From willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu Mon Jul 31 10:23:49 EDT 1995 Article: 35011 of rec.games.mecha Path: gt-news!not-for-mail From: willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu (Will Day) Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic,alt.games.mechwarrior2 Subject: Re: MW2 Joystick woes (was Re: MW2 comments and questions) Date: 31 Jul 1995 10:23:43 -0400 Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology, OIT Tech Support Lines: 69 Message-ID: <3vip1f$2mo@rom.oit.gatech.edu> References: <3v5ol0$83t@rom.oit.gatech.edu> <3v6pvr$btg@nnrp3.primenet.com> <3v85je$c68@rom.oit.gatech.edu> <3vhh6u$956@anshar.shadow.net> Reply-To: willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu NNTP-Posting-Host: rom.oit.gatech.edu Xref: gt-news rec.games.mecha:35011 comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action:108144 comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic:96415 Status: RO A short time ago, at a computer terminal far, far, away, Braden McDaniel wrote: >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. Well, I honestly have to say I think that's a lame suggestion. :) Which would you say is easier: (a) modify the joystick code, or (b) ask 5 million (or whatever - I've no idea) gamers to get new joysticks that don't center? I haven't seen a non-centering joystick in years, not since those little Apple sticks they had for the Apple II. And I never could stand those. :) Besides, I just don't see Thrustmaster coming out with non-centering versions of all their sticks anytime soon, just to get around a game that doesn't do their joystick code correctly. >Making the game not respond to a joystick's physical >autocentering wouldn't work, IMO. 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. Ah, but that's _exactly_ what I'm looking for. That's what EarthSiege did (one of the few things it did right). That's what the VWE BattleTech centers do. That's the way it's done. >> 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. I'm still undecided on which way I think is better. EarthSiege did it as you describe - 0 on the throttle is full reverse. On the other hand, VWE BattleTech centers do it like Mechwarrior II. The thing that I don't like about ES's method is that you have to be very very precise with the stick in order to come to a complete halt. I'd want the throttle to have an indented position in an appropriate place 1/3 of the way forward, in which it would rest for full-stop. Somehow I don't see the joystick manufacturers including that in their design unless Mecha simulations begin approaching the popularity and commonality of flight simulations. >>>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? I'd think not. I'd also like to see a "Help me out" command, although, I guess that's not very honorable. :) >Braden ______________________________________________________________________________ Will Day 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