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New Product: Ultimarc UltraStik 360 Analog/Digital Mappable Joystick

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Grasshopper:
Well as I don't currently own an analogue joystick, I've never explored MAME's support for using analogue joysticks in place of digital ones. If as you say those parameters are already built in to MAME then that's great. However, we shouldn't get too MAME-centric. Some people will want to use these joysticks with consoles, other emulators, PC games, and non-Windows OSes.

Grasshopper:
Also, bear in mind this joystick can be connected to a standard Ipac and thus be used with programs or operating systems that don't support analogue or even USB.

Tiger-Heli:
Point taken and agreed, but . . .

--- Quote from: DaveMMR on June 13, 2006, 01:57:10 pm ---Here's the thing:  if you're giong to be throwing restrictor plates and changing it from a four-way to an eight-way with these plates, why even spend the $60 on these sticks?

--- End quote ---
Because you also get the ability to play analog games on them like Sinistar or EPROM or Star Wars, that you can't play on a digital stick.

--- Quote ---Why not just get a regular P360

--- End quote ---
Because you have to disassemble the stick and flip the actuator to go from 4-way to 8-way.

--- Quote ---or one of those Ultimarcs that can switch (don't know the name off-hand, sorry Randy).

--- End quote ---
or the 49-way stick and a GP-Wiz49, or
Ultimarc T-Stick or Mag-Stick or GroovyGameGear Prodigy for above the panel switching.
Ultimarc J-Stick or E-Stick (Happ Universal?), Euro-Stick, GroovyGameGear Omni-Stik, Suzo 500 (for below panel switching)
Happ Super, P360, Sanwa, Seimitsu - For switching after some disassembly.

--- Quote ---I thought the whole point of these sticks was to have the versatility without having to switch around hardware or add extra sticks.  If you're using the stick to replace a "specific" control - then maybe, but otherwise I don't see the point in "plate-switching".

--- End quote ---
I agree.  The point is for the purists that want a restricted stick for true 4-way FEEL.

--- Quote ---And also, while you can switch from 4-to-8 way, I don't think you can remove the restrictor itself easily for full analog range.  That's more or less what I gathered from the information.

--- End quote ---
Ideally, the restrictor should only come into play for 4-way games, and allow full motion for 8-way or analog operation.  That said, I know my Prodigies have a square restictor in 8-way mode (diamond in 4-way) and it is noticeable but doesn't really affect my gameplay.

--- Quote ---But hey, I love the joystick choices we have now.  Years ago it was basically just Supers.

--- End quote ---
Gotta agree with that.

Tiger-Heli:

--- Quote from: Grasshopper on June 13, 2006, 02:17:34 pm ---Well as I don't currently own an analogue joystick, I've never explored MAME's support for using analogue joysticks in place of digital ones. If as you say those parameters are already built in to MAME then that's great. However, we shouldn't get too MAME-centric. Some people will want to use these joysticks with consoles, other emulators, PC games, and non-Windows OSes.

--- End quote ---
We aren't getting too MAME -centric.

Just about any game that is set up for an analog stick will have a dead zone adjustment.

I don't know enough about consoles to know which ones would support any USB analog stick, but even if it did, I think it is asking a lot to expect people to plug the stick into their PC, enter a particular mapping into it, and then plug it into their console, if it would remember it (which I think it will).

Other emulators will most likely use the same type of conversion of data that MAME does - it's only logical that they would, although this is also probably the only valid example you have given.

PC games will allow you to set the deadzone, but are also looking for full analog resolution, so no need for maps.

AFAICT, the mapping software only works under windows, so the mapping software is not useful on other OS's.

RandyT:

Note:  This and my previous post were originally in a another members thread.  Out of respect for the vendor, I refrained from posting my thoughts in his new product announcement thread as I find that action to be in poor taste.  However, the mods apparently found it desirable to merge the two threads, so here we are....



--- Quote from: Grasshopper on June 13, 2006, 01:24:18 pm ---
--- Quote from: RandyT on June 13, 2006, 12:47:39 pm ---Interestingly enough, the actuation of a properly adjusted 8-way digital stick looks exactly like the above 8-way analog map. 

--- End quote ---

Actually that's not true because the dead zone won't be circular.

--- End quote ---

Point taken.  However, the shape of the dead-zone will have little bearing on the ability of an 8-way stick to electronically work as a 4-way.  The angular divisions and mere presence of a dead-zone were more the context in the above quote.

Also, keep in mind that the dead-zone of a switch based stick will be of differing shapes and sizes based on the type / geometric configuration of the switches and the shape / size of the actuator.  All of the possibilities cannot be represented in a single diagram, but the point I was making remains across all of them.

RandyT

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