graniteoctopus on 11/2/2009 at 00:08
yes i know i've been spoilt by modern fps, with mouse aiming, auto lock on and the like. this control scheme just seems primative to me. having everything mapped to the keyboard was probably the standard back then, so playing it on release day probably would have felt as natural as blinking, but in light of todays control schemes im having a headache.
on the plus side it IS alot of fun exploring and finding logs and bashing mutants with a steel pipe, and im sure ill get used to it in time. did anyone else have trouble with the controls at first, or am i just a colossal idiot?
Kolya on 11/2/2009 at 00:49
I think that's usual reaction of anyone who wasn't around back then and quite a few who were. The game makes up for it though.
ZylonBane on 11/2/2009 at 02:19
Quote Posted by graniteoctopus
having everything mapped to the keyboard was probably the standard back then, so playing it on release day probably would have felt as natural as blinking
No, people complained about the complicated controls even back then. SS1 was out at around the same time as Doom, remember?
RocketMan on 11/2/2009 at 03:07
What about Cyplex's "shockwheel" program. Tiny program that makes a pretty big difference for me in allowing me to look up and down without the keyboard. Kolya, maybe a possible addon to ssp?
Kolya on 11/2/2009 at 03:12
I don't know, I remember the thread but I haven't used it myself yet.
graniteoctopus on 11/2/2009 at 05:15
well im glad to know im not completely stupid. but i agree im having a great time despite the awkward controls, so the game is making up for it indeed.
Swiz on 11/2/2009 at 10:35
Dosbox's keymapper might help if you run it through that.
I mucked about with the dosbox keyboard source code for a bit with a view to adding a two-mode interface (one the normal interface, the other with mouselook and SS2 style leaning) but the game doesn't seem to be able to register "rotate" and "look up/down" keypresses simultaneously, so I'd have to simulate furiously bashing them alternately or something.
Nameless Voice on 11/2/2009 at 11:40
I didn't have that much trouble with the controls - they were a bit awkward sure, but... so similar to the 3D view controls in DromEd!
Of course, I only played SS1 quite a bit after playing SS2.
Swiz on 11/2/2009 at 19:04
Has anyone got joystick control in Dosbox to work? Nothing I do in the dosbox.conf seems to be recognized, as the "Joystick centre" option is always disabled.
C0rtexReaver on 11/2/2009 at 21:43
Looking Glass brought over basically the same control schemes as they used for Ultima Underworld I & II for SS1.
I think it was a good control mechanism. SS1 was never meant to be a run-n-gun, bounce around like a pogo-stick, making rail-gun shot game like Quake, Et al. It was meant to be a slower paced, sneaking around, get down behind cover and peek around corners kind of game.
Maybe I'm just an old infantryman at heart, but SS1's controls lent themselves very nicely to my style of play. I preferred to go prone when 'caught out in the open in a firefight, or use the cover of walls, corners, & furniture when I could.
I was quite disappointed when SS2 had no way to lean or go prone.
-CR
