I got a high score of 10.3 million last night on the 360 demo using classic controls, so I'll see if I can beat that tonight using standard controls, then give the PS3 demo a go.
SSX Demo: Feburary 21; (Euro PSN) February 22 [Up On Xbox Live/PSN]
- Thread starter soultron
- Start date
I got a high score of 10.3 million last night on the 360 demo using classic controls, so I'll see if I can beat that tonight using standard controls, then give the PS3 demo a go.
Hitting Y starts a two-handed grab that you can then place anywhere on the board.
Totally forgot about that. My bad!
It only works to X/B, however.
Y>B right-side double-handed grab.
Y>X left-side double-handed grab.
The Xtortionist
Member
Not sure if I should trick with buttons. Currently I'm using A to jump and right stick to trick, but that creates travel time for my thumb between jumping and tricking. Either way, right stick to jump feels terribly awkward.
I'm getting really annoyed with EA and all their crappy loading screens and "connect to server screens". No other publisher has this shit from what I've seen. EA games, ever single one I've played in recent years, take for fucking ever to load up. It is a real turn-off, and SSX has been the worst so far. I may have to pass for this alone. I hate having my time wasted like this.
I loved Skate, but I find this game too fast for RS controls, personally. Buttons or bust, over here. I find they're much more accurate, although they're probably less "expressive," in terms of "feel"/tactile feedback.
Might be you(r system/internet), my friend. One thing this game does right is load hella fast. Outside of one "Cannot connect to RiderNet" error at the end of a race event (IIRC it still logged my time), I've not had any hitches with the connection either. /shrugs
Another thing about classic controls I don't like is that to grab the back of the board you have to press 3 shoulder buttons. I'm not sure why it can't just be RB/R1.
StrikerObi
Member
Only had time to put one full race and trick runs in on the PS3 demo this morning. I had to restart them each 2 or 3 times to get into their grooves again. Funny enough, despite playing the game for at demo for at least 4 hours yesterday on the Xbox and getting totally used to the new button controls, I instantly started trying to play with the classic controls even though I didn't have them turned on. That's muscle memory for you.
Once my brain stopped trying to use the new controls, I put up two pretty good runs. I managed 2:12 on the race on my first try which is faster than any time I logged yesterday on the Xbox version. And I put up just shy of 13M on the trick event with Zoe (I set 16M yesterday with Mac on the Xbox thanks to his l33t spins). The fact that I managed my best time on JT2 on my first PS3 run just confirms to me that DualShock > Xbox Controller for SSX.
I didn't see any slowdown on the Bulldog pipes on the PS3. I saw the same frame drops at the start of the tutorial cut-scene (not an issue). The menus did seem a good bit slower on the PS3 though. Again, not a major issue.
Once my brain stopped trying to use the new controls, I put up two pretty good runs. I managed 2:12 on the race on my first try which is faster than any time I logged yesterday on the Xbox version. And I put up just shy of 13M on the trick event with Zoe (I set 16M yesterday with Mac on the Xbox thanks to his l33t spins). The fact that I managed my best time on JT2 on my first PS3 run just confirms to me that DualShock > Xbox Controller for SSX.
I didn't see any slowdown on the Bulldog pipes on the PS3. I saw the same frame drops at the start of the tutorial cut-scene (not an issue). The menus did seem a good bit slower on the PS3 though. Again, not a major issue.
The Xtortionist
Member
Jump on right bumper would be amazing. It's only for the wingsuit otherwise, right?
All this talk about left hands and right hands is meaningless to me. I simply don't care about the physical requirements of tricks in a game like this. The interesting thing part of the SSX trick system was knowing exactly how long it would take to stop the trick and still have time to stick a landing. From what I hear, the new game doesn't seem to care about that so I'm a little worried about trying the demo.
StrikerObi
Member
I'm not sure it doesn't totally care about when you land the trick, but you can definitely stop tricks insanely late and still land them.
iFootball
Member
I think this is a general misunderstanding in the SSX threads here... although it definitely easier to land and avoid a whiteout/bail, if you don't time your trick or landing properly you WILL loose your trick multiplier even if your character continues moving downhill...
so in summary... yes it is easier to land and keep some momentum, but you can still loose your trick multipler...
...did anyone notice this too?
RB deploys gear such as your wingsuit, yes. Some gear types are automatic, however. I agree. If it was laid out that way -- mainly so that up/down on the stick could be used for butters -- I would consider giving the stick controls a considerable amount of playtime.
You're right, but sloppy landings don't necessarily help you in this game either. They cause you to sometimes swerve wildly off-course, which is nice. Another poster pointed it out already that he believes that's where a lot of peoples' handling woes are coming from. You still need to let go of tricks early enough so that you level out cleanly and straighten up before landing.
Ventilaator
Banned
I thought I was good at SSX. I've easily spent a couple hundred hours on SSX Tricky, but 7 million is the best I've gotten so far on the trick event, after way too many attempts. Immediately switched to the classic controls. I'm not going to play an SSX game that doesn't play like an SSX game.
Also, am I just that incredible of a player or is it really, really super-hard to crash in this game? Sure I did way too many attempts on the trick event, but I don't think I crashed once.
Also, am I just that incredible of a player or is it really, really super-hard to crash in this game? Sure I did way too many attempts on the trick event, but I don't think I crashed once.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
There's actual racing on the World Tour
Yeah, but that's against the AI. There's no "real" racing online .
I have had absolutely zero such problems with the demo. The server connection has been rock solid, and the regular loading screens are usually very brief.
I wouldn't get too used to Classic controls just yet. They have a bug in the demo that causes the rotational multiplier to not be accurate.
Hypothetical example:
- 360 Indy on Standard -> 1800 pts
- 360 Indy on Classic -> 1008 pts
The devs are aware of this and have assured the folks over at MerquryCity.com (SSX fansite, check it!) that it is not a problem in the final game. They branched code between the demo and the final game, fixed the bug before the game itself went gold, but probably forgot to fix it in the demo or it just popped up again in the demo for some reason. (Whatchu using for version control, EAC?
)Here's the developer response:
Todd Batty said:
StrikerObi
Member
I would say overall that if there are any performance differences, they are negligible enough that it wouldn't affect my purchase decision, and that it mainly comes down to which controller you feel more comfortable with, where your friends are (probably most important considering Ridernet), and if you care about Mt. Fuji.
iFootball
Member
I wouldn't get too used to Classic controls just yet. They have a bug in the demo that causes the rotational multiplier to not be accurate.
Hypothetical example:
- 360 Indy on Standard -> 1800 pts
- 360 Indy on Classic -> 1008 pts
The devs are aware of this and have assured the folks over at MerquryCity.com (SSX fansite, check it!) that it is not a problem in the final game. They branched code between the demo and the final game, fixed the bug before the game itself went gold, but probably forgot to fix it in the demo or it just popped up again in the demo for some reason. (Whatchu using for version control, EAC?
Here's the developer response:
Damn, I was using Classic controls last night when I did my trick run and scored gold the first time down (just barely though). Does this mean I would've had a substantially higher score with the Standard controls? Judging by other posts here I must have just gotten super lucky to score as high as I did.
disappeared
Banned
Why is it almost impossible to bail? And the magnet rails are really fucking with me. Trick system seems alright so far.
The Xtortionist
Member
I did too but you'll get used to it. Played the hell out of Tricky but that was what, 2002? And I never played SSX3. Got up to like 14 mil on Bulldog though. Keep at it.
I just figured out 2 things about the jumping mechanics... both are not a good sign.
In traditional SSX games, while you were winding a spin, your character would lock down the path you were going down regardless of how the slope's curvature would try to divert you. In this SSX, as you are winding a twist, you don't lock on your path, often diverting you from the jump you were aiming at before you started winding your twist. This leads to many missed jumps due to the curves of the landscape and an overall sense of randomness. There's a reason the original designers locked you on a path when you started winding. Aiming for the jump should be like aiming down the barrel of a gun.
The second issue with the jumping is how the twisting works. In other SSX games, once you jumped after charging a twist, you were about 90% locked down to the axis you charged. This was to maintain the sense of complete control and decision making that goes before and after the jumping stage. This SSX you are about 30% locked down to the axis you charged before the jump. If you charge a backflip, but your stick is slightly twisted to the left/back, after the 1st or 2nd flip you'll be already out of your axis, just spinning randomly.
Wether these changes were intentional or not, they are major design blunders that bring down the game's primary focus.
This is why it doesn't feel like SSX.
In traditional SSX games, while you were winding a spin, your character would lock down the path you were going down regardless of how the slope's curvature would try to divert you. In this SSX, as you are winding a twist, you don't lock on your path, often diverting you from the jump you were aiming at before you started winding your twist. This leads to many missed jumps due to the curves of the landscape and an overall sense of randomness. There's a reason the original designers locked you on a path when you started winding. Aiming for the jump should be like aiming down the barrel of a gun.
The second issue with the jumping is how the twisting works. In other SSX games, once you jumped after charging a twist, you were about 90% locked down to the axis you charged. This was to maintain the sense of complete control and decision making that goes before and after the jumping stage. This SSX you are about 30% locked down to the axis you charged before the jump. If you charge a backflip, but your stick is slightly twisted to the left/back, after the 1st or 2nd flip you'll be already out of your axis, just spinning randomly.
Wether these changes were intentional or not, they are major design blunders that bring down the game's primary focus.
This is why it doesn't feel like SSX.
RebornYeti
Member
Having played Tricky only when I was younger, I can't even remember what the classic controls were like. So I tried the Stick controls first in this new SSX, and I've grown pretty fond of them. I feel like I have the most control with this setup.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
Tried to DL the 360 version last night and the Live update E74'd my launch 360. Joy.
Will try the PSN demo tonight.
Will try the PSN demo tonight.
JaseMath
Member
Pretty much. Feels sloppy in my opinion. It's a bit more focused in classic, but I can't get over the removal of the shoulder button transitions.
So this is what felt so off to me about the jumping. I couldn't put my finger on it while I was playing, but I could tell that my jumps weren't accurate at all. Now I know why.
Neuromancer
Member
The skydiving part was pretty dumb. Is that just the tutorial or is that something you do before races/etc?
Nail on the head.
The main issue I had with this demo was one that completely crippled the experience for me - as soon as I got into a groove during the run, I was stunted, even on the first trick run in which I got 9 million as a high score after an hour! I never felt like I was getting better at the game, it was more like "well, at least this time I didn't have a brick wall set in front of me in the shape of an awkward jump or rock face". It seemed like any time I got above 5 million it was because I was fortunate enough to not run into something that would completely stop my progress.
Even during the first trick run I'd start off going to the right, take the first jump and land on the foot of the second jump, and as soon as I launched off the second jump I'd be doing tricks and coming down in the middle of a rock face or awkward landing that put my trajectory leading to NOWHERE!
The thing I always loved about SSX was the feeling of carving down a mountain and feeling like I was taking a line that I could take EVERY TIME to try and improve my score. I could go from A to B to C to D - here, it feels like I'm going from A to nothing. From B to nothing - every time I turn around I'm bouncing off an odd angled hill that's sending me in wonky directions and not allowing for a free flowing run. It's horrendous.
This may be a bad comparison, but it'd be like if you took a skate park in the Tony Hawk series and as soon as you came off a grind and wanted to manual to a half pipe there would be 4 or 5 rails placed in front of you in the WRONG DIRECTION.
Don't even get me started with the horrible grind recognition and the fact that if I jump to try and start a grind on a rail I'll sky over it and be falling towards, again, a line that has no jumps, no way to correct my course, nothing - just me watching my score plummet.
The demo has easily, and I mean EASILY inspired me to cancel my pre-order.
Even during the first trick run I'd start off going to the right, take the first jump and land on the foot of the second jump, and as soon as I launched off the second jump I'd be doing tricks and coming down in the middle of a rock face or awkward landing that put my trajectory leading to NOWHERE!
The thing I always loved about SSX was the feeling of carving down a mountain and feeling like I was taking a line that I could take EVERY TIME to try and improve my score. I could go from A to B to C to D - here, it feels like I'm going from A to nothing. From B to nothing - every time I turn around I'm bouncing off an odd angled hill that's sending me in wonky directions and not allowing for a free flowing run. It's horrendous.
This may be a bad comparison, but it'd be like if you took a skate park in the Tony Hawk series and as soon as you came off a grind and wanted to manual to a half pipe there would be 4 or 5 rails placed in front of you in the WRONG DIRECTION.
Don't even get me started with the horrible grind recognition and the fact that if I jump to try and start a grind on a rail I'll sky over it and be falling towards, again, a line that has no jumps, no way to correct my course, nothing - just me watching my score plummet.
The demo has easily, and I mean EASILY inspired me to cancel my pre-order.
Tutorial only. It's important to play to learn the modifications to the trick system.
I eagerly await you coming back in here saying you can't score high enough or that the tricks don't work. Haha.
After spending an hour or two on this I can feel like I'm getting better really quickly. I don't know if that's a bad or good thing. After many tries, I finally managed to beat gold on both events. Goddamn I haven't felt that accomplished in a game for a long time now. Just right now I beat my gold record on trick it with 16M. Eat your heart out danny-kun. Anyone else wanna add me? I'm on PSN and my name is remapthesoul. Seeing other people with better scores than me will inspire me to get better and I only have 1 friend that will be playing this.
I noticed that too. Once you tweak you have to drop everything, so stupid.
Probably why monster tricks where (removed/not expanded on), you had to be accurate to pull them off and not go insane on the buttons.
AlanzTalon
Member
absolutely spot on on both counts. so many times I had a line going and after holding down and getting ready, i would twist and steer myself off the side, or in order to stay on track, i was holding the wrong direction off my twist....wasting the jump.
The feel is just a million miles from what i expected. it is loose, chaotic, random...and other SSX controls were the complete opposite.
AlanzTalon
Member
I will say though....i do really want to play some SSX Tricky right about now.
joeygreco1985
Member
This is definitely throwing me off too. I find that if im lined up perfectly for a jump, and I want to do a rotation to the left or right, i cant preload as soon as I could in SSX 3 otherwise I'll fly off the side of the jump or miss it entirely. Very odd design choice.
There's a lot of hate in here for this game. I can understand a lot of the complaints, but no offence, most of it is stuff you guys just need to get over. A lot of the old mechanics just wouldn't work the same in this game, it's been so long since the last real SSX and shit's changed.
Like any game, give it enough time and it will click. I had a problem with the carving at the start, but now I found it much less of an issue. Just keep an eye on what's in front of you at all times and plan a path. I do find the landings can throw you off your path sometimes, but that happened in old SSX too. Grinding is definitely too sticky though, there's an area on JT2 that's very narrow and it can be hard to not throw yourself onto the train tracks when going fast, there should maybe be a button that turns off the stickyness while held, perhaps?
I'm really enjoying the demo and I imagine once we start unlocking gear a lot of these control issues will become non-issues. Take some time and just learn the game, it's hard to try not play it like old SSX but once you get over that hurdle, it's pretty deep, fun and rewarding in my experience.
Like any game, give it enough time and it will click. I had a problem with the carving at the start, but now I found it much less of an issue. Just keep an eye on what's in front of you at all times and plan a path. I do find the landings can throw you off your path sometimes, but that happened in old SSX too. Grinding is definitely too sticky though, there's an area on JT2 that's very narrow and it can be hard to not throw yourself onto the train tracks when going fast, there should maybe be a button that turns off the stickyness while held, perhaps?
I'm really enjoying the demo and I imagine once we start unlocking gear a lot of these control issues will become non-issues. Take some time and just learn the game, it's hard to try not play it like old SSX but once you get over that hurdle, it's pretty deep, fun and rewarding in my experience.
JaseMath
Member
Adding to the unlocked spin axis and overdone trick speed, this is why it doesn't feel like SSX.
Dead on. If you're an SSX vet and while playing the demo it felt like the game was playing itself, this is why.
Yeah? Why's that? And what's changed so much that they needed to completely change the controls? They were perfect then and they'd work perfectly today. Now controlling my character feels sloppy and haphazard.
I see what you guys are saying, but you do know that you can still steer (although it's dampened) while pre-loading, right? Boosting helps straighten you out while you're preloading as well.
It definitely takes getting used to. I think playing Skate really helped prepare me for the new phyiscs system in SSX.
It definitely takes getting used to. I think playing Skate really helped prepare me for the new phyiscs system in SSX.
Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion of course. And as always, there is still the old games to go back to.
But in response to the "shit's changed," one of the main reasons SSX stands out from the rest is that you were always in control, regardless of speed and physics be damned. Adding realistic momentum diversion based on track inclines and mid-air rotation pivots just throws the formula out of whack.
It's as if they made a Gears of War game where you can't use the camera to pre-aim from cover before locking down the barrel sights.
You could argue just holding down X and the game riding in a perfect straight line is the game playing itself. New SSX definitely takes more skill.
I don't know why they changed the controls, but it's their choice and I like the new direction. They'd made 4 games that all played similarly prior to this, it was probably time to mix it up a bit. This game requires the same, if not more skill to play than old SSX.
Dig out Tricky or 3, play that and quit moaning, or practice some and get over it.
Grassclipper
Member
One thing I love is that you can use almost anything as a ramp. There have been lots of times where I thought I was gonna bail due to riding straight into a wall and then it turns out i can jump it. It's awesome.
What's less awesome is that the ghosts are driving me crazy. Beating gold time and feeling good about myself just gets squandered from the fact that someone out there is just much better. At least in SSX3 I could pretend I was the greatest player ever, happily oblivious to the fact that I wasn't even close.
What's less awesome is that the ghosts are driving me crazy. Beating gold time and feeling good about myself just gets squandered from the fact that someone out there is just much better. At least in SSX3 I could pretend I was the greatest player ever, happily oblivious to the fact that I wasn't even close.
BruiserBear
Banned
Adding to the unlocked spin axis and overdone trick speed, this is why it doesn't feel like SSX.
I would say that's just another reason it doesn't feel like SSX. The general carving through "snow" doesn't feel as good as it did in previous SSX games either.