A penny for your input
It's likely that at some point in your life, you have been part of a conversation that seemed one-sided. The other party was talking and talking, and it didn't seem you could get a word in. After a while, such a conversation becomes quite boring!
The same would happen with a computer game that didn't allow any input. Input is a set of techniques that allows you to control the game. There are many ways to implement an input system, and we will cover them here.
The keyboard input
The most common form of input for most computers is the keyboard. Obviously, the keyboard can be used to enter text, but the keyboard can also be used to directly control the game.
Some examples of this include the following:
Using the right arrow, left arrow, up arrow, and down arrow keys to control the character (we'll be using this)
Using the W, A, S, and D keys as to move the character (these keys almost form a cross on the keyboard, making them a good substitute to move up, left, down, and right...