Ultimate FPS Controls?

Discussion in 'General Game Discussion and Questions' started by SicMX, Jul 7, 2009.

  1. SicMX

    SicMX Well-Known Member

    Apr 18, 2009
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    Out of all first person shooter type games out there (both currently available and soon to be released) which do you think has the best controls?

    I personally love the controls in Wolfenstein 3D AND those in Doom Resurrection. The problem, as we all know, is that the controls in Wolfenstein 3D wouldn't work in a game where you can also aim vertically, and shooting and aiming at the same time can be tricky.

    The controls for Doom Resurrection are spot on. It is by far the best control system out there! BUT, it's still on rails...

    I'm no developer, but i both believe and hope that quality FPS games will be released on the iPod/iPhone platform. Therefore it would be interesting to hear suggestions on what would be the best adaptation of a FPS control system on the iPod/iPhone.


    My suggestion for the Ultimate FPS Controls:

    Two sets of controls. One for movement. One for action.

    Now imagine playing Doom Resurrection...

    Movement: When moving around one could use two digital control sticks like in Wolf 3D, one to the right and the other to the left. Up in the upper right would be e.g. an actions button to open doors and such and in the left you would have "mode change"

    Action: After moving around in the levels one would encounter some enemies and click on the "mode change" button, after which the controls would change instantaneously into the control scheme we can see in Doom Resurrection, where one used the accelerometer to aim, and virtual buttons to fire, reload and change weapons. The dodge button currently inplemented in Doom Resurrection could function as a strafe button which enable the person to dodge sideways, but also go back and forth. When done killing the enemies one would click on the "mode change" button and continue exploring the vast pits of hell.

    This will obviously not work in very fast paced action games, but for FPS games where you tend to do a lot of exploring as well as shooting, it could, in my opinion work really well.

    What do you think of this proposed control scheme? If not, what do YOU think would be the ultimate FPS controls?
     
  2. exosyphen

    exosyphen Well-Known Member

    As a developer, my opinion would be to implement an intelligent and self-correcting input method, based on whatever game your making.
    I am afraid there is no universal "works-for-all" solution.

    Im a working to put together a tech demo for an upcoming 3D engine, and I have designed quite an interesting way to move around, look around and shot around.

    Making a good input for a game is more than the way to layout your controls.
    You have to integrate them with what's happening in the game.

    Example:
    Taping the screen would fire if there is an enemy in range, but not if there is none.
     
  3. SicMX

    SicMX Well-Known Member

    Apr 18, 2009
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    Cool, will be interesting to see what you have come up with!

    Will a device like the iPhone with no physical buttons developer really have to think outside the box. One can only hope that the controls in FPS games will continue to evolve into something that works really well, not just something that works.

    The thing that some people don't seem to understand is that on the iPhone platform you have to make some sacrifices to make a game playable and most importantly FUN. The developers of Doom Resurrection made the game from the ground up, making radical changed to the game. In my opinion, they did something right cause the game is actually really fun and the controls work well. If the game would have had controls like the ones in the Dukenukem 3D screenshot the game would definately not be fun.

    There is obviously not only one solution for controls for a FPS game, but aside from a couple of games in the AppStore, most implementations are sub-par and won't attract anyone but casual gamers.
     
  4. exosyphen

    exosyphen Well-Known Member

    I have played some 3D shooters from the App Store and I have found a few games impossible to play. And I don't lack the experience, as I am a gamedeveloper for the past 10 years :)

    Thinking outside the box is a must for any game and any feature :)
     
  5. SicMX

    SicMX Well-Known Member

    Apr 18, 2009
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    Hehe, so very true.

    Can't wait to see what you developers come up with in the near future :)
     
  6. exosyphen

    exosyphen Well-Known Member

    Multitouch opens up a lot of possibilites which still need to be explored.
     
  7. Peter321

    Peter321 Well-Known Member

    Dec 5, 2008
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    I also really like the controls in Doom Resurrection, but the "on-rails" thing can be frustration e.g. when you see something you want to pick up, but before you get the chance the "rail" has moved on.

    But I agree with the developers decision, because all-in-all it makes the game very enjoyable (and you could consider the short time you have to spot and pick up stuff as an added difficulty level to the game).

    But maybe a system as suggested above where the controls change depending on the situation could work (it kinda does this in Doom already, where the action button does different things and only become active when needed).

    One could imagine a systen where you move around using virtual joysticks, which then change to "combat tools" (shoot, dodge, etc.) when enemies appear.
     
  8. Krispod

    Krispod Well-Known Member

    May 19, 2009
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    There never will be good fps controls on the iPod screen, just buy a gamebone( or another because that one was kinda ugly )
     
  9. 99c_gamer

    99c_gamer Well-Known Member

    Mar 23, 2009
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    #9 99c_gamer, Jul 7, 2009
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2009
    I think the way to do it is to have auto-run.

    just tap the direction pad once and your guy keeps moving in one direction.
    (if you think about it there's no reason why you should have to "hold" the run button)

    That leaves your left thumb free to hit the fire button while you're looking around with your right thumb.
     
  10. dalfiuss

    dalfiuss Member

    Apr 22, 2009
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    Keyboard & mouse.

    Seeing as that is not available on the iPhone, developers need to stop porting over idiotic games and then smashing the controls onto the iPhone. Develop FOR the iPhone.
     
  11. SicMX

    SicMX Well-Known Member

    Apr 18, 2009
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    Wolfenstein 3d - Works great
    Doom Resurrection - Works great
    LiveFire - Looks like it would work great with e.g. autofire

    Sure creating a FPS game on the iPhone is very different to creating it for a PC or PS3. It might require creating a game from scratch, instead of simply porting it, but that shouldn't be impossible as some companies have demonstrated.

    If people stopped innovating we would still be stuck playing on our PCs...and i for one enjoy playing games on the iPhone.

    Example: I though that pretty much all racing games sucked on the iPhone and that acceleromer based steering was impossible. Then EA came out with Need For Speed where the screen tilts as you tilt the screen. Problem solved, works great!
     
  12. ShadowsFall

    ShadowsFall Well-Known Member

    May 15, 2009
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    Summer job soon
    TA 09'
    #12 ShadowsFall, Jul 7, 2009
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2009
    You never know. There arn't much fps games out there. I was thinking more in the lines of your crosshair following someone in a certain distance. Movement could have one joystick, a strong accellerometer (in the settings, you could change the sensitivity *this is used to look around*, gernade button, crouch button on the right while movement on the left joystick (vice versa for right handed/left). So the buttons (crouch, jump, to shoot... You could touch anywhere, put the crouch and jump on the center right of the screen, taking about 1/3rd of the width of the screen. I THINK THIS IS GREAT CONTROLS!, heck.. Put in night vision next to the movement joystick! And a walking button while ur at it. This control scheme is perect of small + large fingers. I play a lot of fps games on the keyboard, so this is no problem. Switch guns in the bottom center of the screen by swiping your finger. Zoom by putting 2 fingers on the center of the screen and move them further at the same time;to zoom out, put 2 fingers apart and make them both closer.
     
  13. spiffyone

    spiffyone Well-Known Member

    Dec 7, 2008
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    And since it's on rails...it's not an FPS.

    The conventions of that type of shooter include freedom of movement. DOOM Resurrection, however, has the conventions of a different type of shooter...rail shooters. It has far more in common with games such as Panzer Dragoon than it does Halo. So...not an FPS...but a damned great rail shooter.

    The idea you have is kind of like the idea I proposed not too long ago, and one that actually borrows from a game that wasn't actually an FPS at all: Metroid Prime (do NOT argue with me on this one...it's an action/adventure, not an action>shooter as shooting combat isn't the primary gameplay focus).

    Anyway, in MP the movement controls were "stiff" to say the least...but I think what worked well with the GC control pad can work well on the iTouch/Phone platform if reconfigured slightly.

    In this scenario I'd have one "virtual joystick" to move AND turn, tap enemy to engage lock on (or have a separate "lock on" button on one of the upper hand corners that engages when facing an enemy), once locked on strafing will then be enabled by simply moving the virtual joystick left and right and forward/backward still moves in those directions as well, and you can just fire away with the "fire" button on the bottom right hand corner without getting screwed up by the controls.

    Free look I think is where people get caught up. They come from the FPS background on PC and free look via mouse controls is what they try to implement on iTouch/Phone. But the problem with that is that on PC you have access to the shoot button right on the mouse, and so you can move/strafe, aim and shoot at the same time. Even on home console, with the dual analog system, there's access to the triggers so one can also move, aim and shoot all at once. Can't really do that on current FPS on iTouch/Phone because to shoot you usually have to move your thumb off one of the controls to shoot. It's cumbersome.

    With the method I've outlined, you don't really have to worry about moving and aiming and shooting at once because maintaining aim via free look isn't needed. You manually lock on (ala Metroid Prime, or, rather, ala Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time), so aim is maintained, and from there you can freely move and shoot at the same time. This has the great effect of also opening up the FPS category to potential consumers for whom always having to constantly fiddle with free look is problematic.

    In a way, it's kind like your idea of mixing the gallery shooting with FPS...but not as abrupt a change. There's still control over movement, which also means that if there's potential for enemy placement behind you and potential for a quicker manner of disengaging the lock on one enemy and targeting another.

    Now, of course, one can point to it and state that there'd be less enemies on screen...and that might be true. But you balance that by making said enemy AI much tougher and having specific weak point style battles, ala LoZ and MP.

    ng-moco is attempting another way, in which the dual analog or rather move and aim controls co-exist as they do currently, but shooting is handled automatically once you target an enemy. It's a nice concept.
     
  14. spiffyone

    spiffyone Well-Known Member

    Dec 7, 2008
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    Of course, the ultimate FPS controls on this platform would have to probably wait for the 3Gs specific games, particularly if Apple wisely puts in the digital compass on the next iTouch devices (which hopefully will use 3Gs processors and RAM). Why? If you've seen this vid posted recently on this very site, you'd see the possibilities for controlling games in first person, even FPS:



    There are games prior to the introduction of the digital compass, on the pre-3Gs iTouch/Phones that attempted such "true" first person viewpoint free look. Ghost Buddy comes to mind. But the accelerometer was limited. Now, however, in 3Gs (and hopefully the 3Gs based iPod touch devices rumored to come in September) the accelerometer + digital compass combo allows for "true" first person free look.

    Imagine using that in an FPS on iTouch/Phone. Use a virtual joystick for forward/backward movement and strafing, and a "virtual button" to shoot, with free look being handled by...well...actual free look. Wanna look/aim up and to the left? Since you'd be playing while your device is held so that it faces you, you'd actually move the device itself up and to the left, and you'll aim in that direction. The device itself would be like a little window into the world of the game.
     
  15. spiffyone

    spiffyone Well-Known Member

    Dec 7, 2008
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    Um...Fastlane had that before Need for Speed was even announced for iTouch/Phone, iirc. So did Fast and the Furious: Pink Slip 3D. So did Snail Mail.

    So did quite a few racers on iTouch/Phone. And Fastlane did it while still giving you control over acceleration.
     
  16. coconutbowling

    coconutbowling Well-Known Member

    Dec 8, 2008
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    It doesn't matter what the controls are, there will always be someone who doesn't like them.

    Personally, I like the control scheme of Cube because it utilizes the accelorometer.
     
  17. randomdude

    randomdude Well-Known Member

    Mar 21, 2009
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    Actually Cro-Mag Rally did that and it was in the App Store since day one and also I find the default controller on Brother In Arms pretty playable and judging by the video LiveFire seems to be excellent too
     
  18. Krispod

    Krispod Well-Known Member

    May 19, 2009
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    Wolfstein 3d= Great
    Cube=Good( but what a bad game!)
    Livefire= looks good
    Minigore= THE BEST CONTROL SCHEME YOUL GET FOR THE IPHONE!!( i now i now, its not an fps)

    And i hope Apple makes there own official game accessorie insted og other companies making there own. Which developer will actually use gamebone??
     
  19. iSmallZx

    iSmallZx Well-Known Member

    Apr 19, 2009
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    #19 iSmallZx, Jul 7, 2009
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2009
    see what i was thinking (but probably impossible) would be two analog sticks at the bottom of the screen, left for moving and right for aiming, have the button on the right anolog stick say jump and on the right say crouch (double tap to prone) and then to shoot (the hardest thing) would be either the way KillTest does it by shooting automaticly or if you played with the home button on the left, you could maybe use the + volume button to shoot? IDK if thats possible but itss a good idea. But to Aid Does Sights (ADS) you would press a button close to the fire button on wolfenstein. And then on the left side (across from the ADS button) there would be a switch weapon button, like for pistol to primary gun to grenade. And to top it of, shake to reload.

    What do you think?
     
  20. yourofl10

    yourofl10 Well-Known Member

    Dec 11, 2008
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    But, the thing is that there can be all the contrls possible in the game. You just go tot he option screen and choose controls and pick the one that best works for you. Problem solved.
     

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