Game Controls

[Kamiccolo33]

That's a good setup Agentspoon (I have to call you agentspoon now, feels weird )

The only thing I reckon, is that Ki Blast needs to be one of the four shape buttons, either Triangle or Circle. What if guard was a shoulder button? Or perhaps we placed it on X, and then we discovered another way to dash?

Also, I think energy related buttons like powering up and charging ki should be L2, and L1 would probably be to enter burst mode, because you have to do it so quickly it has to just be a simple tap, or perhaps, a really quick tap of the "Charge Ki" button entered Burst Mode?

I agree, we need the ability to scroll with different items. (All items you have on your character will appear as symbols under your HP bar and you scroll through and highlight them, rather than having only one icon that you can see at a time, just so you know where you are if you know what I mean)

The Direction Pad I think should also be used for movement? 

[SSJ5Vegeta]

Hehe, I know, I know.

I do not fully realize why you say that ki blast needs to be one of the four shape buttons. It has been so in all the recent games, but that wouldn't have any effect on this game, would it? I placed it there so that you could more effectively swap between restoring and consuming ki.

If Burst Mode will tap your character for ki and have other effects, I think it would be safer to have R3 for it. That way, you wouldn't hit it too many times accidentally. Whether L1/L2 or R1/R2 are used for ki related things, is as far as I can tell not that important. I've tried to do both versions of the command on the controller, and it appears to me to be equally easy to pull off.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the symbols below the HP bar, stats? Like increased strength etc. How would you in that case select your items among them?

I think it would depend on whether the game uses a fighting engine similar to the Budokai Tenkaichi series, or if it is a traditional fighter. If the latter one, I completely agree. However, if you have a game similar to that of Budokai Tenkaichi, using the analog would prove more accurate I believe.

[Buurcule]

i can see most characters headbutting someone.

without flying we know how to move.

with flying there is the added facter of up and down. what about using the R3 button to move up and down? and the L3 or Dpad to move forwards, backwards, left and right?

Head butting should just be that characters ability, for example Andoid 19 head butts heaps so he should have an ability called: #19's Crash - Violently head butt's the enemy (Must be in close proximity to be successful)

[Kamiccolo33]

@ Agentspoon Our game will be a 3d fighter like Tenkaichi (but infinitely better) there is only so much you can do to resemble DBZ with a 2d engine anyway.

The reason I am trying to move functions around to different buttons is that there will be lots of stuff you need to do. For one, we will need to have items and the ability to switch items to use, then there is locking on to different characters as you can do 2v2. And energy would be so much easier, especially when it comes time to making finishing moves if it was on the shape button face.

[SSJ5Vegeta]

In that case I think that using R3 to scroll through your items would be nice. Perhaps you could hold L3 and use the arrows to switch between the targets. Having finishing moves as one of the four shape buttons would be hard to pull off though, as all of them got high priority functions from before. I really liked the command in Budokai Tenkaichi. It was easy and offered many different combinations. Though, you could possibly add combo-commands to trigger off a finisher too.

[Kamiccolo33]

In that case I think that using R3 to scroll through your items would be nice. Perhaps you could hold L3 and use the arrows to switch between the targets. Having finishing moves as one of the four shape buttons would be hard to pull off though, as all of them got high priority functions from before. I really liked the command in Budokai Tenkaichi. It was easy and offered many different combinations. Though, you could possibly add combo-commands to trigger off a finisher too.

I didn't mean have finishing moves assigned to the shape buttons.

I think the Item functions have to be away from the buttons you use most, so the analogue sticks would come in use, however, what about movement. You can't have it assigned to the left analogue if you move using the left analogue. So we need to decide what method of movement are we using, digital pad or analogue stick?

Now, Burst Mode...this is a hard one, I rethought it, and you should be able to hold the button down for longer if you want to stay in it longer, and as soon as you let go you go back out of that state.

So what if L1 was assigned to Burst Mode, and L2 was assigned to Ki Charge. L2 could then be used with in combination with other buttons for finishing moves etc.

Dash is a problem now, because it used up a whole button out of the shapes. It's a struggle between the guard button and the dash button.

EDIT: I agree that you should have to push in L3 to lock on. And if you have it pressed in you can switch using the L1 and R1 buttons or something like that.

[SSJ5Vegeta]

L3 = Left Analog
R3 = Right Analog

The first one is used for movement by tilting it in a direction. If you hold it down, your character begins to search for an opponent. Once located, he or she will automatically lock onto it. You can then rapidly change the target by presssing L3 and L1 / R1 to switch.

By tapping the right analog once, your character will transform, use a power-up function (kaioken etc.) or fuse with someone. If you hold it down, you will enter Burst Mode. These two are both types of "power ups" for your character, making it suitable with similar commands. By rolling the right analog to the left or right, you open the item menu and can scroll through your available items. By rolling upwards, you use an item. By rolling downwards, you exit the menu.

You hardly use the right analog in most games, making it as you said, fitting remarkably well. You do not move with the directional pads, as they are used for diversifying a combo when you're in melee combat with the opponent. When you can turn around 360 degrees (like you can in Tenkaichi), the analog is the natural choice for movement.

I disagree about the Burst Mode. If you must hold down the button continously, it will be harder to perform other moves. It would be better if you held down R3 just once, and then repeated this in order to turn it off.

Dash is very important in a DBZ 3D simulator game. In long range mode, you use dash to travel through the entire stage. In battle range mode however, you use the button for step in. You cannot use the guard button for step in, as it is an offensive move, not a defensive one.

I think that my current controls is one of the few which are really going to work. Try finding a PS3-controller, and then just test the button commands. L1 and L2 are for an instance not very good to have for ki blasts and charging ki, as you use your left hand; not your right one. Then it is better to change it to R1 and R2, like it was in Tenkaichi. Get what I mean?

[Kamiccolo33]

The L1 and L2 buttons were always used for charging Ki etc in the Budokai Tenkaichi games, I don't get what you mean. Also, I really think the directional pad should be allowed for movement as well, seeing how they have no use if you are not punching them. They can still diversify combos though.

And Burst Mode I think should have to be a shoulder button. If you tap it to go into it and then out of it, then that's twice already you need to tap the button, and sometimes you will forget it is on. Leaving it as a shoulder button will make it easier to use other buttons while in Burst Mode.

I think the right analogue stick should be just for items and switching characters perhaps. Using  up and down on the R3 joystick for item selection and left and right for character switching selection. Which then brings the problem of how to press OK for the character you want to switch to.

What if SELECT became a button used for items or something else. You can always check your stats going through START? 

I just fear that doubling up the buttons too much is just going to create a lot of confusion. 

[SSJ5Vegeta]

Sorry about that. I played the first game just now and realized you're right. I will change L1 / L2 with R1 / R2 for the functions that are required.

That's right. I totally forgot about that. What if we make it so that the arrows open your item menu, instead of the analog. That'll probably be more easy too. Then tilting the R3 button can make the camera rotate maybe?

Well, imagine that your finger slips off the shoulder button. Then you'll suddenly go out of Burst Mode, and will have to reenter it at the cost of for example more ki. I think it would be pretty obvious that you are in Burst Mode, with for an instance lightning around the HP bar or an other effect like that. Besides, your anger bar (I'll explain that one later) would also drop gradually while in it.

Select can be used for something else. But what?

By switching the command for the item menu, this should already be more or less solved. I'll get back to the list and edit it! 

[Kamiccolo33]

My fingers never slip from the shoulder buttons, and Burst Mode at the max would only last about 5 seconds anyway, it's that much of a burst of strength.

I think that a shoulder button would be the way to go though.

Select needs to be made use of I think.

The arrows would not work with the item menu, because the analogue buttons cannot be used within combos, it is too hard for close combat to use the analogue stick... 

Anger Bar? How many bars are there?

[SSJ5Vegeta]

Mine do all the time. But I think it is important to get out on the table what Burst Mode really is. When we have 20 different definitions of it, it can be hard to adjust.

You do not use items when you are in close combat mode, simply because of that you are incapable of attacking at the s-ame time as you're selecting an item. So in theory, it would actually work.



Here's an image of how I imagine the story mode (RPG). The rage or anger bar fills up after each battle, depending on how much damage your character takes. In other modes, it will always be full from start. You use this bar for entering Burst Mode. That's pretty much it.

[DBZ Mick]

Man, how do you guys make those amazing pictures.

[Kamiccolo33]

@ Agentspoon If you take a look in the Systems List there is a topic called Burst Mode. That's what we decided on a little while ago, so consider how that works and then check your buttons.

But wouldn't it be annoying when you think you are close enough to attack, when you actually use an item accidentally, which you many only be able to use once?  That's why Items need to be completely away from any controls which you will use a lot.

Perhaps if moving the Right Analogue Stick up and down would scroll through your items, and pressing select would use it, and moving the Right Analogue Stick left and right would scroll through your characters to switch to, and pressing R3 in would switch characters. Holding the Charge Ki Button and then pressing another button would transform you perhaps.

[dragonballzgtfighter]

potential problem:
characters like Goku have 11 capsule ability based moves.

how are the controls going to work?

[Kamiccolo33]

potential problem:
characters like Goku have 11 capsule ability based moves.

how are the controls going to work?

But you can only equip a maximum of 7 abilities, so we can apply the controls to that. My idea was to have each slot in the system tray for abilities assigned to a different combination, and you can choose which abilities get to have what combinations.

Assuming L2 is the Ki Charge button and that O is the Ki Blast button:

L2 + O
L2 + O + Up
L2 + O + Down
L2 + O + Left
L2 + O + Right
L2 + O + Up + Up
L2 + O + Down + Down

Or perhaps all the shape buttons could be assigned to them as well, seeing how just holding down the punch or kick would provide a heavy hit or smash.

L2 + O
L2 + O + Up
L2 + []
L2 + [] + Up
L2 + /\
L2 + /\ + Up