At this point in the development, the game is controlled with the mouse, but I plan on working in joystick control options later on for gamers who would like to experience the game with a joystick or any pc game controller or gamepad.
The original control scheme was quite simple. You moved the mouse to aim the sphere in the desired direction and the left button motivated the sphere forward, while the right mouse button motivated the sphere in reverse. Also, aiming the sphere did not move the camera position until the sphere was moving in a direction, then the camera gravitated toward the direction the sphere was travelling. These features were cool, but they made for a pretty boring player character. The following changes are one of the things I am currently working on.
The actual game controls are going to be a bit more complex. It will work like this: The sphere will have 3 speeds; slow [Cruise Mode], fast [IR Mode] and superfast speed [Attack Mode]. When a level starts, the sphere will be in a fixed position. Clicking the left mouse button once will engage slow speed or "Cruise Mode". Clicking the left mouse button a second time (while in Cruise Mode) will engage the fast speed, which will also engage the infrared viewing mode. In the fast/infrared mode (IR mode), if the left mouse button is clicked again while in IR Mode, Attack Mode is engaged. Once Attack Mode is engaged, several things happen: [the player has no control over the sphere for a time, until attack mode is finished (Attack Meter runs out)]. First, the camera view goes perpendicular to the sphere's trajectory so the player can see the forks engage. The view will then swing back to the rear of the sphere. This process can be interrupted by connecting with a target, which will start the attack sequence [cinematic], or hitting an obstacle [ex.; a wall], which will stop the sphere and drain the Attack Meter. In Attack Mode, the sphere will continue in the attack trajectory [selected by player while still in control during IR Mode] until either the sphere hits a target and drillpumps it or the "Attack Meter" runs out or hitting an inanimate obstacle.
Players will not be deadly all the time, however. The Attack Meter reflects the state of the Attack Mode Charge (AMC). Once Attack Mode is engaged, the AMC gets used up and this is reflected by the meter. This is one of the things that will be upgraded (lengthened) periodically in the game by way of upgrades to the synaptic "Power Cell" in the sphere. More powerful Power Cells will increase the length of time that Attack Mode lasts and decrease the time required for recharging of the AMC. The Attack Meter is basically a little meter that runs down while in Attack Mode. When it runs out, Atack Mode ends and the sphere returns to IR Mode. Since you won't be able to control the sphere while in Attack Mode, the player will have to be careful when engaging Attack Mode. Missing a target will alert the target to the sphere's presence and the player will then risk attack from the target or simply evasive actions on the part of the target. The Attack Meter will take a short time to recharge before it can be used again.
Controls for the Tall Man will be much the same, just translated to a humanoid character. Creep Mode, Walk Mode and Run Mode. Humans can only be successfully "snuck up on" with Creep Mode. Walk Mode is faster but will scare humans away. In this situation, they can be overtaken with Run Mode, but humans initially startled by Run Mode will move away fast enough to escape. The object of the Tall Man levels is to keep humans out of certain areas by basically scaring the crap out of them. Humans who make it to the "white room" will automatically flee in terror and escape. Only after testing several factors will I be able to decide whether Tall Man level results should have an effect on the sphere level difficulty or not.
That's enough info for now. More info coming in January 2008.
"Never completely discount the improbable."
~Dennis
