Airboard

Yeah, gangs of airboarders (barf!) would be opponents if it worked out like that. I think contrails would have to be shorter, certainly, though I think they'd have to be long enough such that you can trick people into them. Maybe the grow longer with upgrades? I was also considering a frontal weapon, though the idea of each and every possible attack being: 1. Charge headfirst into your enemy, 2. hope you have good timing seems like a lot more risk than reward and not as much fun as, say, figuring out how to guide enemies into contrails. Also suggested were like floating cloud-mines and the cloud/contrail/whatever equivalent of a gun or maybe like a flamethrower for hitting enemies with longer contrails. I think perhaps I'd have to make the existing contrails larger (for no-thrust) but shorter? Or something.

Having a really fast thrust combined with a gauge that you have to let recharge was something I was considering as well, yeah. If I got the gravity and physics balanced right I could also limit your upward mobility by needing a combination of loop-de-loops and thrusting to reach upper islands and such. I could also give it combat applications by making the contrails that appear from it last much longer than non-thrust, giving a strategic element to the dogfights.

I'll be honest, in the original concept of the game I imagined having to get a full loop around the opponent without them escaping (pokemon ranger style I guess?? I haven't played it) in order to deal damage. It might still be a possibility?

I feel like if I have too many moves there's a need to introduce them gradually-- and maybe have only a few equipped at once (so you don't have 30 buttons) -- though it would be nice if everything could be made purely contextually. Like maybe if you press down while holding that "slow fall" brake button you fast fall instead, and if you let go while holding that you get back on your board quickly?