Hi,

This is James from CrunchTime Games. First of all, thank you all for taking the time to voice your opinions about Shred Nebula.  We are making a list of things to review with Microsoft and our programmers to possibly adjust in either a title update or add-on in the near future.

 

Top on the list is offering more control options!  We never meant to limit anyone and you the players have spoken, so we will gladly work on this. But I need your help to make any change we do be awesome for all types of players. Let's review what I have heard so far and can/cannot fix:

 

3 Goals for control adjustment: Here is what we hope to accomplish with an update

1. Open up more control options for more player styles and customization.

2. Retain existing control for current players that like the controls

3. Make sure for totally beginners to this genre that might struggle with "free-drift" physics, there is a very easy default to work up from.  

 

Player Requests and Possible Options:

1) Swap Thrust to Right Trigger, more button remapping: I have read this will fix it for quite a few players. We will gladly do this. Plus, we are going to look at some way to offer different options beyond this, so list your button layout preference in this thread so I can collect them- but the triggers must be thrust/exit warp only because thrust is analog and other button presses are digital (thus too slow on a trigger). Here are the moves to map out (listed defaults as a start):

    Buttons & Bumpers: Any of these can be suggested on buttons/bumpers (just not triggers)
    PRIMARY             (X)
    SECONDARY      (A)
    SPECIAL               (B)
    REVERSE THRUST   (LB)
    SHIELD/REFLECT   (RB)

 
    Triggers: These need to stay isolated on triggers.

    THRUST      (LT)

    EXIT WARP (adventure only) (RT)

2) Simplify Thrust/Turn: Reviewers and other sources have indicated we should have just made the left stick thrust and turn so anyone can play this. I implemented this yesterday in about 15 minutes and remembered why we did not do this before- it makes it so you cannot drift and keep actively aiming to fire in any direction because you are always thrusting when moving the stick (even with a large dead-zone, this still happens).

That said, it is way easier for players just jumping in. This is almost immediately like GW2 but flight based with more leaning and physics (not instant stop). I have a way to make this work were you can drift when you want to in this style of control, I just need to know how many of you want this, or know of players that would benefit from this as a very easy default option (we would still retain original control + ability to customize on top of  either style)?? 

 

 

4) Player Match Lobby- Match in Progress: We need to have a message letting everyone know a game is in progress. Not sure where it when, we are looking into this and will make sure it is updated.

 

5) 2 Player Ranked Match: This is a tough one, because it might shove us through certification again. I will talk to the powers that be on this, but I make no promises here.

 

6) Make this a Twin Stick Game: The funny thing about this request is the fact that there is plenty of Twin Stick action in the game, even though we never hyped it and focused on "Free-Drift" and front shooting as the primary style.

The truth is the resource turret (scanner on right stick) is upgraded to a weapon right after the demo. Woops. I was trying to leave that as a surprise. The turret becomes 4 weapons all selected on the D-Pad, a cyclone cannon (shredding power), homing cannon (multi-target power), plasma cannon (shield crushing/frying power), all upgraded 2 times + 1 final upgrade to create the 4th I will not mention. So, it is not a twin stick game at the core, but offers plenty of twin stick special action via specials.  Let me know if this covers it for you... we might even have an add-on ship already programmed that will more than cover your preference...

 

Closing: Let me know what you think. I will collect all your feedback from this thread and begin planning final adjustments. I humbly request that everyone please skip flame wars in this thread- this is all about your feedback on the issues I raised and not debating someone else's suggestions. Piggy back "I second" so & so's feedback welcomed.

 

Sincerely,

DJames Goddard,

Game Director of Shred Nebula & CEO CrunchTime Games Inc.

here is my opinion:

1) i like the controls. i had never problems with them. also, i think they are very deep. every time i play the game i try to improve the work with another button. but its ok to offer another control-type or a customizations menu.

2+6) do not change the game too much. slight improvements are ok but i think this is too much. but i like the idea with the addon ship. so people can decide this on their own.

4+5) ok

to sum this up: new customization options are ok but do not change the whole game.

another wish: i would like to play score attack (and adventure) with the other ships. why cant i do this?

 Psychokrusher wrote:

here is my opinion:

1) i like the controls. i had never problems with them. also, i think they are very deep. every time i play the game i try to improve the work with another button. but its ok to offer another control-type or a customizations menu.

2+6) do not change the game too much. slight improvements are ok but i think this is too much. but i like the idea with the addon ship. so people can decide this on their own.

4+5) ok

to sum this up: new customization options are ok but do not change the whole game.

another wish: i would like to play score attack (and adventure) with the other ships. why cant i do this?

Don't worry, we will not change the existing game feel- just add beyond it for other player styles.

Playing as other ships in score attack is a fun thing, but required a lot of time to perfect, so we could not do it this game.  Something we will look at for future versions.

Sounds great, the reasonable requests & criticisms have indeed been answered!  Looking forward to seeing more folks in game to play with!

My only concern was that forward thrust should be on the right trigger with the reverse thrust on the other hand which I would prefer to be on the trigger but LB is OK. I don't mind where the other controls are, except primary fire on A rather than X - but that's already switchable.

 

I like thrust/turn as it is, but it might persuade anybody trying the demo not to reject it out of hand because of the controls.

 

The truth is the resource turret (scanner on right stick) is upgraded to a weapon right after the demo. Woops. I was trying to leave that as a surprise.

I only recently discovered that! Maybe you shouldn't have it as a surprise. I would really appreciate full instructions with this game including the pick up icons. I'm still not sure what some of them do.

I think an option to completely reconfigure all controls would solve it - that would be the best solution.

Personally, I wouldn't need to change much but thrust and reverse on the triggers would be good, with shield on the x or bumpers.

 CRunCHed wrote:

    Triggers: These need to stay isolated on triggers.

    THRUST      (LT)

    EXIT WARP (adventure only) (RT)

Updating another option for remap:
Triggers: Thrust Needs to stay isolated on one of the triggers. I have added Reverse as an option since it does not require any rapid taps.

    THRUST      (LT)

    EXIT WARP (adventure only) (RT)

    REVERSE THRUST (LB)

    Suggesting to wap exit warp with reverese so you can have both thrust commands on triggers and the exit on a     bumper.