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Author Topic: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?  (Read 4844 times)

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Diewrecked

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Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« on: July 08, 2008, 12:12:40 pm »
Hi all

I am building my first cab and have nearly finished except for the design of the control panel (see http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=81999.0). However I was thinking recently that, given Tron was one of my favourite games back in the day, I should replace one of the MagStickPlus sticks I have for a trigger stick so I can play it properly.

What is the best trigger stick for Tron?

Would having that stick keep my cab as versatile as it would be with the two MagStickPlus sticks I already have? And if not what kind of functionality would I lose?

I'd really like to get Tron playable on this cab but not at the expense of anything else if I can help it.

Many thanks you guys.
Jon

« Last Edit: October 21, 2008, 04:21:13 am by Diewrecked »

ahofle

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Re: Best trigger stick for Tron together with versatile MAME?
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2008, 12:22:26 pm »
Tron used a very unique stick in that it was partially 8 way and mostly 4 way.  So if you use a regular 8 way stick, you will zig zag all over the place on the light cycle phase.  If you use a 4 way, then the spider level is much harder.  There really isn't a good substitute other than a real Tron stick.  The best you can do is get an expensive analog trigger stick and use a software mapping to simulate the unique 8/4 way properties.  Search around here for tron stick and you'll find a ton of discussion on it.

Diewrecked

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MagStickPlus hack for trigger/thumb button?
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2008, 12:29:26 pm »
Thanks Ahofle :)

Given that I have MagStickPlus sticks, which are 4/8 way switchable on the fly from the top of the CP via restrictor plate, how easy would it be to mount a thumb or trigger button on them to play Tron with? Has anyone done anything like this before? That way I could play either 4- or 8- way dependant on level.

Cheers all

ahofle

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Re: Best trigger stick for Tron together with versatile MAME?
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2008, 12:56:40 pm »
I have not heard of anyone doing that but that doesn't make it impossible. :)
Personally I just use a cheap PC analog stick for the MCP Cone/Spider levels and then switch to a dedicated 4 way for tanks/light cycles.  Pretty lame, but it works.  I'm still waiting on a good, relatively cheap analog trigger/tank stick solution.

Havok

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Re: Best trigger stick for Tron together with versatile MAME?
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2008, 01:36:42 pm »
The best all around solution would be an analog trigger stick. Mame has mapping similar to the U360 now, so you could setup a custom map that decreases the trigger area for diagonals.

Diewrecked

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Re: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2008, 04:19:54 am »
Hi all,

Further to this I have decided to just go with a standard PC USB joystick solely for Tron which won't go on my CP but rather just sit on the top when I want to play it (ie if I'm playing anything else this joystick will be hidden from view). To that end can anyone recommend a good stick please? I have a TT2 spinner so that side of things is covered.

Many thanks all.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2008, 04:22:16 am by Diewrecked »

isucamper

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Re: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2008, 08:13:55 am »
Hi all,

Further to this I have decided to just go with a standard PC USB joystick solely for Tron which won't go on my CP but rather just sit on the top when I want to play it (ie if I'm playing anything else this joystick will be hidden from view). To that end can anyone recommend a good stick please? I have a TT2 spinner so that side of things is covered.

Many thanks all.

I'm suprised nobody saw this when I rebumped it, but look at this thread:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=67987.0

This is a very "Tron-like" USB analog stick.  I plan on using it as is and using MAME's mapping to get it to function with both Tron and Discs of Tron. 

Now, who has suggestions for bottom mounting a PC joystick like this without hacking it?
THE SYSTEM          Popeye

Diewrecked

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Re: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2008, 09:28:04 am »
Hi all,

Further to this I have decided to just go with a standard PC USB joystick solely for Tron which won't go on my CP but rather just sit on the top when I want to play it (ie if I'm playing anything else this joystick will be hidden from view). To that end can anyone recommend a good stick please? I have a TT2 spinner so that side of things is covered.

Many thanks all.

I'm suprised nobody saw this when I rebumped it, but look at this thread:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=67987.0

This is a very "Tron-like" USB analog stick.  I plan on using it as is and using MAME's mapping to get it to function with both Tron and Discs of Tron. 

Now, who has suggestions for bottom mounting a PC joystick like this without hacking it?

That's a nice looking stick, however I can't find any resellers in the UK and also it appears to be native Mac; are there XP drivers available do you know please?

Are there any alternatives that anyone would recommend please (easier to source in the UK preferably)? There are loads of trigger sticks available but how do they feel? Which is the most authentic Tron-like?

Thanks again all

isucamper

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Re: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2008, 01:48:47 pm »
That's a nice looking stick, however I can't find any resellers in the UK and also it appears to be native Mac; are there XP drivers available do you know please?

The item description says that there are no drivers needed for Windows OS.  It uses built in windows drivers. 
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Justin Z

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Re: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2008, 03:26:57 pm »
That was my experience.  It recognizes it in Windows via USB and away you go.

Diewrecked

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Re: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2008, 07:10:05 am »
Excellent! This seems to be the way forward then.

I don't suppose you (or anyone) know anywhere in the UK I could source one of these at all do you please?

Many thanks as usual all

tommyinajar

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Re: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2008, 11:45:26 pm »
Price up to to $9.99, was going to use for Tron but saw that the spec's state "a non-auto centering throttle wheel that stays in place once it has been positioned."
Now if you just want to hack the handle to a happs 8-way...
« Last Edit: October 29, 2008, 11:51:45 pm by tommyinajar »

J.Max

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Re: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2008, 12:15:12 am »
I have one of those and it's not particularly good for Tron.  It's an analog stick and doesn't calibrate well in MAME.

I have a Happ 8-way top-fire stick and I wonder if it would be possible to hack a new handle for it.

isucamper

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Re: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2008, 08:19:18 am »
I have one of those and it's not particularly good for Tron.  It's an analog stick and doesn't calibrate well in MAME.

I have a Happ 8-way top-fire stick and I wonder if it would be possible to hack a new handle for it.

have you tried making a custom mapping for it in MAME?

check line 819 here:

http://mamedev.org/source/docs/config.txt.html

I plan on doing this and mounting this stick on my control panel... but I broke a bunch of sodering points tinkering around with it.  I gotta get a guy at work to fix it for me. 

I'm thinking a map like this might work well for TRON:

  836          778888899    Note that the numeric digits correspond to the keys
  837          778888899    on a numeric keypad. So '7' maps to up+left, '4' maps
  838          44S888S66    to left, '5' maps to neutral, etc. In addition to the
  839          444555666    numeric values, you can specify the character 's',
  840          444555666    which means "sticky". In this case, the value of the
  841          444555666    map is the same as it was the last time a non-sticky
  842          44S222S66    value was read.
  843          112222233
  844          112222233

Which would result in a "-joystick_map" command line that looks like this:

-joystick_map 778888899.778888899.44S888S66.444555666.444555666.444555666.44S222S66.112222233.112222233
« Last Edit: October 30, 2008, 08:26:36 am by isucamper »
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arzoo

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Re: Best "flying" trigger stick for Tron?
« Reply #14 on: October 30, 2008, 08:28:46 am »
I have a Happ 8-way top-fire stick and I wonder if it would be possible to hack a new handle for it.

It has been done. By myself... http://www.dndw.com/arcadeaddiction/8waytrig.htm

And by Retropolis... http://mamecheats.fateback.com/tutorial.htm
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