Hi Tom.
I can see that replicating sophisticated physics for say bouncing a coin off
a table into a jug, let alone replicating the necessary motions to perform
that action (even with analogue control), would be hell to program, however
I don't think that would really be a problem.
Back in the 80's, and even today there were games with relativistic physics
engines that bore no resemblance to the real world in action, but were
addictive for what the player needed to learn.
For example, the Kirby games (both on the Snes and the Gba), have a number
of minigames which you can play from the title screen just for fun, or play
in the game to earn extra lives.
In Bomb run, four different coloured kirbies are kicking a bomb to each
other like a football. the bomb certainly doesn't move realistically, and
you can't move kirby's position, just hit the button to kick when the bomb
reachest you. The first person to miss the bombby kicking too early orlate
drops it and gets blown up.
In another game from nightmare in Dreamland, Kirby's air grind, your riding
Kirby on a little racing car attached to a rail. You can hold the button to
accellerate, but when you get over gaps in the track you need to let go,
otherwise you'll slow down.
In mega tonne punch, you have to hit the button first to stop a moving
targit cross hair to set the accuracy of your punch, then to stop a swinging
watch in the center of the swing to set your momentum, then a power meater
getting to the top to set your power, after which Kirby will punch. The more
accurate you are with the various meatres, the more powerful your punch.
What I'm getting at, is that for a game like flipping a coin into a jug, you
wouldn't necessarily need to replicate physics at all. Say you had to first
decide how high to flip the coin with an ascending sound test like Jim's
golf game, then you had to decide on the amount of force to apply by
swinging your phone or flicking your mouse. Do it right, and the coin goes
into the jug, indeed you could have a number of jugs at different distances.
Do it wrong, and the coin doesn't, rather like jumping the busses in Jim's
homer on a harly game.
The hard part to me wouldn't be making realistic physics, but making
addictive mechanics that the player had to learn and master and use their
judgement for, which is not the same thing.
Beware the grue!
Dark.
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