Ignore diagonal directions?

[JesterDEV]

I was just thinking about this, but dont know if it will work. Would it be possible to ignore diagonal directions during play of a 4 way game via software? I was thinking this would take alot of work but after some thought maybe it woudnt.
Perhaps it would be done by referencing all 4 way games then when one is loaded just set the software to ignore diagonal directions. ??

Just looking for an alternitive to adding a 4 way stick to my cp. Not sure if I have enough room to do so..

But if I do, how good are the xgaming sticks as 4 ways? I have an old pac-man stick and was thinking I could use that with the xgaming kits I just bought. That is if it's possible.  

Sorry if this has been covered already.

[Howard_Casto]

 the stickykeys option in mame will do this

[u_rebelscum]

Would it be possible to ignore diagonal directions during play of a 4 way game via software?

What do you mean "ignore diagonal directions"?

With diagonals being a combination of two non-diagonals, I see three ways to interpret what you mean:

a) ignore both directions, ie: if "left & up", treat as if stick was centered.  Problem: dead zones, size depending on the joystick's size of its diagonals.

b) ignore the newer direction, but keeping the prior direction, ie: if press left, then move to "left & up", treated like still left.  Problem: seems like slow response, since you have to get up of the diagonal before the new direction is seen.  BTW, mame used to do this, was called "sticky keys", and was removed because of the "too slow" complaints.

c) ignore the older direction, ie: if press left, then move to "left & up", treated as if you are pressing only up.  Mame currently does this; do you like it?

BTW, you can get mame to do method a) by mapping left to "left not up not down", up to "up not left not right", etc.   If your stick has small diagonals, this might feel okay; if it has big diagonals, this will suck.

the stickykeys option in mame will do this

Howard, do you mean "steadkeys"?  Mame does not have a "stickykeys" option.  The steadykeys option won't do the 4way thing, however.

[JesterDEV]

Well no wonder. I searched the mame faq and messageboards looking for sticky keys and came up emtpy.

What I was looking for something like this: If I press Left up - Go Left, Left down - Go left. But I see your point there. I might actually want to go down/up and not left.

So for know I am going to just make another cp with 1 stick and a few buttons to use till I get around to making a new one. Too bad I cant use this pac-man stick I have. The shaft gets thicker about halfway up so it wont work. My limited testing on these xgaming sticks are showing nothing but a piss poor job. Only up and left work while the other directions arent working. The stick wont reach the switch.  

[Jakobud]

Howard can you explain the sticky keys to us?  I've heard of it but don't know what it is.

Regarding the ignoring of certain keys/directions, in the tab menu, when you define a key to do a certain thing, you can also press buttons a certain way where you can make it NOT use that input.  So you could make it say:

Up = Up NOT Up/Right NOT Up/Left

I can't remember immediately how to do this in the tab menu... someone else could answer this better than i can.

[u_rebelscum]

Howard can you explain the sticky keys to us?  I've heard of it but don't know what it is.

I think he's talking about b) in the list in my prior post.  Mame used to do this.

Regarding the ignoring of certain keys/directions, in the tab menu, when you define a key to do a certain thing, you can also press buttons a certain way where you can make it NOT use that input.  So you could make it say:

Up = Up NOT Up/Right NOT Up/Left

I can't remember immediately how to do this in the tab menu... someone else could answer this better than i can.

"Not"s are one place the ctrlr ini files really excel.  I suggest doing it that way.  docs/ctrlr.txt in mame folder, or http://www.mameworld.net/easyemu/mamecontrolini.htm

But to make something a NOT in the tab, press it twice.  Example to do up and only up:  go to input menu, press enter, then quickly press up, left, left, right, right.

Remember, you'll have gaps where nothing happens if you totally ignore the diagonals.


IMO, a way better, but still not that good, software remap is "not the clockwise".
game left = left not up  (left = left or left & down, not left & up)
game up = up not right (up = up or up & left, not up & right)
game right = right not down (right = right or right & up, not right & down)
game down = down not left (down = down or down & right, not down & left)

*shrug*

[Jakobud]

Rebelscum, how come you do the clockwise thing?  How is that better?  Why not just do

Up Not Left Not Right
Right Not Up Not Down
Down Not Left Not Right
Left Not Up Not Down

?

[Lilwolf]

it removes the blind spots... so every direction goes somewhere...

[u_rebelscum]

it removes the blind spots... so every direction goes somewhere...

Exactly.  

My sticks have pretty big diagonals (supers), and blind spots just kill me (in the game).

Some pictures: (white is center, green up, blue, left, red down, yellow right, grey blind or random)

"diamond" 4 way;  "+" 4 way;   a "perfect" 8/4 way in 4 way mode (notice diagonals are divided in two)

8 way with ignored diagonals (grey = blind spots)

sticky when stick is left (and left/down or left/up from left);  sticky when up (and left/up or left/right from up)

current mame when left;  left/up from left;  up

special/funky: "rotate clockwise",  "big up, small down",  "favor up & down"

Notice of all these ways, only the real 4 ways, the perfect 8/4 way, and the "rotate cw/ccw" have both 90 degrees per direction and no diagonals switching directions.

The smaller the diagonal, the less it matters which mode is used; either smaller blind spots or smaller spots switching directions.  

Of course, 4 ways and perfect 8/4 ways are the best.