Controls for homebrew games

[Chadivision]

Just for future reference, would most of you prefer to buy homebrew games that only use the joystick controller, or would you be just as likely to be interested in games that use the paddle controllers or maybe even the Star Raiders pad?

 

I don't have any immediate plans for another game, but I'm kind of kicking around some ideas.

Thanks

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

Just for future reference, would most of you prefer to buy homebrew games that only use the joystick controller, or would you be just as likely to be interested in games that use the paddle controllers or maybe even the Star Raiders pad?

 

Hm... actually I don't care. If a game was outstanding excellent, I wouldn't even mind buying an extra controler for it.

 

I'd say you should use whatever controler suits the game best.

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[Paul Slocum]

I really like to see new games that don't use the joystick. Paddle games are very unique, and few other consoles support a paddle controller. Neither of my two main releases (Marble Craze / Synthcart) use the joystick, and they both sell.

 

The price of video touch pads at 4jays has tripled since the Synthcart has been out.

 

-Paul

[Inky]

I still want a version of Stargate / Defender 2 that utilizes the Touch Pads!

 

And perhaps a hack of Mouse Trap to make it more like the arcadegame which utilizes the touch pad.

[Chadivision]

The main reason I ask is because even though I love some of the paddle controller games, I will very seldom go to the trouble of digging out the paddles and plugging them in. When I do, the next game I want to play is usually a joystick game and I have to switch again.

 

I guess it's a little strange that I will take the time to write a game, but I won't take 10 seconds to switch controllers. Maybe I'm just weird.

[joeybastard]

I find the exact opposite - if I play a paddle game, that's all I want to play. Joysticks feel crappy after the using the most perfect controller ever invented, the Atari paddle.

[Chadivision]

I was thinking of possibly making a game where you use the joystick for one level and the paddles for another level. I would make it so that you use seperate controller ports obviously. That would be kind of cool. I might be wrong, but I don't think anyone has done that before.

 

Another possibility would be a 2 player cooperative game where one player (or two players for that matter) use the paddles and one uses the joystick.

 

Obviously the control scheme would depend on the specifics of the game.

 

If I wanted to be a real jerk I could make it so that you actually have to unplug one controller and plug in another in the middle of the game. That would still be more fun than being captured by that stupid scientist in E.T.!

[StanJr]

I think that is a MEGA SHIBBY idea Chad! I'd be interested in how you can pull that off! But yeah.

 

The one thing I DON'T like is a homebrew that requires an entirely NEW or unique controller to play. I'd love to see some new games for the Driving Controller and Touch Pad!

 

 

Chadivision, on the cutting edge of old school gaming!!

[Albert]

For the 2600, I would mostly stick with the Joystick and Paddle controllers. I think some exceptions can be made for the keypad controllers (such as with the Synthcart, which is I think our best selling 2600 homebrew title), but they are not as easy to come by overall.

 

I'm really fond of the paddle controllers, and would love to see more games take advantage of them. SCSIcide and Marble Craze both do a great job in this department, and Piero Cavina's unfinished Mondo Pong also makes use of them.

 

..Al

[JB]

I was thinking of possibly making a game where you use the joystick for one level and the paddles for another level.  I would make it so that you use seperate controller ports obviously.  That would be kind of cool.  I might be wrong, but I don't think anyone has done that before.  

Uh oh... you got me thinking.

 

 

What would be REALLY sweet is a game designed to work with the Coleco Gemini sticks(obviously with an option to render it compatible with normal controllers).

 

You can see one here.

 

 

While not exactly standard, it would be neat to have a game that used them to their full capabilities.

[+Propane13]

The one thing I DON'T like is a homebrew that requires an entirely NEW or unique controller to play.

 

Nuts... There go my dreams of releasing Pressure Gauge Special Ultra Mega 2003 Edition with the "Mega Just-a-Button" controller.

 

-John K. Harvey

[Chadivision]

I'm not talking about making a game that requires you to buy a new controller (unless someone came up with a really cool controller that makes the gameplay much more interesting).

 

I would possibly consider using the Star Raiders controller. I have two or three of them, but I didn't know how common they are. I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on the game because the don't have one or don't feel like buying one.

 

I did think of one problem with a game that uses a joystick and a paddle. When you have to switch to the paddle, it could get annoying if you accidentally pick up the wrong paddle and get killed right away because your control isn't working. There are some ways around this. I could have the system sense which one is being used and read that input, and ignore the other one. That would be pretty easy to implement.

[BeerGnome]

I'd Like to see the Booster grip implemented in somethng other than omega race.. I understand that there are some flight sims for the 2600 that implement the difficulty switches as part of game play.. and I think adding booster grip control for like say.. fireing a missle while leaving the regular fire button for cannons.. that would be cool

and for those with out a booster grip.. I understand the coleco joystick can be subsituted? or am I thinking of another controller?

[Rob Mitchell]

Well there are plenty of Keyboard / Keypad controllers around .. so a game which uses it would be great! Sure the Synthcart uses it .. but it is not really a game.

 

(If someone would do a text version of Lunar Lander where you input the burn over time using the Keyboard controllers, that would be something!)

 

Driving controller: When will Death Derby be finshed? Pant! Pant! All of Thomas' hacks that use this make it very fun to use! It's not just for Indy500 anymore.

 

Everyone loves paddle games as evidenced by the success of SCSIcide and Marble Craze.

 

Do use what you wish .. but make it hard!

 

(Forget the Omega Booster accessory! Few people have it .. and that would be a drawback to a new Homebrew!)

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[JB]

OOH! IDEA!

 

As everyone knnows, VCS Missile Command has 1 launcher with digital control.

Then it was hacked for trackball control. Still one launcher.

...

3-button Missile Command. Keypad in the left port, trackball int eh right port.

 

Closest to an arcade setup most home players will ever get.

[mos6507]

Driving controller: When will Death Derby be finshed? Pant! Pant! All of Thomas' hacks that use this make it very fun to use! It's not just for Indy500 anymore.

 

I explained the reasons for the current delay in another thread, but one thing I did notice was that the foot controller being sold through Atari Age has a Y-cable on it and you can map the 3 pedals to any of the 4 directions or fire button.

 

I never realized this, but it should mean that the foot controller should be able to function perfectly as the gear shifter (and gas pedal perhaps) for Death Derby.

 

Assuming Atari Age has enough to meet potential future demand, that at least removes one frustrating barrier in releasing the game.

 

Not having to put together Y cables for this will be a big relief.

 

So I intend on picking up a foot controller and seeing how well the mappings and the pass-through works with DD. Hopefully I'll be able to muster enough enthusiasm from that (assuming that it works) to crank out another demo for people to play, but as I said in another thread, I'm back down to only being able to work on it in the wee hours of the evening which isn't that appealing.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I never realized this' date=' but it should mean that the foot controller should be able to function perfectly as the gear shifter (and gas pedal perhaps) for Death Derby.[/quote']

Yup, it should work perfect! Just don't forget that you will need two of them.

[BeerGnome]

 

(Forget the Omega Booster accessory! Few people have it .. and that would be a drawback to a new Homebrew!)

 

Rob Mitchell' date=' Atlanta, GA[/quote']

 

 

ooh! are you saying the one I have is ahhhh... worth something then?

[Rob Mitchell]

 

Yeah .. for Omega Race and Thrust. That's it! And I can beat your scores in both games with my Starplex 5 button controller!

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Yeah .. for Omega Race and Thrust. That's it! And I can beat your scores in both games with my Starplex 5 button controller!

So' date=' why don't you submit your scores to the Beat THRUST contest!?

[mos6507]

I never realized this' date=' but it should mean that the foot controller should be able to function perfectly as the gear shifter (and gas pedal perhaps) for Death Derby.[/quote']

Yup' date=' it should work perfect! Just don't forget that you will need [b']two[/b] of them.

 

For 2-player, yeah. If you are confident it's going to work I guess I'll get two. I was planning to get one in case it didn't work.

 

However, in theory it should be possible to share a single foot controller if the pedals are employed as a shift toggle switch instead of having one pedal for forward and one for reverse.

 

Unlike a joystick, the foot controller should be able to trigger both a left and right joystick signal simultaneously so that both players could switch gears by tapping their pedal at any time and I could independently read the bits.

 

It might be better to try that instead of forcing people to buy two footcontrollers for 2-player.

 

The only other advantage I could think of to using two separate pedal units is maybe I could implement a brake pedal (which the coinop DR doesn' t have. Then you could have a gas (redundant with the driving controller trigger), brake, and gear toggle pedal per player.

[Godzilla]

i love paddle games, so the more paddle the better. I used to use the touchpad to play stargate on my 2600.... (just plug it into port 2,)