Simple question: I want a mouse controlled character, not a keyboard controlled

[Alexander Hillebrand]

I've read all the manuals I could lay my hands on, but still can't find the asnwer fo this realy simple question. I just want a mouse controlled character, not a keyboard controlled one. A couple of days ago I found a script that killed all the keyboard input. That worked (thank you whoever it was), but I can;t still control the character with the mouse. I have a twitterpage with my characters (www.twitter.com/bobenrob) so you can have an impression of what it will be like. All help will surely be appreciated!

[Cassiebsg]

Sorry, but what exactly is the problem?
You just make a walkable area, put your character in it and then click where you want the character to move...
I feel like you need to provide more info (like which template you are using) before anyone can help you (or maybe the experts can guess what the problem is).

[Crimson Wizard]

I've read all the manuals I could lay my hands on, but still can't find the asnwer fo this realy simple question. I just want a mouse controlled character, not a keyboard controlled one. A couple of days ago I found a script that killed all the keyboard input. That worked (thank you whoever it was), but I can;t still control the character with the mouse.

Alright, lets start from the beginning.
In AGS, by default, there are no controls, at all. However, there are game templates and script modules that add a keyboard control, mouse control, or both; and some plugins, that add joystick controls, and such.
Usually it is easier to start with particular game template, this way you won't have to "kill" unnecessary parts.
From my knowledge, only "Default" game template does have a keyboard control, and all others don't.
"Default" template also has mouse controls in the style of old Sierra games (with action modes switched with right mouse clicks). Maybe it is not exactly what you need.
If you want simplier controls, you may look into BASS template (supplied in AGS since 3.3.0).

Finally, as Cassiebsg suggested, you may be simply missing walkable areas in your room, so your character has nowhere to walk on.

So, please tell:
- which version of AGS are you using;
- what game template did you use to create your game; do you use some extra script modules maybe?
- what character control with mouse you have in mind;
- have you created walkable areas in your room?

[Alberth]

Can you explain why you are so much against keyboard input?
Why do you force your users into using a mouse, even if they may be more comfortable using a keyboard?

Wouldn't allowing both input media work? If you want to emphasize use of a mouse, that's possible, just explain to the users how they can use the program with a mouse.
Being able to use a mouse doesn't necessary imply removal of keyboard, just don't use it would work already.

The reason I ask is because your solution seems quite extreme to me. I found that in such a case, it often pays to have another look at the higher level objective.
Unless you have a plain hard concrete requirement: "The program shall not accept any keyboard input.", there are often lots of ways to achieve a goal.

Instead of going in the trenches, and fighting the system very hard to achieve your solution, stop for a moment, take a step back (go for a walk, do the dishes, have a long relaxed shower, whatever works for you to stop thinking about details of your keyboard problem), and look again at your higher level goal, a birds-eye view, and check whether there are other ways to achieve what you desire.


If you have to fight a system to achieve a goal, that usually means that either you picked the wrong system, or you're going about it in the wrong way. There are good reasons why a system behaves as it does even if it doesn't look that way. People have carefully considered things, and decided to implement it as you find it. Those people are just as sane as you and I are, which means they picked the best solution they could find. If you want a different solution, you're moving away from that best solution. In other words, in some aspects, your desired goal is sub-optimal in the view of the system designers. The interesting question to ask is thus, in what way are your goals different from the general AGS goals?
Do you have additional goals? Are some of the system goals not applicable for your case, or are they even contradictory?

[Slasher]

Unless there is a really really good reason to stop all keyboard presses I would keep it in. It may even frustrate some players not having keyboard control. I do know that at times the keyboard bypasses certain events but it's durable.

Food for thought.

[Alexander Hillebrand]

Thanks Crimson Wizard, that was the solution: Use a template, plain and easy. After all, why not using the knowledge of others? By the way, i'm using version 3.3, the latest version as far as I know. I did also made walkable area's and such, because I also watched all the youtube video's, but it struck me that they are a bit outdated (which I understand, it's all non-profit after all Some commands are totally changed and such. But anyway, thanks! I downloaded the Lightweight BASS Template v2.0 from "Ghost" and immediately started using it. I hope to release the game in a couplke of weeks!