Topic: Using the Revmote as a State-switch + Fighting/Action Game Idea

[Kairon]

Using the Revmote as a State-switch + Fighting/Action Game Idea

Sometimes we make things too complex to see simpler, more elegant uses of technology. For example, the revolution controller doesn't need to exactly mimic a game-world-object: it doesn't always need to be the handle of a sword, or a ski, or your gun. It can be something a little less complex, but in my estimation, more elegant.

The revmote, because it knows its location in 3D space, can act as a simple switch to change your game state. It can be used to contextually change what different buttons or inputs mean for tha game. For example, considering this game idea:

Untitled Weapon-Based/Martial Arts Combat Game

This game would be in the genre of either a weapon-based/martial arts fighter, or a weapon-based/martial arts action game. It will use a third person camera, and be played with the freehand and nunchuck.

The key to this game is using the freehand to contextually change the fighting stance of your character. Depending on the position of the freehand in 3D space, your character would be in a different fighting stance and thus, your inputs would make the character do actions of slightly different natures.

This would also imply that by moving the freehand controller to different positions DURING COMBAT your character's fighting style and tactical options can change on the fly.

Nunchuck:
 Analog-Stick:    Movement
 Z1:                   Action 1
 Z2:                   Action 2
Freehand:
 A-button:         Action 3
 B-button:         Action 4/Environmental Response
 D-Pad:             Grab
 Gyroscopes:     Stance-switch
               shoulder-level: High-Response Stance - Doesn't move into stance fast, so only good at starts or lulls in battle. Good Stance to execute moves from.
               chest-level (normal): Combat Stance - Balanced stance and transitions easily into other stances
               cross-chest-level (backhand): Backhand/Special Stance - Special/Offhand/Backhand attacks
               side-dropped-level (relaxed to main-hand side): Strong-Attack Stance - high attack power low defense
               dropped-level (relaxed): Defense Stance - High Defense, low atack power

Despite there only being 4 action buttons available to you, the 5 stances give you 20 effective moves, all meant to flow from one move to another, one stance to another, such that the player can string moves through small yet graceful re-stancing of the freehand. This gives the game not only its unique gameplay, but its essential depth in choice of stance to use, choice of attacks to string together, and on-the-fly tactical judgements.


Hopefully that game idea demonstrated how using the Freehand for state-switching, in this case, changing the state of the character so that the action buttons would mean different things, can be fluid, intuitive, and a non-complex way to bring game innovations using the revolution controller.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[nemo_83]

I'm still not sure how a fighting game is going to turn out on Revolution if it isn't a boxing game or a sword fighting game.  If thought maybe dual remotes but using the remotes to direct where the blow lands.  Doing combos with the dpads, a buttons, b buttons, and x and y you could switch the function of the remote from kicking, punching, grapples, etc.  So maybe you are using the right one for your strong kick, and you use the left remote for your stong punch.  Like you said, it doesn't have to be simulative all the time; look at how in Zelda DS you trace an outline for the boomerang.

[jasonditz]

That's an interesting idea, but I don't know how comfortable it's going to be to leave your arms at shoulder level while playing

[bustin98]

I think that this idea would work better if it depended on how the revmote was held rather than the height of it. Holding it horizontal would open one set of moves, vertical another, diagonal, upsidedown, flipped on the side. That seems more viable to me. You'll definately need to hold the revmote in a way that will allow for easy repositioning, but you'll get used to it. I remember how long it took me to get used to the N64 stick.

[Kairon]

There's a reason that the opening stance is the one where the freehand is held at shoulder level: it's a stance that as a player, you feel the tension and it's a stance you don't remain in for very long.

Also, the whole reason the stances are switched based on the controllers position is to translate the physical sensation of each stance. Having the controller at shoulder position is a position that has natural tension and high potential energy, just like right before a fight or right before a blow. Holding it at your lap, the defensive stance, is a relaxed position that is the easiest to be in so that the defensive stance is very easy to be in. The offhand stance, for example, is a stance that's atypical for us, so much so that we have to consciously enter that position only if we intend to do something very special or unique.

In this way, the stances are not only directly tied into the physical sensation of the rev-mote, but aside from that intuitiveness the player will experience a sort of graceful flow of their freehand controller from shoulder to chest to lap to chest to offhand and back again as they fight in the system.

Compare this to a simple "hold the controller vertical, or hold it horizontal" sort of switch state and not only is my stance solution more elegant, but it ties more into the physical sensation of switching stances, it makes more sense and is not completely abstract, and is a much more pleasing experience to execute and behold.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Artimus]

I really don't get why you'd have to move your arm, it would get very tiring. Why not just point up? I highly doubt we see any games that require constant moving of the entire arm.

[Spak-Spang]

I like this idea alot.  The best part of this idea is that it could be modified to work within the Controller Shell.

[KDR_11k]

Context-dependent controls are really bad style in game design. It confuses the user.

[Spak-Spang]

KDR:  Not when the player is a button masher anyway.

Imagine the combos a novice could do just pushing buttons and raising the controller, up and down.  

HA!!

[Talon]

The revolution remote is going to redefine ways to play old games.  So pretty much developers have free reign to do whatever they want.  Its the developers chance to shine and come up with innovative ways to control their games. But they are not limited to use the remotes functionality if they wish they can continue to make games that use the shells functionality.  Its definately going to be interesting to see if a fighting game does evolve and incorporate the remotes functionality.