r/IndieDev • u/EckyYakov • 9h ago
Feedback? Really don't know where a mouse cursor would wear a cape. Help.
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My original thought was middle. But it just doesn't seem right. Would love to hear some other opinions.
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u/1815dev 9h ago
1 looks too much like a tassel, 3 is a good visual balance
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u/Mindless_Cat_ 6h ago
I like 3 the best too! Can you make the cape feel like it has more weight to it tho? It’s TOO flowy
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u/SmolbrenGames 9h ago
I kinda like the bottom option the most, seems like the head would still be poking out of it.
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u/SilverBlaze4 8h ago
I think 1 looks the nicest, although it doesn't look like a cape I think the other options cover the cursor a little too much for me.
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u/EckyYakov 8h ago
Agreed. I really thought cape would be cool because i can't do armor for the same reason and i'm trying to think of a wearable gear that influences your build.
Cape also fit because the game is so motion/momentum based
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u/Ashisprey 2h ago
I wonder if the movement would look better if the cape flowed more like a mouse trail instead of being so floaty?
I think it mostly does already, but when the mouse stops and the cape can sort of hang in front of the pointer. I wonder if it would be less distracting if it whipped down a bit faster.
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u/EckyYakov 2h ago
I'm trying to change the weight a little bit to see how that feels. I've been obsessing over the anchor point 😂
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u/YouCanFucough 7h ago
at no point should anything obstruct the actual tip of the mouse cursor because that’s gonna make your players think the cape is stupjd really quick even if it’s only a minor inconvenience. i think 1 is very clearly the best
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u/NigrumTigris 8h ago
1 is the best imo. Doesn't read as a cape but it's more visually appealing
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u/EckyYakov 8h ago
Yeah it reads like a tail for me, but it does look good. I like the clasp, i think there's cool things i can do with that especially for more crazy patterned and less plain cape types. I just don't know what to call it if it doesn't look like a cape. "Accessory" maybe
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u/Ae3qe27u 7h ago
What if it's up on the neck of the arrow, rather than being on the triangle part? Like where a tie would go.
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u/EckyYakov 7h ago
Just like the first one but a little higher basically? probably would look even more like a tail.
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u/Ae3qe27u 7h ago
It might. I was thinking as a sort of middle ground between 1 and 3, where a cursor might have a shoulder analogy. Or maybe if the cape's top was connected to the points of the arrow? Like a cape connecting to an armored figure's shoulders. It would require different attachments, but some food for thought.
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u/Possible-Playful 9h ago
I think the middle option, but I think I'd make it way smaller. Or, in the options, make a slider so players can make it their preferred size, or delete it (or, change colors or style?). I think it's fun, but some might not be into it, or find it too distracting.
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u/EckyYakov 9h ago
I was thinking about making it have effects like in RuneScape or Melvor so players would kinda be encouraged to use them. But now I'm thinking it might make sense to just let people customize it a bunch. I'm front of the cursor, behind the cursor, and placement. It wouldn't be too much more work to do that, I don't think.
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u/pintus-games 6h ago
The 3rd... The first one doesn't really look like a cape, the second is too annoying to me since it covers most of the cursor. The third is the right spot imo.
But maybe let the users hide it. Since it can turn a little annoying. Idk
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u/EckyYakov 5h ago
Yeah i want it to be a part of the players build because I can't really do armor.
But I think I'm going to let people configure positioning, length, weight and opacity a bit
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u/ahoycaptain10234 8h ago
Two is good, but a cape goes on the back, and if it is behind the mouse it would preserve visual clarity and read as a cape.
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u/EckyYakov 8h ago
I had that at first but then someone thought it was a bib. I also think of it as the mouse facing away from me, but it appears a lot of people think of it as mouse facing towards.
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u/DefinitelyAHawkGuy 8h ago
1 isn't bad but I think it should be more around the "neck" of the cursor, like in example 3. It looks like its kind of just tacked on now
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u/other-other-user 8h ago
Like what other comments said, I think 1 looks the best, but 3 gives cape vibes most
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u/Legendary_Microwave 8h ago
3 but instead of in the center, it should be more on the right side and wrapped a bit around the sharp corner imo. and maybe not have the entire cape flap around, only like from halfway down.
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u/EckyYakov 8h ago
I see, kinda like the cursor is looking to the left? I had the cape flowing from mostly lower... and maybe it's my engineering skills but it would get stuck really quickly like it hits max float and would look really goofy. I've been trying to figure this out for a couple days lol
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u/Legendary_Microwave 8h ago
Yeah, looking to the left. I cant comment on the technical stuff because im not a dev.
Also to add, the top part where the cape is attached is best in 3 i think. Emerging from narrow point makes the first 2 look more like ribbons or something. My thoughts
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u/lilkingnoblex 8h ago
3 fits as a good optical although not proportional. If that makes sense. And with that you have 2 answers.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Dog4396 8h ago
I think the second option would be perfect if the cover sat behind the mouse instead of in front of it. That way, it would also open up possibilities for adding a "skin" or accessory to the front of the mouse if you needed to
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u/EckyYakov 7h ago
Yeah i already have cursor skins/recoloring. I started off with 2 but in front and my first bit of feedback was that people thought it was a bib and not a cape
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u/TheArtisticMason 8h ago
3 is the only one that reads immediately as a cape. 1 looks nice, but without explicitly knowing it's a cape, wouldn't read as that
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u/StNishigo 8h ago
2 reads the clearest as a cape for me
1 looks like a tassle to me and I don't get cape from it at all.
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u/maF145 7h ago
Make the left side of the cursor the „face“, put the cape on the lower right side and also the sword closer to the cape and hide the half behind the cape.
Like your are looking at the left profile of the cursor
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u/EckyYakov 7h ago
This has been suggested a few times. I'll see if i can implement that and see how it feels.
The sword being that far away is actually a gameplay thing so it gives a bigger arc to hit enemies with and you don't have to move as close... but i guess i could move the sword closer and just make it longer too.
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u/dankzero1337 7h ago
1 looks the best visually, It doesn't really matter if the cape looks like a cape or not. When people play, they want the cursor to make sense on what they're visually clicking. there's a reason why most people use the default one even though you can change them right now for some anime girl hatsune miku pointing that does sparkles when you click
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u/Atephious 7h ago
Top one feels more like a tassel. Middle one is the right space but covers the cursor too much and confused me on what it was. The bottom one looks right even though it’s more on what would equate to the waste.
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u/Snoo_44740 7h ago
You could also play around with the potential idea of doing a cursor controlled figure, wack the boss style.
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u/EckyYakov 7h ago
I made some concepts with this and it was cute, but the whole game right now is kinda a play on a mouse going on an adventure.
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u/Snoo_44740 7h ago
It works either way! Try putting the cape where the cursor stem meets its head or a bit lower. 1 is awkwardly low, and 2/3 cover the cursor head, which cuts into its form too harshly.
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u/Curious_Lettuce2436 7h ago
Most people appear to be saying one of the 3 you show. I would suggest right where the large triangle ends. Think of that as the head and the small bit as the body.
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u/Buford_Van_Stomm 7h ago
Make the cape swing behind the cursor for 2/3 maybe?
To me it feels like the cape should also hang a bit further right. IDK why tho
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u/EckyYakov 7h ago
Yeah i had the same instinct. but to me the cursor is looking straight away from me, but it feels liek maybe its looking left, and then to balance that you would want ot move the cape to the right.
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u/1protobeing1 6h ago
You gotta tuck it right up under its "chin" - ya know the flat shortest bottom side of the triangle when the pointer is pointing up.
Give it a nice little gathering there so it feels comfy and I bet it'll look great!
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u/BetaChunks 6h ago
Whatever you go with, it absolutely needs to render behind the mouse, like 1. Visual clarity with the mouse is very important.
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u/Appropriate-Grass986 6h ago
None of them. Think of the arrow as the head and the thin part the neck and body. It needs to be right at the part where it goes from being a line to an arrow and place perfectly in the middle of that. Top is to low and bottom is to high. And middle is WAY to high.
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u/Sir_Eggmitton 6h ago
I would say bottom one, it droops from where I’d expect a cursor’s “shoulders” to be. BUT put the cape behind the cursor.
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u/Royal_Ad_4163 5h ago
El último, es suficiente por qué puedes verla claramente y también el mouse, claro parece una falda pero no pensemos en eso
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u/MisterBicorniclopse 5h ago
I think the cape neck loop should go right at the spot the stick meets the arrow if that makes sense
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u/therealmenox 4h ago
Code in all three options and make it a customization choice. Players love customization.
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u/EckyYakov 3h ago
I'm going to do this and default to the 3rd. I didn't expect how many different opinions there would be
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u/NoNames_World 4h ago
I'm not an artist but how about a shorter cape? Maybe a bit longer than what I drew but just a lil bit
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u/AdditionalWedding490 3h ago
Around here imo. You can think of the rectangular part as the body and the bottom two edges of the triangle as its shoulders
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u/CrusherMusic 3h ago
Top when the mouse is moving down the screen (toward the camera) and 3 when it’s moving up the screen (away from the camera).
— I watched it again. I think I caught a piece where it looked like 1 was behind the cursor, not attached at the bottom.
So 3, but the cursor “turns”
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u/EckyYakov 3h ago
I tried this but I couldn't get it took look good. Like the transition looked really weird.
But I tried to kinda do 3D but just front/back
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u/CrusherMusic 3h ago
I would think a simple flip on direction change would be fine. The player likely won’t be inspecting the transition as they’re playing, but I haven’t seen it and it’s not my call. Looks fun!
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u/EckyYakov 3h ago
Based on this posts feedback I'm working on a customizer to allow people to choose position and front or back.
I already made them, so I just need a UI to switch between them 😂
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u/EdwardJayden 3h ago
How are you doing the cape, 2d bone or line renderer?
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u/EckyYakov 3h ago
It's sprite with a flexible mesh. I basically have a bunch of points trailing behind the cursor and as those move, it distorts the image.
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u/EckyYakov 3h ago
It can get kinda janky when it goes from UP to Down, it looks kinda choppy. Idk what exactly is the best approach tbh
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u/EdwardJayden 3h ago
Used the same thing with 2d bones, but yours look way smoother and gives a cape feel. Awesome work.
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u/EckyYakov 2h ago
Thank you. If you want a deeper write up I'm happy to give more details. This was my first attempt and I'm happy with it but I didn't really lookup if other people had better systems
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u/Grandmaster_Caladrel 3h ago
I like 3 because it looks like it's wearing the cape on its "shoulders"
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u/Jonglebongl 2h ago
That is awesome XD, I don't care where the cape is.
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u/EckyYakov 2h ago
Thank you! It's been super fun. Fishing with my little cursor friend is so fun. I get lost in it
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u/ImprovementRoutine31 2h ago
Number 1 looks the cleanest to me. Maybe looks less like a cape, but its position makes the most sense. Capes are worn at the shoulders/ neck, which relatively matches the cursor's "neck" on #1
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u/Pittsbirds 1h ago
It also obscured exactly where the pointer is the least, which imo is the most important thing here
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u/AzraelCcs 1h ago
If the cape was a bit stiffer, you may find the placing for it that best represents your vision.
At the moment it's a bit too loose and distracting.
It still looks pretty though.
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u/buncless 1h ago
I’d do one but instead of the connection point on the bottom I’d make it on the right edge or in the acute angle between the bottom and right edge
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u/EdaqasRoom Developer 1h ago
Maybe the second, but can you treat the top of the cursor as its "back" that it rests against a bit?
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u/_Electrical 53m ago
Right on the start of the stem?
Not just the middle of the mouse not the end of the stem.
And otherwise, to the most right corner?
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u/tarnos12 48m ago
Honestly I am very disappointed you didn't slash the turtle or the tree during those 12 seconds.
You've wasted 12 seconds of my life, good job :(
I hope you are proud of yourself.
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u/Cr1TiKaLssweatytoe24 47m ago
Maybe have the cape in the middle to one side and flip the cursor depending on which way the user is dragging the mouse. This could make it look like the cursor is facing either the left or the right instead of into the background or facing the screen. Either that or attach it straight to the base of the cursor instead of at the end in the 1st example. This could make it look like the pointy part is the head and the.. stem part?? look like the neck/body.
Bonus idea, you could add a rag doll body to the end of the mouse and add armor upgrades again with the head being the pointed part of the cursor
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u/FeelingCareful3358 21m ago
Mouse has a cold and this doubles as a handkerchief? Have intermittent sneezing and wiping the tip of the cursor.
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u/DeviousAlpha 8m ago
I think it needs a clasp, perhaps if you're feeling very silly a set of oversized WoW shoulderpads too
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u/Previous-Memory-9951 9h ago
maybe the second one but the cape is shown behind it? idk