lacktheknack said:
Different-than-normal controller components? It worked when Nintendo did it.
Because Nintendo didn't forget the basic like having analogue sticks, d-pads, and buttons within easy reach of the thumbs.
You can reach eight different buttons/triggers with your fingers.
http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamController/
READ.
And guess what? I don't have eight fingers to press those buttons with. Standard controller design means that I can have four fingers resting on the triggers/bumpers, have my right thumb near the face buttons, and any of those commands are not only readily accessible, they can be used in combination with any other button. Four fingers, a thumb, Over eight methods of input covered.
...?
...???
...?!?!?!!?!?!?
When I'm holding a controller, I need to use at least my third and fourth finger on each hand to actually hold the thing stable. If all my fingers are resting on buttons, then that means the weight of the controller is also resting on those buttons.
Well, thank goodness you don't need to hover over EVERY button at all times, then!
Also, I can support a controller with just my pinkies. I'm not sure why you need so much support.
Thought exercise: how would a fighting game work on this controller? Would my fingers have to be tap-dancing over the different triggers in order to pull of Hadoukens? How would I pull off a Stinger in Devil May Cry with those trackpads?
side trigger = heavy
rear button = medium
front bumper = heavy
left = punch
right = kick
second bumpers = EX and grapple
secondary front button = taunt
Wasn't hard.
No. Hack and slash gameplay doesn't work with triggers or bumpers. Slower-paced games like Dark Souls get away with it, bit not fast paced games like DMC. The right thumb is an intrinsically better method of input, as you're able to co-ordinate attacks using that one thumb making small movements from face button to face button.
Pulling off an extended combo with the right thumbstick and face buttons is easy, because you're moving one finger from X to Y to X to Y to B to A to B to A. The timing is more precise, as it is being dictated by one appendage. Co-ordinating five different fingers to try and input the different combat moves using very specific timing is a logistical nightmare. There's a reason games like DMC never took off on the keyoard, despite the wealth of buttons available. One thumb + face buttons is far easier for the brain to keep track of during high speed button inputs than five fingers all on separate buttons.
Sorry, I was caught up with "Hadouken" and explained how a fighting game would work.
Also, every statement of multiple buttons being a "logistical nightmare" is hyperbole at best, and outright wrong at worst. I play Street Fighter on a keyboard, and it's easy (unless you play Zangief).
That said, why CAN'T speed-combo heavy games work on the PC? In these games, thumbstick precision isn't a major issue, so boom - you have two buttons in the trackpads at use again. Add in the bumpers and you should be entirely fine.
wat
Um
Two bumpers for index fingers, middle finger stabilizing (can be moved to rear buttons), index/pinkie on trigger, remaining finger for permanent stablization.
How many fingers do YOU have? Four?
It takes more than the pinkie on each hand to hold a controller stable. You need your third and fourth fingers holding things steady, otherwise the controller will just pivot over your pinkies.
Uh. Not when I use them.
Also, middle-finger stabilization. You're not going to need to press those buttons all the time.
You said there were eight buttons within easy reach of the fingers. I hope you weren't meaning that the clickable trackpads counted. Because having the same point on the trackpad count as both analogue left/right/up/down
and as an input button is asking for trouble. Analogue sticks have functions that can be clicked even when sat in neutral. What happens if you click the left part of the trackpad, but the controller instead recognises it as you wanting to move your character left?
