:

• Strong Points: Gamepad-friendly mod menu (Windows 8 UI navigation), well-structured customization menu (information to one side, easy type and option selection), stylish menu design with background, effective utilization of negative space, well-designed HUD with an angled view, highlights for important in-game locations.

• Weak Points: Confusing attachment mechanism (tick menu instead of a simple selector or garage usage), ineffective hierarchy in the HUD, absence of clear or coherent in-game instructions.

  

In summary, our competitive analysis encompassed a range of simulation games, each with its strengths and weaknesses. This comprehensive evaluation will inform our project's design and user interface decisions, helping us create a more user-friendly and enjoyable gaming experience.

Customer Journey to-be

By leveraging the insights gathered through User Research and Competitive Analysis, we've been able to ideate and iterate upon the original Customer Journey.

In our pursuit of consistency with the already implemented customer journey, a key focus during the ideation process was the simplification of the user interface (UI).

Through this collaborative effort, we've successfully arrived at the final customer journey to-be.

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

With the customer journey to-be in mind, we created low-fidelity wireframes to facilitate the development of a high-fidelity prototype.

High Fidelity Prototype

Utilizing the Customer Journey to-be and Low-Fidelity Wireframes, we meticulously crafted a High-Fidelity Minimum Viable Product (MVP) prototype.

Our primary emphasis during this phase was on the refinement and development of key screens to seamlessly align with the envisioned Customer Journey to-be.

Furthermore, we ensured that the User Interface (UI) design maintained optimal compatibility with gamepad inputs.

Usability Tests

In the final stages of the design process, we conducted a usability test on the high-fidelity prototype. Two users participated in this testing phase, providing invaluable insights that informed subsequent iterations of the prototype. The results gleaned from these tests not only shaped the prototype but also charted a potential path for the future development of the UI.

During the usability test, users offered the following key feedback:

1. One user suggested, 'The icons in-game could be bigger,' highlighting the importance of optimizing visual elements for enhanced gameplay.

2. Another user recommended, 'Some of the info could be in a dynamic state instead of always showing,' emphasizing the need for a more context-sensitive information display.

3. Regarding ease of navigation, one user noted, 'I felt that moving around the main menu was easy, but I think that, for people who are not accustomed to using a gamepad, it could be harder. However, a tutorial could help,' underlining the potential benefits of incorporating a user-friendly tutorial for new players.

These user insights played a pivotal role in refining the high-fidelity prototype and paved the way for further improvements in the UI design.

New Solutions

Happy Path (Game Start to Drive Flow)

In summary, this hypothetical personal case study on Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) reflects a comprehensive journey of design exploration and improvement.

While this project is entirely conceptual, it underscores the significance of user research, competitive analysis, and iterative design in enhancing the gaming experience.

The development of high-fidelity prototypes and subsequent usability testing with imagined users provided valuable insights for refining the user interface.

Feedback from these users highlighted critical aspects such as icon size, dynamic information presentation, and the potential value of an introductory tutorial for newcomers.

Though this case study remains purely hypothetical, it serves as a testament to the potential for continuous improvement in the world of game UI design.

It underscores the importance of striving for a more engaging, user-friendly, and accessible gaming experience, even in the realm of virtual trucking adventures.