Hi,
Also consider that some simultaneous key combinations don't work on
certain hardware. This tool was recommended to me as a way of easily
testing:
http://swingpantsflash.com/keyboard_tester/I avoid localized keyboard layouts and prioritize input design accordingly:
1) Mouse with left click only (can typically be translated to touch
devices with the "click" being a "release")
2) Mouse with left & middle clicks *
3) Cursor keys + space
4) Cursor keys + space & WASD + Q/E
5) Multiplayer on same machine: WASD + Cursors + IJKL + Numpad
6) User configurable madness
Each item on that list has more issues than the one above it ... a 25%
knee-jerk rejection would be my best guess? So "5" will be considered
cool by 25%, and 75% will think "this is too complicated" whereas 100%
are happy with "1".
I agree re Moue and passiveness so I typically develop richer games
targetting WASD (for players) && Cursors (for Fullscreen) with keyboard
usage and mouse usage simultaneous (i.e. they both / all work). The
game then listens to what the player is using without assuming or
insisting. Increasingly I use an "instinct" mode where whatever the
player does in any given scenario teaches the game how to react - e.g.
imagine a FPS where invert aim is determined by how the player moved
their mouse to track a target in the tutorial.
Additionally I use key combos to achieve the equivalent of other keys:
e.g. down + space = secondary fire. Although be wary of how to explain
that kind of stuff to the player - else it's a good way of killing that
"instinct"!
Best regards, Rob
* Middle click is consistent and reliable across all browsers via AVM1
bridged to AVM2 (all in the same class if you want to show off) - but
not in FullScreen. In FullScreen only mouse move, left click, cursors
and space are available. I do not count tab or esc as they have default
functionality.
On 11:59 AM, Joe Dohn wrote:
> Uh yeah, a line has been skipped somehow before I sent the mail. I'm
> talking about games pertaining to their own company and running on
> their own website. Medium scale games with a small crew to keep them
> running. No Facebook, no Kongregate, no sponsorship; games standing on
> their own two feet.
>
> The right click trick was unreliable last time I checked, a month ago,
> I concluded that it was not worth using with games of that scale
> considering it doesn't work properly accross all browsers. Was I wrong?
>
> I'm looking for statistics or you guys' personal experience.
>
> We need control schemes that are both pleasant to use, easy to learn
> and reliable across different computers when the keyboard is used.
> From where I stand I fear that only mouse and mouse+spacebar fit this
> description. But it's overused and kind of has a passive feeling when
> playing. Point, click, point, click, read, click, read, point click click.
> Did you ever come across a gameplay that you know fits the description
> while being richer than mouse+spacebar?
>
> You talked about Kongregate, but many Kong games don't handle foreign
> keyboard layouts. I can't imagine what the play experience would be if
> a keyboard was not just foreign but also compacted like that of those
> tiny laptops everyone seem to use. Way to tell your players "just
> close that tab and go do something else that won't break your fingers" :/
> A few games allow to customize controls, but ideally the game should
> provide the right default control scheme depending on the user's
> device. One, because the developers have built the game with a precise
> gameplay in mind and custom controls can sometimes break the intended
> feeling, and two, because new players would get tired rather quickly
> if they had to customize controls for every single flash game they find.
>
>
>
> (Sorry Alex I sent you this message personally as well so you got it
> twice)
>
>
--
haXe - an open source web programming language
http://haxe.org
Locked
