Suggestions

I just found out I could play SRB2 with my XBox controller. This would have been great with the analog control setting, but I soon found out that analog only records the 8 basic directions, so movement with it is sloppy and imprecise.

If someone could code more thorough joystick input, that would be appreciated.
 
When a player 1 pass the level in splitscreen mode, the screen will go large in size for the 2 player pass the level faster. That would help a lot in the mode of race for example.
 
Suggestion for new default controls:

Now, obviously, this doesn't apply to us, but for brand-new players the controls of a game make a world of difference.

The two main types of control SRB2 has are the mouse + keyboard controls and the keyboard-only controls, for those poor souls who don't have a mouse. For the former, I think the default controls are perfectly fine and don't need any improvement. The latter? ...Not so much.

The three main problems I see with the default keyboard-only controls are:

The controls are not particularly intuitive. Sonic games are meant to be pick-up-and-play. SRB2 will probably never be this, unfortunately, simply because it takes a quite a long time for most people to get used to the controls and physics. Still, simplifying the controls a bit certainly can't hurt, even if it doesn't solve the problem.

You cannot strafe properly unless you edit the controls. Strafing is an important part of SRB2's controls. You practically have no air control if you don't use it. Unfortunately, the strafe keys have been placed to accommodate the mouse players, meaning keyboard-only players will never touch them unless they explicitly edit the control scheme to put them in a more comfortable position.

They don't mesh well with the mouse control scheme. This is a personal pet peeve. Why does WASD control movement when you use a mouse and the arrow keys control movement when you don't? It doesn't make sense.

So my glorious solution to all this? Really damn simple, actually. Simple enough that I'm sure a ton of people already use these controls. But I only thought of this recently, so if I'm late to the party it's not my fault, okay?

Forward: W
Reverse: S
Strafe left: A
Strafe right: D
Jump: Up arrow
Spin: Down arrow
Turn left: Left arrow
Turn right: Right arrow

See? Simple! What'd I tell you? Now to explain how this control scheme address the above issues:

The controls are intuitive. Imagine someone picking up the game for the first time. They're at the entrance to Greenflower Act 1. They press the up arrow to go forward. They jump instead. Huh. Now, anyone who knows anything about PC games will know instantly that the game uses WASD controls. Also, since they know that Up is the jump button, they'll next try Down (which turns out to be—surprise surprise—the spindash button) and Left and Right, which turns Sonic. Congratulations! Not five seconds in and the player already knows all the basic controls without even needing to read the manual.

The strafe keys are emphasized. Assuming the player follows the theoretical example I discussed above, they will actually encounter the strafe keys before the turn keys. Having the strafe keys part of the basic WASD controls and the turn keys pushed off to the side creates a very different idea in a newbie's head about what the keys do; namely, the turn keys now seem to be dealing with camera control rather than part of Sonic's movement, and strafing suddenly seems much more important. People will learn how to use strafing properly much earlier than otherwise when it's right there in front of them, just begging to be used.

Meshes perfectly with mouse controls. Isn't it obvious? These controls basically are the mouse controls, except replacing "move mouse left and right" with "press the left and right arrows". Pretty simple really. Also, it means that people should be able to switch between using the mouse controls and the keyboard-only controls (say, you're out using your laptop somewhere and didn't bring a mouse) without having to struggle with muscle memory much.

So yeah. I can't think of a way for me to drag this post on for any longer, so...that's my suggestion. I think it's a good idea. Making things easy for new players is always a good idea.
 
Or, you can just change the controls for yourself. I like the WASD for moving thank you very much, it's much more comfortable than using half of the arrows to actually walk and half of them to do ACTIONS rather than movng... The controls you are suggesting almost feels like it's out of a classic sonic game, just with wierd placement for strafing.
If people really want their controls like that they could just change it, there's an option to do that.
 
All he's doing, Metal-Rawr, is suggesting a control scheme that would be simple for new players to grasp, whether they chose mouse or keyboard. And really, that's not a bad idea at all. It's not like it would affect you at all. Anyways, the player shouldn't have to change controls because the default set is broken.

I feel like l should list off my controls here, because I always felt they were pretty suitable for both keyboard and mouse, without changing anything around. Just another suggestion, I guess.

W = Forward
A = Turn Left
S = Backward
D = Turn Right
Q = Strafe Left
E = Strafe Right
J = Jump
K = Spin
L = Ring Fire
Left Mouse = Jump
Right Mouse = Spin
Scroll Wheel = Change Weapons
Side Mouse = Ring Fire

That's always worked great for me. Until my right mouse button started to go, and I had to remap spin to Caps Lock so that I could use it while playing with the mouse. :/
 
In DSZ2, on the left path, on the 1st waterslide, If you are at the VERY left of the slide when jumping over the 2nd hole, theres a small hole there that you can get stuck in with no way out. There are 2 more on both sides after the 1st jump
I suggest removing those holes, or making them lead to a secret.

Also, RVZ1 should be made harder. Its far too easy for a 6th zone in my opinion. Its easier than ACZ1.

And before I forget, in match, if someone hits another person, the score boost should be based on how many points the person who got hit, had.
that way, if a more skilled person gets hit, the person that hit them should get more points than if they hit someone that isnt that skilled.

I hope you understood what i said, and that you take it into consiteration.
 
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And before I forget, in match, if someone hits another person, the score boost should be based on how many points the person who got hit, had.
that way, if a more skilled person gets hit, the person that hit them should get more points than if they hit someone that isnt that skilled.

...something tells me we've gone over this idea before, someone even making a thread about it, but it was disregarded because of a glaring oversight.

EDIT: http://mb.srb2.org/showthread.php?t=36255

AHA, indeed we have gone over the idea before.
 
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Also, RVZ1 should be made harder. Its far too easy for a 6th zone in my opinion. Its easier than ACZ1.
Entirely true. The dev team is aware of this. The level is much older than any of the other levels except the first two zones and thus a lot shorter and more simplistic than the levels surrounding it.
 
In that 2.1 multiplayer pack, I love all the visual overhauls you guys did with the levels, especially Frost Columns Zone. But some other levels need it too, like Desolate Canyon Zone. Also, Nimbus Ruins would be even more pretty if the sides of the platforms had the same texture as the sides of them on 1.09.4.
 
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Currently, I think emblems disappear once you get them. I'm sure it will be the same with the emblem update.

How about making the emblems act like the Red Rings from Sonic Colors/Sonic Generations? A faded version of the emblem would appear the next time you play the level. If you collect it, you get an added bonus to the score. I'm not sure if people care about score in SRB2, so I might suggest giving a 1UP instead.
 
How about making a new program for SRB2 players to add each other through, that can tell whether a player is online, not on SRB2, but on his/her PC, which could also allows players to send and receive messages to and from other players. Kind of like Skype, but you see the problem with skype is that not everyone is willing to download it, so i was thinking, that is if you do take this idea into consideration, that you could include the program in with the SRB2 installation.

Get what I'm saying?
 
How about making a new program for SRB2 players to add each other through, that can tell whether a player is online, not on SRB2, but on his/her PC, which could also allows players to send and receive messages to and from other players. Kind of like Skype, but you see the problem with skype is that not everyone is willing to download it, so i was thinking, that is if you do take this idea into consideration, that you could include the program in with the SRB2 installation.

Get what I'm saying?
I get what you're saying. You're saying something that's highly ambitious, completely pointless, and already covered by OUR IRC CHATROOM!
 
I get what you're saying. You're saying something that's highly ambitious, completely pointless, and already covered by OUR IRC CHATROOM!

It's not exactly pointless. Most SRB2 players I've met haven't even sign up for this site. The program would make things much easier. Especially if it starts on start up. Common, man, think about it a bit more, it could probably help earn money in some way since It's not plagiarizing anything, I think.

-Edit-
By the way, what is an IRC?
 
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It would be cool if you could name the save slots like in 1.09.4. It would be very useful and cool. also, it would be even BETTER if it let you rename it! ^.^
 
It's not exactly pointless. Most SRB2 players I've met haven't even sign up for this site. The program would make things much easier. Especially if it starts on start up. Common, man, think about it a bit more, it could probably help earn money in some way since It's not plagiarizing anything, I think.

-Edit-
By the way, what is an IRC?
It's basically a giant chatroom that a few of the SRB2 regulars go to (as well as most of the admins). Also, the program that you want would be incredibly pointless as it has already been done several times by other people with probably a better result. Convince people to use skype, or use the perfectly good mumble server that we have lying around. No need to create a whole new program that nobody will use when there are already programs out there ripe for the taking.
 
What about the ability to put in flash videos? (.swf files)
Won't that be helpful for mod\level pack makers?
 
It's basically a giant chatroom that a few of the SRB2 regulars go to (as well as most of the admins). Also, the program that you want would be incredibly pointless as it has already been done several times by other people with probably a better result. Convince people to use skype, or use the perfectly good mumble server that we have lying around. No need to create a whole new program that nobody will use when there are already programs out there ripe for the taking.

Yeah it would be if it was made by your average member, which people would rarely look into, but it wouldn't. Remember it would included in the srb2 installation, and it would be perfect to include it on one of the game's updates, that way players would have to go and install the new version. So now that that's done, all players have the program.

Also there should be info about having it there in one of the intros and it also should come with a guest log in.

You must understand that people probably rarely ever uses any of those other chat site/programs because people are not aware of its existence and.

Look at the PS3 for instance, the game comes with a messaging and friend system (PSN) weather you want it or not. Those that seem pointless at all? Ha! I guarantee that if you were to ask any PSN user if being able to tell whether or not a certain friend, who plays certain games with you, online is pointless or whether if chatting with any one is pointless, they'll respond something similar to "hell No it isn't!" <Fixed


Before you post "Its pointless." think about it!

For those who can not do so:

I know for a fact that some of you guys meet someone on SRB2 that you've enjoyed playing with and would like to mean them again. With the program (I'm pretty sure this would have been added into it) you could click on the master server, scroll to the server that player is in (easier done if they are in the server you're in), click "view players in server", and add. Almost like adding players met on the PS3, shit, if worked on a bit it could have that included. I'm pretty sure that a lot of SRB2 players would love it and "probably" been longing for it.​

---------- Post added at 07:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:38 PM ----------

What about the ability to put in flash videos? (.swf files)
Won't that be helpful for mod\level pack makers?

That actually sounds interesting but i dont think flash videos would be right for the game, at least not at its current version. It may be possible once 2.1 is released with lua being editable, but I don't think it would be the .swf format, probably very low quality .mp4 format/converted videos will be used.
 
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