Just wondering how a trading sim can be casual friendly without sacrificing on immersion/story
A casual game must grab the interest and allow the player to “get” the game almost instantly. I am not sure a trading sim can achieve this.
K, let’s nail this down: Play begins in a space station with customise/map/launch buttons &c. They click the big ‘launch’ button and go into space - when do we say to them: switch to keyboard now?
I don’t think there’s such a gap between immersion & casual play - you can tell it’s a good game because you get immersed! Like Runescape, you start (mouse controlled, mark you!) thinking ‘This is a bit silly’ but before you know it you’ve wasted hours on daft missions!
As I was suggesting before, a quick&dirty prototype might be a way to getting everyone thinking in the same direction. (Someone else’s turn to write it this time. :P)
Simon
in space there is no friction so why not have, 0 - 9 as intial thruster speed (like mechwarrior2)
backspace to use stablisers(stop)
mouseclick and rotate to change players angle (still thruster controlled),
normal mouse clicks, for hud controls, menu options and such.
like if your chilling flying through space, you get a message from a distant planet for help, “accept mission”
this would need to be clicked on like a normal GUI.
Mouse click thrusting is fine for a space trader game. But it all ends up a bit generic. The best idea I think I have had for this game was special moves for combat. But that implies decent combat which I don’t think you can do via ultima underworld controls. I think maybe the best comprimise would be to permit mouse click turning at the perifery of the UI, but also have the keyboard shortcuts for turning at ADWS FPS on the lefthand. That not saying let the user configure his controls on startup which is what I meant by non-casual friendly (its the configuring part, not the actual controls I was objecting too).
The means the mouse can still be used for targeting and other UI tasks on the HUD, and the space trading fan can control the whole ship from the mouse, but the combat maniac will have familiar FPS controls.
Possibly… left click I would of thought meant shoot, but if its used for thruster or select target or click buttonl then what? Maybe if a click on the crosshairs means shoot, and the keyboard player has space bar or something?
Thrust 1-9 is classic elite. I was actions could be bound to those keys though but probably there won’t be enough actions to warrant that. Mouse players could have scroll wheel as well? Does everyone have a scroll wheel now?
Tom
Yeah, thinking this through maybe that would be a good system.
Something like;
Left hand;
1-9 or +/- for accel/decel
WASD for pitch/roll (QE for yaw?)
Right hand either:
Mouse to aim, click to fire/interact
or
arrows for pitch/roll (END/PGDWN yaw?)
CTRL or space to fire
This should cover both newbs and pros? (A newb can play right handed DOOM-style, pro can play WASD+mouse FPS-style)
Many mac mice only have one button. 
Wow, you guys are rockin’
Anyway, I take it you have seen Eve Online. I have been working on a space trader for a nubmer of years, now on version 7, as I keep changing technoligies/thoughts, etc… Screenshot of current version is at my website listed below. It has space flight, hyperdrive, minimal weapons, chat, space loaded from database, cargo bays load up, but nowhere to trade yet, etc… My goal was to have “free trade in space” with other entities, players, etc… full governments/politics, economies, missions, epic quests, player contributed content in the form of hiring other players, creating missions, etc. Another prime goal was to be able to get into your ship and just sail away…and just enjoy travelling the universe trading, meeting others, running from the local law or being the local law. WIll be keeping my eye on this one so I can play as soon as you guys are ready.
Oh, and kev, you may recognize the model I am using as a placeholder ;D
Project dead too??