In an interview early in the game's development, creative director Michael McConnohie commented, "The combat is the most difficult thing for us now because the collision spheres used in Descent are further out from your craft, and don't lend themselves to up-close combat.
During an early stage of the game's creation, the creative director, Michael McConnohie, stated that "The combat is our biggest challenge right now" because the collision spheres used in Descent are positioned further away from your spacecraft and don't facilitate close-quarters combat.