The thing that at the top of my wish list for xtank right now is
keyboard controls for my tank.  It's just too hard to steer and fire at
the same time with one control.

I can see a couple of ways to implement this:

        1) Provide direction keys.  Pressing one turns the tank to
           point in that direction.  Probably a square of eight keys
           would be good for this, with the middle to stop.

        2) Keys to turn left or right some number of degrees.  30 seems
           like a good number.  45 is probably too much.  Other keys to
           turn 90 degrees and 180 might be good too.

        3) The keys would allow you to specify a turn rate.  Hit once
           and you start to turn, again to turn faster, etc.

Of these, I like 2 the best and 3 the least.  Something else to note is
that you could use these to turn the tank, the turrets, or both.  If you
do both, you wouldn't have to worry about extra speed controls, since
the number keys are right there at your finger tips.

It would also be nice to be able to use the Xt translations mechanism to
allow anyone to customize their controls any way they like.

###############################################################################

These are some ideas from kahuna about how a player should be able
to control a vehicle:


Hello again Terry,

This is in reply to your reply to my comments about xtank:

***	About the driver/gunner controls:

	I think this would add quite a bit to the game, as I said
before.  However, this was also a feature in xtrek (remember  xtrek...)
and it didn't work very well.   If you can implement it smoothly this
feature would be awsome.  Keeping the multi-player things local will no
doubt help.  In fact gunner and driver will probobly want to be in
earshot of each other.  In my opinion multi-player control of a single
tank should be a high priority.

***	Rigidly mounted weapons:

	The obvious solution is to use the arrow keys on the keyboard
since they are configured perfectly for this use.  They probobly are
represented by an odd string of characters so you may want to use the
keypad.  Using the keypad could make getting to the speed controls and
back tough.  Perhaps something like:



	7: nothng	8: fire		9:nothing	-: accelerate
			  front				   one speed

	4: fire		5: fire		6: fire		,: Deccelerate
	   left		  mortar	   right	    one speed

	1: nothing	2: fire		3: nothing	Enter: fire
			   rear				    turret

	0: Panic stop		.: drop mine
	   speed zero



	You would still activate and deactivate weapons the some way,
you would just do it less often - i.e. only to conserve ammo or save
heat.  This way what your fire is controlled by what you press not
what's activated.
	The mortar is assumed to be aimed like the turret but with the
targeting cursor marking the impact zone.  Since one would rarely want
to fire both mortars and direct fire weapons (the turret weapons) they
should have separate buttons.  If the tank doesn't have a mortar the
button is a "nothing".
	The directions buttons are obvious.  This would allow VERY
usefull items like side mounted flame throwers to be used effectivly.
	The speed controls shouls still exist on the numeric row but
the three speed control buttons shouls allow for speed control in
combat where the plaer need his fingers at the fire controls.  Panic
stop is like hitting speed zero.
	Mine dropper is straightforeward.  It is different enough in
function to require a sepatare button from the rear weapons.  Another
option would be to have the mines be a static-mount only weapon (every
direction but front).  The mine could be ejected some distance from the
tank.  A tank dropping a double row of mines (left an right mounted
mine droppers) thus creating a "road" that only "friends" behind him
could use without damage could be and interesting tactic for
cooperative-xtank.  Perhaps a simple "drop a mine out the back" button
is enough. Again if there is no mine layer on board the button is a "nothing".

	I would be curious to know how mortars are going to be
implemented.  Are they going to be fixed distance weapons that are
unaffeced by walls (the simplest option). Or, can the player vary the
range too.  If range is variable the so is hang time ouf course so
aiming would be a trick - but a good challege as well.  Since you have
variable quality weapons may I suggest the following quality parameters
for mortars and mines:

	Mines:
		Damage		-	obvious
 		Visibility	_	The cheapest mines might be visible
					without a mine detector.
		Charges		-	Expensive ones might be able to do 
					damage more than once.



	Mortars:
		Damage		-	Duh.
		Arc rate	- 	I'm not sure how you would want
to express this but here the basic idea: Cheap mortars are fixed charge
fired so they must stay in the air for a long time for close shots. 
Expensive mortars are more like guided missles - they climb only as his
as needed to clear the walls.  At close range they'd be somewhat like
slow moving direct fire weapons.  Both kinds of mortars land where the
crosshair was when they were fired.

		Accuracy	-	How far from the intended target the
					mortar might stray.
		Area of effect	-	If you miss you might still get some
					side armor damage.

	These are in addition to the usual parameters (heat, weight, etc.)

	Finally, can mortars blow up mines? A cheap one might make a
good mine sweeper.  Players can detect mines if the spend money, what
about mortars.  Perhaps they shouldn't be able to see then without a
detector of some kind - tanks don't have windows on the roof.  If they
really spend money they could get some warning of were incoming mortars
are due to land - a blinking warning marker or someting.  Specials are
a cool thing - you never know what you opponent has got.  Pehaps you
could add different levels of radars (perhaps make the stealth tank be
more than just a name?)  Perhaps players could scan an opponent to see
how his armour is doing.  Then, of course, they'll want ECM devices to
prevent this.  All of these neat gadgets cost money of course.  The
idea is to get success to be based on brain as well a braun in design. 
Also, if multi-player team xtank is developed players could build
specialized tanks (mine sweapers, mortar lobbers, ECM generators,
stealth assault vehicles etc)

	Of well that's probobly plenty to consider and quite enough to
actually program.  Keep it up.


					Kahuna






	
