Android: Improve the Virtual DPad

[Ghabry]

Currently the DPad does not allow multi directions (e.g. Left+Up) making games that map jump to Up (Frozen Triggers) hard to play.

Maybe provide Up/Down/Left/Right also as additional buttons? This way they can be "detached" from the Dpad.

[carstene1ns]

Detaching can be added, but we really should allow the dpad to do 2 at once. we could even draw it differently to make it easier to use:

Real world examples:

[Ghabry]

Maybe also useful. Can't remember in which game I saw this or how this is called:

"Dynamic Dpad": there is no dpad on the screen. Instead the first touch defines the center and sliding your finger defines the direction. (And stopping the touch "despawns" the dpad)

[carstene1ns]

This would involve a lot of sliding.

[BlisterB]

For the time being, D-pad's hitbox have paddings at their bottoms in order to have a good "sliding" experience (because your thumb is usually slightly down that what you are aiming for).

        boundLeft = new Rect(this.getLeft() - padding, this.getTop() + iconSize_33, this.getRight() - 2 * iconSize_33,
                this.getBottom() - iconSize_33 + padding);
        boundRight = new Rect(this.getLeft() + 2 * iconSize_33, this.getTop() + iconSize_33, this.getRight() + padding,
                this.getBottom() - iconSize_33 + padding);
        boundUp = new Rect(this.getLeft() + iconSize_33, this.getTop() - padding, this.getRight() - iconSize_33,
                this.getBottom() - 2 * iconSize_33);
        boundDown = new Rect(this.getLeft() + iconSize_33, this.getTop() + 2 * iconSize_33,
                this.getRight() - iconSize_33, this.getBottom() + padding);

At the time, I've tried to add diagonal directions but it was really messy and uncomfortable.
Most of the time, RPG Maker involve movements in a grid (no diagonal movement), if you use up/right the engine doesn't know which direction to choose, so it chooses it for you (and it's frequently not the direction you want).
I've also tried "Dynamic D-Pad" on some games and it's really awfull to use, you have the same problem that I mentioned and you don't have a good "feedback" because diagonal movements are not supported. And sliding is uncomfortable imo.