Joystick Character Controller

Introduction

Joystick character controllers are a type of character controller that allows the player to move a character using an on-screen joystick.

Joystick is still in beta and may have some limitations or bugs. Please report any issues you encounter to the Highrise Studio team.

Adding a Joystick Character Controller

Luckily, Highrise Studio comes with a built-in Joystick character controller that you can use to control your characters. Here's how you can add a Joystick character controller to your character:

You need version "0.12.2" or later of Highrise Studio to use the Joystick character controller.

1. Right-click in the project view and select Create > Highrise > Scene Variant to create a new scene variant.
2. Rename the scene variant to something like "JoystickScenePrefab".
3. In the JoystickScenePrefab, add a component called JoystickCharacterController
4. Remove the default PlayerCharacterController component from the JoystickScenePrefab
5. Customize the Joystick properties in the JoystickCharacterController component
6. Click "Use this prefab" to set it as the default scene variant

Customizing the Joystick

You can customize the Joystick character controller by adjusting the following properties in the JoystickCharacterController component:

Basic Properties

1. Footstep Walk Sound: The sound that plays when the character is walking.
2. Footstep Run Sound: The sound that plays when the character is running.
3. External Input Action: External input action for external devices like keyboards or gamepads. ("Movement/Movement" is recommended)
4. Running Speed Threshold: The speed at which the character switches from walking to running.
5. Is 2D: Will use XY coordinates of the joytstick movement as the XY coordinates of the movements in the world. This is useful for 2D games.

Advanced Properties

6. Max Link Distance: This is the maximum in-world distance between the character and the link endpoint. If the distance exceeds this threshold, the link won't be considered.
7. Max Line Angle: This is the angle between your movement direction and the link's jump direction. If the angle is too large, the link won't be used.
8. Max Link Move Step Change: This measures the difference (as a proportion) between your desired movement (velocity vector * time delta) and the actual movement allowed by the nav mesh. For example, if you're on the edge of a cliff and can't move right, the step change is 1. A value of 0 means no change—your movement is fully within the nav mesh. This prevents jumping through links when you can simply move. A value of 0.5 means the link will be used only if your movement is at least half restricted, like approaching an edge at an angle.

When assigning the External Input Action or Footstep Sounds, make sure you toggle the "eye" icon to show all the available actions or sounds within the package.

Considerations

When using the Joystick character controller, keep the following considerations in mind:

1. Performance: Joystick character controllers can be more performance-intensive than other character controllers due to the continuous input processing.
2. Camera Movement: Make sure your camera follows the character's movement to keep the character in view. (default RTS camera is compatible with Joystick)
3. Customization: You can customize the Joystick character controller to fit your game's needs by adjusting the properties and styling of the joystick.
4. Feedback: Provide visual and audio feedback to the player when using the joystick to indicate movement and actions.

Joystick does not currently support multi-touch input and it does not support the "Anchor" property yet. These features may be added in future updates.

Conclusion

Joystick character controllers are a great way to add touch-based controls to your game. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily add a Joystick character controller to your character and customize it to fit your game's needs. Happy game developing!