Team Meat Co-Founder on Steam Controller
When I started doing Super Meat Boy, I knew that the right control could either create a game or destroy it. I am very picky about managing in games, to such an extent that if a game is managed poorly, I will give it up, no matter what kind of game it is or who made it. People often ask me which formulas did I use to make movement, friction, air resistance, etc. in Super Meat Boy. In fact, there were no formulas ... but just a big hack. I spent two months to make management in SMB perfect. Everything, from the strange "friction" that you experience, changing the direction in the air, to a delay of 200 ms, which occurs when you break away from the wall, is all based on what I feel during the game. None of these formulas is based on physical laws, they are one hundred percent based on sensations.
When it comes to devices, I am, again, very picky. Recently, Shannon bought a Razer controller with strange buttons that are strangely pressed. I refuse to play on it. I did not like to play on the PS3 when it first came out, because the Sixaxis gamepad is too easy due to the lack of vibration. I did not really play any games on the PS3 until I bought DualShock 3. I don’t even look towards the Ouya gamepad, because other people complained about problems with the response, and I know for sure that I will also face them.
I need to press a button, feel good about how it is pressed, and see the appropriate reaction on the screen. In general, ladies and gentlemen, I think you will agree that I am sensitive to game manipulators.
')
This Steam Controller (or whatever it's officially called) is weird. Where there are usually big fingers, there are two small round touch pads that you saw in the pictures. In the center of the buttons are A, B, X and Y, which surround something that, as I was told, will eventually become a touchscreen display. There is no display yet, so I can't say anything about it. Apparently, buttons A, B, X and Y around the display will play a role similar to the “Back” button in the usual configuration. Consider that these are not buttons A, B, X and Y, but additional buttons for some functions. Of course, you will not perform basic actions on these buttons. For this will be the left and right touch panels.
On the top of the controller are standard bumpers and hammers, they work and feel exactly as you expect. On the back are two extra triggers that you press if you just squeeze your hand, but they are not too sensitive to trigger when you just hold the gamepad.
I was in the hands of a functional prototype, which was printed on a three-dimensional printer. It is thicker than the Xbox 360 controller in the place where the sides of the controller lie in the palms. The weight is about the same. I did not feel that the gamepad would be too heavy or too light. I noticed that the controller is massive, but only in comparison with the PS3 controller I recently played (in GTA V) and the Xbox 360 gamepad, which I play on my PC. Its size does not bother me.
After becoming acquainted with the controller, I started playing Meat Boy. Muscular memory helped me, so I used advanced techniques (sliding on the wall, control of the jump curve, and so on). When I noticed a significant lag, I thought, “Oh, shit, I’d have to tell them that their controller is bad and braking.” I was told that the delay was very low, and I found out that the TV was to blame. With the "game mode" turned off, it is absolutely impossible to play games that require a quick reaction. Matter of course, I got into the TV settings and turned on the game mode, and that's when the real game began.
The configuration of the buttons that they set up was straightforward. The left round panel worked like diagonal keys, and the right one like one huge jump button. The problem with touch panels and screens is that you never know for sure when you pushed a button or pressed it. Valve tried to fix it with adjustable tactile feedback, which turns on when you touch one of the round panels. This helped, but did not solve the problem completely.
Round panels were configured to respond to touch. A very strange feeling when the game reacts to input without a familiar clear tap. That is why the touch panels can be configured to touch and press. You can make the Meat Guy run to the right by touching the panel, but he will move when your fingers just lie on the touchpad. This did not happen too often, but enough for me to notice. I pointed out this problem to one of the engineers (I'm sorry I don’t remember your name, I’m sad with names ... I used to call my ex-girlfriend Jessica instead of Lindsey. Jessica is her sister's name. All just because I'm bad I memorize and pronounce the names ... I could describe your little man and clothes to the creator of the identikit, and the cops would catch you in a couple of minutes ... that's what my memory is for ...), he went back to his desk and updated the software so that the gamepad would respond only to pressing . As soon as he did, the controller began to feel like a controller. Clicking on the diagonal buttons began to be felt, and I began to feel much better control.
The only drawback of the unspecified physical buttons is that your fingers need tactile contact so that you know exactly which button you are pressing. When we discussed this with the engineers, I had the idea of ​​small pimples on the panels that would be tangible enough to be felt with fingers, but not too annoying, so as not to interfere with using the controller as a touchpad or mouse. It turned out that the same idea had already been visited, but it was not embodied in the gamepad that I used. I insisted that these pimples definitely need to be added. Maybe after my response they will appear in one form or another, so ... Valve and their customers are always welcome.
In SMB, setting up the buttons worked quite well, and I got to the Salt Factory without any difficulty. I was able to disrupt the sequence of the battle with CHAD, reaching the buttons before he could attack me. At the second level of the Hospital, I was even able to pick up the plaster in a super-fast way, as shown here (however, I didn’t linger on the platform over the plaster, I always fly straight down).
I could play Meat Boy in the way that I can play this game at an advanced level (and I haven’t been practicing for a long time). The right round button was responsible for the jump, and we set up both triggers for running - just like on a regular Xbox 360 controller. We also assigned trigger triggers on the back of the gamepad, which I already mentioned. They did a great job, but their hands were a little flat. Rather, because of how the run button in Meat Boy is used, and not because of the controller device or buttons.
But this is Meat Boy. It was interesting for me to experience a gamepad in a game with more complex controls. Of course, I asked to put Spelunky. Spelunky requires buttons for a whip, jump, bomb and rope. We configured the controller as an Xbox 360 gamepad. The left round panel was again used as the diagonal keys, and the right one as the A, B, X and Y buttons in the same order as on the Xbox 360 gamepad.
I played Spelunky, and the controller showed itself perfectly. While I was playing, I described to the guys those sharp movements that underlie the game. Who played in it, knows what I'm talking about, but I will explain. In Spelunky, it is often the case that you panic and must maintain balance. Let's say you jump onto a platform, spikes under it, and a bat above you. If the bat hits you, you die because you fall on the spikes. If you try to jump on the mouse, then after that you will fall and, possibly, will die. In situations like this, you jump, balancing yourself in the air to hit the bat with a whip, but land on the same platform. Steam controller copes with it. The pimples, which I mentioned above, would make the game of platform games clearer, and, again, they can be added to the final product. I got to the Ice Caves, and then the stupid Skeleton pushed me off the platform, and I died ... Then I tried my luck in the Spelunky Daily Test and immediately died ... Almost that standard Spelunky flysplay.
If you ask me if I will play games on the Steam controller ... I will say: "Yes." If you ask me if I choose: Steam Controller or an Xbox 360 gamepad, I’ll answer that I’ll choose the last one. Do not take this for neglect of the Steam controller: here it’s rather a matter of habit, and not of functionality. I will choose the Xbox gamepad because I spent several thousand hours in my hands; but if tomorrow all game controllers suddenly disappear from the face of the earth, and the only choice is the Steam controller, I think it will not be so bad. I do not think that gaming will lose something. I look forward to when you can try the final version of the device, because I believe that the new generation of controllers will be something else, but no less enjoyable.
TL; DR: A great start, I need some improvements, but I can absolutely calmly play any game I want.
Steam Controller was introduced on September 27th. You can find out what other game developers think about it from the Habropro user AraneusAdoro.
When it comes to devices, I am, again, very picky. Recently, Shannon bought a Razer controller with strange buttons that are strangely pressed. I refuse to play on it. I did not like to play on the PS3 when it first came out, because the Sixaxis gamepad is too easy due to the lack of vibration. I did not really play any games on the PS3 until I bought DualShock 3. I don’t even look towards the Ouya gamepad, because other people complained about problems with the response, and I know for sure that I will also face them.
I need to press a button, feel good about how it is pressed, and see the appropriate reaction on the screen. In general, ladies and gentlemen, I think you will agree that I am sensitive to game manipulators.
')
This Steam Controller (or whatever it's officially called) is weird. Where there are usually big fingers, there are two small round touch pads that you saw in the pictures. In the center of the buttons are A, B, X and Y, which surround something that, as I was told, will eventually become a touchscreen display. There is no display yet, so I can't say anything about it. Apparently, buttons A, B, X and Y around the display will play a role similar to the “Back” button in the usual configuration. Consider that these are not buttons A, B, X and Y, but additional buttons for some functions. Of course, you will not perform basic actions on these buttons. For this will be the left and right touch panels.
On the top of the controller are standard bumpers and hammers, they work and feel exactly as you expect. On the back are two extra triggers that you press if you just squeeze your hand, but they are not too sensitive to trigger when you just hold the gamepad.
I was in the hands of a functional prototype, which was printed on a three-dimensional printer. It is thicker than the Xbox 360 controller in the place where the sides of the controller lie in the palms. The weight is about the same. I did not feel that the gamepad would be too heavy or too light. I noticed that the controller is massive, but only in comparison with the PS3 controller I recently played (in GTA V) and the Xbox 360 gamepad, which I play on my PC. Its size does not bother me.
After becoming acquainted with the controller, I started playing Meat Boy. Muscular memory helped me, so I used advanced techniques (sliding on the wall, control of the jump curve, and so on). When I noticed a significant lag, I thought, “Oh, shit, I’d have to tell them that their controller is bad and braking.” I was told that the delay was very low, and I found out that the TV was to blame. With the "game mode" turned off, it is absolutely impossible to play games that require a quick reaction. Matter of course, I got into the TV settings and turned on the game mode, and that's when the real game began.
The configuration of the buttons that they set up was straightforward. The left round panel worked like diagonal keys, and the right one like one huge jump button. The problem with touch panels and screens is that you never know for sure when you pushed a button or pressed it. Valve tried to fix it with adjustable tactile feedback, which turns on when you touch one of the round panels. This helped, but did not solve the problem completely.
Round panels were configured to respond to touch. A very strange feeling when the game reacts to input without a familiar clear tap. That is why the touch panels can be configured to touch and press. You can make the Meat Guy run to the right by touching the panel, but he will move when your fingers just lie on the touchpad. This did not happen too often, but enough for me to notice. I pointed out this problem to one of the engineers (I'm sorry I don’t remember your name, I’m sad with names ... I used to call my ex-girlfriend Jessica instead of Lindsey. Jessica is her sister's name. All just because I'm bad I memorize and pronounce the names ... I could describe your little man and clothes to the creator of the identikit, and the cops would catch you in a couple of minutes ... that's what my memory is for ...), he went back to his desk and updated the software so that the gamepad would respond only to pressing . As soon as he did, the controller began to feel like a controller. Clicking on the diagonal buttons began to be felt, and I began to feel much better control.
The only drawback of the unspecified physical buttons is that your fingers need tactile contact so that you know exactly which button you are pressing. When we discussed this with the engineers, I had the idea of ​​small pimples on the panels that would be tangible enough to be felt with fingers, but not too annoying, so as not to interfere with using the controller as a touchpad or mouse. It turned out that the same idea had already been visited, but it was not embodied in the gamepad that I used. I insisted that these pimples definitely need to be added. Maybe after my response they will appear in one form or another, so ... Valve and their customers are always welcome.
In SMB, setting up the buttons worked quite well, and I got to the Salt Factory without any difficulty. I was able to disrupt the sequence of the battle with CHAD, reaching the buttons before he could attack me. At the second level of the Hospital, I was even able to pick up the plaster in a super-fast way, as shown here (however, I didn’t linger on the platform over the plaster, I always fly straight down).
I could play Meat Boy in the way that I can play this game at an advanced level (and I haven’t been practicing for a long time). The right round button was responsible for the jump, and we set up both triggers for running - just like on a regular Xbox 360 controller. We also assigned trigger triggers on the back of the gamepad, which I already mentioned. They did a great job, but their hands were a little flat. Rather, because of how the run button in Meat Boy is used, and not because of the controller device or buttons.
But this is Meat Boy. It was interesting for me to experience a gamepad in a game with more complex controls. Of course, I asked to put Spelunky. Spelunky requires buttons for a whip, jump, bomb and rope. We configured the controller as an Xbox 360 gamepad. The left round panel was again used as the diagonal keys, and the right one as the A, B, X and Y buttons in the same order as on the Xbox 360 gamepad.
I played Spelunky, and the controller showed itself perfectly. While I was playing, I described to the guys those sharp movements that underlie the game. Who played in it, knows what I'm talking about, but I will explain. In Spelunky, it is often the case that you panic and must maintain balance. Let's say you jump onto a platform, spikes under it, and a bat above you. If the bat hits you, you die because you fall on the spikes. If you try to jump on the mouse, then after that you will fall and, possibly, will die. In situations like this, you jump, balancing yourself in the air to hit the bat with a whip, but land on the same platform. Steam controller copes with it. The pimples, which I mentioned above, would make the game of platform games clearer, and, again, they can be added to the final product. I got to the Ice Caves, and then the stupid Skeleton pushed me off the platform, and I died ... Then I tried my luck in the Spelunky Daily Test and immediately died ... Almost that standard Spelunky flysplay.
If you ask me if I will play games on the Steam controller ... I will say: "Yes." If you ask me if I choose: Steam Controller or an Xbox 360 gamepad, I’ll answer that I’ll choose the last one. Do not take this for neglect of the Steam controller: here it’s rather a matter of habit, and not of functionality. I will choose the Xbox gamepad because I spent several thousand hours in my hands; but if tomorrow all game controllers suddenly disappear from the face of the earth, and the only choice is the Steam controller, I think it will not be so bad. I do not think that gaming will lose something. I look forward to when you can try the final version of the device, because I believe that the new generation of controllers will be something else, but no less enjoyable.
TL; DR: A great start, I need some improvements, but I can absolutely calmly play any game I want.
Steam Controller was introduced on September 27th. You can find out what other game developers think about it from the Habropro user AraneusAdoro.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/195856/
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