Your preferred method of input for the falling tetromino gam

Thread in 'Discussion' started by makalaka, 19 Jul 2007.

  1. *Insert story about legendary warriors who fought with Model M keyboards and Saturn gamepads and the ninja who triumphed over them all with a $79.90 VSHG*
     
  2. ....but ive never used anything else so it's quite meaningless
     
  3. Personally I prefer:


    Joystick > Keyboard > Gamepad


    I've logged a lot of time with all of them and am pretty damn sure joystick fits my playstyle best.
     
  4. Stick all the way here, everything else just feels wrong now that I'm used to it.
     
  5. i play with IBM Model M keyboard [​IMG]
    but just because i have never tried a good joystick (have none)
     
  6. Stick, because VSHG is pure pwnage.
     
  7. Gamepad (DS) > Keyboard.


    I've never really had a proper joystick to play with, so I'm not going to include it. I think it mainly boils down to what you are used to. Surely a keyboard would be the best if you took the time to get accomplished with it.
     
  8. Baseless assertions.


    Unless you have any proof, you shouldn't post speculation as facts.
     

  9. Do I need proof?

    It requires less movement than a joystick. It's therefore faster, if the keyboard is good.
     
  10. cdsboy

    cdsboy Unregistered


    One could argue that the joystick is faster, simply because the movements are more fluid and therefor easier to transition from move to move.
     
  11. I myself prefer a keyboard. I've never had much luck with a standard gamepad, or for that matter any of the real GameBoy or GameBoy Color handhelds (short of using an emulator, as I can redifine the PC keyboard - i.e. use the arrow keys).


    (small rant mode) All gamepads and GBs have the directional buttons on the left side, which never made any sense to me at all. As a right-handed person, seems to me that almost ALL gamepad/PS/PSP/GB-styled controller games would be *MUCH* easier using your right hand to operate the directional keys with.


    Most movement in most any game is accomplished with the directional keys, and generally the buttons are used for fire/rotate/strafe/etc... which means that 99% of your actual gameplay is using the directional keys - i.e. in a FPS combat game, smooth movement (walking) is crucial to your survival.


    Anyhow, I'm all thumbs when it comes to anything other than the PC keyboard... as a right-handed player, I have a helluva time with the directional keys located on the left, like almost all other handheld, console, and PC gamepad controllers are.


    (afterthought) I guess that one could say that it's simply a matter of getting used to it. Back in it's day, I used to absolutely ROCK playing the old PC gem "One Must Fall: 2098", and I used my PC Gravis gamepad for that one... but I STILL think that I would have been better if the directional pad on the gamepad was on the right side.


    (random musing) Why did they design the keypads/console/handheld controllers with the directional keys (or directional pads) on the left side? Where the hardware designers left-handed?
     
  12. "As a right-handed person, seems to me that almost ALL gamepad/PS/PSP/GB-styled controller games would be *MUCH* easier using your right hand to operate the directional keys with."


    i agree with you 100%. a player moves and drops tetrominoes more than anything else, so right-handers receive a huge boost just by binding those keys to their right hand.
     
  13. tepples

    tepples Lockjaw developer

    But is there any operating system for PCs that allows the use of more than one keyboard, with keypresses on different keyboards feeding into different focus contexts?
     
  14. So you would deleguate your far less precise left-hand to aiming ?


    I think game designers choose the left hand for general movement because it's pretty simple, or instinctive: you go left, right, up, down etc... while action can be more complex (should I punch him with a weak or a strong hit ? or perhaps I'd better shoot him with my guns).
     
  15. No, and AFAIK, the Amiga was the only ever system to accept 2 mice doing different things.


    Rich: I understand a little about what you mean, but it's somewhat easier for me to adjust, becuase I'm used to playing Quake (an other FPS games) with my left hand on directional movement and my right hand on the mouse.


    Ideally, you want the controls that require the most reflexes on your prefered hand. For mouse/keyboard games, the mose is king. For keyboard only, you'll either see arrow keys and then left hand somewhere near the Z/X/Space area; or WASD and utility keys somewhere on the right hand. The former is most common, although the latter is gaining ground because ot the prevelence of WASD in popular culture. Even NIBBLES.BAS had WASD in it (and I was one of the few people at school who didn't mind playing them in nibbles fights).


    Joystick only is a weird thng, though. Most people move the stick in the right hand and hold the base in the left. I'm trying to remember how I used to hold the Konix Navigators that we had for our Amiga... fortunately, tthey're nearby, so I don't need to imagine too hard. Seems my hands perfer holding it in myright hand, which complicates things even more. I did become somewhat proficient at holding one in each hand, though...
     
  16. MAME can handle multiple keyboards and mice simultaneously, I believe.



    I think this is complete bollocks. The effect you guys mention is real, but only affects complete novices: A right handed person might play better with the d-pad on the right the first time they play. But with experience this advantage disappears... Whatever you're used to will perform best.


    Case in point.
     
  17. Settlers III definately used 2 mice on the same PC for multiplayer, so it's been possible since Windows 95.
     
  18. I'm right-handed, but the layout I find most comfortable for almost all my PC games the same: WASD for movement, and numpad 5 and 1 for main fire/jump/whateveraction keys (or period and apostrophe, if the game won't let me assign numpad keys to actions -_-).


    Probably comes from all those years of playing NES and such; the "whatever you're used to" effect, as colour_thief said. :p
     
  19. Exactly my frame of mind as well. Same holds true with other games as well (such as FPS), most gameplay consists if moving/running around.


    In Windows 98 (or newer) one can use a standard keyboard port, as well as a USB keyboard connected simultaneously... my nephew and I have played quite a few multiplayer games on the PC like this -:)


    Most aiming in FPS games (at the least the PC versions) are accomplished simply by moving, or holding a specific button and then pressing the directional pad/keyboard arrows to aim... hence, aiming is *still* accomplished by using the dpad, combined along with movement.

    Movement is definately more complex than fire/punch/kick <IMHO>, a simple single press of a specific button.



    Hehe, when I play Quake (or any other PC FPS game for that matter, DOOM/Duke 3D/etc..), I use the mouse and the keyboard simultaneously. I have my right hand on the mouse (with the left mouse button - left forefinger - set up for "move forward"), and my left hand on the QWERTY keys (pinky - Q, thru forefinger - R, thumb on the SPACEBAR). In DOOM I sometimes use the mouse AND the joystick at the same time (right hand on the mouse), left hand on the joystick.

    P.S. A little OT here, but below is my Duke 3D controller setup (which can easily adapted to virtually ANY PC FPS game):

    Code:
    Weeds Bad A$$ Keyboard Setup For Duke Nukem 3D
    
    Menu Keys:
    ==========
    
    Menu --------------------------------- <ESCAPE>
    Help --------------------------------- <F1>
    Save --------------------------------- <F2>
    Load --------------------------------- <F3>
    Sound/Music -------------------------- <F4>
    Change Music ------------------------- <F5>
    Quick Save --------------------------- <F6>
    Chase View --------------------------- <F7>
    Messages ----------------------------- <F8>
    Quick Load --------------------------- <F9>
    Quit --------------------------------- <F10>
    Gamma Correction --------------------- <F11>    <SHIFT><F11>
    Screen Shot -------------------------- <F12>
    Pause Game --------------------------- <PAUSE>
    
    
    Multiplayer Keys:
    =================            Text    Voice
                         ====    =====
    An inspiration for birth control. ---- <SHIFT><F1> <ALT><F1>
    You're gonna die for that! ----------- <SHIFT><F2> <ALT><F2>
    It hurts to be you. ------------------ <SHIFT><F3> <ALT><F3>
    Lucky Son of a Bitch. ---------------- <SHIFT><F4> <ALT><F4>
    Hmmm....Payback time. ---------------- <SHIFT><F5> <ALT><F5>
    You bottom dwelling scum sucker. ----- <SHIFT><F6> <ALT><F6>
    Damn, you're ugly. ------------------- <SHIFT><F7> <ALT><F7>
    Ha ha ha...Wasted! ------------------- <SHIFT><F8> <ALT><F8>
    You suck! ---------------------------- <SHIFT><F9> <ALT><F9>
    AARRRGHHHHH!!! ----------------------- <SHIFT><F10> <ALT><F10>
    
    Send Message ------------------------- M
    
    Show Opponents Weapon ---------------- O
    Show Coop View ----------------------- K
    
    
    Weapon Keys:
    ============
    
    Quick Kick --------------------------- `
    
    Kick --------------------------------- 1
    Pistol ------------------------------- 2
    Shotgun ------------------------------ 3
    Chaingun ----------------------------- 4
    RPG ---------------------------------- 5
    Pipe Bomb ---------------------------- 6
    Shrink Ray --------------------------- 7
    Devastator --------------------------- 8
    Laser Trip Bomb ---------------------- 9
    Freezer ------------------------------ 0
    Previous Weapon ---------------------- -
    Next Weapon -------------------------- =
    Holster Weapon ----------------------- <BACKSPACE>
    
    Toggle Crosshair --------------------- I
    
    
    Left Hand Keys #1:
    ==================
    
    Jump --------------------------------- Q      /
    Crouch ------------------------------- W
    Mouse Aiming ------------------------- E (momentary button mode)
    Fire --------------------------------- R
    TurnAround --------------------------- T
    AutoRun ------------------------------ Y (normally on)
    
    Open/Use ----------------------------- <SPACE>   <RIGHTMOUSECLICKED>
    
    
    Left Hand Keys #2 And Inventory Keys:
    =====================================
    
    NightVision -------------------------- A
    Holo Duke ---------------------------- S
    Steroids ----------------------------- D
    Jetpack ------------------------------ F
    MedKit ------------------------------- G      <MIDDLEMOUSE>
    
    Inventory Left ----------------------- [
    Inventory Right ---------------------- ]
    Inventory Use ------------------------ <ENTER>   <KEYPADENTER>
    
    
    Left Hand Keys #3 And View Keys:
    ================================
    
    Aim Up ------------------------------- Z      <HOME>
    Aim Down ----------------------------- X      <END>
    Look Left ---------------------------- C      <KEYPAD0>
    Look Right --------------------------- V      <KEYPAD.>
    Center View -------------------------- B      <KEYPAD5>
    
    Look Up ------------------------------ <PAGEUP>   <KEYPAD9>
    Look Down ---------------------------- <PAGEDOWN>  <KEYPAD3>
    
    
    Right Hand Mouse And Movement Keys:
    ===================================
    
    Move Forward ------------------------- <LEFTMOUSE> <UP>     <KEYPAD8>
    MedKit ------------------------------- <MIDDLEMOUSE> G
    Strafe ------------------------------- <RIGHTMOUSE> <LEFTALT>  <RIGHTALT>
    
    Move Backward ------------------------ <DOWN>    <KEYPAD2>
    Turn Left ---------------------------- <LEFT>    <KEYPAD4>
    Turn Right --------------------------- <RIGHT>   <KEYPAD6>
    
    Strafe Left -------------------------- ,
    Strafe Right ------------------------- .
    
    Run ---------------------------------- <LEFTSHIFT> <RIGHTSHIFT>
    
    
    Map And Screen Keys:
    ====================
    
    Map ---------------------------------- <TAB>
    Map Follow Mode ---------------------- <CAPSLOCK>
    Zoom Map ----------------------------- <KEYPAD+>
    Unzoom Map --------------------------- <KEYPAD->
    
    Enlarge Screen ----------------------- <KEYPAD+>
    Shrink Screen ------------------------ <KEYPAD->
    

    I remember back when I first released my bigger LockJaw Skin Pack folks asking If I was going to create left and right playfield versions of the skins' backgrounds. When I replied that I didn't see a difference in gameplay (reguardless of where the pit was on the screen), I was educated about the concept of Tetlag. If Tetlag is a "real" and valid thing, surely a natively right-handed player forced to use their left hand for most of the game movement (in any game, for that matter) would have a detrimental effect to their playing?


    Hehe, actually, even S1 for DOS supported two mice.. via a strange obscure splitter cable that one could assemble (using standard serial port mice), in conjuncion with the game's internal mouse driver (a regular OS/DOS mouse driver wouldn't even load in upon bootup if you left the splitter cable connected with both mice hooked up).



    This is sort of what I meant... I suppose that folks finally get used to that arrangement of controllers based upon what they've previously played. I myself never had (or at the the time, had interest) in any of the console games, so I had never played any of them or used their controllers.


    The only exception would be my Gravis GamePad that I mentioned previously when playing OMF... in order to do a lot of the special moves, one needed to be able ot fluidly slide their thumb from one direction to the next in order to perform the move. So, if you wanted to be decent at the game, you had to learn to use the Gravis' dpad.


    Oh, BTW, the only console that I ever owned/played was the Matell Intellivision. Their controller was ambidextrous, and I had no problem with that one at all.
     
  20. "I think this is complete bollocks."


    the newbie factor is part of the equation in my opinion. some guy told me he thought the number one factor between a successful blackjack pro and one who quits out of frustration is if they get lucky in the beginning. if he wins money, then he get's a boost of confidence for playing better, and he goes on to win in the long term. a person with the same skill may lose money and get frustrated.


    we see the same thing with pro soccer players. there's a large percentage of pro soccer players that, when they were younger, were one of the older guys in their age bracket.


    it's the same reason i think t-spin's are stupid in competitive play.
     

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