Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: mikhael on April 02, 2004, 10:45:25 pm

Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 02, 2004, 10:45:25 pm
I think I'm in love. (http://www.piengineering.com/xkeys.php)

Sometimes even my Cougar doesn't have enough buttons.

THIS (http://www.piengineering.com/custom/xkmatrix.php) especially turns me on.

Now I just need to find an lefty/non-handed joystick....
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: Liberator on April 03, 2004, 12:17:42 am
Holy, steaming piles of cow feces!

O'course, given Mik's political leanings, I should've guessed.:)
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 03, 2004, 12:30:21 am
Tsk, tsk, Lib. My political leanings are to LESS external control and more internal control. If you're going to slander me, slander me on my actual beliefs. ;)
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: Admiral LSD on April 03, 2004, 01:31:59 am
Immaturity Alert!

Quote
X-keys Foot Pedal

3 pedals keep your hands free while you click, shift, enter, or perform any operation from the keyboard.


:lol:
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: kasperl on April 03, 2004, 01:59:13 am
dude, this seems so great to create a true flight sim.

now all I need is cash.....
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: Petrarch of the VBB on April 03, 2004, 02:26:50 am
And some desk space for the damned thing
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: kasperl on April 03, 2004, 02:39:49 am
desk space i have.

you know, i could always commandeer the garage, and set up a complete sim thingy........

but then, I'd need money.....
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 03, 2004, 02:55:55 am
I'm looking at that Matrix board to setup a custom left hand stick.

I have no idea what I'll do with a stick in my right hand and a stick and a throttle for my left hand, but I'm certain I'll come up with something. ;)
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: 01010 on April 03, 2004, 05:00:52 am
Quote
Originally posted by mikhael
I'm looking at that Matrix board to setup a custom left hand stick.

I have no idea what I'll do with a stick in my right hand and a stick and a throttle for my left hand, but I'm certain I'll come up with something. ;)


I should imagine that setup would work really well for a mech game.
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: Petrarch of the VBB on April 03, 2004, 05:07:00 am
mmm, stompy
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: redsniper on April 03, 2004, 02:39:53 pm
one joystick is all you need for a mech game :doubt:
I end up with wasted buttons on my 8 button joystick.
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 03, 2004, 10:41:55 pm
With seven active analog axes, four four-way hats, one eight way hat, two triggers, six buttons,  and two three-positions switches, I still run out of buttons in Freespace2 (there's a lot of controls hidden away, you know!)

I know Mechwarrior3 and 4 use a lot of buttons too. If you waste buttons on an 8button stick, you're not creative enough in your programming. :)
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: redsniper on April 03, 2004, 10:44:45 pm
all you really need is fire weapon group, switch group, target nearest enemy, target next enemy, jump jets, and maybe center turret to legs, and a throttle of course.
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 04, 2004, 06:03:13 pm
No, that's all YOU need.

I need my stick to be able to perform a ripple fire attack (designate target, fire salvo, designate next target, fire salvo, repeat until I tell it to stop, all while letting me do other things).

Some people, like you, merely play games. For these people, a game stick is acceptable. Some people prefer to experience games. For us, nothing less than a HOTAS (and preferably considerably more) will do.
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: Zeronet on April 04, 2004, 06:34:16 pm
Right....*back away slowly, before turning and running from the mad dogs*
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 04, 2004, 07:15:44 pm
Would you say that, Zero, if I told you that my custom cockpit enclosure has... hangars? ;)
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: Corsair on April 04, 2004, 07:45:16 pm
I think there are mad dogs loose in the forums. And that Zeronet is somehow responsible.

Anyway, too many buttons. I'd get confused and forget which ones are for what.
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: redsniper on April 04, 2004, 10:23:05 pm
well, I guess you titled the thread appropriately... whatever.
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: kasperl on April 05, 2004, 04:46:47 am
Quote
Originally posted by mikhael
Would you say that, Zero, if I told you that my custom cockpit enclosure has... hangars? ;)


you have build yourself a custom cockpit?

pictures, please.....
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 05, 2004, 08:45:40 am
Nah. I was being facetious. I would like to build my own sim-pit but that's going to be after I move to Australia. It wouldn't be worth transporting.
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: kasperl on April 05, 2004, 08:48:26 am
ah.

one day, when i have money, and space.......
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 05, 2004, 08:55:01 am
Yeah, tell me about it. :)

I'm planning out a full enclosure based on the pods Virtual Worlds used for Battletech, albeit with a few more aircraft specific controls, a center mounted fold away stick, a second side mounted stick, and a better sound system.

Not that I'm a freak or anything. ;)
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: kasperl on April 05, 2004, 09:59:07 am
what kind of display system?

some dude actually asked the SCP team for output to some other system so he could put the ammo numbers on LED display's in a total cockpit while the view was projected with a beamer like thingy.
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 05, 2004, 10:49:54 am
That shouldn't be that difficult. For one way output, just dump the raw data straight to a serial port. Let the user build a device that groks the serial stream and displays it as he wants. Hell, it might be worth poking into to see if I can make the engine do it.

Actually, it would be kinda cool to have the entire telemetry for your craft dumped on a COM or USB port for a custom end-user device to munge into a display.
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: kasperl on April 05, 2004, 10:56:12 am
that would be rather neat.

/me is thinking up idea's to make all that work

i could always do it in school next year, as a project for my comp classes or something......
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 06, 2004, 01:10:51 am
I just talked about this with some professional programmers I know. They were concerned about the idea of using a COM port (those are, like, so retro), but there's plenty of cheap commercial LCD and LED display matrices for sale that have custom Windows drivers and simple APIs. Dumping telemetry (ammo, position, distance to target, hull/shield strengths, etc) should be drop dead easy.
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: Setekh on April 06, 2004, 05:33:53 am
So, where's the blow-up-the-world button? ;)
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: Gortef on April 06, 2004, 11:16:29 am
right under his desk? ;7
Title: Why yes, I AM a control freak, why?
Post by: mikhael on April 06, 2004, 11:52:58 am
Quote
Originally posted by Setekh
So, where's the blow-up-the-world button? ;)


Its very hard to hit:
Code: [Select]

DEF X1 TG1*
DEF X2 S1*
DEF X3 S2*
DEF X4 S4*
DEF X5 X1 AND X2 AND X3 AND X4

DEF X6 T1*
DEF X7 T2*
DEF X8 T9*
DEF X9 X6 AND X7 AND X8

DEF X10 X9 AND X5

BTN X10 Blow_Up_World

As you can see, I have to activate the trigger, the side car button, the thumb button AND the pickle. THEN you have to hit the uncage button, pull the speedbrake and hit the microswitch toggle.

If you do everything exactly right, you'll activate Blow_Up_World. After all, you REALLY don't want just anyone accidentally hitting that switch! ;)