Adventure Game Studio | Forums

Creative Production => Critics' Lounge => Topic started by: Dualnames on Sat 13/07/2019 22:51:14

Title: Control Scheme Critique (UPDATE V1.0)
Post by: Dualnames on Sat 13/07/2019 22:51:14
Hello, everyone, I hope you're all having a good day!!

If you're on Windows and own a controller (preferably an XBOX360 kind of controller), we've been working on a control scheme for our upcoming game, Strangeland.
I have set up helpful overlays for it, but try out your buttons see what they do, tell me how intuitive it is.

Be aware that Strangeland is a two button point and click adventure game (Left mouse button Interacts, Right mouse button Examines).
The password for the rar archive is: slscontroller
and the file can be downloaded here: Download (http://primordia-game.com/Files0/Strangelando/slscontrollerv4.rar)

For those not interested in looking things themselves:

Will gladly accept any sort of feedback!
Title: Re: Control Scheme Critique (Whip out your XBOX/PS4 controllers!)
Post by: Cassiebsg on Sun 14/07/2019 08:29:47
I'd love to help, but I need more info than that.  :-[

Do I need to install my controller i a wondows enviroment? Or install the game on a xb360? How?
Title: Re: Control Scheme Critique (Whip out your XBOX/PS4 controllers!)
Post by: lorenzo on Sun 14/07/2019 13:05:54
Hi, Dualnames!

I've tried the game with an Xbox 360 controller and a Logitech one, and it works nicely with both.

If I plug the controller before starting the game, it works fine. However, if I plug it while the game is already running, it won't recognize it. I don't know if it's possible in AGS, but many games today recognize the controller "on the fly" while running.


In general, I found the controls to be intuitive.

I like the way you scroll through your inventory, but is there a way to "look at" your objects without opening the inventory window?
The inventory window itself is a bit flawed. I feel that "B" should close the window, instead of looking at the selected item.

Speaking of inventory, it's easy to "lose" the mouse cursor in the background when you have an item selected and you're moving through hotspots, especially with small items (such as the coin).

I don't really like the way you cycle through hotspots. It feels very imprecise. Sometimes it's hard to select what you want: e.g. going from "anvil" to "furnace" requires way too many steps, even if I incline the stick in the right direction. Ideally, I should be able to point the stick diagonally and go directly to the furnace. Instead, I have to cycle through all the vents.


Personally, I would prefer to use the Dpad to select hotspots, rather than moving the character.


A big annoyance with the interface: to play the game, you have to constantly switch between the right stick to select the hotspot and the "A" button. Which means constantly moving the thumb between the two. I expect it to become very tiring after a while.
An easy fix would be to make the right trigger also act as the "A" button -- and maybe the left trigger as the "B" button. This way you could play the game without having to constantly move the thumb.


By the way, when pressing RB to cycle through inventory on the anvil, I've got this error:

Quote
---------------------------
Adventure Game Studio
---------------------------
An error has occurred. Please contact the game author for support, as this is likely to be a scripting error and not a bug in AGS.
(ACI version 3.5.0.14)

in "UI Handling.asc", line 1295
from "UI Handling.asc", line 1640

Error: Error running function 'repeatedly_execute_always':
Error: Null pointer referenced

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to replicate it.


In short, my impressions are:

Also, not related to the controller stuff... I love the blur effect when the game out of focus! It's a really cool detail.
Title: Re: Control Scheme Critique (Whip out your XBOX/PS4 controllers!)
Post by: eri0o on Sun 14/07/2019 13:19:50
Hey, how do I exit the game using the Joystick?
Title: Re: Control Scheme Critique (Whip out your XBOX/PS4 controllers!)
Post by: Dualnames on Mon 15/07/2019 09:42:34
QuoteIf I plug the controller before starting the game, it works fine. However, if I plug it while the game is already running, it won't recognize it. I don't know if it's possible in AGS, but many games today recognize the controller "on the fly" while running.

Yes, of course, I just didn't put that code (literally one line, cause I wanna get feedback more before I go too much forward with this!)

I love all your ideas, working towards their direction!

@Cassie: You need a controller that has two analog sticks and a Windows operating system

Title: Re: Control Scheme Critique (Whip out your XBOX/PS4 controllers!)
Post by: Cassiebsg on Mon 15/07/2019 14:05:32
Do you mean that I can use a cord (usb?) controler on a windows system? Think all my 360 controlers are cordless.  :-\
Title: Re: Control Scheme Critique (UPDATE V1.0)
Post by: Dualnames on Tue 16/07/2019 22:47:08
Alright, there's an update!!

Link (http://primordia-game.com/Files0/Strangelando/slscontrollerv4.rar)
Password is the same: slscontroller

Changes:
-Improved the cycling algorithm
-The RT LT (back triggers) will now cycle between the EXIT Interactive Points
-LEFT Analog Stick Trigger(When u push in the analog stick) can now be used as A and RIGHT Analog Stick Trigger can now be used as B. (I assumed those were the buttons u referred to)
Title: Re: Control Scheme Critique (UPDATE V1.0)
Post by: lorenzo on Sat 20/07/2019 14:44:36
Cycling through hotspots is way better now, it's a big improvement.

I found that Left Trigger and Right Trigger cycle through exits only if no inventory item is selected. If you have an item selected, it points at the player instead of the right exit.

Having both the Dpad and the left analog stick for walking feels a bit redundant (especially now that you have two triggers that point at the exits). Those controls are close to each and you use the same finger (the left thumb) to utilize them.
Personally, I would use the Dpad for something else.

The game crashed again when scrolling through inventory objects, pressing LB.
Title: Re: Control Scheme Critique (UPDATE V1.0)
Post by: Khris on Wed 07/08/2019 13:43:43
Quote from: Cassiebsg on Mon 15/07/2019 14:05:32
Do you mean that I can use a cord (usb?) controler on a windows system? Think all my 360 controlers are cordless.  :-\
There are hundreds of gamepads for PCs (https://www.newegg.com/PC-Game-Controllers/SubCategory/ID-123?Tid=7759).
To connect a Xbox360 Controller to a PC, you need the XBox360 Wireless Receiver (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=XBox360+Wireless+Receiver&ref=nb_sb_noss), a USB dongle that can talk to the wireless controller.
Title: Re: Control Scheme Critique (UPDATE V1.0)
Post by: Cassiebsg on Wed 07/08/2019 21:22:37
Yes, I found that out after googling. But I really don't want to invest on one.  ;)