lemonyPRIDE
commented
3 years ago Understanding what you're saying you dont wanna loose the momentum whilst a quick turn is an interesting enhancement, but dont you think that players would really struggle especially the android players to make this quick turn with the max momentum they gained (normal gameplay already makes their fingers slip a lot, this speed is WHEW), but eventually to fall out of the map? Since you're talking about small maps, take Bridgit... I'm no genius at coding like you are MikiRog, but I've been playing this game a long time as you are, and I see on a regular basis players using and getting adapted to the collision edge of those small maps to make there momentum stable without losing it at all. Epic maps are one thing but Non-Epics are way faster and that additional FORCE is a lot to handle (am pointing out after I used your plugin)
It would be awesome if you could implement this on BombDash, especially after that energy meter by which the player gets tired after consecutive punches it was a good practice for me to make a single punch that would do a larger damage than multiple small ones.
Also could you make a plugin that would show the directional arrow for windows/mac/linux users those who play on keyboards?
TheMikirog
Description
Maintaining momentum while running feels cumbersome and not as fluid as it could be. Running has a mechanic which makes turning much harder, but sometimes you want a tighter turn, especially since most maps are really small. In order to achieve this, I often let go of the run button for a split second in order to benefit from tight turning, but then change direction and hold run shortly after in order to keep my momentum and start running as fast as possible, but in the other direction. It works, but it feels slow and disrupts the flow of the game. In short, this aspect could've been improved in order to make movement around the map much more fun and zippy.
Explanation of quick-turning
Solution
One way I was thinking of addressing this is to apply a force in the new run direction without losing built-up momentum. My implementation of this idea can be found below in the form of a Plugin you can download. Hopefully it will get tested by other members of the community and on servers, so you can either support or contest this idea. I did do testing sessions with people, but that's not a big enough sample size for me to have complete confidence in it.
Alternatives
I was thinking of possibly altering the way a character moves by default in order to maintain both the physics-based gameplay of the original while making it less frustrating to move around and fall by accident. This is alleviated somewhat by fast respawn times, but dying like this is especially common in maps like Zig-Zag. Unfortunately I haven't had much experience with modifying the game's binary code and I certainly don't know how much control I had over the physics there, so I did the second best thing and implemented my idea with Python. This also makes it incredibly simple to play test.
Possible issues
Some issues I see with this idea is that it could make precision inputs too important for a party game like this, which could put mobile users at an automatic disadvantage. Although I did try using this Plugin without the run trigger and instead use my punch button, I didn't have much issues executing quick turns like this. Therefore it's important for mobile users to also play test this to get a full coverage on how impactful this implementation is for the enjoyment.
Another potential issue is that and it can make certain combat situations non-committal and ambiguous. If a player can turn 180° and still have powerful punches, this makes it hard to plan ahead of time, unless you resort to baiting and accounting for that. This in itself could make melee combat much more satisfying and fun, but it's clear this is a departure from how BombSquad melee combat is at the highest level of play - more about planning and committal attacks that are powerful, but can easily miss and recovery is longer. This is why I'm more of a proponent of the Plugin to be something that makes movement more fun instead of rewarding skillful play, although one directly influences the other to some degree.
All of that however is minor compared to the biggest issue I see, which basically buffs punch-grabbing to absurdity. Here's how this tactic works: if you're getting chased, simply change direction via quick turning, jump, punch and grab your enemy from the side at the same time. Strong punch stuns the opponent, which means they can't fight back. The power of the punch itself is also enough momentum for you to make your throw much stronger and possibly throw the victim off the map. Quick-turning improved by the Plugin makes the tactic even more powerful and even unfun to play against, since it's harder to react to. This tactic could be an issue in its own right, but whatever you shouldn't grab while punching or punch while grabbing is another discussion entirely.
Attachments
If you're interested in checking out how his system works and form your own opinion about it, I have made a Plugin as a proof of concept for people to try it out. Plugin download Videos below are some gameplay examples with my controller overlay to better explain execution of quick-turning and how the Plugin changes it. I encourage people to experiment with this quick turning with and without the Plugin. Video #1 - basic overview of the mechanic Video #2 - potential combat use example Video #3 - platforming