time gear
Eternity in an hour
An idea for Sonic's new double jump ability: Air Dash. Similar to the thok, this ability thrusts Sonic in the direction he's facing, but instead of being an instantaneous burst of speed the effect lasts for several seconds (2) and also thrusts Sonic somewhat upwards, or if you are currently falling very fast transfers a little of your vertical momentum into horizontal momentum to boost your horizontal distance coverage a bit. During the dash the player can also freely steer Sonic horizontally in midair, allowing more easy access to changing direction for the duration of the dash. When the dash ends, momentum continues in the direction Sonic is currently moving but he uncurls.
Use cases:
-Sharp turns. Unlike the thok which functions somewhat like a gun with which you aim and then fire, you can do things in the opposite order here if you need to allowing you to dramatically change the direction you are moving in after activating the ability to course correct as needed or to get around tight corners without losing speed. You can even completely do a 180 and turn back to the direction you came from without losing any speed.
-Double Jump. Not as strong as a full double jump, but useful for crossing large gaps or saving yourself if you accidentally fly off an edge.
This ability would function as a boost to Sonic's mobility in a beginner friendly way without giving him a super powerful verticality tool, and would also fit with Sonic's character. Because it would extend the time Sonic spends in the air somewhat when used, it would also be less spammable than the thok as the time it takes to reach the ground again would effectively function as a cooldown. The additional control provided to the player for several seconds would hopefully also make it feel less unwieldy to new players as if they use it only to realize that doing so was a mistake they have a window of opportunity to course correct back to safety before the dash ends and they have to commit to the new direction. Uncurling at the end of the dash would also provide incentive to be careful when using it due to it leaving you vulnerable to enemy contact, hopefully acting as a mechanic that promotes increases to player skill over time as they learn to time it effectively.
Use cases:
-Sharp turns. Unlike the thok which functions somewhat like a gun with which you aim and then fire, you can do things in the opposite order here if you need to allowing you to dramatically change the direction you are moving in after activating the ability to course correct as needed or to get around tight corners without losing speed. You can even completely do a 180 and turn back to the direction you came from without losing any speed.
-Double Jump. Not as strong as a full double jump, but useful for crossing large gaps or saving yourself if you accidentally fly off an edge.
This ability would function as a boost to Sonic's mobility in a beginner friendly way without giving him a super powerful verticality tool, and would also fit with Sonic's character. Because it would extend the time Sonic spends in the air somewhat when used, it would also be less spammable than the thok as the time it takes to reach the ground again would effectively function as a cooldown. The additional control provided to the player for several seconds would hopefully also make it feel less unwieldy to new players as if they use it only to realize that doing so was a mistake they have a window of opportunity to course correct back to safety before the dash ends and they have to commit to the new direction. Uncurling at the end of the dash would also provide incentive to be careful when using it due to it leaving you vulnerable to enemy contact, hopefully acting as a mechanic that promotes increases to player skill over time as they learn to time it effectively.
