More script call questions - Movement

[theorangesunflower]

#1)
I am making a few different "vehicle" based minigames in my game and I was wondering how I would go about changing the Response Time to the Controller Input.

For example, you press right on the control stick and a few extra milliseconds later, your character reacts and turns right or turns right SLOWER than usual (which would be much better than a delay)

I wish I understood more about how coding works, because I am sure the answer is right in front of me in the default script codes.

#2)
Also, another movement related question: I am using force_move_route(8) to make sure a certain control style responds to diagonal movement. I am also using a code that allows a diagonal sprite set with the suffix "_di".

For some reason, using "force_move_route(8)" does not also trigger the diagonal sprite set. I still get the awkward sideways or front/back facing sprite.

When I use a Switch to turn on DIAGONAL MOVEMENT, and I go in Direction "8" it uses the diagonal sprites correctly.

Is there another script call that would tell it to "force_move_route(8)" AND use the correct Diagonal sprite set?

#3) Third and last question...

Is there a way of telling the script call "$game_player.move_speed = n" to go back to "DEFAULT" or a set variable? Like what if your "$game_player.move_speed" changed throughout the game, via leveling up or upgrades or something, and then you enter a "vehicle" event that has a set speed, and then exit the vehicle. How would the game Recall the "$game_player.move_speed" you had before you boarded onto the vehicle?

And related to that note, is there a way I can have different characters default speed be different as well? (A slow moving character, a speedy one, etc.)

Am I barking up the wrong tree by using "$game_player.move_speed = n"? I would like more fine tune speed control than the default Event Move Route options allow, such as "$game_player.move_speed = 5.8"