Mouse movement now mostly translates to fishing rod translation across a flat plane in order to simplify rotation and force calculation. Think about a dot in the middle of a box and as you move your mouse around it moves the dot, which in turn feeds the rotation. Ex: the rod positioned at the top of the plane corresponds to the rod all the way back and opposite at the bottom. The rod pivot point should rotate around the players ‘shoulder’.

In the future this dot will be visualized to players to be helpful in making casting feel more intuitive.

Next to the dot box is a force meter. Imagine the one from wii sports golf. In order to calculate casting force, compare the dot’s position in the box with where it was last frame. If the y position is lower that means the mouse is moving downwards. In that case find the distance between the 2 positions which can be converted into a shot force variable. When right click is released, if the shot force is below a certain threshold, smoothly ramp up sensitivity again while default walking is activated (to prevent weird snapping). Same thing with move speed.

If power is above the threshold, then force gets applied to the hook relative to the casting power along the launch angle which is calculated using the forward vector at a launch point at the end of the player’s pole.

Switch into mid-flight control

Mid Flight Mode -

Allows the player to minorly course-correct thrown hook. Camera slowly attempts to track hook.

Instead of a box, the player's dot input area transforms into a circle, kind of like a controller joystick. X-axis applies force side to side: -1 to 1 multiplied by a force multiplier. Y-axis increases or decreases gravity applied to the hook. 

Sensitivity is lowered

Right click will not do anything in this mode.

Left click to rapidly increase gravity. This allows players to stop the hook when they feel like it’s far enough and feels mechanically like placing your finger back onto the line.

If the hook collides with anything other than water, fade into walking mode again. The hook can have other interactions based on what it hits but this shouldn’t affect input mode.

Fishing Input - 

During transition, freeze input until elements stop moving.

Utilizes circle dot input area from mid flight mode. The input area shifts downwards visually to allow more room for fish cam.

A second, circular rendering camera travels to the location of the hook on the water just above it, facing downwards. It looks like a giant minimap utilizing the left side of the screen. The circular camera with the view of the bobber corresponds to the circular input area with the dot. The bobber moves to try and match position with the dot in the input area.

When fish is caught, fade out fish cam and fade back in walking mode.