The Little Moves

[ChikaBoing]

Camera control.

2nd Analog Stick.

[Scar]

Why not just turn? Seems a lot simpler.

Because turning on its own, will force you to lose some speed. The whole point of Sonic games; since the beginning, has been to gather speed, and maintain it. Having a drift isn't reducing the effectiveness of turning normally. If say, you come across a hair-pin bend, or you just want to turn around to backtrack a little, then you can turn normally. However, you will have to slow down in order to make the turn properly because of physics. All drifting does, is allow you to take that corner, without losing speed.

If it really means that much to you, then turning could have an auto-drift feature, when Sonic automatically enter drift-mode when you turn a corner sufficiently sharply.

I'd actually say that the usefulness of the Spindash drift speaks more to an issue with the levels, they're basically still hotwheels tracks.

So?

It can be useful in areas outside of narrow roads and the like. Even in a wide area, you will need to be able to turn around. If you want to do so, you'd usually have to slow down, in order to turn around. Or you could drift and turn around, whilst maintaining the majority of your entry speed.

Or of course, you could do it the SA/2 way, and allow Sonic to make sharp 90 degree turns on a dime. Which of course completely diregards physics, something so many of us strongly believe to be the foundation upon which Sonic should be built.

[Diogenes]

Or of course, you could do it the SA/2 way, and allow Sonic to make sharp 90 degree turns on a dime. Which of course completely diregards physics, something so many of us strongly believe to be the foundation upon which Sonic should be built.

Sonic wasn't built on 100% real-world accurate physics. If he was, rolling back and forth in a half pipe wouldn't let you gain speed. The right physics are the ones that best serve the gameplay, not the ones most accurate to real life.

[BlazingTales]

Sonic wasn't built on 100% real-world accurate physics. If he was, rolling back and forth in a half pipe wouldn't let you gain speed. The right physics are the ones that best serve the gameplay, not the ones most accurate to real life.

The turning physics that come with the drift do best serve the gameplay, though. As stated earlier, one of the most important parts of a Sonic game is maintaining speed, and the drift allows you to do just that.

Edited September 11, 2011 by BlazingTales

[Diogenes]

If he didn't lose speed while turning normally, that would allow him to maintain speed too.

[BlazingTales]

If he didn't lose speed while turning normally, that would allow him to maintain speed too.

Then, as Scar said:

If it really means that much to you, then turning could have an auto-drift feature, when Sonic automatically enter drift-mode when you turn a corner sufficiently sharply.

Really, the only difference between that and drifting is that drifting requires you to press a button with the right timing. Either way you make a good, clean turn.

[Scar]

Sonic wasn't built on 100% real-world accurate physics. If he was, rolling back and forth in a half pipe wouldn't let you gain speed. The right physics are the ones that best serve the gameplay, not the ones most accurate to real life.

Yes, I know what you mean. However, all the drift does is increase the extent of control you have.

There is a thought that by having a drift, you purposefully reduce the effectiveness of the controls, but that is untrue...if you do it properly.

See, when you turn a sharp corner, Sonic should automatically drop his speed a little, and make the turn. Just as when you need to change direction in the classics, or stop for that matter, Sonic had to gradually come to rest and change direction should he need to. All the drift does, is allow Sonic to maintain his speed in that corner.

You should not be able to turn 90 degrees on a dime, especially when moving at speed. In SA1, moreso in SA2, Sonic cornered like a Housefly. It felt far too jittery and movement wasn't smooth and fluid, as it should be. SA1 was better, but it was still too sharp. Its the equivalent to Sonic stopping on a dime as soon as you drop the d-pad in Sonic 4. It just doesn't make sense and it shouldn't happen.

Again, if there is such a huge problem with an optional move, then you can build it into the standard control-scheme, where Sonic auto-drift.

[Marcello]

I found Sonic to control just fine in the Adventure games. Far better thna Unleashed, where control didn't feel good at all. If Sonic was to control like he did in Adventure, the drift would be unneccessary, a sacrifice I'd be willing to make for overall better control.

Edited September 11, 2011 by MarcelloF

[BlazingTales]

I found Sonic to control just fine in the Adventure games. Far better thna Unleashed, where control didn't feel good at all. If Sonic was to control like he did in Adventure, the drift would be unneccessary, a sacrifice I'd be willing to make for overall better control.

[Tornado]

As long as they don't come up with the compromise in Heroes, where everything controlled like shit.

[Marcello]

No, I was fine with the controls at any speed in Adventure. I never felt I shot off into a direction until Heroes. I see no point in the drift if I can turn perfectly fine without it, hence the sacrificing of it for more Adventure like controls.

Unleashed controlled crappy at any speed, though.

[Nepenthe]

The effect of speed on Sonic's precision in Unleashed and beyond seems like the opposite in the Adventure games in that the higher the speed, the more sensitive to the control stick Sonic and Shadow became, meaning there came a tipping point where just barely tapping it would send you careening into a wall. The only reason this never really served as any more of an annoyance was because the highest speeds attainable in those games where in things like half-pipes and tunnels where it was difficult if not outright impossible to get sent into a bottomless pit for making such a mistake. The exception is grind rails, but obviously directional movement was disabled.

The control in the Adventures wasn't all that pretty either, but I agree that it did serve to get worse.

[azoo]

Sonic wasn't built on 100% real-world accurate physics. If he was, rolling back and forth in a half pipe wouldn't let you gain speed. The right physics are the ones that best serve the gameplay, not the ones most accurate to real life.

When did turning 90 degree angles at high speed best serve the gameplay? It's really not as enjoyable as it might possibly sound.

[BlazingTales]

Unleashed controlled crappy at any speed, though.

Just to make things clear, I was not talking about Unleashed's controls, just maneuvers such as the quick step and drift.

No, I was fine with the controls at any speed in Adventure. I never felt I shot off into a direction until Heroes. I see no point in the drift if I can turn perfectly fine without it, hence the sacrificing of it for more Adventure like controls.

All the drift does is allow you to make turns without needing to slow down like in the Adventure games. Can a game exist without it? Of course! Sonic games without it are perfectly playable and enjoyable! Could a Sonic game benefit through use of the drift? Of course! It can help the flow of the gameplay by letting players keep their speed. Good controls and high-speed moves like drifting are not mutually exclusive features.

[Voyant]

Good controls and high-speed moves like drifting are not mutually exclusive features.

Edited September 11, 2011 by Voyant

[Scar]

The problem with Unleashed was the acceleration. You reached a high-speed a few seconds after you start running.

SA1 controlled fine for the most part, until you reached a decent pace, where the controls are still so sensitive. This got worse in SA2. If you're running in a straight line, and want to make a small correction, you inevitably end up turning far more than you want to.

Control sensitivity should automatically reduce as you build up speed. That's not to say the controls should become worse. No what that means, is the controls should get tighter, and Sonic should feel heavier and more difficult to control. OK, it doesn't have to be as bad as Unleashed, where the turning circle suddenly turns increases ten-fold, but you should notice a difference.

[Tornado]

You mean like how car steering works.

[Scar]

You mean like how car steering works.