Keyboard setup for a game like ares.

Just a thought. I´ve always found the control system of ares to be really restricting.
If a new game were meant to be created how does this sound.

I´m not sure this is the place to post it, but i´ll post it anyway.

How does this sound.

Requires a 2 button mouse, but still.

Mouse Button 1 - Select
Mouse Button 2 - Move/attack - if no mouse button 2 (**** i might have to rethink this)

Ctrl combined with number key - Create group on number key

Tab - change ship to currently selected. If group to highest ranked ship.

W - Ship accelerate
S - Ship deaccelerate
A - Ship turn left
D - Ship turn right

Space - Fire weapon 1
Cmd - Fire weapon 2

Option - Hyperspace

Q - Zoom in
E - Zoom out

Shift mouse 2 click - Waypoint
F mouse 2 click - attack area
F Shift mouse 2 click - Waypoint attack

Jump is desided by distance of movement. Use shift to control.

This is not an i will make a new game promise, it´s just something i find interesting, and would like to look into.

The above is very starcraft/FPS inspired.

all critisism welcome

This post has been edited by modesty_blaise_us : 09 January 2005 - 01:13 PM

In StarCraft, CTRL+Click is equal to rightclick. And it doesn't seem to go against your setup here.

Arion, on Jan 13 2005, 09:01 AM, said:

In StarCraft, CTRL+Click is equal to rightclick. And it doesn't seem to go against your setup here.
View Post

Thanks... i did not notice.

I personally have never used the mouse in Ares. I think the issue with a system in which one hand controlled the ship and one hand controlled the mouse is that both are things one usually depends on the dominant hand for. This is not to say I couldn't control my ship or select units with my left, but it would feel very unnatural (I'm also, I believe, somewhat more ambidextrous than most).

The difference between Ares and a FPS is that, in a FPS, the mouse is a primary motion and the keys are a secondary motion to the mouse. Controlling two primary motions simultaneously is not really something the human brain is equipped to handle.

Maybe it's just the way we're looking at Ares -- since Ares puts your ship control in the right hand (the arrow keys) and auxiliary functions in well, auxiliary places like the left hand and the mouse, we think feel that controlling our own ship is the primary action (even though it may be less important in some levels).

It looks as if modesty_blaise_us's setup puts ship control in the left hand -- which really is only more natural for FPS's because that's what people are used to (I'm sure it's easier to learn for a space game than one would think) -- which in any case makes it more of a secondary action. And with selection of stuff put in the mouse, that would be more a primary thing; I feel like such a game would become more like a strategy game where controlling your own ship would be something you did on the side.

Granted, I don't really agree with that for any game where you'd be allowed to control the ship, but there's no reason why someone couldn't do well with a setup like that. Heck, I used to control ships in asteroids games and such (where very few keys were needed) by using the number keys (not on the keypad) -- 1 for left, 2 for right, 3 for thrust, and 4 for fire.

The good thing about Ares's setup though, is that it allows you to point stuff -- still with your right hand -- to acquire targets. The mouse really isn't very useful in a game where so much stuff is needed, since the fine control you need in FPS's is really not necessary in a space-based strategy game, and if you need to take your hand off the keyboard to use the mouse every once in a while, that's alright.

Just my two cents.

Why i would like that setup..

Because it is a better strategy setup.

The one thing i always hated in Ares was the fact that i had to either zoom out. put one hand at the mouse and use it to send units somewhere.

It was terrible. There is no way to really control a fight except in your own ship. With this setup that will be possible.

A keyboard setup like this is a little demanding for the mind yes. But it think it´s perfect since you in ares at the same time control your ship, and your troops.

With this setup there is no reason to leave the mouse. Which means you can micromanage while you drive your own ship.

What setup would you have?