Glossary
Character
This refers to the physicality and behavior of the player’s avatar within the game world.
Movement Specs: How fast does the character sprint? How high can they jump?
Collision: How the character interacts with walls and floors (e.g., can they fit through a window?).
State Machine: The logic that governs transitions between actions, such as moving from a “Sprint” to a “Slide” or from “Idle” to “Aiming Down Sights” (ADS).
Controls
This refers to the input-to-output relationship—how the player’s physical actions (on a mouse, keyboard, or controller) translate into in-game actions.
Responsiveness: Is there input lag? Does the character stop instantly, or is there “inertia”?
Mapping: Which buttons perform which actions (e.g., “R” for Reload).
Sensitivity & Aim Assist: Especially crucial for FPS games, this covers how the crosshair moves across the screen and how the game helps the player stay on target.
Camera
This is the player’s window into the world. In an FPS, the camera is placed inside the character’s head, but its behavior is highly complex.
Field of View (FOV): How much of the world the player can see at once.
Camera Shake: Procedural movement used to simulate the impact of explosions, footsteps, or weapon recoil.
Viewmodel: The visual representation of the character’s hands and weapons on the screen.
Perspective: Ensuring the camera doesn’t “clip” through walls when the player gets too close to an object.