Game Controls

Each game needs a game control. Especially adventure games have high demands so Visionaire offers a very flexible system.

This chapter is subdivided into 3 parts:

• Interface: each playable character needs an interface. It contains the commands (e.g. walk to, use, etc.) and optional placeholders for items to pick up.
• Inventory: can be used optionally. It contains the placeholders for items to pick up if the interface of the playable character does not contain them.
• Buttons: is part of the interface/inventory.

A playable character always needs an interface and can optionally have an inventory. The flexible split-up of the game control into interface and inventory allows many different game controls also known from famous games like:

• Maniac Mansion, Zak McKracken: the playable character has an interface which contains the commands (walk to, take, use, ...) and the placeholders to pick up items. The interface is always visible at the bottom of the screen. The action text (e.g. 'Open door') is shown on the upper part of the interface.

Monkey Island 3: the playable character has an interface which only contains the commands. The interface will be shown at the current cursor position if the left mouse button is pressed for a certain time over an object. If the mouse button is released over a command then the selected command is executed on the object. The character also has an inventory for the items which can be shown and hidden with the right mouse button. The action text is shown at the current cursor position. Sam & Max: the playable character has an interface which contains the commands but these commands are not visible on the interface. Further the interface contains placeholders to pick up items. The interface can be shown and hidden with a key (e.g. space). The current command can be changed with the right mouse button. The action text is shown at the current cursor position.