As always, I'm seeking others' opinions. Share them, you don't need to register to comment.
I've tried numerous control types for the car and haven't found one that's natural, efficient and precise. Here are the options I tried, their pros and their cons.
Steer with mouse
Moving the mouse left and right steers the wheels. For added precision, the wheels move slower when close to center. I couldn't find a game that uses this.Pros:
- Close to the usual controls players use in other games that involve cars.Cons:
- Very hard to drive in a straight line, even with the added precision.- I kind of expected the wheels to go back to center after I was done turning, which they don't.
- Even with auto-center, it either happens too early or too late. It's never just right.
- When losing control, it becomes almost impossible to regain it.
Head towards the mouse
In this mode, the car's wheels will turn towards the mouse, effectively steering the car in the direction the mouse is pointing from the car. (No, you can't make both wheels turn towards the middle of the car by putting the mouse really close). This method exists mostly in action top down shooters where the main character is placed in the center of the screen. An example of this would be Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet for the PC.Pros:
- The car goes where expected.- Easy to understand.
- Works extremely well without camera rotation (Which will not be an option in the final game)
Cons:
- When losing control, it becomes almost impossible to regain it.- Almost impossible to drive straight forward.
- Last point prevents any kind of fast driving.
Head towards view direction
In this mode, the car's wheels will turn to match the view's angle and the mouse controls the angle. The most blatant example of this is Halo's Warthog.Pros:
- Very natural, efficient and precise.- Follows the controls
Cons:
- When losing control, this makes the car spin unrealistically because the wheels keep changing direction.- Adding an interpolation to fix previous issue slows down turning and forces the player out of control.
A/D and arrows
Traditionnal controls for any car game. Add interpolation so that the wheels don't go full turn as you press. Also add a limit to the maximum turning based on speed and traction.Pros:
- Everyone should be familiar with this.- Leaves the mouse open to look around and shoot while driving, with the right skill of course.
- Good control at low and high speeds.
Cons:
- Some might want to use the arrows instead of A/D, which prevents the use of the mouse.- With clutch on shift, shifting on Q/E, the left hand becomes too busy.
I'll say this:
ReplyDeleteA-D and arrows is actually a good plan, because most gamers will be familiar with the concept, and while using the arrow keys isn't a recommended option, the mouse could still be used if you use A-D.
Add in shift for actual shifting (how original...), have W/S available as acceleration and break, with the spacebar available if you ever introduce nitro.
With the added benefit of leaving the mouse for "extra-driving activities", such as shooting the other cars out of the way, or simply watching the scenery.
The "car moves towards mouse" option is good for top-view approach, and leaves a hand free, which is also good. But driving in top-down view is rarely seen as a good option nowadays.
"Steer with mouse" has a natural feel, but requires either extreme precision on the part of the player to move in a straight line, or to deliberately decide some arbitrary point near the sides of the car where the wheels start to move, which asks for players used to more delicate settings to have to move the mouse further than usual.