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Question about difference of 4-way and 8-way sticks

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Xiaou2:

--- Quote from: EightBySix on October 08, 2012, 04:30:12 pm ---I still say (apart from the entirely understandable argument about the physical feel of the thing) that this could be compensated for in the encoder software. At an electrical signal level one of the switches must be closed first. Then if another closes, just ignore it. Maybe some special cases for when the joystick is rolled through the directions.... I'm gonna have a play at it when I get my project built.... One day!

--- End quote ---

 The real problem  IS  the Physical,  not the electrical.

 Think of a Baseball Diamond.  You bat the ball... and instead of running to first base... you cut straight through the field... and go to 2nd instead.   

 That saves a lot of time, as well as vector-directional / momentum shifts.  (No stop and starts / pauses  ...etc.)

 So with a 4way, its more than just about non-activation... its about more efficient paths to the switches,
which creates a faster, and more fluid response.  Thats a lot more than just  "Feel".

molton:
The only way to play 4-way games on an 8-way joystick is to restrict yourself from hitting the corners, and thats just no fun at all.  Nobody wants to play pacman like that IMO.

I use groovygamegears omni-2 switchable joysticks, they are great.  My girlfriend's friend who is apparently a lot better at arcade games than me got to the 3rd level in Raiden Fighters 2, a really hard Shmup without needing a second quarter with the omni-2 in 8-way mode, I got 96000 in Donkey Kong in 4-way mode, which is like 50000 better than i did with an 8-way controller, the day that I installed the things! Games like popeye are practically unplayable with 8-way controls also IMO.

pinballjim:
I've found on 4 way joysticks with a square shaped restrictor I can still get diagonals. 

For instance, I've got a Zippyy set on 4 way.  The nubs have been removed so you can slide it from corner to corner.  At about 45 degrees between any two directions, I still hit both switches at once.  It makes stuff like Don Pachi barely playable without having to rotate anything.

Another cabinet has some Ultimarc E-stick (that's really a relabeled HAPPS) and it's the same situation.






Gray_Area:
...........when I got into MAME, despite not having played vids for years, I knew before even ordering an X-arcade that 4-way games would be problematic with an 8-way stick. Um, why? Because if you press diagonally, and the opportunity comes to go the other direction included in that 'combo' movement, you're going to go that direction. And die. And smash the control panel.

But hey maybe I'm wrong I thought. Ahh, no.

Really, this is not obvious??

bradx:
i am someone who loves the classics, but i have to admit, personally, unless i am playing a pac man game or a handful of other classics, the 8 way works fine.  for the vast majority of games in mame an 8 way stick works best.  actually, i built one cab with a 4 way wico leaf switch stick just for a hundred or so classics, but 95% of the time friends and myself play the cab with all the games and the 8 way sticks. 

i also decided from the get go that i would rather have multiple cabs than some frankenpanel trying to cram every imaginable control scheme onto a single piece of wood...

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