Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting started with inputs and controls
Software works with human interaction. The most basic activity of any computer interface
is a user providing information and the computer reacting to that information. In other pro-
gramming languages, one of the most basic concepts you learn is the function. The basic
premise of a function is to work with inputs.
The way the user inputs information is actually really important. Imagine a simple calculat-
or application that has really nice buttons and works exactly the way you expect it to. Now,
imagine a calculator application where the buttons were in a different order than the usual
one. The application would be much harder to use. Obviously, you want the application and
the user experience to be as good and as easy as possible. Applications such as games have
a purpose, and the software and hardware should not interfere.
Let's move this concept to games. Let's imagine a platform game, which is a game where
you run and jump onto platforms. For our example, we will be making the game for a com-
puter. Touch devices have different inputs, which we will discuss shortly. In this platformer
game, the player will have to run and jump. In order to do that, we need to have specific
controls that the player can understand. There are various ways to implement controls, but
the controls need to be easy to understand. In the case of classic game genres, they cannot
be different from what the player is expecting.
Inputs to a game are really important. First of all, they make the computer software work;
but more importantly, they make the game what it is. Without good input controls, a game
doesn't live up to its potential and all of the time you spend on mechanics and art is wasted.
It is good to spend a lot of time to make sure the controls and the inputs in the game are
well thought out. Whether you are making a simple indie game or an AAA game, controls
are vital for the success of the game.
So, how do we think about controls in Construct 2? Well, the first thing you need to think
about is for which platform are you making the game. Mobile games are very different
from computer games. You have to approach the entire input design differently. Certain
genres work on certain platforms, and these same genres might not work on other plat-
forms. Imagine if you made a real-time strategy game such as Starcraft for the iPhone—it
wouldn't work. This game can fundamentally not be on the iPhone because of the mechan-
ics and the inputs. Knowing the limitations of your inputs is vital to making a good game.
Construct 2 offers a lot of options for inputs, and the currently offered inputs are as fol-
lows:
