What's up with these joysticks?
MightyDoor
LOT of work here!!!!!!! I wonder why? And, I wonder if they're as interesting
as they look.
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=325257710
Anyone know this guy? Are you here?
Brett Walach
MightyDoor wrote in message
<20000512003749...@ng-cn1.aol.com>...
Not sure who that is... but that's not an incredible amount of work. There's
not a lot of custom work or parts... but I will say, to the guy who can't
build one of these themselves, it's a pretty cool gizmo. I'm sure it really
adds to the gameplay too.
Probably worth the $50 to many people. I wonder if he's making more?
Sincerely,
Brett Walach
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John Dondzila
>
for the buttons.
Looks like a sturdy investment to me.
Personally I'd like to see a Hall Effect
joystick created for the Vectrex !
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John Dondzila
>
>
Force feedback. They have little servos/motors/whatever
which push the stick back against you as you move. They're
really cool.
Happ Controls sells them new for around $3,000
What we really need are affordable driving controllers
for the new game I'm working on (I said I wasn't doing
another shooter and I meant it dad-gummit !)
JD
Brett Walach
Dang! Can't we just hack some PC one's...build a converter or
something...how much are those anyway? $100-$200?
>What we really need are affordable driving controllers for the
>new game I'm working on (I said I wasn't doing another shooter
>and I meant it dad-gummit !)
Sweet...teasing us already I see. Sounds like it's going to be
another one of those "worth the wait" deals. Whatever that wait
may be..PCJohn games are always good! ;)
On a different note, I have a $100 analog joystick that needs to
be worked into a Vectrex Arcade Controller soon. The case will
be a custom fiberglass high gloss clearcoat/metalflake finish.
So I need to start with the prototype soon, then comes the
molds. I think just a regular digital stick like the one in that
ebay auction would seriously reduce cost though. I'd have to say
it would look so sweet you'd by telling me to name my price.
Sincerely,
Brett Walach
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solde...@my-deja.com
>>Personally I'd like to see a Hall Effect joystick created for the Vectrex<<
Wazzat?
Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA, USA
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Mark Shaker
I have one that I bought from the same guy a year ago.
I'm very happy with it. It's my favorite controller for some games, like V-Frogger.
The only problem is that the positioning of the buttons make it difficult to play
games that depend more on the buttons than on the joystick. (So it should not be
your only controller.)
- Mark
John Dondzila
>another one of those "worth the wait" deals. Whatever that wait
>may be..PCJohn games are always good! ;)
I should have some screenshots ready for next weekend. I was
going to do it this weekend but I will be away for most of it.
I'm about 98% sure I'll be at CGExpo this year, I'll have confirmation
later on this weekend, and hopefully I'll have some demos there.
Some features of the new game:
Up to 4 Players at once
Players each "register" their names
I'm aiming for a 3 game multicart (64K),
2 of the games are WIP, #3 isn't even on the planning boards yet.
I'm anticipating another Thanksgiving day release just
like last year.
solde...@my-deja.com
>>What we really need are affordable driving controllers for the new
You mean something along the line of the 2600 Indy 500 steering wheel?
Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA
solde...@my-deja.com
>>The only problem is that the positioning of the buttons make it
difficult to play games that depend more on the buttons than on the
joystick.<<
That's why I want a standalone "LRTF" controller into which I can plug
my favorite analog stick or the Vectrex paddle. Flexibility of
controller configuration is what I want ... You should see my box of
Vectrex controllers and controller adapters! I have something different
for every game and application! It is like you have to know what every
game uses to pick the right controller. And you have to know how the
Vectrex controller is wired. For example my nephew has to ask me which
controller to use!
The Maverick
>
> The stick alone new usually goes for around $20, and a few bucks
> for the buttons.
Actually, more like $10-15 for the stick and around $1 per button. I've
been pricing components for a MAME cabinet... ;-)
the Mav
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Michael Bobroski
>
> I have one that I bought from the same guy a year ago.
I picked one of these puppies up from the same guy as well. Another
favorite of mine to play with this stick, besides V-Frogger is Spike
Hoppin.
I had a similar problem with the positioning of buttons. A good way to
make some of your Vec favorites more playable with it is to pop the
joystick open, and switch the top row of buttons with the bottom row.
Being that more games use buttons 3 and 4 more than 1 and 2, this allows
you a much more comfortable position when holding the joystick.
-Mike
>
> I'm very happy with it. It's my favorite controller for some games, like V-Frogger.
>
> The only problem is that the positioning of the buttons make it difficult to play
John Dondzila
>
Actually, 4 seperate controllers of any type.
Pete
>> >Personally I'd like to see a Hall Effect joystick created for the
>> Vectrex<<
>
> Wazzat?
Hall effect sticks are interesting beasts.
They work by sensing the position of the joystick using magnetism; you
usually have four hall effect sensors positioned where the microswitches
would be in a conventional digital stick and a magnet at the end of the
joystick's shaft.
The really nice thing is that you can determine how far the stick has been
moved in any direction, just as with an analogue stick. But there are no
potentionometers to wear out.... :-)
TTFN - Pete.
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baronvr
controller except that the four buttons aren't all in a row. Once the
design changes, it could be THE desirable Vec controller, even more
desirable than the original...
Although, a PC to Vec adapter would also be pretty great...
cc
In article <8fjmi6$n71$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
solde...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> >>The only problem is that the positioning of the buttons make it
> difficult to play games that depend more on the buttons than on the
> joystick.<<
>
> That's why I want a standalone "LRTF" controller into which I can plug
> my favorite analog stick or the Vectrex paddle. Flexibility of
> controller configuration is what I want ... You should see my box of
> Vectrex controllers and controller adapters! I have something
different
> for every game and application! It is like you have to know what
every
> game uses to pick the right controller. And you have to know how the
> Vectrex controller is wired. For example my nephew has to ask me
which
> controller to use!
>
> Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.
>
--
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http://vectrex.vintagegaming.com
REPLY TO: baronvr @ usa.net (not dejanews!)
news:rec.games.vectrex
Paul Uborka
Mark Shaker <msh...@mediaone.net> wrote in message
news:391D4294...@mediaone.net...
I have one that I bought from the same guy a year ago.
I'm very happy with it. It's my favorite controller for some games, like
V-Frogger.
The only problem is that the positioning of the buttons make it difficult to
play
games that depend more on the buttons than on the joystick. (So it should
not be
your only controller.)
I would have made the joystick the same shape as the Vectrex
controler..Would've been much better that way.
solde...@my-deja.com
>>Although, a PC to Vec adapter would also be pretty great...<<
What is this?
Brett Walach
can interface to the Vectrex. Like the Sega to Vectrex converter.
Brett Walach
>Some features of the new game:
>
>Up to 4 Players at once
>Players each "register" their names
I don't want to give anything away here... but I'm going off of
the above text...
So...4 players at once, and you said 4 separate controllers in
another post...So are we talking game play via INTERNET
here? "register" is another one of those givaways...
I'll wait for your reply before I pop my top in excitement. ;)
baronvr
John Dondzila <*pcj...@monmouth.com> wrote:
> Up to 4 Players at once
> Players each "register" their names
>
> 2 of the games are WIP, #3 isn't even on the planning boards yet.
4 players? Cool. I was just thinking of posting about why there weren't
more 2-player new games...
cc
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REPLY TO: baronvr @ usa.net (not dejanews!)
news:rec.games.vectrex
John Dondzila
>another post...So are we talking game play via INTERNET
>here? "register" is another one of those givaways...
>
>I'll wait for your reply before I pop my top in excitement. ;)
>
You wish !
Currently 4 players share 2 controllers. It's a bit squished, but
the option will be included for 4 seperate controllers.
I have toyed around with the idea of Vectrex net gaming. I see a
reasonable RS232 interface possible which can be connected to
a PC via a "poor man's network". The PC would have to do all the
actual net work of course
JD
Brett Walach
>>So...4 players at once, and you said 4 separate controllers in
>>another post...So are we talking game play via INTERNET
>>here? "register" is another one of those givaways...
>>
>>I'll wait for your reply before I pop my top in excitement. ;)
>>
>
>You wish !
Aw man... I was so hoping too. All of the signs were
aligned!...darn. :)
>Currently 4 players share 2 controllers. It's a bit squished,
but
>the option will be included for 4 seperate controllers.
>
>I have toyed around with the idea of Vectrex net gaming. I see
a
>reasonable RS232 interface possible which can be connected to
>a PC via a "poor man's network". The PC would have to do all the
>actual net work of course
I like the idea of 4 players, but what if you could make some
sort of 4 player link cable which plugs into the cart, like Game
Boy, or Atari Lynx, with the option of hooking this to the
computer in the future...just make the protocol adaptable. I
would think a fast RS232 connection would be fine.
Thinking about it...you could get a 10 player game going if you
wanted to.
How many bytes of info would you need to transfer between all of
the Veccys to allow them all to keep track of each other? And at
what rate?
John Dondzila
>the Veccys to allow them all to keep track of each other? And at
>what rate?
I don't know, since it's not complete yet. Probably about 80 bytes or so
would have to be transmitted.
solde...@my-deja.com
>>Up to 4 Players at once ,,,<<
As an aside... I just built a junction box into which two Vectrex paddle (X4)
controllers plug ... then into one Vectrex controller port ... Thus two
paddles per port or four paddles all together! The junction box puts X axis
with button 3 and Y axis with button 4.
Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA
Brett Walach
>
>>>Up to 4 Players at once ,,,<<
>
>As an aside... I just built a junction box into which two Vectrex paddle
(X4)
>controllers plug ... then into one Vectrex controller port ... Thus two
>paddles per port or four paddles all together! The junction box puts X axis
>with button 3 and Y axis with button 4.
How about a box that takes all of the X-axis outputs from 4 controllers, and
sends them to the X1, Y1, X2, Y2, and buttons 3&4 of the 4 controllers go to
11 21 32 43 12 22 32 42. (The second number on the Vectrex side represents
the controller port). This would be cool for Vectropolis, analog steering,
digital gas & brake, for 4 people. You just have to map the inputs
correctly..
John, what are the controls for the Vectropolis game? each person gets 2
digital buttons...what do you use them for, Left + Right?
solde...@my-deja.com
>>... and buttons 3&4 of the 4 controllers go to 11 21 32 43 12 22 32 42. (The second number on the Vectrex side represents the controller port).<<
Brett: You lost me here ...
Brett Walach
>>>... and buttons 3&4 of the 4 controllers go to 11 21 32 43 12 22 32 42.
(The second number on the Vectrex side represents the controller port).<<
>
>Brett: You lost me here ...
32 and 43 should have been 31 and 41.
I didn't have much time to type...I knew that I probably wasn't making to
much sense anyway...
Let's try again:
4 standard Vec controllers (C1,C2,C3,C4)
2 standard controller ports on the Vectrex (P1,P2)
Route the outputs of the 4 controllers to the 2 ports on the Vec through a
converter box.
C1 X-axis to P1 X-axis
C2 X-axis to P1 Y-axis
C3 X-axis to P1 X-axis
C4 X-axis to P1 Y-axis
C1 buttons 3&4 to P1 button 1&2
C2 buttons 3&4 to P1 button 3&4
C3 buttons 3&4 to P1 button 1&2
C4 buttons 3&4 to P1 button 3&4
So each controller has the X-axis and buttons 3&4 to use as inputs to a
game...I was thinking of John's new game Vectropolis for an example. Steer
the cars with the joystick...button 3 for brake (or weapon), button 4 for
gas (a quick double-tap might be seen as a turbo boost).
More clear I hope..