From willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu Thu Aug 3 14:51:48 EDT 1995 Article: 35551 of rec.games.mecha Path: gt-news!not-for-mail From: willday@rom.oit.gatech.edu (Will Day) Newsgroups: rec.games.mecha,alt.games.mechwarrior2 Subject: Re: Tim & Activision. MWII Joystick problem. PATCH soon? Date: 3 Aug 1995 14:51:42 -0400 Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology, OIT Tech Support Lines: 75 Message-ID: <3vr5ru$o33@rom.oit.gatech.edu> References: <3vn2eq$khp@ni1.ni.net> <3vo6c5$c4s@newsbf02.news.aol.com> <3vocbs$gv3@rom.oit.gatech.edu> 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, Eric M. Hopper wrote: >Will Day writes: >> It's difficult to _aim_, but it's not difficult to _score hits_. As >> long as you don't care where you hit, and that it wasn't where you >> WOULD have hit were you able to aim smoothly. You just have to keep >> your joystick waving back and forth over the target a lot and hope for >> the best. > > I think the mouse works a whole heck of a lot better as an aiming >device than a joystick for just about anything. Joysticks are great for >moving around, and gross motor movements, but mice can't be beat for >aiming. Why do you think the primary input device for most GUIs (where >aiming is pretty important) is a mouse? Hmm, maybe so. I don't consider a simulation game to be the same type of input environment as a GUI, though, and I think their respective nuances call for different types of input devices. I wouldn't use a joystick to navigate a GUI, but then I wouldn't use a mouse to fly an F16. Nor a mech. :) Besides, aiming with the joystick _wouldn't be an issue_, if the game supported the joystick in the correct manner. >> It IS worth the practice, because otherwise I'd be wasting a great >> game. However, it's also worth posting and complaining about, and >> trying to get it fixed, because (1) I think this is an obvious >> oversight, and (2) it would improve the game tremendously, and it would >> then be TRULY a dream to play. > > Just configure it to use a mouse for aiming, and a joystick for >moving. I had a lot of problems with vertical axis aiming until I killed >the torso U/D mapping for the y axis of the joystick. If I hear one more person tell me, "just use the mouse for aiming"...I'll probably smash my mouse just so I can say "I don't have a damn mouse". :-) I do recognize that it's possible to use the mouse for aiming. However, I don't _want_ to use the mouse for aiming, and I _don't_ think I should _have_ to. For one thing, I don't have room on my anatomy for a mouse. My right hand is on the FLCS, and the left on the throttle(soon a TQS). I don't intend to give up _either_ of these, with their hundreds of dollars of configurable buttons, for a little three-button mouse. Even if I did, the mouse would have to go in my left hand (since the FLCS is distinctly right-handed) and I'd be an even worse shot than I am now. :) The pedals, too, aren't good for aiming control as my feet are _just not that precise_ at small movements :) (and besides that, you'd only get horizontal aiming). What is my point? My point is that I think it's clear that the game's use of the joystick is inadequate (and should be fixed). I don't think it's just me. Besides the other people who have said _distinctly_ that they don't like the joystick's forced centering, many people post that they "prefer mouse and keyboard" control, or that they "use the mouse for aiming". And you don't see posts about how "great the joystick is for aiming". It's obvious that most people do not like the way the joystick performs for aiming. I mean, I just have to ask, if no one uses the joystick for aiming, why make it auto-center for aiming? WHAT'S THE POINT IF NO ONE LIKES TO USE IT? Okay, and now I'll be happy to hear from all of those people who like to and use the joystick for aiming the torso. I have to wonder if those people who made "specific requests" to Tim and the programmers to use auto-centering on the joysticks are now using the mouse to aim instead... :) You know? ______________________________________________________________________________ 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