In the early days of gaming the PC was the forerunner. Most games were produced for this platform because of the easy scripting(no translations were required for consoles). At first the key-mapping to play those games were left to the discretion of the designer. Leaving a jumble of controls from game to game, requiring the player to learn each system before enjoyment could begin.
Soon after the mouse was implemented into the game control system. This allowed a speed and accuracy that games had not had previously. Making the whole experience much more enjoyable.
Through trial and error, many gamers, and games, found the now familiar WASD control system. Mainly for it’s ease of access to, not only for the directional movement but also for the easy access to shift, control, alt, and space. Opening a more controlled and smoother game experience, with easy access to a plethora of keys.
With the inception of consoles came a new control system.
At first the pads were basic, a cross of buttons for directional control, two interaction buttons, a start and a select button.
As time passed more control for the gamers environment appeared on the pads of the next generation consoles. First two more interaction buttons on the face. Then triggers on the front, followed by shoulder buttons. Another innovation was the analogue stick, giving a finer control to character movement, rather than the older push forward to move option.
The pad now has become a weapon of choice for hardcore gamers, enabling them to map their own button layout and also an option for more control with addable paddles, for those with mind boggling skills or just people with too many fingers. Making the whole controller industry as competitive as the consoles themselves.
As far as the camera system in games this too has evolved with technology.
At first games were static. Fixed to one screen the gamer had little need for scrolling or fancy camera angles. On games such as pong, pac-man, space invaders. The technology at the time only allowed this to be the case, but times were changing. New tech meant bigger games. Scrolling became the new fad.
Excitement built in the arcades, aswell as early pc games, as players scrolled there way across screens with Mario, or in arcades with space shooters like defender or r-type.
This added a whole new dynamic to gameplay, giving the player the feeling they were actually moving forward, alongside the pixelated hero’s they controlled. Though most of these games still used the earlier fixed camera.
The third person camera system is popular today but stretches all the way back to early gaming. I remember the ‘Tomytronic 3D’. It was a hand held game which you held up to your eyes, like binoculars, to play. As the name suggests it appeared to be 3D due to it,s clever use of 2D, angled, line structure. The players avatar would be fixed to the bottom plane of the screen as the world, and whatever it contained, would rush towards you. The one I played was called Sky Attack, in which the avatar was a tank. The objective was to shoot as many alien craft as you could, racking up your score, as they flew overhead. Of course they shot back but you had two slots, one either side, for your tank to dodge them.
First person games were not popular in the early days. Titles such as star trek, and submarine commander did little to help the first person viewpoint. That was until starfox appeared on the commodore 64, amongst other platforms. Even then the genre didn’t become popular until the real use of first person arrived. Doom. Wolfenstein 3D appeared a year earlier, winning the race of the first real shooter but doom broke the first person mould, forever concreting first person as the shooter style of choice.
Today most of the camera formats remain in the style of their early incarnations, albeit in a truer, three dimensional way.
Puzzle games have always been a staple for people. They are so popular they now carry them around, filed in pocket sized tablets that you can also phone with. The mobile phone is a perfect place for them. A fixed camera, displaying all of the information with no need for panoramas, or intricate stories. Old titles such as Pac Man, or Tetris all the way up to date with Candy Crush, all used the fixed camera. All of the action was found on a single screen, with no need for other information. But the genre didn’t stop there.
With the implementation of new technologies and techniques designers utilised it. Creating many differing styles of puzzle game.
Lemmings was the first I remember breaking the mould. Even though it is still a fixed camera game it took the thinking game to a new level.
The objective was to get your lemmings to safety before they died. Perceived as a stupid animal, the on screen lemmings would literally walk into certain doom, unaware. Your aim was to prevent this by assigning a special ability to one lemming, who, if all went well would save the rest of his clan. The catch, you only had enough specials to not make a mistake. Digging a hole here, or assigning a parachute to save them from certain death, all of their safeties was just a mouse click away. All except that poor explosive lemming.
The 7th guest is the next turn in the puzzle game story. A real brain buster of a game.
Trapped in a spooky house, your objective was to solve a series of fixed puzzles and escape. Finally we had moved from a fixed screen.
The camera would move along corridors until you came across a puzzle through a series of mouse clicks. It also had actual video sequences too. Made translucent as if they were some ghostly echo of what had once been. Even the cursor beconned you forward with a skeletal finger.
Then there is zelda. Who could forget. A top down action/puzzle adventure. In his attempt to save his beloved princess Link would travel across the land killing or solving all that was in his path. Even though the camera stayed overhead the whole time you were free to move in any direction.
The latest game to bear the puzzle title of any note was portal. I enjoyed this greatly, even if it was a little short.
A first person shooter, if a portal gun is real gun, that utilised all of the camera angles available. Including a reality warping view as you fell through portals in an eternal drop, spinning and twisting until you couldn’t tell which way was up.
Most titles are set to the standard wasd and mouse format. Making them instantly recognisable to players. Allowing them to immerse themselves instantly into the action.
I have now reached the point of designing my own control/camera system. The controls are standard but the cameras are something I have never thought of. I am more of a see what fits best as I make it, kind of person. So this is going to be odd and subject to change when I am creating, aesthetics are everything and only noticed when you are there.
Firstly I will design a floorplan. As I need several types of camera, the most obvious being security, I will need several rooms to be monitored. In here I can place key items for my puzzle.
The Layout is, start at the bottom left of the corridor. Immediately to the left is a security room with security display. Ahead of that are four rooms. Each with several coloured blocks and a plate on the floor. The objective is to place the correct coloured blocks on the plates so that their combined colours make a new one, there will be a clue somewhere. Once assembled the door at the other end of the corridor will open.
I have decided to amend the camera construction of the level.
Firstly I will implement a matinee, running through the level and it’s contents.
At the beginning of the corridor will be a low level camera, looking up at the player as he runs down the corridor. Hopefully this will give the illusion that the corridor is longer than it actually is aswell as giving a feel of claustrophobia as he ventures down a constricting tunnel. Just before he reaches the doorway at the corridors end the camera will switch to one that is looking down at him, the doorway, and the turn of the corridor. I am hoping this will be a sudden larger view of the character, bringing the players attention back to the scale of normality and an imposing feel of the monolithic structure they are in.
With that illusion complete the rest of the corridors will not have cameras in.
The player, themselves will have an option for both first and third person views, this will tie into the key-mapping also, being assigned it’s own key.
The first room will be a control room containing a static camera, activated as the player enters. Also there will be a monitor showing three other rooms with coloured blocks, the player can toggle through the screens. At a later date I will include enemies patrolling the rooms.
The blocks in the three rooms are my next camera choice. I aim to implement a camera switch when the player begins to push one of the blocks. It will be positioned above and behind the player, allowing them enough view to see just beyond the edges of the cube. When the enemy threat is implemented I hope this will create a sense of urgent anticipation. I had toyed with an elevated, orbiting, camera at this point for the same reason but I feel this would be more beneficial in a larger area where the player must stop pushing to find their bearings.
As far as key-mapping goes I have decided to change from the usual WASD to an ESDF only for this project. I still need to look into implementing a control pad but will use it as soon as I can, using the D-pad instead of the analogue sticks.
Another nice addition to the cube moving would be a camera shake, conveying the rumble of the weight of the cube against the stone slabs.
My Blueprint Factory 