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MAME - 4-way emulation
paigeoliver:
If you really want both with the same stick then buy some of Randy's Omni-Stik Prodigy sticks. Your controls are not the place the cheap out on your cabinet.
rablack97:
Good grief the man said "virtual" and "accurate" not "perfected" and "spot on".
We are talking up, down, left, right....
There are tons of other things that affect 4 way gameplay as well, the switch, the throw, the length of the shaft, bat top, ball top, angle of CP, and the list goes on.
Every player is different and the whole reason we do this is for a hobby, customization and the enjoyment of the build.
I'll be damned if I haven't kicked a ms. pacman game a few times cause she went right instead of up, and thats about as 4 way as you can get. So restricted or virtual, bottom line is, if you can get it go up, right, left, or down at least 98% or so of the time, then it's gravy.
Both are good in their own unique way, neither is or ever will be perfect. Preference usually outweighs perfection anyway....
RandyT:
--- Quote from: rablack97 on October 16, 2012, 11:49:18 pm ---Good grief the man said "virtual" and "accurate" not "perfected" and "spot on".
--- End quote ---
"Virtual" is something which can be achieved with a 49-way or pure analog stick. There is over 12 times (on the low end) more data being put out by these joysticks to base the decision upon. If you think "accurate" can be achieved with a non-restricted 8-way, then you should take the time to read and understand what I, and many others on this forum have written on the subject over the last 10 years. The gist of it, I included in this thread. This isn't a new idea, and it has never worked. The math and physics of the situation stand firmly in it's way.
--- Quote ---I'll be damned if I haven't kicked a ms. pacman game a few times cause she went right instead of up, and thats about as 4 way as you can get. So restricted or virtual, bottom line is, if you can get it go up, right, left, or down at least 98% or so of the time, then it's gravy.
--- End quote ---
I agree. The point is, this won't do that for you. You might be able to train yourself to play within the confines of the algorithm, but if you can do that, then you can train yourself to play within the existing one in MAME. The whole point is that it's no fun trying to play a 4-way game, while concentrating on precision handling of the control so as not to make errors. The games are difficult enough without adding that to the equation.
--- Quote ---Both are good in their own unique way, neither is or ever will be perfect. Preference usually outweighs perfection anyway....
--- End quote ---
Are you are stating that 4-way restricted joysticks on a 4-way game have similar, but different drawbacks as the type of scheme being discussed? I think I would like to hear how you believe this to be so. Also, if there are flaws in the logic I used above to demonstrate the shortcomings of the approach, please be so kind as to share them as well.
molton:
I have an idea for software 4-way emulation, software restriction, it doesn't register 2 switches at once, if you went straight to diagonal from the center it would not register a move until you further adjusted for either direction you actually wanted and it would stay in that direction until another single cardinal direction switch is pressed (or all switches released of course), so if you drift back into diagonal it wont affect the direction. If you were in the up position, it won't register up right or up left, but registers left or right as soon as the up switch is released in an up left or up right scenario. This could be done with a software layer between mame and the control i do believe. still not true 4-way, but 4-way emulation, maybe. I think it would work.
RandyT:
--- Quote from: molton on October 17, 2012, 07:18:01 am ---I have an idea for software 4-way emulation, software restriction, it doesn't register 2 switches at once, if you went straight to diagonal from the center it would not register a move until you further adjusted for either direction you actually wanted and it would stay in that direction until another single cardinal direction switch is pressed (or all switches released of course), so if you drift back into diagonal it wont affect the direction. If you were in the up position, it won't register up right or up left, but registers left or right as soon as the up switch is released in an up left or up right scenario. This could be done with a software layer between mame and the control i do believe. still not true 4-way, but 4-way emulation, maybe. I think it would work.
--- End quote ---
IIRC, this is what is known as "sticky mode". (note the date of that post) Some like, some don't. If it's no longer available as an option in MAME, I believe it can be replicated through the standard input handling logic.