u/tshallberg

Sorry if this gets brought up a lot, but I just got my brother back into Nuclear Throne after years away for some stress relief, only to realize the Xbox version still hasn’t been updated. He says it’s fine, but we all know the new update is so worth it.

Devs, I hope things are going well. I just wanted to say that Nuclear Throne is one of those rare games, like Tetris, that can completely pull you out of your head for a few minutes when life gets stressful. It’s meant a lot to people, and I really hope those who only have consoles will get to experience it too.

1. Add Ranked Map & Mode Voting
This is the most important add to the game.

Let players vote before ranked matches on the mode and map they are playing on. It will help find Empulse’s identity faster and give a better signal than loud forum feedback. Don't be choosy, put it all in ranked as the players will let you know via voting, more than you'll ever know from Reddit complaints. Meanwhile, Quickplay can stay how it is now.

2. Make paint effects asymmetrical

• Speed paint: boosts allies, slows enemies
• Heal paint: heals allies, drains enemies
• Jump paint: boosts ally jumps, disables enemy jumps (or makes them goofy short)
• Explosive paint: instantly damages enemies, lightly knocks allies away and does no damage.

It turns every ability into a strategic double whammy.

3. Turn Up the Spectacle
Presentation is already excellent. UI is clean, readable, and the Mirror’s Edge x Splatoon vibe works.

Push it further: bigger hit feedback, brighter kill effects, and more expressive ragdolls to sell momentum.

4. Expand Game Modes (Escort, Push, Takedown)
The mech system is flexible enough to support almost anything.

• Escort mode: one team moves a mech to a destination, then swaps sides next round.
• Push mode: single neutral mech slowly pushed from the center to the enemy spawn
• SG-Takedown mode: Works great there, would work great here.

5. Build a Smart Ping System
A simple contextual ping that marks enemy location, objective pushes, or “I got killed from this person” after you die would massively improve solo queue play.

6. Clarify the Mech + Objective Role
The mech system is such a strong idea. It's both an objective and a power weapon combined. That's actually brilliant

It just needs clearer UI/feedback depending on the mode so players instantly understand when it’s the win condition in the mode vs. when it's just the power weapon in the mode.

7. Smooth Out Base Movement
Movement is a big focus, and overall, it feels good.

However, the Left/right acceleration feels slightly sticky, like strafing locks momentum for a beat too long. A small tweak would make it feel more responsive and less bulldozer-like.

8. Broaden Map Scale
Smaller maps work well, but larger ones would really showcase the movement system.

More open maps (2x what we have now, up to SG2-style BR size) would add strategy, longer sightlines, and better gunplay expression.

9. Bring Back Map Creation Tools
The maps so far are awesome. All bangers.

But eventually, I think we need to have the SG map creator back so players can contribute a few weirdo maps to quick play. And maybe the best get the 1047 make-over and become official maps. You never know with community creations, so you want that door open.

10. Lean Into a Broader Arena Identity
There’s a real opportunity here beyond Titanfall comparisons.

Empulse has the bones to pull fans from Unreal Tournament, Quake, XDefiant, Splitgate, etc. Just keep the updates coming and don't tie yourself to that one initial comparison. Empulse is already its own thing.

11. Go Full Goofy With Skins + Tone
OG Splitgate worked best when it embraced being a little unhinged.

Lean into goofy skins and cosmetics. The more self-aware and playful it gets, the better it fits this style of arcade FPS.

12. Protect/Moderate the Community
Strong moderation isn’t about shutting down criticism or help. It’s about making a space where new and younger players can engage without getting dogpiled. The internet already has plenty of places for negativity. The official space of your game shouldn’t be one of them. Online hate can quickly kill momentum, communities, and, as we have seen, studios. It's not common yet, but it’s only going to become a bigger priority for game studios going forward.

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There is still room for a budget FPS that launches with strong core content, say, 10 maps, solid progression over 20 hours, and a great gameplay loop for $20. Players buy it, play it, enjoy it, and maybe come back for a sequel or expansion years later.

The key is to have good word of mouth and be everywhere (see Risk of Rain, Vampire Survivors). The goal doesn’t need to “dominate the players' FPS time forever." Just be widely available and a good value. Overall, Empulse is a blast. The foundation is strong, the ideas are there, and a few focused design and community decisions could really lock it in. Thanks for reading!

I see a lot of comments saying Empulse feels unfinished. Genuine question: what features or content would need to be added for you to consider it a finished product?

And please don’t say single-player PvE. That’s not really what this game is aiming to be and is basically asking for a different game than what it is. I’m referring more to the amount of maps in the game, guns, modes, etc. Multiplayer stuff.

Edit: Quick clarification on “Turbo” since there’s some confusion. "Turbo version" is a reference to Street Fighter II Turbo, aka a refined rerelease that bundles all the updates, content, and quality-of-life improvements thus far into a definitive version, not a request to speed up the game.

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I think Samurai Shodown (2019) deserved a more complete “definitive” package at launch. The core system is still one of the strongest modern fighting designs SNK Corporation has made in years, and with their current backing, I could easily see a rerelease doing well.

A “Kiwami” or “Definitive Edition” style release could include:

• All DLC characters included by default
• Faster loading across menus and modes
• Faster match flow overall, with quicker rematches and less downtime between rounds
• Full crossplay support
• Rollback netcode fully integrated from day one
• A speed option similar to classic Capcom fighters like Vampire Savior or Super Street Fighter II Turbo, for players who want different pacing
• General UI and presentation polish to make everything feel more immediate and modern

No need for new modes or characters. Just a clean, complete version of the game for a single price, something closer to a definitive edition than a live service rollout.

The core idea is simply: take an already great fighting system and present it in the most accessible, polished form possible for both returning and new players.

I don’t want to sound hyperbolic, but I played 10 games yesterday and 9 of them had a player disconnect and rejoin. That’s insane.

This game is far too competitive to allow disruptions like that without some kind of compensation. Losing a teammate, even for a couple of minutes, can completely swing a match.

If your team has to play short-handed, you shouldn’t be penalized for the loss. Let the winning team keep their points, but taking points away from players in those conditions just isn’t fair. At least that's my stance on it.