yikes, i see what you guys mean. we have to allow for the complexity but that doesn't mean we can't figure out the simple up front, which would cover 80% of console titles. as long as we allowed the template to be liquid, we could add whatever we wanted as long as we kept it standard.
meaning, we can do 80% of titles with the basics:
P1_BUTTON1=
P1_BUTTON2=
as we get to more complex controls, we can figure out what label to add. taking madden into consideration where the same button can be different, based on offense/defense/post-pre snap, etc., how hard would this be to implement into cpwizard?
P1_BUTTON1=change lineman [defense]{g}
P1_BUTTON1=snap ball [offense]{r}
so, when pausing the game and the cpwizard comes up to show controls, using the example, above the buttons, you would have all of the defensive controls listed in green (thats the {g}) and below that description, you would have the offensive controls listed in red {r}.
for the combo examples listed like mario or 1080, i really think we're overanalyzing how to assign/display combos, based on what/where the game is.
we should assign the primary function to the button. within the ini, you could have a "SPECIAL COMBO/CONTROLS" line where we list all of the combos/special moves.
my thought with that info is if that line is populated, a separate window pops up when pausing, over, above, under, to the side of, wherever the user designs it in cpwizard. so you see your cp with all of the primary functions, then you have a cheat sheet showing you combos and what not. think of an N64 manual, they didn't list every combo on the graphic over the controller, they listed the main button functions, and, on the facing page, they would list button combos / actions.
taking that one step further, this "cheat sheet" pop up could even be used to show a scan of the actual manual page.
this is a bear of a project to think about but if we have ideas on how the complex stuff will fit in and we can agree on at least a direction, there's no reason we can't start on the simple stuff.
thoughts gentlemen?