131 replies to this topic

[StompyMcGee]

HeadWar, on 21 March 2012 - 10:12 AM, said:

True, but a wise man once said that we need to balance 'realism' against 'fun'.

True.
So maybe gyro-stabilised arms could be an upgrade, occupying weight and a crit slot?

[Girochen]

Riordan Lionheart, on 19 March 2012 - 11:02 AM, said:

Gonna be honest, never really liked the idea of mech speed determined by a set throttle instead of a more, and I know I'll get flak for this, arcade motion dynamic. To me it always seemed counter intuitive to have a basically forced cruise control for bipedal humanoid vehicles. I understand how it fit well into the TT game but in MW it doesn't seem more practical than a pressure sensitive joystick since most of us likely will be using alternate controls anyway (i.e. joysticks, usb 360 controllers, etc). Personally, I don't relish the idea of having to stop start using set speeds all the time, especially considering the increased emphasis on urban combat the devs said this game would have.

thoughts?

I disagree again. I don't think it should be all about one or the other. Why not both? However, I must address one of the other points raised directly. These are not cars, we don't have foot pedals. We have two hands and ten fingers. If you look at the controls for a disabled person's vehicle, hand throttles are "stickied". You set the throttle and the car goes until you hit the brakes. In WoT (World of Tanks) it has a push the button or you stop control and it sucks. I am trying to twist, fire off consumables, change my shell type and steer all with one hand while the other simply targets and shoots. I often wish for an autorun or cruise control other than the one that goes at minimum speed. I would also like to have variable speeds, but you would not get that either. It would be RUN or STAND. You cannot push the W key down part way.

My two cents.
ZGuillotine/Girochen

[Slugg3r]

I haven't read the entire thread since I'm at work and don't have much time here but want to put in my two cents.

I like the OPs idea. I'd like the option to have a dynamic OR static throttle, depending on what each individual player wants.

A recent tank game has you push 'W' to move forward and 'S' to move backward in sort of a dynamic throttle setting. If they wanted to have a static setting then you would hit the 'R' key for forward and 'F' for reverse.

[Jetset Quasar]

HaNN1BLe, on 19 March 2012 - 12:11 PM, said:

I bought a SideWinder control stick (which has a throttle switch) from Microsoft in like 2003 for Mechwarrior2 and it has worked fantastic, almost as if the game was designed to be used with it. I used the same stick on Mechwarrior 3 & 4 and still pretty happy with it. Pretty much only time I use it is when I break out Mechwarrior. I could see where you wouldn't like using a gamepad. Maybe pick up a Sidewinder or Sidewinder pro or something like it from Ebay and check it out. I'm sure you will be as please with it as I am. Here is a link for you http://www.ebay.com/...-All-Categories. I personally like the 1st version better.

Eww not a sidewider, get a thrustmaster with and independant throttle control youll be a lot happier http://www.ebay.com/...=item23172cd455 here's the link for it. The extra buttons are situated on the throttle lever. This stick is more situated for mechs as you can detach the throttle piece and put it wherever you want i.e. a custom mech chair

Edited by Dawn Treader, 21 March 2012 - 11:05 AM.

[Tearalum]

I have been skimming this thread so forgive me if I'we missed someone mentioning this before, but there seem to be a lot of talk about "static throttle" vs "non-static throttle" and such.

In the dark age books, I think in all of them which contains a described mech fight, there is references to "X started working his/her pedals and got the mech into motion" or "moving his pedals in a walking pattern he smoothly evaded the rubble, feeling it through the mechs legs, into the pedals and keeping the balance with his neurohelmet".

I don't know if the dark age books are kosher, compared to the original table top, but at least I find no reference to a stick-throttle in the litterature.

Any thoughts on this?

[Mechteric]

Tearalum, on 18 April 2012 - 11:13 PM, said:

I have been skimming this thread so forgive me if I'we missed someone mentioning this before, but there seem to be a lot of talk about "static throttle" vs "non-static throttle" and such.

In the dark age books, I think in all of them which contains a described mech fight, there is references to "X started working his/her pedals and got the mech into motion" or "moving his pedals in a walking pattern he smoothly evaded the rubble, feeling it through the mechs legs, into the pedals and keeping the balance with his neurohelmet".

I don't know if the dark age books are kosher, compared to the original table top, but at least I find no reference to a stick-throttle in the litterature.

Any thoughts on this?

dark age is best thought of as a non-battletech universe. In BT lore the pedals are used for turning and jump jets I think, but otherwise a HOTAS like setup is used for controlling throttle and torso aiming.

You can see this in the hunchback cockpit concept as well: http://mwomercs.com/...nchback-cockpit

Edited by CapperDeluxe, 19 April 2012 - 05:56 AM.

[Vandul]

Really, a throttle is the best solution. Im not going to be jamming my fingers against keys to simulate walking, and I dont plan on playing this on XBox Kinect, stomping around my living room, flailing my arms going pew pew pew at some #*$&@#@) Urbanmech.

[Tearalum]

CapperDeluxe, on 19 April 2012 - 05:55 AM, said:

dark age is best thought of as a non-battletech universe. In BT lore the pedals are used for turning and jump jets I think, but otherwise a HOTAS like setup is used for controlling throttle and torso aiming.

You can see this in the hunchback cockpit concept as well: http://mwomercs.com/...nchback-cockpit

Never thought along those lines, but I guess you have a point. The MW:DA universe is somewhat different from my experience of "Classic" BT. Thank's for pointing that out. I will now buy a HOTAS-kit without pedals. Initially.

[Kiyoshi Amaya]

Dawn Treader, on 21 March 2012 - 10:57 AM, said:

Eww not a sidewider, get a thrustmaster with and independant throttle control youll be a lot happier http://www.ebay.com/...=item23172cd455 here's the link for it. The extra buttons are situated on the throttle lever. This stick is more situated for mechs as you can detach the throttle piece and put it wherever you want i.e. a custom mech chair

You mean something like this?

[Tearalum]

Shrekken, on 20 April 2012 - 01:58 AM, said:

You mean something like this?

Please, OH PLEASE tell me how to get the Saitek Command Pad to work with Windows 7 and/or Mechwarrior 3 and 4! I have tried for hours but I can't get it to work properly!

Also, except for the keyboard, that is my exact same type of gaming setup, although I havn't recieved my newly ordered HOTAS yet.

[Kiyoshi Amaya]

Tearalum, on 20 April 2012 - 02:15 PM, said:

Please, OH PLEASE tell me how to get the Saitek Command Pad to work with Windows 7 and/or Mechwarrior 3 and 4! I have tried for hours but I can't get it to work properly!

Also, except for the keyboard, that is my exact same type of gaming setup, although I havn't recieved my newly ordered HOTAS yet.

I just plugged the command pad in, downloaded and installed the drivers, and it worked. MW3 works (with a few glitches tho) and all I did was install, applied both the patches in order and in the graphics screen I changed the graphics to software. By the way, I am using an nVidia GeForce so that does help matters. I can't get MW4 to work at all... It installed but just won't run. Good thing I prefer MW3 really

Oh and I'm running Windows 7 pro 64bit.

[Savant]

Mech Speedometer

Rabbit



Turtle

Its lostech I tell you.

[Rejarial Galatan]

Riordan Lionheart, on 19 March 2012 - 11:59 AM, said:

I just don't want to be running into walls in a city while I'm aiming because I had to reach over and set the throttle in back like a ride-on lawnmower. I just think that the controls of a 31st century, highly sophisticated war machine should be more practical than my '04 ford taurus

It also seems to make it much more difficult to stop, pivot, and change direction

skipping many pages of posts to do this. If you watch some of the videos namely the one where the atlas is dropped from the DS, you clearly see a THROTTLE QUADRANT on left and a JOYSTICK and HULA girl on right. I myself have the SAME setup, not counting hula girl lol. I have ALOT of my firecontrols on my joystick and alot of extra movements on throttle, aside from well, throttle. like JS and the like. I find this sorta setup, well, efficient and i rarely if ever hit buildings unless i want to.

[LordDeathStrike]

Garth Erlam, on 19 March 2012 - 11:20 AM, said:

The reason it is still used is because you're utilizing torso twist and leg movement. Not using 'cruise control' means you're holding a button constantly, which helps because you're individually tracking a torso and leg movement. Also, 'Mechs really are tanks with legs, so it makes sense that way too.

exactly, you are dynamically controlling turning, torso twisting, and leg orientation, while aiming your weapons reticle, which you can individually aim your arms at one target and your torso at another. and you want to have to use dynamic throttle at the same time? pffft, set it and forget it, at the very least the throttle handle is the only control left on your setup to use as your speed control anyway. mech throttles are responsive, if you slam it from full foward to reverse it will stop you pretty damn fast, while you are turning and twisting torso ect. this is why bipedal mechs dominate the quad designs hard, turn speed based on throttle use.

Shrekken, on 21 April 2012 - 03:12 AM, said:

I just plugged the command pad in, downloaded and installed the drivers, and it worked. MW3 works (with a few glitches tho) and all I did was install, applied both the patches in order and in the graphics screen I changed the graphics to software. By the way, I am using an nVidia GeForce so that does help matters. I can't get MW4 to work at all... It installed but just won't run. Good thing I prefer MW3 really

Oh and I'm running Windows 7 pro 64bit.

get mw4 from mektek, they have the updated free version that works on advance windows os's in 64 bit.

[Rejarial Galatan]

LordDeathStrike, your set it and forget statement sounds like a Ron Popeal kinda infomercial lol. Srry, had to say it

[LordDeathStrike]

Shrekken, on 20 April 2012 - 01:58 AM, said:

You mean something like this?

pfft my razer naga was cheaper and has more buttons! (4 on top, scroll wheel with click function, 12 on the thumb side, mmmm 17 clicks and a scroll, on 1 hand, full access to keyboard in the other, ahhh ya)

Rejarial Galatan, on 21 April 2012 - 08:38 PM, said:

LordDeathStrike, your set it and forget statement sounds like a Ron Popeal kinda infomercial lol. Srry, had to say it

i resisted the urge to quote him directly, i really did

[Rejarial Galatan]

lol +10 points for doing so anyway!

[Ravana]

I myself will be using my keyboard and mouse as a set up. In Mw4 I have changed the set up so my W and S keys are throttle up and down and my A and D keys turn my mech. My mouse is used for torso twist. I also bind 3 weapons groups to the left, right and middle buttosn on my mouse. I also bound the X button for full stop. so I don't yoyo back and forth between -10 kph and +10 kph if I wanto to stop. I also have my target switching on Q and targest nearest on E. If I have to use more then 3 weapons groups I start binding them to 1, 2, 3, for weapon grousp 4, 5,and 6. With it set up like this you get more of an Arcade feel due to the throttle adjusting up or down faster then the mech speeds up or slows down. Plus you don't have to keep your fingers jammed on W to keep moving forward.

[Kiyoshi Amaya]

LordDeathStrike, on 21 April 2012 - 08:41 PM, said:

pfft my razer naga was cheaper and has more buttons! (4 on top, scroll wheel with click function, 12 on the thumb side, mmmm 17 clicks and a scroll, on 1 hand, full access to keyboard in the other, ahhh ya)

You don't know how long I've had that command pad. Besides, that pad has 3 programmable modes each with 40 buttons (20 + 20 via the shift button) and a programmable POV hat.. It doesn't need a scroll wheel... I have a cyborg R.A.T. 7 which has TWO! So ner ner mister smartie pants LOL.

Seriously though, I did look at the naga recently and it does look good, but not quite a good enough replacement.

[Tearalum]

Shrekken, on 21 April 2012 - 03:12 AM, said:

I just plugged the command pad in, downloaded and installed the drivers, and it worked. MW3 works (with a few glitches tho) and all I did was install, applied both the patches in order and in the graphics screen I changed the graphics to software. By the way, I am using an nVidia GeForce so that does help matters. I can't get MW4 to work at all... It installed but just won't run. Good thing I prefer MW3 really

Oh and I'm running Windows 7 pro 64bit.

I can't get MW4 to recognize the buttons on my command pad, and I have exactly the same command pad model, and the same windows version as you. I get windows to recognize it and all the buttons test correctly, and I can configure it with all the functions I like, but when testing it in notepad, it only registers each button as "space". And while trying to configure it in MW4 (ingame) it recognizes the model as a joystick, but all the buttons display either blank or "top hat left"