Re: [TuxKart-devel] Split screen multiplayer

[Steve B. <sjb...@ai...>]

James Gregory wrote:

> I don't think forcing controls on a player is a solution, either.
> Putting a link to Steve's page about why certain key combinations don't
> work in the README might be a nice idea, but I don't like the idea of
> forcing player 1 and player 2 to use awkward keys in an effort to make
> 3/4 player sharing of the keyboard easier when very few people are ever
> going to share the keyboard between more than 2 people.

I was suggesting that we come up with (say) 6 different alternative settings
for single player, (say) 3 different pairs of settings for two players and
just one set of settings for 3 or 4 players.

There are only so many conventions that programs have for this kind of thing
and for single player, we can provide all of the common conventions (eg Arrow
keys, number pad, A/S/W/Z, etc.  For two players, we can also come up with a
few sets of choices that'll work - but the more keys have to work together,
the fewer choices there are.

To get four people playing together - all using the keyboard - may actually
be impossible.

Allowing any set of choices - with some kind of an explanation in a README
file flat out won't work.  Players DON'T READ THE MANUAL.   Also, the rules
for what keys work together are pretty complex.  I doubt that many non-programmers
would understand them.

It's better to provide a few sets that work than leave people to flounder around
trying to find sets that work.

Either way, they can't have the exact set of keys they want - that's just not
possible in general.

---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
HomeEmail: <sjb...@ai...>    WorkEmail: <sj...@li...>
HomePage : http://www.sjbaker.org
Projects : http://plib.sf.net    http://tuxaqfh.sf.net
            http://tuxkart.sf.net http://prettypoly.sf.net
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