Game control issue
by Wray Cason · in ThinkTanks · 06/20/2003 (9:55 am) · 8 replies
Fun little game. Worth the money. It bugs me that the left-right controls are wrong when the tank is in reverse. Perhaps this was a deliberate design decision or maybe it was just overlooked. I would call it a bug. When backing up and turning to the right, the front of the vehicle should turn left, not right.
Can this be corrected? Or is there some configurable parameter I don't know about?
Can this be corrected? Or is there some configurable parameter I don't know about?
#2
06/20/2003 (11:26 am)
I disagree. If it drove like a tank, it would have independant controls for left and right tread. Besides, your logic only holds true when the tank reverses. By that logic, when the tank moves forward, you would turn right by pressing left. That obviously wouldn't work.
#3
06/20/2003 (3:23 pm)
Disagreement noted. Conrols were simplifed as a two key control scheme would be to difficult to drive easily. I understand the confusion, but the logic is correct. This is due to the fact that steering is acheived directly through the drive wheels, and not by turning the wheels.
#4
Given that the controls are abstracted from a real tanks' controls (as they should be, unless you want to make a USB tank-control peripheral!), I see two possible control philosophies:
This is what I instinctively expect when playing the game:
A control makes the opposite track turn faster.
Using this control methodology, for a given direction control, the tank will turn in the same direction whether going forward or backward.
This is what currenly happens:
A control makes the opposite track accelerate forwards.
This methodology changes the turning direction of reversing, which is not, IME, what most people expect from a driving game.
Unless an option is put in to switch the reversing controls, I'll just have to stick to thinking "which way do I want the front of the tank to face?". :)
I usually get it right after the first - wrong - turn! :D
07/20/2003 (6:23 am)
I've been thinking about this - the reversing controls seem wrong to me, too.Given that the controls are abstracted from a real tanks' controls (as they should be, unless you want to make a USB tank-control peripheral!), I see two possible control philosophies:
This is what I instinctively expect when playing the game:
A control makes the opposite track turn faster.
Using this control methodology, for a given direction control, the tank will turn in the same direction whether going forward or backward.
This is what currenly happens:
A control makes the opposite track accelerate forwards.
This methodology changes the turning direction of reversing, which is not, IME, what most people expect from a driving game.
Unless an option is put in to switch the reversing controls, I'll just have to stick to thinking "which way do I want the front of the tank to face?". :)
I usually get it right after the first - wrong - turn! :D
#5
08/17/2003 (4:10 pm)
I drive a car every day, not a tank, so how about changing the game to use SUVs?
#6
08/21/2003 (6:46 pm)
Speaking of a USB tank-control peripheral, can a USB game pad be used with Think Tanks?
#7
@Nevaeh
It's possible if you have the game controller software that will emulate key presses and mouse movement. USB Overdrive use to do this for the Mac, but the MacOS X version does not emulate the mouse yet, so you would not be able to aim.
-macr0t0r
12/31/2003 (5:19 pm)
Personally, I'm surprised that the options don't allow you to pick this "reverse turn" setting and select key assignments. Joe is right. The M1 Abrahms tank uses a "T-Bar" control handle (like a motorbike), but reverse is backwards from wheeled vehicles. Think Tanks 1.2 actually confused me at first (since I'm a tanker), and I liked the fact that I could change from forward to backwards while continuously turning in one direction to shoot at a guy. Now I have to switch turn direction as soon as I see the tank stop. Very confusing. I have to imagine wheels instead.@Nevaeh
It's possible if you have the game controller software that will emulate key presses and mouse movement. USB Overdrive use to do this for the Mac, but the MacOS X version does not emulate the mouse yet, so you would not be able to aim.
-macr0t0r
Mike Jahnke