The old controls (as seen in the current release, version 1.0) consisted of:
1. A "rotater" control to turn and find a target.
2. The DPad, which was used for pivoting.
3. The targeting pad, which was either used to throw short passes (high release backhands and push passes) by itself, or was used after pivoting to throw full power backhands and forehands.
The problems with the old controls...
1. The "rotater" was awkwardly placed above the DPad, making it slow to go from turning to pivoting. It was also visually complicated.
2. The targeting pad was too tempting for beginners. They would (understandably) use it to throw the disc without pivoting first, but that would result in short throws. I.e., "I'm dragging the arrow out pretty far, how come the disc isn't going anywhere?"
Once I added hammers, I knew I had to unify all the different throws. Instead of separating the short throws from the long throws, I would put all of them (forehands, backhands, high release backhands, push passes, hammers, blades) conceptually on the same level.
The new controls consist of:
1. The DPad, used for pivoting as usual UNLESS the red Action Button is held down.
2. The familiar red Action Button. If pressed, it will enable the DPad to turn the player.
3. The targeting pad, which only pops up once the player has started pivoting.
Benefits of the new controls:
1. Got rid of the "rotater", and found a new use for an existing button. The fewer buttons to learn about the better.
2. The left thumb is always positioned over the DPad; no need to move it up in order to turn.
3. The throwing pad is no longer a big problem for new players. Instead of, "Don't use it if you haven't pivoted first", the recommendation is, "Whenever you see it, go for it!".
Here's a visual explanation of the new controls:
What do you think? Is this better than the old controls?
Barring any strong objections, the new controls will be available in the upcoming 1.1 release. I might include even simpler "beginner controls" as an option in a future version of the game.
