Why Should We Buy This Gpx2?

[Magus 86]

Oh shit, you're so right... I've never touched a touch screen before... Damn, you're good. Watch out, Mr. Holmes, OrR is hot on your heels, and he's about to put you out of business!

Are your retarded? Do you really think I'm gonna hate something I've never used before? "Why not play MMORPGs," you ask??? Hmm... MAYBE BECAUSE IT'S NOT MMO if YOU'RE NOT ONLINE. MMO = Massively Multiplayer Online... last time I checked, most handheld game systems don't have internet support... and if they do, then the point of having a handheld is defeated, because you have to be within a certain radius of whatever your internet connection is coming from, whether it's a wireless router/modem, phone jack, or ethernet cable connected to a router/modem. handheld is for portability, and if you have to stay in a certain area, you're not exactly moving, or at least not moving much, so you're not really PORTING the system anywhere...

By the way, I don't know about you, but I tend to not like my screens scratched all to hell or full of fingerprints, so why the hell would I want a touch screen? Using a touch screen saves maybe a second or 2 when dealing with menus, depending on how they're set up. It's not enough of an advantage/benefit... it's not worth it. Touchscreen does absolutely nothing that can't be done with simple buttons.

It doesn't work as well as two analog sticks, because with analog sticks, there's actual feedback that you can feel. Usually in console FPSs, how far you push the right analog sticks determines how fast you look around. With a touch screen, you don't have any of that. You can't feel how far you're "pushing." It's awkward.

Okay... most RPGs have menus... yes, that's correct. But guess what... In those menus, your entire selection doesn't appear all at once. Which means that rather than just pressing up or down on the d-pad and holding it, you'd have to be able to press an arrow or drag some kind of scroll bar until you find what you want and then touch the screen where your selection is... that doesn't make it any easier. Like someone already said, having to take out the stylus(yeah, yeah, you just use your finger, I know, but either way your screen gets messed up, whether it's scratched by the stylus or left with fingerprints all over it, and I don't want either one), start poking the screen, and then put it back would actually take longer than to just use the buttons. The only way it can be faster is if the game is specifically made with the touch screen in mind, and how many RPGs do you know of that are made that way? Only PC RPGs like Neverwinter Nights and Runescape can benefit from touch screen if they're on a handheld, but there's no point in playing them on a handheld, and I've already explained why.

"I've tried something and like it... Therefore, I can safely arrive at the conclusion that there is no way in hell somebody else tried it because he doesn't like it... As we all know, everybody is a carbon copy of me, so everybody else who tries something that I've tried and like has to like it as well. HOORAY FOR STUPIDITY!"

 

[iignotus]

I KNOW no one is going to listen to me, but seriously, just buy what you want. Don't argue about which handheld is better. Nintendo and Sony BOTH just want your money, lol.

 

[Draken]

Ah, the sarcasm. Sounds like a rant from Maddox.

Anyway, there are a whole load of touchscreen games, ever heard of ppc's? The controls are shitty, therefor it uses touchscreen, obvious, no?

@ DaveC: Ah, I didn't know that, I though it was indeed 4 way + combinations. Guess 8 way is more usefull.
I would like to get a gp32 blu too, the problem is money though. First going to spend my money on the gpx2
I'll hopefully get it afterwards. (I'm a collector. )

 

[reallynotnick]

It doesn't work as well as two analog sticks, because with analog sticks, there's actual feedback that you can feel. Usually in console FPSs, how far you push the right analog sticks determines how fast you look around. With a touch screen, you don't have any of that. You can't feel how far you're "pushing." It's awkward.

​

hey I don't want to get on your bad side but I thought you loved mice, and well last time I checked there was no "feedback". Its all about how fast you move it. I have played the DS metriod demo alot and I find it works great, the only problem is that it cuts you off from the rest of the buttons. But then again on the ps2 you can only use the sholder buttons (there are 4 though).

But really lets stop fighting, the touch screen is good for some things end of story. Is it need no, would it hurt, no, except the cost. There is no clear winning side.

 

[Magus 86]

yeah, you're right, I do love mice, and while there isn't any feedback with a mouse either, the way you move the mouse is a lot more similar to how you'd be aiming a gun than it is to pushing a stick anyway. With the mouse and keyboard, your hand doesn't stay stationary, it moves how your guy looks around... but with a keyboard and mouse, you have a lot more keys available to your left hand, and you also have at least 5 different functions that can be performed with the mouse. scroll up, scroll down, pressing the wheel, right click, and left click can all have a function assigned to them unless the game is stupid and doesn't let you program them all. However, your left hand still has many more functions than it would with a handheld system. That's why on a console or handheld system, 2 analog sticks is the best way to go. You don't take your hand away from where it would normally be, so all the buttons available for any other kind of game are still available for the first person shooter. You have more options, and it generally results in a better gaming experience. plus, if you're using your hand or the stylus on a small touch screen, you're blocking from your view part of your already limited field of vision, and that's not good. A keyboard mouse combination doesn't do that, and the screen is always MUCH larger unless you play with a macintosh Apple II monitor for some odd reason. Even then, it's still bigger.

with the PS2, you still have access to all the other buttons. Take TimeSplitters, for example. Your main functions like shooting, crouching, zooming, throwing grenades(#3 only), alternate fire(for 1 and 2, not 3), and melee attack(also #3 only) are assigned to the shoulder buttons by default. That still leaves a few things out like changing weapons, which is assigned to left and right on the D-pad. Zooming in and out(you press a button to go into "scope mode," and then you can hit up or down to change how far in or out your scope is zoomed) are assigned to up and down on the D-pad. confirm/activate is assigned to the X button, manual reload is triangle, and you can also assign functions to L3 and R3(pressing on the analog sticks). You can configure those buttons any way you like, and it works very well. So you can't be moving while you're changing weapons... well, you can if you hit the D-pad with your index finger, which people have actually been doing, but consider this. In real life, if you're carrying multiple guns, there would be some slight delay between shooting one and changing to another... during which you'd probably want to have some cover so you don't get shot while you're unable to defend yourself.. so you get cover and switch your weapons. It adds a bit of realism. Not a whole lot, and nothing that I'd make a big deal out of, but it's still there and should be at least noted. You can't really shoot while you're reloading your gun either, so taking your thumb off of the right stick to hit triangle(i use R3 for reloading, by the way, much more convenient) also adds a bit of realism in the same way... and you can also use your index finger for that. If you're activating something, like turning a doornob, or using a computer, you wouldn't be ready to shoot anything anyway, and you'd have to take at least one hand off of your gun... It works out in every way.

Don't worry, you're not on my bad side. I make mistakes sometimes, and thanks for pointing this one out... not really a mistake, but I guess I should have elaborated a bit more than I did in my previous post.

I can see how in a few situations a touch screen would offer some advantage, like in real time strategy games and MMORPGs, but there's no point in playing an MMORPG unless you're on vacation or something, absolutely CAN'T live without your MMORPG for however long you're away from home, and happen to be near a wireless modem/router that you can use. Aside from that though, there isn't much of a use or advantage for a touch screen... and like I said before, I prefer to have my screen not scratched or full of fingerprints. And I'm not about to pay more for something that doesn't offer enough of an advantage to make it worthwhile.

And Iignotus, I already know that both Sony and Nintendo want my money... but tough shit for them, neither one of them is getting my money unless they show me something truly spectacular. As of right now, GPH is getting my money, and that's it.

 

[Alpha2]

Indeed.

All this name calling and cursing isn't helping one way or the other. And stop trying to compare touch screen gaming and non-touch screen, It's apples and oranges, PCgaming and Console gaming.

OrR, what you want is probably more in the line of a Zodiac-NextGen or something, and maybe someday someone will make that, but a lot of people were happy with their GP32 and feel they'll be happy with a newer more capable GP32 which is where the GPX2 comes in. The same way you can't see a use for some of it's options is the same way a lot of people can't see the use of things you may like in the Zodiac.

TV out means you can drag something smaller than a PC or even a laptop to a friends house to show him something. More compact = more portable. Linux means more adventurous programers and a wider developer base to create content and not all of it will require touch screens or mouse-look control either because the GPX2 dosent support it or maybe because the developer decided he didn't need to use it.

So yeah if you want a negative comment about the GPX2 it's that it's not going to please everyone but ultimately anyone who tries to do that is doomed to fail.

 

[junker]

you must either be a typing machine, or have a lot of time, magus

 

[DaveC]

If I would want to play SNES games on a big screen I'd use my PC...
How do you control OpenTTD without mouse/touchscreen? It's not possible. Of course Chrono Trigger does not benefit from a touchscreen but Legacy does. It's so goddamn awful to navigate menus with buttons... Imagine having to do the save states and options in Little John with buttons... Urgh... Not if I don't have to. Well, I guess I'll have to on the GPX2  :rolleyes:

​

Navigating with buttons is fine, especially if done right. It is actually preferable to me. On a TS based menu you pick up the unit and play but everytime you want to change an option you need to dig out the stylus scribble on the screen then put the stylus back. With buttons you just keep your hands on the unit and make your selections, no futzing around with a stylus that can be lost or dropped etc. Besides I don't change configurations all of the time either.

The GPx2 has no TS either deal with it or don't buy it.

​

I always use my long fingernails. The stylus is only needed for stylus based games. I even type with my thumbs. Touchscreens are awesome.

​

You mean you paw up the screen with your fingers? ICK! the screen must be a fingerprinty smudgy mess! That is one reason I don't care for them they get scratched and smudged up. And if you put a protector on it you still look through smudges and scratches on the protector it is just not permanent. No thanks.

I will be doing a glass mod for the GPx2, no scratches and super clear.

 

[RoboJoe32]

Hidden in the quite unfriendly post by RoboJoe32 is another argument for the GPX2: Weird indie Linux games and Linux ports of games might be easy to port to the GPX2 or even run without much work at all. As I already mentioned I don't know a thing about Linux games so it would be nice if someone could give some examples of interesting Linux games that will likely be able to run.

And my post was unfriendly because I tend to greet similar lacks of respect with similar gestures of disrespect B)

My yogurt fan in the icecream shop metaphor still stands. (However If a yogurt fan were asking why the icecream fan likes icecream instead of yogurt in a calm rational manner (like you've switched to now) that'd be ok.)

Maybe if you had used calm reasoning and asked better questions in your first post and asked for elaborations on answers instead of going "lol zodiac palm is better" to -every question- I would have responded in a better manner.

And now to answer your question, alot of "weird indie linux games" are actually good ports of retro to new PC games. The quakes have been ported among things like oregon trail (pretty sure of it) and such. Along with alot of homebrew devs (Really, I dislike linux and have to admit it has a huge dev scene with brilliant codeing minds. I just wonder why one hasn't made a hasslefree version of linux itself yet )

 

[tengen]

i dunno. personally i would prefer a digital/analog joystick over a touch screen. don't really like touch screens. they get dirty and after extensive use, unresponsive. in my mind, a joystick is much more practical.

Oro, you were talking about MMORPG's and going thru menu's and stuff faster? ok, you might be able to. but how much time are we actually saving here? not enough to warrant a claim of superiority. what i'm driving at is: joysticks/pads with buttons work. they get the job done, which is to play the game. that's what it's all about. the games (in this case).

i don't understand why there was such protest over whether or not the gpx2 had a touch screen. the fine minds at gph worked hard to create a device that had universal appeal and for people to just come along and say "oh, well, the gpx2 doesn't have a touch screen like the zodiac so i won't buy it now" doesn't make any sense.

i think the touch screen is more of a cosmetic issue than a practical one anyway.

going back to your original argument now. you don't see a need to buy a gpx2. that's fine. other people do. they understand that in almost every way, the gpx2 has the potential to do what people want better.

the zodiac is dead. but, thru the gpx2, there's much hope for the homebrew/emu community. we should look forward towards the future and a better way to do what we like to do on our handhelds instead of holding on to the past.

 

[Alpha2]

Let's not call anything "dead" tht isnt truely dead. As long as there are people Dev'ing for it there's still life. Hell Look at Dreamcast.

 

[jmetal88]

Maybe I'm not looking for the device the GPX2 is. But you are missing something big here: That's the GPX2's fault.

I think it's your fault.

You, not the GPX2, are responsible for your opinion.

 

[deadlychicken22]

I just wonder why one hasn't made a hasslefree version of linux itself yet )

​

People have tried but I think that the biggest reason they haven't is they don't have any incentive. Most of them are dev's or at least very computer smart and enjoy using computers, so to them its a lot of fun (as it is to me) to mess around with linux and figure out how to use it. Linux is much, much, much more powerful than windows and still more powerful than any other os out there so to many people it is worth the effort to get it working. Linux was designed for people who are very good at computers (in fact, it was designing solely for linus torvalds personal use at first. He wrote it for himself to use because he wasn't satisfied with the current operating systems ). I read an article that shows that of the 500 most powerful computers in the world, about 301 of them run on linux and the most powerful computer in the world runs on linux (you can read the article HERE). It is a much more stable operating system and is very much worth the effort involved.

 

[Magus 86]

you must either be a typing machine, or have a lot of time, magus

​

a little bit of both... h34r:

 

[RoboJoe32]

I never got how an OS could be 'powerful' but that's just me I do believe linux (well most distros) have a bit less tech and graphic clutter than the standard windows installation and that could account for a boost in speed hardware wise, also could be software architecture. (Since it forgos or streamlines a few things.)

I'm tempted to use it but I just can't find a distro that comes with the things I need to simply "click n install" so to speak. (Compileing's not my thing, and I pretty much chipped down XP to be as bare bones functional as possible. So it's not due to lack of PC knowledge, it's lack of practicality or explaination -why- there's no auto compliler.)

 

[iignotus]

(Compileing's not my thing, and I pretty much chipped down XP to be as bare bones functional as possible. So it's not due to lack of PC knowledge, it's lack of practicality or explaination -why- there's no auto compliler.)

​

L

O

L

You have to look LONG and HARD for a distribution where you actually have to compile stuff nowadays. :lol: :lol: The whole process is so easy it's not even funny.

If you know your way around Linux at all, I suggest a regular Debain distribution. If you need it handed to you on a silver platter, then use Ubuntu. It's really just click and install. lol There are about 15,000 packages for Debain Linux, and what a package means is that it's just like a Windows exe or msi.

And even if, for some STRAAAAAANGE reason you had to compile something, as long as it's at least mildly popular software, there already is an 'auto-compiler'. Just type make.

 

[DaveC]

And now to answer your question, alot of "weird indie linux games" are actually good ports of retro to new PC games. The quakes have been ported among things like oregon trail (pretty sure of it) and such. Along with alot of homebrew devs (Really, I dislike linux and have to admit it has a huge dev scene with brilliant codeing minds. I just wonder why one hasn't made a hasslefree version of linux itself yet  )

​

My question as far as linux apps on the GPx2 is if there will be enough oomph left in the CPU to run them at any kind of decent speed. Most of these apps are designed for uber powerful 3+ GHz PCs with loads of RAM and massive resolution. Plus is the linux complete enough to run any of these apps or is it so stripped down that stuff would have to be mostly re-written to run on it?

Hmmmm.

 

[iignotus]

Most of these apps are designed for uber powerful 3+ GHz PCs with loads of RAM and massive resolution.

​

No, not really. I mean, I don't forsee porting Tribes II or something to the GPX2 just because it runs linux, or even attempts to, lol. There are plenty of classic games around the SNES level that have been made for linux over the years that are tons of fun and could be ported and run easily...

Plus is the linux complete enough to run any of these apps or is it so stripped down that stuff would have to be mostly re-written to run on it?

​

...as long as it has a real kernel, or at least full support for a framebuffer and SDL. Generally if someone advertises that they are using linux on a device, it's a fairly actualised version of it. It's pure speculation, but using history as a guide, I doubt much of anything except processor-specific code will have to be even touched when porting.

 

[RoboJoe32]

(Compileing's not my thing, and I pretty much chipped down XP to be as bare bones functional as possible. So it's not due to lack of PC knowledge, it's lack of practicality or explaination -why- there's no auto compliler.)

​

L

O

L

You have to look LONG and HARD for a distribution where you actually have to compile stuff nowadays. :lol: :lol: The whole process is so easy it's not even funny.

If you know your way around Linux at all, I suggest a regular Debain distribution. If you need it handed to you on a silver platter, then use Ubuntu. It's really just click and install. lol There are about 15,000 packages for Debain Linux, and what a package means is that it's just like a Windows exe or msi.

And even if, for some STRAAAAAANGE reason you had to compile something, as long as it's at least mildly popular software, there already is an 'auto-compiler'. Just type make.

​

The distro I tried was SLAX, oh -god- the lack of documentation, I liked alot of aspects of it however, but couldn't get "make" to work.

I should read more on ubuntu, And for the other distro or two i've tried, It's not that I can't learn how, it's just that I don't want to learn a less practical way of doing the same thing essentially

Here's hopeing the kernal in the GPX2 will be supported in a way that the non-gurus can grasp fast.

 

[iignotus]

The distro I tried was SLAX, oh -god- the lack of documentation, I liked alot of aspects of it however, but couldn't get "make" to work.

​

Well there's the problem right there Slax is great if you have a really good basis of Linux, but it is based on Slackware and is by no means a distro for beginners (slackware is the most user-unfriendly distro base out there, so you picked a doosy to start out with. No personal distaste for slack, though -- guess what I'm posting from ).

I should read more on ubuntu, And for the other distro or two i've tried, It's not that I can't learn how, it's just that I don't want to learn a less practical way of doing the same thing essentially

​

Any distro based on Debian (which ubuntu is) is, for me and many others, the best mix of user-friendliness and power. It has an obscene amount of prebuilt packages available for nearly every platform in the world that will give you everything and more that you had on windows, all for free.

And Ubuntu is even more user-friendly. I do personally recommend plain-old Debian, but Ubuntu is also a great starting point.