Mobile roguelikes - UI, design and the Android landscape IRDC 2012 London

Transcription

1 Mobile roguelikes - UI, design and the Android landscape IRDC 2012 London Tom Ford Oxford, United Kingdom

2 My roguelike games DRL: DDRogue Special attacks linked into normal movement Narrative amnesia plotline with multiple endings KBRL: ZigClimb Armour and weapons Positioning and MvM combat important DRL: PrincessRL Successor to DDRogue (same engine) Class differentiation through point-based training choices Limited (12) opportunities for short (3 level) dungeons in ~2 hr game duration Magic and charm in addition to special moves give role differentiation Narrative plot, unusual setting and multiple endings

3 Mobile (Android!) roguelikes Google Play search for roguelike gives you: 36 hits 27 unique games 2 in Japanese! 22 roguelikes 18 non-desktop ports

4 Mobile roguelike game design Good game design is good game design regardless of platform Mobile devices (particularly phones) bring their own challenges / opportunities Touch interface Limited screen size Device speed Heterogeneous devices Usage models Low Barrier to entry App Stores Remuneration models

5 The touchscreen How can we use the touchscreen for a roguelike on a phone or tablet? Can we adopt the evolving conventions of touchscreen usage? Should we Pretend it doesn t exist? Tolerate it? Embrace it? Control methods in mobile roguelikes D-pad tap (Endless Depths) Directional tap (ROGUE TRIAL) Tap to travel (LEGENDS OF YORE) On-screen keyboard (ROGUELIKE CLASSICS) D-pad slide (VOYAGE TO FARLAND) Drag to scroll (DWELLER) Pinch to zoom (NETHACK) Hold to run (NETHACK) 9 directions (ROGUELIKE CLASSICS) Slide to move (TRAQUE HACK) Travel after pan (NETHACK)

6 Touch interface pros and cons PROS Fast for large movements CONS Slow for repeat moves Allow for new / natural interactions Lacks accuracy Obscure-able Fatiguing Excessive number of taps Excessive finger travel

7 As seen in Roguelike Classics No Way But Down On-screen keyboard PRETEND IT DOESN T EXIST! Advantages Accurate Quick Flexible Disadvantages Obscures half the screen Standard on-screen keyboards often lack particular keys on default display Need to know vi-keys Or custom set used Touch for non-roguelike players

8 As seen in Infinite Dungeon Voyage to Farland Powder (apparently!) On-screen D-PAD PRETEND IT DOESN T EXIST! Advantages High(ish) accuracy Limited finger travel Rapid repeating VOYAGE TO FARLAND Disadvantages Deeply conservative! Screen real estate dedicated to D-Pad Slow for menu screens

9 Directional tap TOLERATE IT! As in seen in Dweller Endless Depths Nethack 8 directions Advantages Large area to tap Good accuracy 1 square movement can t go *that* wrong 4 directions Disadvantages Possible to make mistakes if you click close Feels like you are attacking behind the monster if you click far Fatiguing NETHACK

10 Click square to travel EMBRACE IT! As seen in Legends of Yore Dweller Also directional tap Nethack Only after drag-to-scroll Advantages Great for backtracking Works well with drag-to-scroll LEGENDS OF YORE Disadvantages Easy to make mistakes if squares are small Mistakes during combat can have serious consequences Requires intelligent interruption system

11 Slide to move EMBRACE IT! As seen in TraqueHack Fun version of directional tap Not as tiring as you might think TRAQUE HACK Tap and hold to run As seen in Nethack Typical alternative to double click Delay makes it irritating compared to double tap NETHACK

12 Screen size Mobile screen size average 8 cm x 5 cm How many tiles to pack in? Dweller (small tiles): 14 x 20 -> 3 mm x 3 mm TraqueHack: 5 x 4 -> 15 mm x 15 mm Large tiles are better for accuracy Personally: 5 mm x 5 mm safe minimum Excessive scrolling for ranged-attack heavy games Game design consideration

13 Zoom Pinch to zoom typical mobile interaction Nethack port uses this to good effect Great for backtracking Unexplored features: Oversized monster & item & stair icons on zoom out Autozoom out to show all in-vision targets

14 Targetting Rogue-style 8 directions Legend of Yore Click to shoot for Wizard Dweller-style targetting Click ranged attack to enter mode Click again to fire / cast Reticule automatically moves onto next target No autoclose

15 Gestures Useful in archery and magic systems? rgrd discussion TAP TO MOVE / MELEE DRAG TO SHOOT / CAST READY SPELL

16 Archery gestures Are you going to trust your mage or archer s life to these?

17 Items, Inventory and Menus Click on yourself seems to be a natural motif for interact with whatever I m standing on Menus, inventory or otherwise seem slower on mobile than PC, with lots of finger movement ENDLESS DEPTHS Auto-pickup, auto-equip, current item comparison all help Quickslots for spells and potions help to integrate most actions into the main screen Replacement for keyboard chord motif Overlays gel better than menus

18 App Stores, Advertising and Remuneration Nowadays it s no longer taboo to make money from roguelikes! More or less Free & Paid app strategy In game payments Importance of marketing / community building Niche or mainstream pricing strategies Legends of Yore: $2 Trap Rogue: $6 Delver donation model Donation via paid apps

19 Jan 09? Dec 09? Ascendances Downloads 100,000+ Apr 09 May 09? Nov 09 Jun 11 50,000 Jun 11 May 09?? Mar 12 Jan 09? 10,000 5,000 1,

20 A graph (of contentiousness) ONE X DELVER LEGENDS OF YORE NETHACK DIABLO DWELLER HYPER ROGUE TRAQUE HACK Rogue Quest Swords and Spells TRAP HUNTER Kamyran's Eye HYDRA SLAYER ENDLESS DEPTHS SIGMORE MINES 2 ANDOR S TRAIL INFINITE DUNGEON ROGUE TRIAL IBM PC SAMURAI ROGUE FARLAND NO WAY BUT DOWN