What to do about controls?

[dpc]

Because the engine has: lighting, noise, and positioning it gives nice possibilities:

• socoban-like puzzles/actions
• sneaking (one can hide in the dark, and sneak from behind to kill a powerful monster easily)

This however complicates the controls. Not only there's `Move/Attack Forward/Backward, Turn Left/Right, but also Move/Attack Left/Right, Charge (double move forward, could also be used to jump through holes).

I've also (maybe needlessly) added a surrounding-moves (u and i). On top of it, there's Shift+k, which autotravels moving forward.

As a Vim user, it's natural for me to use hjkl, but it might not be natural for everyone, so I've added basic arrows support. The problem with arrow keys is that in ncurses, it's hard/impossible to tell Shift+Arrow and Alt+Arrow. Ctrl+Arrow seems to work somewhat.

I wonder if forcing people to use hjkl is OK, and can arrows be added. Numerical keyboard could work too, but I don't own a single keyboard with numpad.

[CryZe]

Why not WASD? That's the most natural for gamers. hjkl seems unnecessarily
hard to get used to.

Am Samstag, 23. Januar 2016 schrieb Dawid Ciężarkiewicz :

Because the engine has: lighting, noise, and positioning it gives nice
possibilities:

• socoban-like puzzles/actions
• sneaking (one can hide in the dark, and sneak from behind to kill a
  powerful monster easily)

This however complicates the controls Not only there's `Move/Attack
Forward/Backward, Turn Left/Right, but also Move/Attack Left/Right, Charge
(double move forward, could also be used to jump through holes)

I've also (maybe needlessly) added a surrounding-moves (u and i) On top
of it, there's Shift+k, which autotravels moving forward

As a Vim user, it's natural for me to use hjkl, but it might not be
natural for everyone, so I've added basic arrows support The problem with
arrow keys is that in ncurses, it's hard/impossible to tell Shift+Arrow and
Alt+Arrow Ctrl+Arrow seems to work somewhat

I wonder if forcing people to use hjkl is OK, and can arrows be added
Numerical keyboard could work too, but I don't own a single keyboard with
numpad

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#13.

[dpc]

@CryZe : In a FPS aiming is a most important thing (right hand), moving secondary. In a roguelike moving is a major thing (right hand), everything else is secondary. At least that's how it works for me.

I think having a switchable "input modes" would make everyone happy:

• Vim-like mode (hjkl, shift)
• Left-hand mode (awsd + qe for turning)
• Right-hand mode (jkli + uo for turning)

However, other actions would have to be mapped according to the mode too.

[CryZe]

I don't think that matters. Controllers have movement with the left hand
too and no one bothers. So left hand movement is quite natural for games. I
don't think there's a lot of games with right hand movement at all.

Am Samstag, 23. Januar 2016 schrieb Dawid Ciężarkiewicz :

@CryZe https://github.com/CryZe : In a FPS aiming is a most important
thing (right hand), moving secondary. In a roguelike moving is a major
thing (right hand), everything is secondary. At least that's how it works
for me.

I think having a switchable "input modes" would make everyone happy:

• Vim-like mode (hjkl, shift)
• Left-hand mode (awsd + qe for turning)
• Right-hand mode (jkli + uo for turning)

However, other actions would have to be mapped according to the mode too.

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#13 (comment).

[dpc]

Maybe you're right. So what do you think about Left-hand mode + Vim-like mode as two alternative input methods?

[dpc]

I've implemented a basic Left-hand mode. I find it completely unnatural myself, but I guess it might fit others.

I'm also thinking about mouse control. :)