Is It Time Yet?

[Dzz]

Just because I've set key combo's for quiting in the list I made, doesn't mean that it shouldn't be added to the menu same as always

I think your key mapping suggestions are fine, as long as they don't conflict with key combinations needed natively for emulators. Obviously just pressing START might have a meaning in an emulator where the START key maps to the emulated system's controller, but in other apps it could be used to bring up a menu.

 

[Trip]

Yeah, to me that just makes the most sense. In my opinion you should normally be able to get to some state where you can choose (given clear instructions like X=EXIT or a scrollable menu or whatever) to exit the program, using a single fairly obvious button. Of the choices available, ABXY don't seem natural, I'd use those to play a game. The joystick is out. I'd expect the volume button to control ... volume. L or R could be used, but it's not particularly intuitive. That leaves SELECT and START. I suppose it's a tossup between the two for which to use.

I certainly agree that it's a bad idea for ANY button to just dump you out of a game by pressing it. If for some reason you need a fast shortcut to do that it can be an obscure key combination.

However, if something obscure like L+R+SELECT is the only way to bring up the menu from which the quit option is available, that seems pretty bad to me unless everybody who owns a gp2x knows exactly to do that. Which they don't.

Unfortunatly some of the programs use both the start & select buttons in game, Super Nintendo's for example.

I suggested the L+R+Start or Select as these seemed very natural to me when I was using the Mame emu & it would be almost impossible to hit all 3 of them by accident in game.
Your right though.. it should bring up a quit option too, not just throw you out of the game/program.

***EDIT***
Ah.. you beat me to it lol

 

[Trip]

In the most un-insulting way possible, sorry Tripmonkey, but there's so many combinations there to remember it's just too much effort. Learning to use an emulator or game should be easy, not a long list of combinations that do stuff.

In regard to that, as previous people have stated, Start to go into a menu is all that's needed - combinations for emulators should be configurable. I don't want to do R+Down+Whatever else just to save a state. It's much easier to just press Start (or select) and choose to save the state in the menu, just like with DrDMx. Probably the best emulator around because it's as simple as one button, and then everything else is explained.

Sorry Alvin but you must have posted while I was typing a reply & I missed your post.

The way things stand at the moment, you still need to remember all the differen't comb's for the emulators anyway. This will just let you remember one list instead of loads of lists for each different programme. That's the whole point to it

@Dzz - "However, if something obscure like L+R+SELECT is the only way to bring up the menu from which the quit option is available, that seems pretty bad to me unless everybody who owns a gp2x knows exactly to do that. Which they don't."

But that happens now anyway & people keep getting told to read the readme file that comes with the program?

The button combo's are not to replace the menu items at all. They are just to help people use the programs features without having to remember new combo's for every single programme released

 

[Alvin]

In the most un-insulting way possible, sorry Tripmonkey, but there's so many combinations there to remember it's just too much effort. Learning to use an emulator or game should be easy, not a long list of combinations that do stuff.

In regard to that, as previous people have stated, Start to go into a menu is all that's needed - combinations for emulators should be configurable. I don't want to do R+Down+Whatever else just to save a state. It's much easier to just press Start (or select) and choose to save the state in the menu, just like with DrDMx. Probably the best emulator around because it's as simple as one button, and then everything else is explained.

The button combo's are not to replace the menu items at all. They are just to help people use the programs features without having to remember new combo's for every single programme released

Except:
- They're not implemented
- Why not just add a universal kind of menu instead instead of implementing it?

 

[Alex.]

- Why not just add a universal kind of menu instead instead of implementing it?

Because every program has its own unique traits and should not be made with a cookie cutter.

- Alex

 

[slygamer]

If we didn't have to cater to these damned emulators, then things would be a lot simpler.

Bloody emulators.

 

[xhyldazhk]

The standard in most console games is:
In the initial menu, Start is for selecting an option
In game, Start pauses the game and in many cases brings up a menu. This menu allows you to exit game to the initial menu. Frome the initial menu you can quit the app. I think its a proven standard, and lots of gamers are familiar with it already.

 

[Trip]

The standard in most console games is:
In the initial menu, Start is for selecting an option
In game, Start pauses the game and in many cases brings up a menu. This menu allows you to exit game to the initial menu. Frome the initial menu you can quit the app. I think its a proven standard, and lots of gamers are familiar with it already.

Unfortunatly this won't work with the Emulators though. Unless the start button is used in combo with another button or you hold it for more than two seconds.

Instead of trying to set up key's for all the actions.. would it be a good idea to all agree on the most important one? the ability to stop the program in progress & get to a quit/option menu. Even agreeing on that one action would go a long way to making all the programs easier to use.

 

[ryosaeba]

I suggest that every emulator uses a combo (L+R+Start IMHO) AND a normal button like Select or Start if it's possible depending on the emulator, that brings up a menu.
So we would have just one combo to remember...

 

[Trip]

I suggest that every emulator uses a combo (L+R+Start IMHO) AND a normal button like Select or Start if it's possible depending on the emulator, that brings up a menu.
So we would have just one combo to remember...

L+R+Start does feel very natural to use to get to a quit menu. It's not like it's easy to press all them buttons by accident.
This would work fine for all the emulators that I've tried so far & won't interfere with normal operation of any of them.

 

[jimmyslam]

I suggest that every emulator uses a combo (L+R+Start IMHO) AND a normal button like Select or Start if it's possible depending on the emulator, that brings up a menu.
So we would have just one combo to remember...

L+R+Start does feel very natural to use to get to a quit menu. It's not like it's easy to press all them buttons by accident.
This would work fine for all the emulators that I've tried so far & won't interfere with normal operation of any of them.

exactly is like ctrl + alt + del , u need it sometimes. h34r:

and that is something everyone knows!!!! :lol:

so with the gp2x should be the same , you start using this comnbinations as quick access and sooner or later u will remember it cause it will be the same for all emus/software!

why is a simple standard like this that difficult to make an agreement? :blink:

 

[Trip]

why is a simple standard like this that difficult to make an agreement? :blink:

God knows?
What's everyone think of this as a quick example?..


***EDIT***
Forgot to add an option for quiting current game.

 

[ryosaeba]

The voices in the menu doesn't matter to me. The important thing is the combo and that there is a menu...

 

[Trip]

The voices in the menu doesn't matter to me. The important thing is the combo and that there is a menu...

Well.. that's one person happy already then

Never mind everybody..
Just realised that GnGeo2x uses this system already.
It works great & would be a shame if the other developers didn't follow suit.

 

[jimmyslam]

The voices in the menu doesn't matter to me. The important thing is the combo and that there is a menu...

Well.. that's one person happy already then

Never mind everybody..
Just realised that GnGeo2x uses this system already.
It works great & would be a shame if the other developers didn't follow suit.

well that is it then.

L+R+Start. I am happy with it as long we agree with that then.

 

[PokeParadox]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Shikaku]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Alvin]

- Why not just add a universal kind of menu instead instead of implementing it?

Because every program has its own unique traits and should not be made with a cookie cutter.

- Alex

Touche.

However, I still think a menu (universal or not) would be better than 58639087523 combinations that I can't remember.

 

[Trip]

I'm a huge fan of originality in programs.
That's one of the main reasons why I started testing free/opensource software in the first place - but you shouldn't sacrifice ease of use to the user for originality. If a programs too hard to use, then it spoils all the fun of using it.

Anyway.. cheers for all the feedback so far

 

[Trip]

Polls up here! for those dev's among you