While playing the beta, it dawned on me that, with the exception of throttle and rudder control, everything is mouse accessible. If mouse control options were added for those, perhaps along the lines of clicking on the desired heading and throttle settings, or clicking on a virtual rudder, it would be possible to play without using a keyboard thus enabling play for tablet users (I’m thinking Tablet PCs, like the Surface Pro 2 for example).
I don’t know, I like how it uses keys for steering. It feels more natural.
I’m perfectly happy using keys for steering, and I agree that it feels rather natural. What I’m thinking of with my suggestion is accommodating the usage case where a physical keyboard might not be available. Pressing and holding a key on a virtual keyboard that covers part of the game window would be somewhat annoying compared to having controls integrated into the game UI.
I ought to agree. Yet, I think there’s a quite fancy way to conciliate the two: a moving helm at the bottom center would be an exceptional, if not a tad utopian, addition. It would mimic the keyboard inputs and be fully controllable with the mouse.
And maybe, maybe less than maybe, it could have a brass compass stuck in the middle pointing towards the chiropteroscope’s last sighting. Or a skein of sturdy rope for when you’re ready to knot your first love to some misty quays.
I know you developers do know how to make great UIs, but, since I’m half an expert myself, simply put, I thought it’d be worth the dare.
I had the same thought, actually; sandwiched somewhere in my "First Thoughts" post. I wasn’t thinking of tablet gaming, per se - just that it feels like other games that I can play with only (or primarily) mouse control. It "feels" to me like I "should" be able to click and hold for the heading, if not the throttle.
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edited by DarkGryphon on 5/3/2014
bump
At least the arrow keys in addition to WASD work, for those of us who are of the dextral persuasion.
Things I would like to be able to do with my nondominant hand while playing:
- pet my Cat who usually pretends she is Starveling, the wretched mog
- Eat Rubbery Lumps and Dark-Dewed Cherries
- drink Darkdrop Coffee
Personally, I’d wondered whether we’d ever be able to use the mouse to swing the glim-lamp about - to light up and identify islands as we pass them, say, or to illuminate enemies if on-map illumination ever translates to in-combat illumination!