Drag & Drop (Patreon)

Here's a sentence I've never said before. BallsiticNG is a really good game. Okay, I lied, I've said this quite a few times. What's interesting however, is one of my favorite things about NG isn't even anything to do with its gameplay.

The game might nail its visuals, physics, unlocks, and racing, but truthfully one of my favorite things it does, is something I really wish was the standard.

Drag & Drop modifications.

The game features a banging drum and bass soundtrack with dozens and dozens of songs perfectly encapsulating its Wipeout replication. However, racing games are a genre where lots of songs fit the mood. Everybody's got something they blast on the road, why would gaming be any different?

And normally, you have to just settle for running Spotify in the background, with no syncing or connection to the game your playing.

However, with NG, if you want to add your own songs to combine with the already existing tracks? You can do that, and it's literally, drag, and drop. It's the same thing with sound effects. You can replace any of them, with anything you want. 

It's the same thing with track selection. New circuits, are just one click away on the workshop tab. 

Even making new levels is as simple as booting up the editor, and getting to work.

The game invites itself not only to be played, but be played with, and not demanding a PHD in Computer Science to hear My Favorite Game by The Cardigans.

Game development is chaotic, and I do empathize with the hard work developers go into. I also empathize with those who don't inherently optimize their files for someone else to mess with. My editing teacher would be appalled by the file origination of my projects.

However, my excuse, is that I'm the only person who will ever see how my projects are organized. I would definitely change my attitude and approach were I working with somebody, and if you want players to become really invested with your game, it's in your best interest to make that process as simple as possible.

It's even good for the designers who in the best case scenario, can start changing and tweaking things via one text document.

In the meantime, I'll just be grateful for BallisticNG to take this step, and hope that others will follow in its footsteps.