From masc@phoenixx.com Mon Jul 31 22:23:15 EDT 1995 Article: 35132 of rec.games.mecha Path: gt-news!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!news.cac.psu.edu!news.tc.cornell.edu!newsserver.sdsc.edu!news.cerf.net!ni1.ni.net!masc From: masc@phoenixx.com (B Masc) Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic Subject: Re: MW2 Joystick woes (was Re: MW2 comments and questions) Date: 1 Aug 1995 01:03:22 GMT Organization: Indeed... Lines: 82 Message-ID: <3vjugq$dr7@ni1.ni.net> References: <3v5ol0$83t@rom.oit.gatech.edu> <3v6pvr$btg@nnrp3.primenet.com> <3v85je$c68@rom.oit.gatech.edu> <3vhh6u$956@anshar.shadow.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: masc.phoenixx.com X-Newsreader: News Xpress Version 1.0 Beta #3 Xref: gt-news rec.games.mecha:35132 comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action:108311 comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic:96592 Status: RO In article <3vhh6u$956@anshar.shadow.net>, braden@shadow.net (Braden McDaniel) wrote: >In article <3v85je$c68@rom.oit.gatech.edu>, > willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu (Will Day) wrote: >>default - chassis L/R and torso U/D. Whereas what I _want_ to do is >>have the stick be torso L/R/U/D (non-centering!), > >I think what is really necessary is not to modify the joystick driver >to keep from autocentering, but to get a joystick that does not >autocenter. Making the game not respond to a joystick's physical >autocentering wouldn't work, IMO. A Thrustmaster F-16 FLCS is considered the Rolls Royce of joysticks, it costs over 130 dollars. All _GOOD_ simulator software companies make sure to support their setup. It is pratically the standard for flight sims. For a company to release a product that does not properly support this setup is foolish. (I know as a fact that Thrustmaster sent MWII developers complete Joystick & rudder setups so they could get it right, but sadly that hasn't happened) > Think about it. You push the stick >all the way up, and your torso tilts all the way down. Now, to tilt >all the way up, you must pull the stick back (to get to center), let >go, and pull the stick back again. That's no good. If you've played EarthSiege using Will's configuration you would know that non-centering handles like a dream. If you push your stick lightly to the left, your torso twists SLOWLY to the left until you release the joystick. It then stops and stays in the position you leave it (supposed you want to target a mechs legs for instance.) If you need to QUICKLY move your torso, push _hard_ on the stick and your torso moves _quickly_ in whichever direction you pushed the stick. If you need to make minor corrections in your aim (and considering BOTH you and your target are moving, you are _always_ making corrections to your aim) you just lightly tap the joystick left or right (or up or down) to track the moving mech. The way MWII is designed however, you must HOLD the stick EXACTLY in the position you want it to aim. Which is (if you have tried it yourself) IMPOSSIBLE to try to track a distant enemy mech (or even a close mech if you are trying to attack its legs.) Makes the game unplayable with what should be the 'dream' setup for a mech sim. Hard to believe they can come so close to making the perfect mech sim and yet miss something as basic as decent joystick control. Frustrating. Oh well back to EarthSiege...sigh... BTW both EarthSiege and MWII have an "auto-center" button on the keyboard, so if you wanted to autocenter you could use that. Why force this auto-center "feature" on us joystick users when a auto-center button is already included? >> use the pedals for >>chassis L/R, and the throttle for, yes, the throttle. Which is >>(those evil words:) like EarthSiege would do. > >I don't like the way the game handles reversing. When I pull the >throttle all the way back, I'd like to be going full reverse. When I >push it all the way forward, I'd like to be going full forward. I >don't like having to press a key to reverse throttle. True, but compared to the terrible stick control, this is acceptable. But in case you didn't know this is how it's done in the Virtual World BattleTech games (which BTW like EarthSiege and unlike MWII DOESN'T have auto-centering) > >>>>c: The game should really have shortcuts for the wingman commands - >>>> the usual "alt-A" for attack. Too many menus to access in the >>>> middle >>>> of battle. >>> >>>Starmate commands are indeed cumbersome. > >Agreed. Keystrokes to for basic commands to all mechs should be >available. Things like "build formation", "engage at will", "attack my >target", and "defend my target". Something like this shouldn't be too >hard to implement in a patch, should it? > Again another 'oversight' on the part of the MechWarrior II team, arrghh. The game is awesome but they need to invest more time in playtesting and interface design. Behind the clumsy interface lies a great game. Unfortunately because of the cumbersome controls (especially the joystick support) I find the game really suffers. Kind of hard to enjoy a game when you are cursing the controls half the time. B Masc - The Masc - masc@phoenixx.com "When I die, I want go like my grandfather: in his sleep. Not like the passengers in his car: screaming their heads off"