Discs or Tron joystick

[Patent Doc]

OK let me start by saying yes search is my friend...I searched, but didn't find my answer. Admittedly my search my have missed and probably did since I seem to recall this being discussed.  Anyway, I wanted to hear if anyone had tried playing Tron with a Discs of Tron joystick.  My inclination is that this won't be any different than using an 8-way since the DOT stick is 8-way as opposed to a 4-way with generous corners.  I have heard that the light cycles can have problems if an 8-way is used.  Does this also apply if the DOT stick is used?

Patent Doc

[NoOne=NBA=]

It IS an 8-way, and acts like one.

You can put a 4-way lower restrictor on, from a Pac-stick, or similar stick.
That will make Tron playable, but the stick will be a bit fragile.
If that is the only modification (as opposed to additionally replacing the top restrictor), it puts extra stress on the lower restrictor.
Make sure you have the outer cover for the bottom part of the shaft, or you will eat up the restrictor, since it is the only thing limiting movement.

In normal operation, the top restrictor takes the majority of the stress.
The bottom restrictor just guides the shaft a little.

[Patent Doc]

Yeah, that's what I thought.  Interesting though.  If the urban legend is correct, DOT was going to be part of the original game but wasn't finished in time to be released with the movie so it was left out only to be a separate game.  You would think the same controller would be used for both games.  Maybe the reverse would work.  That is using a Tron joystick for DOT since you do have some 8-way capabilities albeit with effort.  Just as an aside, converting a DOT to Tron is not a simple as just replacing the restrictors.  The reason is that the metal is punched as a diamond or square at least on the bottom.  The two joysticks actually have the same restrictor just offset 45 degrees.

[SirPoonga]

If I remember a discussion we had for controls.dat, dotron's triggerstick is an 8way but the diagnals are slightly restricted.  Meaning it is difficult to hit the diagonals.

[Patent Doc]

SirPoonga

Thanks for your input.  I'll do some additional searching and report what I find.

Patent Doc

[NoOne=NBA=]

Just as an aside, converting a DOT to Tron is not a simple as just replacing the restrictors.

It is EXACTLY that easy.
I've done it.

The reason is that the metal is punched as a diamond or square at least on the bottom.

The Tron/Pacman bottom restrictors will go into a DOT/Xeno stick.
The DOT base has a round hole that is larger than the diamond shaped one in the Tron sticks.

What you can't do is go the other way.
The bottom restrictor from a DOT/Xeno will not fit into the diamond shaped hole on a Tron stick.

The top restrictor inserts are completely interchangable.
The only difference is the shape of the inner hole.

The only other differences are the addition of the thumb button on the DOT stick, and the angled handle on the DOT stick.
Gorf sticks are a good way to get the straight handle necessary for converting to a true Tron stick.
They usually go alot cheaper than Tron sticks.

[NoOne=NBA=]

If I remember a discussion we had for controls.dat, dotron's triggerstick is an 8way but the diagnals are slightly restricted.  Meaning it is difficult to hit the diagonals.

It's the Tron sticks that are hard to hit diagonals on.
DOT/Xeno sticks have square restrictors on them, and can easily hit diagonals.
DOT is easily playable with a standard Tron stick because most of the movements are side-to-side anyway.

DOT may well have been an additional stage of the original game, planned to use the existing Tron controllers.
The Up/Down and Deflect functions may have been added later, to flesh out the game when it became a stand-alone.

[Patent Doc]

The Tron/Pacman bottom restrictors will go into a DOT/Xeno stick.
The DOT base has a round hole that is larger than the diamond shaped one in the Tron sticks.

What you can't do is go the other way.
The bottom restrictor from a DOT/Xeno will not fit into the diamond shaped hole on a Tron stick.

You know, I never tried Tron into DOT.  I saw the diamond in the Tron and had one way blinders on.  Thanks for pointing that out.

The only other differences are the addition of the thumb button on the DOT stick, and the angled handle on the DOT stick.
Gorf sticks are a good way to get the straight handle necessary for converting to a true Tron stick.
They usually go alot cheaper than Tron sticks.

I actually have an original Tron handle and it seems to fit the DOT (the differnece apparently is the inner shaft which is bent in DOT and straight in Tron, but everything lines up).

It's the Tron sticks that are hard to hit diagonals on.
DOT/Xeno sticks have square restrictors on them, and can easily hit diagonals.
DOT is easily playable with a standard Tron stick because most of the movements are side-to-side anyway.

NoOne=NBA=

You the man!!  It's been so long since I've played DOT I forgot it was mostly side to side.  Awesome!! Now I need to try and part together one solid Tron stick from my parts.

Thanks a ton.   Great Info!!

[NoOne=NBA=]

You know, I never tried Tron into DOT.  I saw the diamond in the Tron and had one way blinders on.  Thanks for pointing that out.

IIRC, the Pac stick ones actually have the same round outer ring on the bottom restrictor as DOT.
I sold my last Pac stick awhile back, and don't have one to check.
I remember not being able to use it to replace the one on my Tron stick though.

I actually have an original Tron handle and it seems to fit the DOT (the differnece apparently is the inner shaft which is bent in DOT and straight in Tron, but everything lines up).

Exactly.
A quick note on that.
If you want to make the stick easier to disassemble, once you get the factory punch pins out of that inner shaft, replace them with cotter pins.

Another note, the bottom part of the Gorf sticks is different than Tron/DOT because it had to drive the optic sliders, rather than using leafswitches, so you HAVE to get that part out of the handle to use it on a Tron/DOT base.

Now I need to try and part together one solid Tron stick from my parts.

I'm actually working on replacing the restrictors on a DOT stick at the moment.
Well "working" is probably not completely accurate, but it's on my list and the stick is disassembled...let me put it that way.
My plan is to make them from Lexan.
I just haven't had time to play with anything between work and school recently.

There was somebody around here that was planning to have bottom restrictors milled from Lexan awhile back, if you do a search on it.
Mine are going to be more of a grind to fit affair, but should work well once I get the right angles, etc... on them.

[telengard]

Just as an aside, converting a DOT to Tron is not a simple as just replacing the restrictors.

It is EXACTLY that easy.
I've done it.

The reason is that the metal is punched as a diamond or square at least on the bottom.

The Tron/Pacman bottom restrictors will go into a DOT/Xeno stick.
The DOT base has a round hole that is larger than the diamond shaped one in the Tron sticks.

What you can't do is go the other way.
The bottom restrictor from a DOT/Xeno will not fit into the diamond shaped hole on a Tron stick.

The top restrictor inserts are completely interchangable.
The only difference is the shape of the inner hole.

The only other differences are the addition of the thumb button on the DOT stick, and the angled handle on the DOT stick.
Gorf sticks are a good way to get the straight handle necessary for converting to a true Tron stick.
They usually go alot cheaper than Tron sticks.

Hmm, so am I reading this correctly in that I could take a xeno joystick and a restrictor from a pac-man joy and have (for all intents and purposes) a Tron joystick?  I would give almost anything (but the $$ on eBay for a Tron joy) to be able to play the light cycles stage.  I have a xeno joystick and a spare pac joystick.  For some reason I thought the bottom restrictor was different.

~telengard

[NoOne=NBA=]

Hmm, so am I reading this correctly in that I could take a xeno joystick and a restrictor from a pac-man joy and have (for all intents and purposes) a Tron joystick?

Yes, albeit a possibly fragile one.
I haven't studied the long-term effects of the bottom restrictor only conversion.
My thought is that the bottom restrictor will show accelerated wear if it's not coupled with the proper top restrictor.
In a home environment this may not be an issue, but it is something to be aware of before attempting it.

The top restrictor is the one that takes the majority of abuse.
It stops the handle, and guides it into position.
The bottom restrictor is actually unnecessary, but is there as a second guide.
The top restrictor will actually allow the stick to function in 4-way mode by itself.
My bottom restrictor is worn from too many years without the proper sleeve on the bottom of the shaft, and the stick still functions flawlessly.
If you have an 8-way top restrictor, and a 4-way bottom restrictor, the top restrictor will allow the bottom of the stick to have extra pressure against the bottom restrictor in the diagonals.

I have a xeno joystick and a spare pac joystick.  For some reason I thought the bottom restrictor was different.

I can't guarantee that every Pac-stick, and every Xeno stick, are compatible with each other.
I can tell you that all the ones that I've owned have been.
Check yours out.

[MinerAl]

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