I think the skate style flick-it ill work well once it is tweaked to be more responsive - will allow for nollies etc. As long as the grabs require a trigger to be pulled it will also remove the problem that is present now with grabbing when you don't want to.
(this was initially a reply to a controller layout post in the steam forum, so references a post that you can't see).
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Controls should I think be broken down into 3 types: Riding, In Air, On Rail.
RIDING:
Turning: as above, left analog stick; turn speed defined by how far analog stick is pushed (also turn radius defined by what snow condition you are on: powder/piste/ice etc). Push forward on the stick to tuck, back to brake/hockey stop.
Pushing with X (or A); tapping or holding.
Ollie/Jump: I think the flick stick could work well if implemented correctly as long as the grab system is altered as I will explain below. Currently it feels very sluggish (also I think on flat you are able to ollie WAY too high); Skate felt a lot lighter. Ollie high determined by how long you prepped the ollie and also speed of flick. Butters should also be mapped to the flick stick similar to how shove-its were in Skate.
Ability to nollie (at least on smaller stuff/rails), by doing up->down rather than down-> up on flick stick.
(it may be an option to have some sort of prespin like Youriding during the ollie prep. This could potentially be mapped to shoulder buttons - depends if the spin speed modifier is being used or not, and if it interferes with the lincoln loop buttons)
IN AIR:
Rotation/Flips with Left analog stick as currently. Rotation speed dependant on how far stick is pushed (as described in original post above). (you shouldn't be able to revert your spin/flip as much as you currently do; pushing the opposite way to you set spin should slow/stop your spin (like when a skier opens up to slow their spin)
Lincoln flips I think the OP has a good idea here with the bumpers and tap/double tap - or you have some sort of tap/hold mechanism. It's a tricky one. Obviously using the spin speed modifier would solve this; but personally I am not a fan of it in the current form.
Grabs - at the moment using the flickstick, you almost always grab when you don't want to. I suggest grabs are initialised by the triggers - Right trigger for right side grab, left trigger for left side grab, both triggers for double grab. Grab is then modified by using the right analog stick.
I.e - Right trigger only - right side safety grab; right trigger with right analog stick pushed up - right side nose grab.
Both triggers - double safety (or truck), both triggers wth analog stick up - double nose. ETC ETC.
This would give a lot more grab options I think.
Shifty - when in air you could shify left or right using the right analog if not grabbing - can help with landing/adjusting spins. Basically when not grabbing the right analog could control feet - so pulling back brings tails up like a backscratcher, pushing forward brings tips up, and all th variations with diagonals etc.
This leaves the ABXY buttons free when in air - could be used in future implementation to enable extra tricks like daffy, screaming seamen, cossack etc. If spin speed modifier is needed; could be mapped to one of these?
ON RAILS
Jumping onto a rail I think is where the prespin could be really useful to enable big spins on without having to do a huge jump onto the rail. Perhaps the left and right bumpers could be used like the youriding prespin, where it gives you a small ollie with a initial fast left or right spin?
Surface spin on the rail - left analog stick.
Nosepress, tailpress - LEFT/RIGHT on right analog stick.
Switch ups etc as currently, flick stick ollie then direction.
Triggers should enable grabs while grinding.
A/B/X/Y - used in future possibly to enable stepovers; bindsoles, broken grind and all the ther crazy rail stuff.
Perhaps shoulder buttons when on rail could make for fast spins out without having to do a large flick-stick ollie - pressing puts the skier in "scissored" mode, release gives a small ollie with an initial fast spin?
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Hope the above makes sense - I can see you are trying to mimic Skate controls (which were awesome); the above is the closest I can think of to map that tpe of control to a skiing environment.
