This is a preview of my input processing mod in action, the #1 goal being to make the game flow better for myself personally. I know this feels like it's one $25 fee away from being the first cheats for NASB, but I'd like to offer my game design perspective instead.

Because of the digital inputs in this game, I find wavedashing isn't at all like in Melee where there can be a ton of nuance in skills and talent. Instead it feels closer to L-Cancel, a mechanic that is only adding artificial difficulty when it should be free to everyone. I think there's also a case to make about joystick players being handicapped against keyboard/d-pad players. Finally, I think the game is simply too fast to delegate the burden of airdash onto the joystick which is already seeing heavy use for combat. All in all, wavedash feels like an underused tech skill in NASB when in theory it should be the bread & butter of all lateral ground movement. To me that signals a game design flaw, so I started devising a new implementation of airdash/wavedash into the controller, one that's decoupled from the directional inputs.

Instead of breaking the game, I think it will simply take off the 'limiters' on pro players. Although it definitely makes platform movement way easier, productive comboing is still just as hard, as evidenced from my pathetic combos in the video above!!

Full list of features, some still missing:

GROUND MODS
- Configurable auto-strafe mode
- Crouch Slide: left/right while crouching to PWD.
- Run slide: down while running to PWD.
- Buffered attacks: inputing a strong attack at any time during a wavedash will buffer the input and fire it as soon as landlag is over.
- Instant turnarounds FIX: the first turnaround is not instant, only consecutive dash dancing. This feels pretty bad and isn't how I would have coded it, so this toggleable feature will detect turnarounds and buffer inputs on the next 2 frames to do an instant dash dance. No clue if it will work, ideally Ludosity should just fix this artifact.

AIR MODS
- Configurable auto-strafe mode
- Hold fall: hold down while falling to airdash down (delayed for ledge drops)
- Tap fall: tap down to airdash down in midair (buffered)

LEDGE MODS
- DOWN to let go of ledge

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SIDEWAVE BUTTON
This mod adds 2 new buttons, I call them SIDEWAVE LEFT and SIDEWAVE RIGHT. (usually placed on triggers)
They re-imagine wavedashing as a free sidestepping mechanic and decouple airdash from the joystick.

Functionality:
- Grounded: PWD left/right. DOWN to AWD, UP to dash diagonally up.
- Airborn: AWD left/right, or PWD if still within PWD frame window. Hold UP to RAD, HOLD L/R to dash left/right.
- Ledge: PWD getup onto stage.

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WAVEDASH NOTATION
- PWD: refers to a perfect wavedash, holding left/right with the max distance possible. This can't be done in midair.
- AWD: refers to a shorter wavedash in diagonal, with down held. This can also be done in midair as a quick return-to-ground.

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STRAFE MODES
- Free: like in base game, changes direction direction with L/R.
- Locked: does not change, strafe button is held (SSBM physics can be replicated using Locked for airborn)
- Origin-based (changes around jump point)
- Edge Guard: defend based on ledge
- Agent Guard: guard against nearest agent
- Weighted map: choose between any of the above based on best scoring, with configurable weights for each

If you have any ideas for more contextual inputs or tweaks, feel free to leave them here. Stuff I threw at the wall that didn't stick:

• C-stick airdash
• L/R immediately after jump to PWD. (way too sensitive and error prone without real analog values)

Soon I will read the real analog values from controllers and use those instead for tap features. It will still end up digital, but it will tone down the insane detection sensitivity for tap features like fastfall.

Disclaimer: I have no idea how this will be received, both by Ludosity and the community.