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New Product: Ultimarc UltraStik 360 Analog/Digital Mappable Joystick
sirwoogie:
--- Quote from: SlikStik Christian on June 15, 2006, 06:46:38 pm ---Feedback? I think feedback it great as well as needed to some respect. I wouldn
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Chris:
--- Quote from: sirwoogie on June 15, 2006, 09:27:51 pm ---[I'd like to interject for a moment. I don't think you're reading the constructive criticism as such. Personally from an engineering standpoint, hearing people question design considerations as well as making wishlist is a big bonus.
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If I may take the unpopular side for a moment... I am a big believer in constructive criticism. I live for it on my jukebox. But is his product announcement thread really the place for it? When the thread first went up, my first thought is "I've got to get me some of these!" Now after reading three pages of criticism and suggestions, it seems to be more prudent for me to sit back and wait for v2.0.
Just my two cents.
--Chris
Kremmit:
--- Quote from: Chris on June 15, 2006, 10:25:38 pm ---
If I may take the unpopular side for a moment... I am a big believer in constructive criticism. I live for it on my jukebox. But is his product announcement thread really the place for it? When the thread first went up, my first thought is "I've got to get me some of these!" Now after reading three pages of criticism and suggestions, it seems to be more prudent for me to sit back and wait for v2.0.
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Actually, if you go back in time, you'll see that the discussion about potential problems and/or upgrades started in a different thread, but were MOVED INTO this thread by a moderator who, I'm sure, meant well.
As for sitting back and waiting for 2.0- the suggestions that seem likely to be implemented all center on software upgrades, which ought to be available via download. Unless you think Tiger-Heli's pie-in-the-sky motor-driven restrictor plate has a snowball's chance in hell- I doubt even TH thinks that one's likely. I don't see much point in waiting. Honestly, the only reason I didn't order on day one is that I'm short on cash. Soon as payday hits, I'm ordering.
Christian- This is a board full of the most inventive, curious, do-it-yourself, upgrade-happy, hardware-modding, hyper-picky hardware-geeks in the entire retrogaming hobby. Furthermore, of the people on this board, some of the most knowledgeable, intelligent members we've got are the ones driving this thread. What do you expect, nothing but "Dood, kewl!" and "Awesome, those r leet!"? Try Myspace if that's your cup of tea. Interesting new products are going to get some real discussion around here. Sure, some of the suggestions will be over-the-top, too expensive, impractical, or just plain impossible, but there may be some good stuff in there, too. In the end, it'll be up to Andy to decide which, IF ANY of our suggestions he takes. I've already stated, in more than one post in this thread, that I'll buy even if he changes NOTHING. I'm sure plenty of others will, too. The point of it all is we're HELPING Andy produce the best product he possibly can. He seems interested to hear what we've got to say, too.
Xiaou2:
This is the hard part about innovation.. is that you try to keep it a secret from your competitors.. yet, if you introduce the idea here.. you may in fact receive great feedback that will make it even better..
All too often, a hardware guy wuill make something based on what they feel
is what the majority desire.. but thats not always the case. Which is why its a good idea to get great feedback from multiple perspectives and prospective
customers.
I personally think its a cool tech toy.. probably excellent for Sinistar (maybe the best reason to get it). As well as other non trigger analog games.
However, I personally can not see how it would be used in any other way...
as the throw is just too much for a typical digital joystick. And if the restrictor system is a pain to change.. having to dig arround under-panel... then its not what Id be interested in for digital games.
If there were a way to easily turn a top dial that stuck up from the control panel, in which it limited 8 way and 4 way very easily.. then sure, It may be very much a consideration for total replacement solution.
But, that also assumes its feel and reaction will be Very simular in nature
to the real arcades digital controls.
One thing I think should be under consideration, is a rubber spider "X" simular to that of sinistar. This would make a perfect solution to a popular game that is nearly impossible to control with standard means. As the 'X" gives the player much more control by multiplcative resistence... rahter than a single resistence that once is overcome.. will be too loose and too easy to slide from slow to hyper fast speeds.
I have no clue it there is room for such a thing.. if would require a mod, a redesign..ect. But, its something Im sure that a LOT of people would
want. Btw- the multiplcative resistence also works on other analog games excelently.. as it gives much finer control. Only on certain games where you need to constantly go swiftly from extreme left to extreme right (for example), might it be a little too slow. Other than that, it works great. Ive tried it via a home-built 'sini-stick' - simular to andys, but using pots. (and cut up bike tires as the rubber X)
An add on system as desribed.. which supported motor or electromagnetic restrictor changes sounds pretty sweet. I think people wouldnt mind paying an extreme amount for a joystick that does it all.. but.. it really has to preform as good as them all too... else it may not do so well in the hands of true classic purists. People that actually care very much about
games performance.. and spend and do whatever it takes to get the authentic feel and proper control that they grew up playing with...
Anyone else agree about the Sinistar X? Make your voices heard...
u_rebelscum:
Address a bunch of posts, and a first look at analog mode:
--- Quote from: Tiger-Heli on June 14, 2006, 08:46:29 am ---
--- Quote from: u_rebelscum on June 14, 2006, 03:39:54 am ---The problem is mame is not well written to translate analog to digital*. Mame looks at each axis separately; the value of the other axis is not looked at during the analog 2 digital translation. This makes Mame's look more like the following...
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So if I am looking at this chart correctly, MAME is using a (very crude) 8-way map for the A-D conversion, even in 4-way games, correct?
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You might say that.
However, I'd say mame has NO analog to X-way stick "map" at all.
It only has the one analog-2-digital-switch "map" for all digital inputs. IOW, mame converts all the analog (that are set to digital inputs) equally (using the a2d_deadzone setting) and at the same time. Only then does it ask "is it button, 4-way, 8-way?", as if all were digital inputs in the first place.
--- Quote from: Tiger-Heli on June 15, 2006, 09:03:45 am ---I-PAC Mode: ... you gain one less level of computation (more on that below)....
Digital games ... in USB mode, the stick
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