FUNDAMENTALS OF GAME DESIGN, SECOND EDITION

Screen-Oriented Steering

In screen-oriented steering, when the player moves the joystick up, the avatar moves toward the top of the screen. Implementation details vary somewhat depending on the camera model. This section documents several major variants.

TOP-DOWN AND ISOMETRIC PERSPECTIVES

In a top-down or isometric perspective in which the player sees the avatar from above, moving the joystick up, down, left, or right causes the avatar to instantly turn and face the corresponding edge of the screen, and then move in that direc­tion. Classic arcade games that used a top-down perspective, such as Gauntlet, use this simplest of all steering methods.

2D SIDE-SCROLLING GAMES

In traditional side-scrollers, the joystick controls left and right movement as it does for the top-down perspective. The player controls the avatar's vertical jumps to platforms using a separate controller button. Moving the joystick up can augment the effect of the jump button; moving the joystick down may be left undefined; and because the game world is 2D, the avatar cannot move away from or toward the player.

3D GAMES

Three-dimensional games usually use avatar-oriented rather than screen-oriented steering to provide a consistent set of controls regardless of camera angle, but rare exceptions do exist. Crash Bandicoot provides the best-known example. When the player pushes the joystick up, the avatar moves toward the top of the screen, which

is also forward into the 3D environment, away from the player. Moving the joystick down makes the avatar turn to face the player and move toward him through the 3D environment. Pushing the joystick left or right makes the avatar turn to face and then move in that direction.

Unlike avatar-oriented steering, in this model, left and right cause the avatar to move in those directions while the camera continues to face forward and to show the avatar from the side. In this respect, Crash Bandicoot feels rather like a side - scroller with an additional dimension. In avatar-oriented steering, addressed next, left and right cause the avatar to turn and face in those directions but not to move while the camera swings around to remain behind him.