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 You
pilot an impactor, so named because all it does is shoot small projectiles at
the cue ball. The purpose
of the sim is to maneuver the cue ball into targets that are guarded by
enemy drones. Every action
involves the cue ball, and consequently, only the cue ball can collide
with anything else. All
other objects, including the impactor itself, pass through each other.
In this universe, all actions originate in response to previous
actions, except for those of the impactor.
The impactor, which serves as the interface between our universe
and the simulated one, is controlled externally by you, thus giving you
the ability to inject actions without causes and thereby impose chaos in
the world of Virtual Impact.
The
impactor’s gun barrel automatically tracks the cue ball, freeing you
from the troublesome task of having to aim at it.
The horizontal and vertical axes of the mouse or joystick allow
you to control from which the direction the impactor can fire at the cue
ball, steering it. Forward
motion is achieved when one or both fire buttons are pressed, which
shoots projectiles at the cue ball, propelling it forward.
The impactor automatically follows. Firing both fire buttons will
cause the impactor to fly twice as fast.
This
configuration allows you to maneuver a complex ship using few controls.
In addition, if you veer off course during a mission, a compass needle
appears, centered on the cue ball and pointing to where you need to go.
If a drone steals the cue ball, the impactor becomes equipped
with grippers that always point towards the cue ball in order to guide
you towards it, in case you lose track of it.
These design decisions allow for a simple but powerful user
interface during game play.
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