Point and Click Mechanic

Zizka

Member
So I've decided to give the player more agency. Instead of just being on some rails in an interactive adventure, I want to allow player movement in the environment so he can look and interact with things. The game would be less directive that way but more complex to implement. It also means I need to do some more designing... !

I thought it was possible to run polls here but I can't find the option for some reason.

I'd like you to tell me as sincerely as possible which one of the three avenues below you prefer. I'll then take that as a starting point to experience further.
Point_Click_Mockup_1.png
A. The options aren't centered right but you get the idea. When an interactive object is faced by the character, it becomes highlighted in white. Pressing a key or towards the object prompts the player to select one of the four options with the pen cursor. The result is then mentioned on the page of the left.

Point_Click_Mockup_2.gif
B. Get rid of a selection cursor and go straight to the action. The player presses "E" to interact and then the requested action. Changed the "look" box on the left as well. The interactive element outline switches color to look more dynamic as well.

Point_Click_Mockup_4.gif
C. Simplify even further, dropped the keys and just use icons. Press the directional arrow to select action. Changed the "look" with a look animation. The look animation would trigger once, it wouldn't go in a loop, that'd be too distracting.

D. I won't post a screenshot of this as it's too similar to "C" but have the icon animation appear once when the icon is selected to confirm player selection as opposed to have it appear on the left page.

P.S. Art is owned by me, apartment art by Chris Orr.
 

Yal

šŸ§ *penguin noises*
GMC Elder
I would strongly recommend an option where you only have two actions: LOOK and INTERACT. (To use an item on something, you'd drag the item onto that thing). Basically every point-and-click game only has one meaningful interaction for each object, having the player guess which one it is just adds an annoying additional step. ("Interact" on anything you can pick up would result in you picking it up)
 

Zizka

Member
I would strongly recommend an option where you only have two actions: LOOK and INTERACT. (To use an item on something, you'd drag the item onto that thing). Basically every point-and-click game only has one meaningful interaction for each object, having the player guess which one it is just adds an annoying additional step. ("Interact" on anything you can pick up would result in you picking it up)
Well, there's no mouse support, it's all keyboard driven.

Regarding the verbs, are you saying Lucasart Games were not optimally designed because of the verb choices?

1589319414023.png
Not trying to contradict you, I'm genuinely would like to read your opinion. If I understand correctly, you're saying the example above is outdated compared to new point and click standards.
 

Attachments

Yal

šŸ§ *penguin noises*
GMC Elder
Well, there's no mouse support, it's all keyboard driven.
Even better, then you can map one key to "look at" and one to "interact". Less menuing, more gameplay, everyone's happy.

Regarding the verbs, are you saying Lucasart Games were not optimally designed because of the verb choices?
Yes. In 99% of cases, most of the verbs are not applicable. You can't talk to a trash can, open a gun, pick up an NPC or push a window, but since these games usually use Moon Logic there will be one or two puzzles that use a completely unexpected verb, and after that the player will be forced to try every word and every item on every interactible entity. It's a step up from a text-based adventure game where you can't even tell which verbs you need to go through, but it's still adding breadth without adding depth.
 

Zizka

Member
You know Iā€™ve been thinking about your comment and I think I agree.

From: typing text ā†’ selecting verbs ā†’ discarding superfluous verbs...

Since theyā€™re games Iā€™ve liked a lot I have this nostalgia filter which embellishes things. Having all those verbs wasnā€™t really necessary and more like a set standard that everyone was using.
1589366942143.png
1995 - Full Throttle

Full Throttle further simplified things although the ā€œkickā€ action could have been integrated in an ā€œinteractā€ option I imagine.

Another example of the simplification of the point and click mechanic is Simon the sorcere. Compare the interface of:
1589367192899.png

and:

1589367246030.jpeg
I think the second UI is ugly but itā€™s simpler, going from written verbs to icons and from 12 action verbs to 8.

This simplify things greatly for me. I guess you could argue that ā€œverbsā€ could count as permanent inventory systems. Some verbs were redundant of course, ā€œpick upā€, ā€œopen **and** ā€œcloseā€, ā€œconsumeā€.

---

Back to my case, I could get rid of ā€œgetā€ although itā€™s really one of the important ones. It would mean puzzles would be generally inventory driven however. This would mean three icons/actions left: Use; Look; Inventory.

I could have movement on WASD, Q for look, E for interact and space bar to bring up the inventory.

Q and E in are simple to implement. The more complex part is integrating inventory while keeping things simple for the player...

I was thinking of using an item wheel like in *Secret of Mana*:
1589367991201.jpeg
As a concept I find that elegant. The map area is small however so I donā€™t know if I want to clutter the place with an inventory wheel.
 

Zizka

Member
Alright, I have something new.

Point_Click_Mockup_6.png
D. Pressing space once brings up the interaction wheel. Pressing left and right so that the action at the bottom of the triangle as the desired one. Press space again to confirm.

Top left: interact, Top right: inventory, Bottom: look

That's my trying to steam line it even further.
 
Top