BC-0230 · TROUBLESHOOTING
Editorial review 2026-09-27
Build Feedback Is Unclear
When feedback is unclear, ask which event each signal acknowledges: input received, action accepted, reward delivered or objective completed. Reusing the same positive signal for different stages can imply success before the result exists. Clarify the message's meaning before adding louder effects.
Symptom
Signals acknowledge different stages ambiguously or claim an outcome before it occurs.
Immediate action
Assign the confusing signal to the exact event it is intended to represent.
Diagnostic branches
- The same positive cue appears for accepted and rejected actions.
- Distinguish their meaning while retaining understandable acknowledgement.
- Feedback promises a usable reward or completion before the state exists.
- Align the claim with the actual qualifying result.
- Removing the misleading cue leaves no response at all.
- Restore truthful input acknowledgement without implying success.
Least-destructive change
Correct the signal's meaning and timing rather than adding indiscriminate effects.
Retest
- Input acknowledgement is distinct from acceptance and completion where their states differ.
- A nonqualifying action does not receive a false success message.
- The real completed state still communicates its legitimate next step.
Escalation
Carry the signal-to-event comparison into a focused repair. No internal event implementation or measured improvement in player comprehension is asserted.
Working notes
Trace the observed signals against the actual interaction. A button press animation may only acknowledge input; a carried-object cue may confirm pickup; a completion panel should correspond to the chosen end state. Do not infer the deeper result from a signal whose role was never defined.
Identify contradictory or premature feedback. If a failed delivery plays the same celebration as an accepted delivery, the player cannot learn which state occurred. If reward text appears before the reward is actually usable, the message overstates progress even when the animation looks polished.
Choose distinguishable meanings for the relevant states. A nonqualifying action can explain the missing requirement; an accepted action can acknowledge progress; a completed objective can announce the next legitimate step. The exact art and sound are design choices, but their meanings should not contradict observable behavior.
Check that the repair does not hide real failures. Removing the misleading success cue without providing any understandable response can leave the player unable to tell whether input registered. Preserve necessary acknowledgement while ensuring it does not claim a result that has not occurred.
Examples
- Meaning conflict: touching the destination empty-handed and delivering the required object produce the same completion burst. Keep a clear input response for the first case, but reserve completion feedback for the actual qualifying delivery.
- Signal record: visible or audible cue / event it claims to represent / observed state / contradictory case / corrected meaning. This is not evidence that a sound or animation itself changes game state.