7 replies to this topic

[Tag]

Has there been anything said or seen of this thing since the announcement, which was what, 2 years ago?

[Thorqemada]

Its not actively developed and probably never will - its only a show concept.

Edited by Thorqemada, 25 March 2014 - 05:36 PM.

[Redshift2k5]

Nothing was ever mentioned again.

I'm quite certain it's vaporware at this point.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

Russ mentioned in an ask the devs along time ago i think, it was decided it was too expensive to pursue and wouldn't really generate enough back.

[Loc Nar]

It appears to me there was never any intention of supporting controllers like the joystick on the Artemis prototype or any other regular joystick that needs to be used with first-order mechanics. Unfortunately the game was developed from the outset around zero-order positional inputs (what gamers call mouse inputs), going back to before closed-beta. Using zero-order input is used in situations like this to 'broaden the appeal' since they can count on everyone having a mouse, but not a joystick.

This control scheme unfortunately precludes using anything but other positional controllers (mouse, trackpad, trackball, master/slave controllers, etc) from competing on even footing. This is what is behind the misunderstood 'joystick in a shooter' thing people argue about. Nobody making games is unaware of this 'little' detail, so it is safe to conclude they never had any intentions of creating an environment where people *could use joysticks. You can rest assured that fact is not lost on Razer, and it is not even a little surprising the project was scrapped. Even if PGI were successful with MWO, there would *still be no market for that controller, at least not for MWO.

Controls Demystified(?)

It should be noted, that it is possible to make a perfectly viable positional controller in the shape of a joystick, that uses absolute inputs called master/slave controllers, and is how modern high end robotics are handled, such as teleosurgery. The Steel Battalion controller was actually such a creature, the master/slave/ controller I made is another, but a more refined variety called master/slave/replica, since it's kinematics are identical to the mech's. Pitch =pitch, and yaw = yaw, and there is no interpretation of motion so it's very intuitive to use. No spring centering or center detentes, and instead heavily damped friction rubs that will hold in place when let go of. Smoooooth bearings.

Short of this though, there's little point in bothering and even though it's great for MWO, there's not much else it can be used for atm and for the same reasons a flightstick sucks in MWO, my mech stick is a boat anchor in a flight sim so I can see why Razer was not able to move forward with this; PGI precluded that option by their implementation of controls.

[Hammerhai]

I have to say that while PGI denies using deception overtly, they certainly do and did covertly. Those of us who have been around longer know what storms in the community it took for them to even halfway mend their ways.

Strictly speaking I do believe though it should be possible to add absolute joystick support. Looking at the specs of mechs it is apparent that to some extent they do emulate such things as torso twist in degrees. Map that to the range of an joystick axis, decouple from the mouse and you are good to go. I fail to see the huge problem. But as Loc Nar states that is at best a band aid.

Fact is that a mouse is faster and more accurate all the time anyway, as has been discovered a long time ago in the console world. Sadly, among other things, MWO is a shooter, not a sim, and never will be, as to it being a thinking man's shooter... Well, with no comms it never will be either. Also promised was a way to issue commands quickly, hasn't happened either yet.

The bug with throttle/ HOTAS users stopping when typing has been around for more than a year now, I refuse to believe it is actually a Cryengine bug, and no end in sight. The idea of MWO e sports is a pipe dream at this rate. Cynically enough, the initial tout draw was a a battletech war sim including information warfare, then this was abandoned after netting PGI the initial funds from Founders, and we now have an arena shooter with mech customisation, and 5 or so arenas after two years. Soft launch does not begin to describe it.

Edited by Hammerhai, 03 April 2014 - 04:54 AM.

[Monkeystador]

Stinky vaporware, honestly .. it would have sucked big time.

[Werewolf486 ScorpS]

Minimally Viable Product for a Minimally Viable game does not add up to profit, so it's a dead horse.