So, Boom Company: our high-octane, rogue-like space shooter.

Where to start?

The first major step at the very beginning of development was coming up with the space combat prototype itself, with those tight controls I keep prattling about.

The classic framework of "use two keys to rotate right and left" is really a keyboard-type concept; my take is, it disassociates the controls with the gameplay.

For example, when I pilot my ship, I don't know where it’ll be pointing unless I focus on the ship itself. This would take valuable time and attention away from watching out for enemy bullets and other dangers.

On the other hand, with a controller/using the joystick, I can point my ship anywhere I please, making it more agile. I could then adjust the gameplay to be even more frantic without making it seem too "difficult" since it'll now be a lot easier to dodge at high speeds.

Setting up that basic combat scene entailed the player's ship, some enemies powered by basic AI, and an assortment of obstacles.

The initial build, with no graphics or sound, only took about a week. Our sole focus then was just to make sure the controls feel good.

Beginning the process, we switched the left-right rotation keys with general direction commands using a joystick. This would have the ship rotate based on the ship's assigned rotational properties.

By changing that one little thing, we were able to add more complexity to the turning dynamic. It enabled different turn rates dependent on factors such as a forward thrust. It also enabled actions like emergency 180° turns — controls that can never be done with just left and right keys for turning. /B