To Catch a Bard

Over the past few weeks my design has been tumbling all over the place. One minute I fancy a control scheme that users button inputs to cast spells, then I experiment with using the right stick to input the spells via specific rotations and angles. But then something still wasn't right.

The sticks allowed for lightning fast reflexes to input spells instantly, but casting them was a mess. In the original scheme you had to press the right shoulder, then the right trigger to execute. My reason was to give the finger a strumming motion, although this, to be frank, sucked. Hands became very worn very fast. So I remove the right shoulder, and made the right trigger the only button to execute spells. STILL, it wasn't right.

After using a spell, an animation would play and then, after about a second, the spell would be cast. This wasn't good. 

Why bother having lightning fast reflexes if the game brings up a red light every time the player had the chance to prove their speed?

Unless something in the design reflected this, like the whip in Castlevania (NES) having a delay, then it would fit well. But again, everything until pressing the button was a mad dash to get the spell cast. It didn't work. So I made the spell cast as soon as the button was pressed, but then why have the button at all?

So here we are. The spells right now are, like I wanted at the start, input using a series of rotations and angles. However, there's now no toll gate between the stick and the game. The entire combat system, as it stands, takes place on the right stick.

I've recorded some videos, but they'll be up Monday to show how it's all progressed since the original scheme.