Was the interface designed for tablets?

[number3son]

I'm having fun with this game, but the interface is a bit of a disaster (especially for being a fairly recent release). No right-click or scroll wheel support, no way to remap the camera keys or lock the camera to your character, and the text is tiny even with the larger text option enabled.

There's nothing wrong with tablet ports, but at least take a little time to add a few basic interface improvements in the process.

[RandPC]

The iOS/Android port came after the Mac/Windows version, any interface flaws definitely aren't due to being a mobile port to PC.
Jeff Vogel has always been Mac first and foremost, with the PC coming later. Only recently has he started supporting iOS/Android at all.

[Tripiṭaka]

Scroll wheel: god knows why. It's an obvious thing and AFAIK macs have them too so ...

Resolution: I don't think these games are supposed to played at native res.
You should be able to choose between display and graphic card scaler in your graphic driver options. Select the latter and you can specify any resolution.

Camera: There's an option to have the cursor keys move the camera rather than your characters. The game is pretty intuitive to play this way: the same as pretty much every 'old school' rpg or rts.

-- also turn on vsync or frame limiter with these games. They are not frame limited other wise which is another wtf ...

[suatguler]

Originally Posted by Tripiṭaka

Scroll wheel: god knows why. It's an obvious thing and AFAIK macs have them too so ...

Resolution: I don't think these games are supposed to played at native res.
You should be able to choose between display and graphic card scaler in your graphic driver options. Select the latter and you can specify any resolution.

Camera: There's an option to have the cursor keys move the camera rather than your characters. The game is pretty intuitive to play this way: the same as pretty much every 'old school' rpg or rts.

-- also turn on vsync or frame limiter with these games. They are not frame limited other wise which is another wtf ...

yea old school ftw

today i just bought the avernum and legend of grimrock

nice games. to hell with the contemporary designs! 4

regards

[number3son]

Originally Posted by Tripiṭaka

Camera: There's an option to have the cursor keys move the camera rather than your characters. The game is pretty intuitive to play this way: the same as pretty much every 'old school' rpg or rts.

By default, the arrow keys control the camera, and they cannot be remapped in the settings menu. That's the problem.

I want to either be able to control the camera via WASD (because laying fingers on the arrow keys through the whole game is pretty uncomfortable for righties, especially on notebooks), or hold down the mouse wheel or right mouse botton to "drag" the camera, or at least be able to lock the camera on my character so I don't have to constantly babysit it. But the game has none of these very standard options available. It's pretty aggravating.

[Tripiṭaka]

You're right. I got confused with Jeff's latest game (Avernum) which does let you alter this.

Would be no harm in requesting this for the avadon on the spiderweb forums. Might take a while to get pushed to steam tho.

[warmaster670]

Originally Posted by Tripiṭaka

You're right. I got confused with Jeff's latest game (Avernum) which does let you alter this.

Would be no harm in requesting this for the avadon on the spiderweb forums. Might take a while to get pushed to steam tho.

Avernum is actually older than avadon, just late coming to steam, which actually makes this stranger if older games have it but this one doesnt.

[Zieborn]

Actually, the newest release of Avernum is newer than Avadon.

Avadon's control scheme was designed with Tablets in mind; Jeff said so on his blog. As Avernum's re-release shows, he's probably making newer games with the alternate control scheme options included. He's currently working on the next Avadon, so hopeefully it has good tablet controls and good PC controls this time.

[number3son]

Originally Posted by Zieborn

Actually, the newest release of Avernum is newer than Avadon.

Avadon's control scheme was designed with Tablets in mind; Jeff said so on his blog. As Avernum's re-release shows, he's probably making newer games with the alternate control scheme options included. He's currently working on the next Avadon, so hopeefully it has good tablet controls and good PC controls this time.

Except that the newest Avernum game (Escape from the Pit) has the exact same interface problems as Avadon - you can't remap the camera buttons off of the arrow keys, and you can't use the right mouse button at all.

I get that it's just one guy making these games, but that's not an excuse for basic usability problems like these, especially after so many years.