Is a one-button game possible?

[ShmupSamurai]

Focuses a bit more on killing enemies than dodging, because dodging is hard in 1D. Kill them before they shoot [slow rings of bullets]!

The idea of shooting down enemies before they get the chance to shoot reminds me alot of rail-shooters and lightgun games....In which u never, EVER want them to shoot.

If they shoot, dodging(if u're allowed to move) can be mildly tricky, more often then not it's a better idea to shoot the killable projectiles instead.

[soloista]

Hmm, if my concept would use normal controls instead, then a good portion of the mechanics makes the game play like Psyvariar.

A one-button game example.

[Aru-san]

I found a game in freeware.remakes.org that matches the concept that you're aiming for.

[Ixmucane2]

Constant movement with a switch to reverse direction is bad for precision dodging, and the 1D movement constraint is a problem of its own.
Another option is using the switch to start and stop moving along a variable direction.
For example, an arrow could point away from the nearest bullet or obstacle and the button could thrust in the direction of the arrow.
Or (more controllable) the movement arrow could spin constantly with the button up and stop spinning when the player presses the button and moves (in a straight line). The self-spinning direction could be reversed at every button release event to allow easy control of zig-zag courses by tapping the button.
I expect this movement solution to allow for rather traditional, although not too dense, curtain fire patterns.

[Drum]

It could use a pull/repel system. Press the button once to draw the player ship towards the nearest enemy's gravity well. Release and press again to repel. If you're not pressing any buttons at all, you shoot automatically in the direction of the nearest enemy. Explosions push you away.

Or: Could work like silent skies (in one of the clips above) - pressing once makes it turn in one direction, releasing and pressing again makes it drift in the other direction. Do a loop around an enemy and you capture it, making it an option that follows you around and shoots in the direction you're facing. You can have several different enemy ships as options at a time.

I've played an interesting one-button, free-roaming platformer called Mono8 - a shmup would be simple to do by comparison.

[ShmupSamurai]

Constant movement with a switch to reverse direction is bad for precision dodging, and the 1D movement constraint is a problem of its own.
Another option is using the switch to start and stop moving along a variable direction.
For example, an arrow could point away from the nearest bullet or obstacle and the button could thrust in the direction of the arrow.
Or (more controllable) the movement arrow could spin constantly with the button up and stop spinning when the player presses the button and moves (in a straight line). The self-spinning direction could be reversed at every button release event to allow easy control of zig-zag courses by tapping the button.
I expect this movement solution to allow for rather traditional, although not too dense, curtain fire patterns.

I think that could actually be fun.

anyone else think the same?

[null1024]

Constant movement with a switch to reverse direction is bad for precision dodging, and the 1D movement constraint is a problem of its own.
Another option is using the switch to start and stop moving along a variable direction.
For example, an arrow could point away from the nearest bullet or obstacle and the button could thrust in the direction of the arrow.
Or (more controllable) the movement arrow could spin constantly with the button up and stop spinning when the player presses the button and moves (in a straight line). The self-spinning direction could be reversed at every button release event to allow easy control of zig-zag courses by tapping the button.
I expect this movement solution to allow for rather traditional, although not too dense, curtain fire patterns.

I think that could actually be fun.

anyone else think the same?

This actually seems like a good idea. Of course, it's always "seems" till you try it.


/me runs off to implement

EDIT: or I dunno, you decide. Seems too slow + inaccurate for a shooter. Movement only, and damnit, Sitesled let its domain lapse [but on April 12th [info from a whois]? that can't be right, I uploaded it yesterday to them!] so that other test game is down.
http://rapidshare.com/files/375975534/testasdf.exe


EDIT 2: How about a select and then go method, where you tap the button till you get the direction you want and if you hold, you'll go?
A bit slow, but much more precise maybe.

[ShmupSamurai]

EDIT 2: How about a select and then go method, where you tap the button till you get the direction you want and if you hold, you'll go?
A bit slow, but much more precise maybe.

Definately more precise.