Rolly Chair Game (Controller Prototype)

Controls:

- Joystick: aim legs

- Left/right triggers: kick right/left legs

- Right face button: Autokick

- Bumper: Grab grapple point (small godot icon)

This is a prototype for a revised control scheme for Rolly Chair Game, a game I made with a friend for The 2023 GMTK Game Jam. I wasn't satisfied with how difficult the controls were, so I wanted to test how they would feel with some more leniency and using the joystick/triggers of a controller. I also wanted to test if I could simplify the controls by adding an autokick option without completely altering the strategy. While the joystick and triggers/button proved more intuitive than the old system using a mouse, my main takeaway was that the controls as a whole don't fit the fast-paced and satisfying gameplay I was hoping for. This became clear to me when trying to test a grappling mechanic to make tight turns more satisfying: while the mechanic was fun, trying to get close enough to the grapple to test it was very frustrating for me even as the developer. Because of that, I never ended up building a test level beyond collisionless godot icons, as I felt I had answered my question with these few objects alone. 

This prototype was a bit of a learning experience for me, as until now I've only received majority negative feedback on prototypes from playtesting after the prototype was complete, never from myself in the midst of working on it. Because of that, I ended up trying to redefine the controls to the point where I was no longer answering the original question. I don't think that was necessarily a bad instinct, but testing an entirely new control scheme is definitely outside the scope of this prototype, and I should have saved it for a future prototype rather than trying to perfect this one.