From willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu Sat Jul 29 17:04:41 EDT 1995
Article: 42 of alt.games.mechwarrior2
Path: caen!spool.mu.edu!usenet.eel.ufl.edu!gatech!news.sprintlink.net!matlock.mindspring.com!gt-news!not-for-mail
From: willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu (Will Day)
Newsgroups: git.test,alt.games.mechwarrior2
Subject: Re: Custom Input Questions...Help from Activision Maybe?
Date: 29 Jul 1995 16:41:41 -0400
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology, OIT Tech Support
Lines: 80
Message-ID: <3ve6e5$p5l@rom.oit.gatech.edu>
References: <3v8c9s$8jl@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU> <3vacpi$k2j@nnrp2.primenet.com>
Reply-To: willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: rom.oit.gatech.edu
Status: RO

A short time ago, at a computer terminal far, far, away, Tim Morten  wrote:
><Does anybody know if it's possible to setup the joystick so 
>that moving the stick twists the torso such that pushing it in 
>the desired direction moves it in that direction at a certain 
>speed depending on deflection... Rather than the way it's setup 
>now where the distance from center is how far the torso is 
>twisted...>
>
>Sorry; that part isn't configurable.

I'm not sure I follow what's being asked and answered here, but I'd like
to comment on the way the joystick is done for the torso twist - the
auto-centering.

This is my major problem right now.  I can't stand how it centers the 
torso every time I take my hand off the stick.  This makes it very hard 
to keep on target..  How can I turn this centering _off_?

If I use one of the FLCS hats to control the torso-twist (by virtue of
keyboard presses), it'll stay off-center.  However, if I use the arrow 
keys for chassis turn, and set the joystick for both torso-twist (L/R) 
and torso-elevate (U/D), it'll recenter both vertically and horizontally 
when I let up on the stick.  It's tying the torso _directly_ to the stick 
axis (centering the torso when the stick centers), rather than interpreting 
the stick movement as delta change in movement.

Right now I'm making do (and improving my aim) with the stick set as
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!), use the pedals for 
chassis L/R, and the throttle for, yes, the throttle.  Which is (those
evil words:) like EarthSiege would do, and without the centering.

I tried for kicks setting the mouse to torso-movement (L/R/U/D) and
it's amazing how much my aiming improved.  The fact that I can concentrate
my effort adjusting my aim, rather than spending most of my effort
just trying to keep the torso pointed in the same direction, as I was
having to do with the joystick.

However, taking my hand off the stick to aim with the mouse is a very
bad move in the heat of battle. :)

Previously, Tim Morten wrote:
>MechWarrior 2 uses the joystick in a unique way.  Rather than 
>just reading 'left' or 'right' from the joystick and adding up 
>values, MW2 turns your torso to the exact coordinates the 
>joystick transmits (much like using a mouse).

Ah, yes this is what I've been calling "auto centering".  Is there, by
_any_ chance, a way to turn this centering off?  So that, it does read
the left/right and add the values.

>This technique allows for more precise aiming, and lets you 
>hold your joystick in position to stay aimed.

See, I read it differently. :)  To me, this technique requires more
difficult aiming, because it forces me to hold my joystick in position
to stay aimed.

I especially tend to have a problem on slopes.  I can't easily hold 
the stick extremely forward or extremely pulled back trying to aim
while at the same time move right and left to keep on track.

This may be a personal preference kind of thing, but I feel like the
auto-centering is a somewhat more arcadish approach to the torso control,
and that having the floating cursor is more precise.  I feel very 
constrained having my torso seemingly being "sucked" back to the center 
all the time. :)

I'm very used to the floating cursor from EarthSiege and the VWE 
centers, and I think others would appreciate the choice also.  Could this 
be provided in the patch/add-on disk?  Please?  Pretty-please? :)  I'm
dying out here!

______________________________________________________________________________
Will Day       <PGP mail preferred>      OIT, Georgia Tech, Atlanta 30332-0715
willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu               http://rom.oit.gatech.edu/~willday/
     =-> Opinions expressed are mine alone and do not reflect OIT policy <-=
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary 
Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
    Benjamin Franklin, Pennsylvania Assembly, Nov. 11, 1755