Why the bug I wrote became a core gameplay mechanic?!
Chapter 208 - 207: The Peculiar Detachable Modular Handle

Chapter 208: Chapter 207: The Peculiar Detachable Modular Handle

At this moment, Wang Dawei finally completed the unboxing of the game controller at a snail’s pace.

He began demonstrating various accessories to the audience in front of the camera.

If it were an average controller, the packaging would be quite simple: the controller itself, a manual, a warranty card, and a few other accessories such as a charging cable.

Wang Dawei had also purchased an elite controller from one of the big foreign manufacturers, which came with more accessories, including a case with a charging base, and within the case were interchangeable joysticks, d-pads, and several paddles of varying lengths.

He had bought that elite controller on a whim at the time, but for various reasons, it had fallen into disuse.

This time, the collaborative controller for Nitiandang’s new game was launched with a domestic controller manufacturer called Zhitong, and from the packaging, it could be seen that it was part of a series called "Explorer".

The original price of this controller was 469, and the co-branded model with Nitiandang’s new game cost an extra 120 yuan, making it 589.

I have to say, this price is a bit steep.

For most players, the acceptable price range for domestic controllers is around 200 or so, as only at this price does it have enough competitive edge.

Since the controllers from The Big Three also hover around 500 yuan, why would most players not choose one of theirs if the price is comparable?

Initially, Wang Dawei hadn’t thought about purchasing this controller either, but he had snagged some deals during the speed run competition, and there was said to be an interesting little accessory this time, so as a live streamer, he bought one to try it out, at his own expense.

Even if it turns out to be a huge disappointment, as long as it contributes to a good show, it wouldn’t be a loss.

Upon taking out the controller body, the first thing you notice is four not too large nor too small gaps on the controller.

These gaps are shaped like a square with a semi-circle attached, and on the controller, they form a "V" pattern; if following the most commonly used asymmetrical layout, the upper left would be the left joystick, the lower left the d-pad, the upper right the ABXY buttons, and the lower right the right joystick.

At this moment, these areas were empty, without buttons or joysticks.

Also packed in the box were accessories; all the standard accessories had the same base, shaped like a square with a semi-circle, fitting perfectly into the gaps on the controller.

Underneath the base and inside the gaps were metal contacts and a light magnetic effect, making a crisp "click" sound when attached.

There were three joysticks: two standard joysticks and one extended joystick.

The caps of the two standard joysticks were quite large, being more than a circle bigger than average, offering a very comfortable feel for the thumb. In contrast, the cap of the long joystick was smaller, and its design was convex rather than concave, resembling the feel of an arcade joystick.

This extended joystick was mainly for use in racing games or arcade fighting games.

With the joystick extended, players could make precision movements while tilting the joystick, but it’s not something everyone can adapt to.

Wang Dawei’s previously purchased elite controller from a foreign manufacturer also came with such a long joystick, but he had barely used it.

There were two d-pads: one was segmented, and the other was a solid piece. The former was primarily for regular games, while the latter was for executing combos in fighting games.

There were two sets of ABXY buttons, just with slight differences; one had smaller buttons with a larger gap between them and edges that were flush with the base, and a noticeable protrusion in the middle; the other set had larger buttons with smaller gaps between them, pronounced edges that rose above the base, but less visible protrusion in the middle, providing a more solid pressing experience.

Obviously, players could choose whichever button set suited their preference for touch.

All the accessory bases were the same and could be mixed and matched at will. If a player had special needs, they could forego joysticks entirely and place two sets of d-pads and two sets of ABXY buttons on the controller, then remap the buttons through the official software.

Finally came the star of the show, an accessory called the "Mini Steering Wheel".

Unlike the other standard accessories, this mini steering wheel took up the space of two bases and, judging by the spacing, could only be placed in the lower left and lower right positions.

Sure enough, it fit seamlessly.

In addition, this mini steering wheel accessory came with an extra piece, heavy and substantial. This extra piece could be mounted on the bottom of the controller, connecting securely to the interface at the back.

The charging port of the controller was on the top and wasn’t obstructed.

However, the headphone jack and other standard ports on the bottom of the controller were blocked, and the rear paddles were also affected. But since these ports and paddles were also present on the accessory itself, they could still be used normally.

As for the surface of the mini steering wheel, it resembled a fidget spinner, with four joystick cap-like depressions at the top, bottom, left, and right, evidently designed for finger placement.

Wang Dawei tried it out and found that his thumb sat comfortably on it, and it rotated smoothly.

"This is pretty interesting," he said.

Wang Dawei picked up the other accessories and placed the segmented d-pad and the larger ABXY buttons into the upper left and upper right gaps, respectively.

With that, the assembly of the controller was complete.

Of course, there was a tutorial in the controller’s packaging box, but Wang Dawei didn’t look at it. After all, the product’s design was so straightforward that any gamer with a bit of experience could understand it.

Connect the controller to the computer and then adjust it through the official Zhizhong controller software.

Like the regular controllers in the Zhizhong series, this controller can also set macro commands and map back buttons, among other things.

However, what’s different is that when the software detects that the player has installed this miniature steering wheel accessory, it will prompt the player to keep their hands away from the wheel, saying it needs to "initialize the adjustment."

After clicking the "Start" button, the miniature steering wheel on the controller immediately began to rotate on its own!

It made a buzzing sound, first rotating quickly to the left and then coming to a quick stop, after which it quickly rotated to the right and stopped just as fast.

Finally, it naturally returned to the center position, where a clear red line at the top 12 o’clock position on the hub lined up perfectly with a red stripe on the controller, indicating to the player that the steering wheel was now perfectly realigned.

This time, when Wang Dawei turned the miniature steering wheel again, he noticed the feel had changed!

The original feel was silky smooth, but it did not feel like there was any force coming from the wheel itself. But now, he could distinctly feel a torque in the wheel; the more he turned it, the greater the torque, and the wheel would quickly re-center itself once he let go.

"Hey? This is quite interesting! Isn’t this just like a real car’s steering wheel?

"Does that mean there’s a little motor inside this accessory?"

Wang Dawei fiddled with the steering wheel a few times, inexplicably finding it hard to put down.

It has to be said, this little accessory truly exceeded his expectations.

Originally, Wang Dawei didn’t have much hope for it, as this accessory seemed like a gimmick; the more elaborate the features, the quicker it usually fails. But having actually tried it, he found it to have some redeeming qualities.

Though it still requires some time to get used to, it has already exceeded expectations.

However, what surprised Wang Dawei was that after connecting everything, the official software popped up with a new prompt, not just with instructions, but accompanying illustrations, too.

If he were playing other racing games, installing it this way would have been fine.

But if playing Road Rage Simulator, this setup wouldn’t cut it; he would need to switch the upper left directional pad with a joystick.

"Oh? Did I install it wrong? But why do I need a joystick when I have a steering wheel?"

Wang Dawei was a bit puzzled, but still followed the prompts and swapped in one of the joysticks.

"All right, let’s fire up the game and give it a go!"

Wang Dawei checked the time; it was finally 8 o’clock.

He had already pre-downloaded the game, so he went straight in and started playing.

After the Nitiandang logo appeared, it started with a cutscene. The camera panned over the land from the sky, where one could vaguely make out a grand city in the distance.

There were barely any cars on the highway to the city, just a few cars and a big truck maintaining a safe distance from one another, driving normally.

It must be said, the scenery was quite nice.

Soon, the camera zoomed in rapidly and naturally transitioned to a follow-cam view of one of the cars, shifting from CGI to in-game footage.

The screen showed various button prompts, including those for changing directions, throttle, brakes, and various other functions.

Wang Dawei noticed that the cars in this game had quite a few functions, like turn signals, windshield wipers, and hazard lights, among others.

By now, Wang Dawei understood why a joystick was needed, as many car functions required combinations with the joystick.

Pressing the left and right shoulder buttons pulled up different operation wheels, and by rotating the joystick to select a specific option and then releasing the shoulder button, an operation could be completed.

Players could also choose to map some of the more frequently used functions to the ABXY buttons for more convenient operations.

Then came the regular controls, rotating the steering wheel adjusted the driving direction of the car, while the left and right trigger buttons corresponded to the throttle and brakes, allowing for acceleration or deceleration.

The highway was mostly straight, with only gentle curves. Wang Dawei finely adjusted the steering wheel, feeling pretty good about himself.

"Hey, this steering wheel’s controllability is really not bad at all!

"I can even feel different vibrations and force feedback when turning."

Wang Dawei tried hard to describe the feel at that moment; he could sense the car’s subtle trembles through the steering wheel. Sometimes the highway surface would change due to construction, and these changes were clearly felt through vibrations from the steering wheel, or rather the controller.

However, just as Wang Dawei was immersing himself in the driving sensation, suddenly, a car that was trailing behind him sped up out of nowhere, overtaking him on the right with no warning, and without pulling a safe distance ahead, just swerved to the left, forcibly squeezing into the lane Wang Dawei was in!

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