The Joystick...

[iignotus]

Something just slapped me in the face a few minutes ago that will entirely fix every problem anyone is having with the GP2X's stick.

Yes. Hmm...

​

Tell us, quick, O wise one h34r:

I hope it is something good

​

It's too amazing. I must off to my lab and create a schematic...

 

[Thraka]

Something just slapped me in the face a few minutes ago that will entirely fix every problem anyone is having with the GP2X's stick.

Yes. Hmm...

​

Tell us, quick, O wise one h34r:

I hope it is something good

​

It's too amazing. I must off to my lab and create a schematic...

​

Well if he's serious I can't wait!!

 

[iignotus]

All right, here is a VERY quick sketch of my idea. So quick, in fact, that it's not entirely correct (I'm very tired).

Now, this solves the bad directions problem. But what's that?? I can hear you say "But Iggy! I can't do my precious roundhouses and fireballs and ha-do-kennies! Oh noes!" and I hear your cries, and I respond thusly: there should be some nice way to put semi-resistant metal or plastic in place of the concave parts of the star as to make it hard to accidentally switch directions, but still produce those crazy flaming balls when you're busting your proverbial nut in SFII.

Of course, this is not a magical user-hack, but something that will actually have to be produced; beyond that, I see no reason why they can't be made en masse and delivered to all gp2x owners.

 

[Rayek]

Why doesn't some independent plastics molder (if there is a such thing) or GPH themselves actually produce a replacement? Honestly, if this is a problem for me, I'm gettin' out my good 'ol lighter and making the thing concave instead of convex.

 

[abigsmurf]

iignotus : you've over-complicated the solution.

What's the most effective way which doesn't require precision manufacturing and specific matererials to stop it rolling off a corner whilst still enabling quarter circles?

An octogon. The Joystick will naturally sit in each corner (especially if they're rounded) but will also travel along the edges for when you need to perform a quarter circle.

I believe a fair number of arcade cabinets use something like that for precision movement

 

[DuFace]

I've seen pads with just a square hole. It works pretty well, the joy stick goes into the corner naturally, but it easily movable.

 

[Turambar]

NES, SNES, SMS, Megadrive etc all used 4 way d-pads that used a combination of 2 switches to make diagonals didnt they? So cant we just turn the diagonals on the GP2X off and use the same system?

 

[garteth]

I thought the gp2x control stick was difficult to use until I played with for a few hours, I don't know if this has loosened it or something but I find its easier to use now. Although if GPH do offer replacement sticks then I will definitely be wanting one.

 

[x68000]

i find the stick terrible, and equally as bad as the poorly damped, spongey action buttons. Compared to the gp32, it feels almost as if it had been knocked up in a chinese sweat shop (which it probably did)

I can't believe i'm saying this, but even the horrendous psp pad is better.

 

[BBTroll]

I don't know, at least with the gp2x you can hit most of the diagonals(except upper-left or upper right depending on your unit).

In the psp I can't hit ANY of the diagonals without killing my fingers or using 2 fingers.Therefore, I'm forced to use the analog.

 

[x68000]

the gp32 pad just felt 'right' and you never thought for a second that whichever emu you were using was not intended for play with the gp32. However, on the gp2x everything feels strangely distant and you can never quite forget that you are playing on an emu and not on the original console.

 

[garteth]

I don't know if people are just fussy or different people have totally different joystick problems but I let my brother have a go of my gp2x, he's never heard of them and I kept mentioning about the joystick having issues and how people have been complaining and he said the joystick was fine, so I guess its just difference of opinion unless all our joystick problems are unique.

I also never owned a gp32, but if I go by any of the comments in these forums it must have an amazing control pad

 

[nik166]

i hate the GP32's pad

 

[OCA|]

I'm getting used to the GP2x joystick now, though I think an octagonal add-on would be nice.

I don't understand people's complaints about the buttons though. They feel just fine to me - I've gotten rather good at quake with movement assigned to the buttons and the joystick assigned to look/turn . And the triggers.... I LOVE the feel of those triggers. They have a nice tactile feel that fits real well when assigned to something like shoot in Quake =)

-OCA|

 

[DijiTao]

Hopefully once the diagnal bias gets sorted out the stick won't feel nearly so bad. Right now I find it pretty terrible for Street Fighter II on the genesis.

 

[DaveC]

I'm getting used to the GP2x joystick now, though I think an octagonal add-on would be nice.

I don't understand people's complaints about the buttons though. They feel just fine to me - I've gotten rather good at quake with movement assigned to the buttons and the joystick assigned to look/turn . And the triggers.... I LOVE the feel of those triggers. They have a nice tactile feel that fits real well when assigned to something like shoot in Quake =)

-OCA|

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The thing is an guide like that may help with the directions but doesn't fix the large dead zone. The only way to do that is to mod the switches somehow.

 

[abigsmurf]

you can lower the dead zone by shortening the shaft of the joystick (simple trigonometry). Anyone know if the circle around the stick can be removed without damaging the case. Maybe if there's enough demand we can get octagonal direction guides sorted. I'm sure if I was to go to a plastic molders I could get the guides made around 2quid each if there was more than 25 people to sell them on to.

at the moment the only problem I'm having is the diagonals being too sensative.

 

[Drak]

I just got mine today and I love the joystick ^.^

 

[iignotus]

iignotus : you've over-complicated the solution.

What's the most effective way which doesn't require precision manufacturing and specific matererials to stop it rolling off a corner whilst still enabling quarter circles?

An octogon. The Joystick will naturally sit in each corner (especially if they're rounded) but will also travel along the edges for when you need to perform a quarter circle.

I believe a fair number of arcade cabinets use something like that for precision movement

​

Haha! That's what it was. I told you it was wrong; that's exactly what I was thinking of earlier yesterday, like at the arcades, but it came out like that :lol: . All right so, we need to start making those immediately!

 

[Drak]

Ive just tested it with 3d games, to me its alot better than the gp32 joystick Makes me happy weet!