Alternative Sources of User Input

Abstract

In previous chapters, your games have been controlled with traditional desktop computer hardware: a keyboard and a mouse. In this chapter, you’ll explore two alternative sources of user input: gamepad controllers and touchscreen controls. In particular, you will add these alternative sources of user input to the Starfish Collector game that has been featured in previous chapters. If you do not have access to a gamepad with a USB connector (as discussed later in this chapter), you can still follow along; the code will still compile, and you’ll leave keyboard controls as a fallback (a good practice to consider in general for the convenience of your game’s players). Similarly, even if you don’t have access to a device that’s touchscreen capable, learning about the associated design considerations is still worthwhile. Furthermore, touch events and mouse events are handled by the same methods in LibGDX; you can simulate single-touch input (but not multitouch input) with the mouse. On the other hand, if neither gamepad nor touch-based input is of interest to you, this entire chapter may be omitted without loss of continuity.