I'm working on a 3D action/adventure game with Zelda style targeting. What controls are standard for these types of games using a standard keyboard and mouse setup? Right now I have the camera controlled by the mouse, the character is moved with WASD, and clicking the mouse button attacks/draws the weapon if it isn't already drawn. What suggestions do you have? I'm of course going to make it configurable and provide an invert Y axis option for aiming bows and crossbows. Right now I just need to figure out some defaults.

I don't really think there are standard controls for a zelda like game on the PC.

You don't really have a lot of options if one hand is used for movement keys and the other only has 3 buttons on the mouse available.

I personally like controllers more than keyboard controls but I suppose you can't require a controller for a PC game.


I'd suggest controls that require the least amount of hand contortions. I hate games with a million different abilities on the keyboard where I have to contort my hands in awkward positions to play.

I've always been a fan of expandable on-screen hud menus. That is, right clicking on an object in-game expands a list of interactions you have for it.

I've always been a fan of expandable on-screen hud menus. That is, right clicking on an object in-game expands a list of interactions you have for it.

I was considering that too, but the mouse controls the camera so I would have to provide some sort of click mode. I'm talking about just the standard basic controls. It's a real pain to have to hold Ctrl to lock on, which is what it is right now.

Here's how I'd do the melee with keyboard + mouse in a source or 3d game engine:

Have some sort of target locking mechanism, like world of warcraft, to pick your target. Maybe have some faint second/third targets in order for when the first one dies, but mostly one. Auto target nearby.
Once locked on and facing your target, your sword auto-moves to the high center position.
Both swords stay between the targets if at all possible by ai moves.
Swing with the left or right button + mouse movements to momentum the other person's sword.

I'm working on a 3D action/adventure game with Zelda style targeting. What controls are standard for these types of games using a standard keyboard and mouse setup? Right now I have the camera controlled by the mouse, the character is moved with WASD, and clicking the mouse button attacks/draws the weapon if it isn't already drawn. What suggestions do you have? I'm of course going to make it configurable and provide an invert Y axis option for aiming bows and crossbows. Right now I just need to figure out some defaults.

Check out Zeno Clash, it's a 3D beat em up that might serve as an inspiration for your 3D combat design to some point.