Devlog Input prototype Luke Sunner

Question

How can we make the player feel ore immersed using the features of the ps5 controller?

Both Ben and I had a team brainstorming session to come up with ideas for prototype to answer the question. We decided to use the same question as a guide. My hypothesis was that that the features of the ps5 controller such as vibrating and the light bar being reactive in gameplay. 

In our brainstorming session we both thought about what elements require user input. We came up with:

• Movement
  • Walking
  • Jumping
• Sound
  • background music
  • sound effects
• Lighting

We both also though about what forms of input are available to us such as:

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Controller(ps5)
• Drawing tablet
• Microphone

We then came up with some ideas on how to make the input feel more connected to the actions players could take in our game.  The ideas that we came up with are:

• Pressure sensitive controls.
• Having the mouse in a specific place on the screen to move the character.
• Individual limb control.
• Character controlled by audio.
• Player can control the game with decisions.
• Using the scroll button on the mouse as input.
• UI controls.
• Combination of buttons to do actions.
• Control the characters field of view.

Prototype(User Input)

We decided that we were going to go with a 2d platformer type game.  I was going to focus more on the user input for the ps5 controller along with getting the vibration to work when the player enters a collider. I didn't manage to get the light-bar executed as unitys newer user input for the dual-sense controllers is still buggy. Ben was focusing more on controlling the characters field of view with a button press. 

Overall it was a challenging experience trying to implement the ps5 controllers features as unity has only recently started to support these features. In my prototype the character can move side to side using the arrow keys or the controller and jump using space-bar or the south button on the controller.  When the player enters the other square in the scene the controller will vibrate.