8 way, 4 way, 360.... need clarification

[rlehm]

I have a control panel that I plan on having a 4-way joystick for pacman and those type games. and then the other joysticks will be Optical 360s. Can the Optical 360s be used with the 8way games without problems?

[destructor]

What model this optical stick?

[NoOne=NBA=]

All the optical sticks will work fine for 8-way games.
Some people don't like the fact that there are no corners on them.
I prefer the completely round sticks myself (leafswitch Wicos, P360s, Supers, etc...).

When you say optical 360, I assume you are meaning the Perfect 360 from Happ.
The P-360 from Happ is just an 8-way stick, and doesn't have the custom mapping ability that the U-360 does.
The U-360 from Ultimarc will let you play everything from analog to 2-way, and custom map the output of the stick, so that only the desired outputs are available.
That means that it won't output a diagonal that will mess up a 4-way game, like the P-360 will.

[rlehm]

It is whatever 360 is sent by slikstik.com, optical electronic 360 joysticks from what i understand.

[destructor]

This 360 sliktsik joystick is Happ Perfect 360. This is 8-way joystick. I can recommend to you U-360 instead P360.

[u_rebelscum]

Can the Optical 360s be used with the 8way games without problems?

Yes.  The p360s are great joysticks (corner-less).  They need a power supply unlike most 8-ways, but that's easy to do (and talked about a lot here).

This 360 sliktsik joystick is Happ Perfect 360. This is 8-way joystick. I can recommend to you U-360 instead P360.

The us360 is great, but if all he's going to use it for is as an 8-way, there's little advantage of getting the us360 over the p360.  (FWIW, I have a couple us360s, and enjoy them as my 8-ways, but also as analog sticks for those games.)

[rlehm]

Ok thanks guys. Wanted to be sure that I will be able to play all range of games.

[ARTIFACT]

The U-360 from Ultimarc will let you play everything from analog to 2-way, and custom map the output of the stick, so that only the desired outputs are available.
That means that it won't output a diagonal that will mess up a 4-way game, like the P-360 will.

Can you play a pac man and then a Street Fighter II without spending an hour configuring it?

I guess I am asking if this can be configured to happen automatically per game, or based on a keyboard keystroke?

thanks

[fatfingers]

The U-360 from Ultimarc will let you play everything from analog to 2-way, and custom map the output of the stick, so that only the desired outputs are available.
That means that it won't output a diagonal that will mess up a 4-way game, like the P-360 will.

Can you play a pac man and then a Street Fighter II without spending an hour configuring it?

I guess I am asking if this can be configured to happen automatically per game, or based on a keyboard keystroke?

thanks

It is very easy to switch modes for the U-360 via software.  A few clicks and done.  Or, if you're running MaLa as a front-end, it is all automatic if you install my UltraStikMapperPlugin software.  If you do this, the mode automatically switches to the correct mode for the game you have selected and it is completely unnoticeable.

[NOP]

It is very easy to switch modes for the U-360 via software.  A few clicks and done.  Or, if you're running MaLa as a front-end, it is all automatic if you install my UltraStikMapperPlugin software.  If you do this, the mode automatically switches to the correct mode for the game you have selected and it is completely unnoticeable.

I will second this and thank fatfingers at the same time.
U360's with Mala and FF's automagic software download is da bomb. 
It was incredibly easy to set up and install and is 100% no fuss once you get it running.  I even have 2 of them on my cocktail setup and it worked flawlessly.

The only thing I had to do was rename a file to get qbert to load.  For whatever reason the map file was named wrong or missing or whatever.  I don't recall anymore, but I only spent 20 minutes on it.

-jeff!

[steveh]

I am leaning towards the ultrastick 360 from ultimarc,  Can any one tell me any down sides of these sticks before i purchase them?   I am very interested in having a programmable setup so i do not need to have to clutter my cp with extra sticks (ie 4 way, or a diagonal mounted 4 way for q-Bert)

[Green Giant]

I am leaning towards the ultrastick 360 from ultimarc,  Can any one tell me any down sides of these sticks before i purchase them?   I am very interested in having a programmable setup so i do not need to have to clutter my cp with extra sticks (ie 4 way, or a diagonal mounted 4 way for q-Bert)

Lets see...downsides.... it costs more than an 8way and a cheap encoder....You won't be able to justify a permanent 4way on your panel since you will have these.....

[NOP]

U360 downsides:

1) I mounted mine in a midway cocktail machine (used to be a galaga).  It has metal CP's, and I found that the slightly larger ball plus the shaft length vs. the replacement pacman 4way stick that I removed from the machine made for some finger crushing against the wood that holds the monitor in place.  I fixed this by disassembling the stick and mounting the main body of the joystick about 1/2" lower by using some plastic spacers and longer screws.  With the dust cover on the top of the control panel, you'd never know there was a space between the top of the joystick body and the bottom of the CP.  Total cost was about 4 bucks for the longer screws and spacers.

2) I get a *slight* discoloration on my monitor when the joystick is pulled all the way down.  The magnets in the U360's is quite strong. 

Both of these complaints alone were hardly worth even the time it took for me to write this up, and probably will only apply to 3% of the folks out there.


You will love your 360s.

-jeff!

[rockin_rick]

U360 downsides:

2) I get a *slight* discoloration on my monitor when the joystick is pulled all the way down.  The magnets in the U360's is quite strong. 

You will love your 360s.

-jeff!

There is something on ultimarc's website regarding this and potentially a shield/shielding.  Perhaps you should contact Andy and see if he has any ideas/solutions/prototypes.  If nothing else, perhaps a piece of sheet metal would be enough to block the magnetism.

Rick