SpecialEffect’s Open Drive on iPadOS/iOS | Controls Introduction

In this video, we are going to take a look at how you can use inputs like eye gaze, switch control or a game controller to play our game ‘Open Drive’ on iOS or iPadOS.  

Taken from our eyegazegames.com website, Open Drive is a free app we have created that can be played with your preferred controls on an Apple mobile device, like an iPad or an iPhone. It has been designed to be played using the control method you already use to access your device. 

In addition to touch, other supported inputs include a Made For iPad eye gaze camera, a mouse, switch control, a game controller or a keyboard.  

In addition, the game aims to support in-built control methods that use the in-built touchscreen, front facing camera or microphone on your iPad or iPhone. This includes the Virtual Trackpad, Head Tracking, Eye Tracking and Voice Control features. 

The game will recognise your input method when opening the app and will offer the most suitable control mode in-game, for that input. 

Gameplay and Features: 

In the game you can explore the world freely, collect the orbs, or try to beat your high score by making and landing jumps off ramps, mounds, and mountain tops.  

The game can be played untimed, in a mode called ‘Free Drive’, or you can see how many points you can collect in 5 minutes in ‘Time Trial.’ We also have a mode called, ‘Auto Steer’ in which the vehicle follows a track, so you only need to control the throttle to accelerate and drive forwards. 

Once you have chosen your mode, there are four worlds to choose from: Stunt Zone, Snow Land, Meadow and Speed Zone. Then, there are 3 vehicles to choose from. Roadster is good to start with and get used to controlling the vehicle. Speedster and Trickster will help you get more speed and power to make bigger jumps.  

To further customise how you play, you can adjust the game speed down in increments of 10, from 100-30%, giving you more time to make turns, line up jumps or refine your drifting.  

Finally, some supported game inputs will allow you to play using either our ‘Precise’ or ‘Classic’ control schemes. When available, you can switch between these using the onscreen button in the top left of the gameplay screen.   

Supported Controls: 

MFI Eye Gaze or Eye-Tracking feature: Eye gaze requires an assistive ‘Made For iPad’ eye gaze camera or use of Apple’s ‘Eye Tracking’ feature. Using your eye movement to move the pointer onscreen, the vehicle will follow it. Look to the left or right of the vehicle to steer and anywhere in front of it to go forwards. To stop, look at the vehicle. To reverse, look just below the vehicle. If there is an object behind you, you may not be able to reverse. If you get stuck, use the ‘recover’ button in the bottom right of the screen to reset your vehicle. 

When starting out, choosing the ‘Roadster’ vehicle can help you get used to the controls at a gentler pace with a smoother ride, compared to ‘Speedster’ and ‘Trickster’. Meadow is a good zone to start with, too, as there is a large open area to explore and practice in. You can drive through the rocks and trees.  

Faster vehicles, like Speedster, have the speed and power to make bigger jumps. However they can be more difficult to handle. The gameplay speed can be changed in the settings to give you more time to respond and to line up a jump, take a corner or collect an orb, when using these vehicles. Dropping the speed to 70 or 80% can make a real difference in how controllable a vehicle may feel. You can go below this (as low as 30%) to give yourself more time to react. 

To reduce the controls, you can use the Auto Steer mode. This means that the vehicle will follow a set path, so the player only controls accelerate and brake. By default, with eye gaze, you move the pointer ahead of the vehicle to make it go forwards. This is called Precise mode. However, Classic mode can be a good option for Auto Steer mode, to make it more of an intentional cause-and-effect activity. In this mode, you have a button at the bottom of the screen in the centre. You select this to toggle driving forwards. After a while, it will reset and you will need to select it again to drive forwards again.

You can change to Classic mode in Open Drive’s settings menu or using the shortcut in the top left of the screen when in-game. 

Touch:  For touch, the button in the top left corner changes the controls to Classic mode. With this, you tap once on the button in the centre at the bottom of the screen to drive forwards. Tap on it again to brake and stop the vehicle and it will automatically start turning on the spot. When it is facing the direction that you want to drive, tap on it again to drive forwards. No drags or swipes are required. If using Precise mode, tap on the screen to direct the vehicle.  

Virtual Trackpad: If using touch with the Virtual Trackpad feature, the vehicle will follow the pointers position onscreen. So, to steer left, move the pointer to the left of the vehicle and to steer right, position it to the right. To brake, position the pointer in line or below the vehicle and to reverse, position it further below. 

Mouse Pointer: If using another form of pointer control like a mouse or an assistive mouse, the vehicle will follow your mouse pointer position onscreen. No drags or holds of clicks are required to steer. Like the other inputs methods that use a pointer, placing the pointer over the vehicle will stop it and behind it will reverse. 

Head Tracking: If using the Head Tracking feature, like the previous pointer control modes we have mentioned, the Precise Mode in Open Drive is recommended and will allow you to use head movement to steer the vehicle. Moving your head to move the onscreen pointer, the vehicle will follow this. Again, placing the pointer over the vehicle will stop it and below it will reverse. 

Switch Control: To scan through onscreen targets using a switch, the use of Apple’s Switch Control feature and a compatible switch input are required. To drive forwards, select the highlighted onscreen control button in the centre at the bottom of the screen. To stop the vehicle, select it again. It will then start automatically turning on the spot. Select the control button again to drive in the direction you are facing. Changing the gameplay speed setting will both slow down the speed of the vehicle, but also the speed at which it turns. 

Keyboard: By default, the Arrow keys or W,A,S,D are used to steer, accelerate, brake and reverse. The R key is used to reset the vehicle when you are stuck. Space can be used to stop the vehicle without reversing. The Escape key opens the pause menu. Classic mode can be used to reduce the required inputs during gameplay, with just the Enter key needed to turn and drive forwards once the Classic controls button is highlighted at the bottom of the screen. 

Full Keyboard Access: If using the Full Keyboard Access feature, you will need to turn on Classic mode in the Settings menu, or with the shortcut button in the top left when in a zone. Using the tab key, you scan along to the driving controls button in the centre at the bottom of the screen and use the space key to both select it  to drive forward and to stop and turn.

Game Controller: Using a compatible controller with your iPad or iPhone, in Precise mode, the Left Stick is used to steer the vehicle and navigate the menus. The A button on an Xbox controller is used to accelerate and to select menu buttons. The B button brakes, and then reverses the vehicle. The X button is used to reset the vehicle if you get stuck. The Menu button is used to open the in-game pause menu. Classic mode can be used to reduce the required inputs during gameplay, with just the A button needed to turn and drive once the Classic controls button is highlighted at the bottom of the screen. 

Voice Control: If you use Voice Control on your iPad or iPhone, this can be used to play Open Drive. The ‘Item Names’ or ‘Item Numbers’ overlay options can be used with Open Drive’s Classic mode. You can change the controls to Classic mode, either in the settings screen or when a zone loads by selecting the button in the top left to switch between Classic and Precise mode. When using Classic mode, an onscreen button will appear and can be used to drive. Slowing the gameplay setting down can help give more time for commands to be spoken. If using the ‘Item Numbers Overlay’, you would say, ‘Tap 3’ or ‘Tap Button 3’. 

You can use Voice Control gesture commands to steer in Precise mode. Saying, ‘Swipe Up’ drives forward, ‘Swipe Down’ can be used to stop. To steer, saying ‘Swipe Left ‘will do a small turn, whilst saying, ‘Pan Left’ will do a sharp one. Saying, ‘Swipe Right’ or ‘Pan Right’ will steer right. To stop turning, saying ‘Swipe Up’ again will centre your steering.

We hope this video has given an introduction into how the way you control your iPad or iPhone can be used to play Open Drive. You can find out more about Open Drive, using the links below.  

We will finish by showing some more gameplay footage using these control modes.