I`m developing a point and click RPG (similar to neverwinter nights) and was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to indicate that an object in the world can be used/picked up?
I have been considering:
Changing the mouse pointer, but this is a mobile game so there is no mouse pointer.
Having a outline around the object, sometimes can be missed as the color mixes in with the world color too much.
Having the object shaded in a color, kinda removes the object from the world and makes it stand out almost too much (good as the user can see it but doesnt look part of the world anymore)
I’ve seen animation used to good effect for this. A little glow or sparkle that appears periodically over any interactive object, drawing your attention to it and saying “tap me!”
Hover may be problematic if this is a mobile (touch) game, although I suppose the player could drag a finger over the screen to see what lights up.
I like @JoeStrout 's suggestion - a temporary outline or shading, perhaps only as the player character passes near the item. You could make the effect more or less intense based on the item’s importance.
If you want to get more subtle, what about having the player character turn its head to look at the item? This keeps everything within the game world, rather than imposing an immersion-breaking UI effect on it. If you have Unity Pro, you can just set the look weight in OnAnimatorIK(). If not, you can use something like Final IK, or write your own IK adjustment in LateUpdate(). You could even scale the weight based on the item’s importance. The player character might only glance briefly at a minor item but turn its whole body and gawk at a more important item.
If they don’t click anything for a while, make stuff glow slightly that can be clicked. You’re not completely ruining your visuals, and you’re only showing it to someone who needs it.
Or,…
Make a hoppinggreen or red glowing arrow, hover over objects, that can be picked up.
Alot of games do that. Then when you pick up the object, the arrow disappears!
Is this best? Clearly, it works. And, yet, discovering the objectives is sometimes what makes a game fun. It’s varies from game to game and is something I’ve not fully grokked.
Gigi
PS - Somehow, the spell checker knows that Grokked should have two k’s.
Some good alternatives to outlining were suggested in this thread. If you decide to go with outlining, however, I recommend Highlight Glow System. It’s flexible, does a good job highlighting complex objects, and is easy to set up.
I prefer they keep it subtle, when you find something on the ground, you really did find it, it wasn’t flashing on 50% of the screen the whole time. in 3d games some sort of brighter/unlit shader, in 2D a very subtle highlight, an aura valid only for items that will expire soon, or require immediate attention.
One example of where these two have worked quite well is in ‘Deus Ex Human Revolution’:
Sure the objects stand out a bit more, but I think in the context of the game’s lore and aesthetics, it fits in quite well.
