Questions for Joystick Users

Neuroth

Neuroth

[10] Knight
I'm thinking about treating myself to one of those nice-looking joystick controllers, but I've never used one.

So what are the advantages of using a stick? What can you do with it that you can't do with a normal controller? Is it a steep learning curve? Are some brands better than others?
 
I play a lot of rhythm games, so stick is more of a natural transition for me.

The core advantage that comes to mind is the simplicity of gestures. You are using your entire hand and a bit of your wrist in a single downwards direction rather than maneuvering your thumb. Because your fingers aren't doing acrobatics, getting timings down into muscle memory becomes a lot easier.

However, I don't think there's anything a pad player can't do in this game. A lot of stick power in my case comes solely from buyer's remorse.

As for sticks, I did not like the default buttons on the Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 and ultimately switched out to Rollies, so I really don't want to recommend Hori despite having a good layout and build quality. I'd recommend getting a stick like a MadCatz TE.
 
Futabot said:
I play a lot of rhythm games, so stick is more of a natural transition for me.

The core advantage that comes to mind is the simplicity of gestures. You are using your entire hand and a bit of your wrist in a single downwards direction rather than maneuvering your thumb. Because your fingers aren't doing acrobatics, getting timings down into muscle memory becomes a lot easier.

However, I don't think there's anything a pad player can't do in this game. A lot of stick power in my case comes solely from buyer's remorse.
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Personally, I find double QCF's a lot harder on D-pad than on a joystick.
 
Cynergy said:
Personally, I find double QCF's a lot harder on D-pad than on a joystick.
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Maybe harder, but not impossible. (I actually 236x2 and 623 better on a PS3 pad though.) The skill ceiling for pad definitely got higher when players like Vangief started showing up.
 
It's a nice experience, playing on one.

However, you don't need them for SC or Tekken. My TE stick is in my closet.

With a stick, you can hit flowing motions easier, and advanced button maneuvers as well as easier simultaneous button presses become possible. a Patroklos is an example of a character really aimed at stick players.

You can do everything on a pad that you can do on a stick- stick just makes some things easier.

Be aware that stick will not give you mad skills if they're not already in your head. It is just another flavor of execution.

A quirk about playing on pad is that double-taps are faster. Standard Sanwa sticks have this huge throw (distance from neutral to the end of the direction) so for beginner players (playing SC at least) it can seem like they've slowed down.

Learning curve can be somewhat steep. Hitting 1 (down-back) consistently was hard until I learned the EWGF trick from watching the Korean videos (pull in your middle and ring finger to hit 1). Really depends on your level of play, what you want to do, and what your philosophy/temperament is.

Hori and Madcatz have SCV branded sticks out now, with Sanwa parts (what is normally recommended). Though, there are other manufacturers that make sticks (eightarc, eTokki, etc....)

Using parts other than Sanwa (i.e. really off-brand parts) is not recommended. Sanwa buttons have a very fast response (they can activate if you blow on them- somewhat true, and somewhat an exaggeration, but you understand).

Most of the subtleties are lost on me, since I mash for most of my moves. I'm not terribly efficient with my hands.


If you have the money, or if you're curious (and you're not prone to feeling like you've been "ripped off") go ahead and try a stick. Using stick has actually taught me how to use pad better.
 
DrakeAldan said:
Using parts other than Sanwa (i.e. really off-brand parts) is not recommended. Sanwa buttons have a very fast response (they can activate if you blow on them- somewhat true, and somewhat an exaggeration, but you understand).
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Do you find it easier to do sliding inputs (like agA) on a stick?
 
I'm an FPS gamer primarily and have been so since I was an adolescent (didn't have a chance as a child). I'm right hand dominant and I lack coordination in my thumbs as do most humans because thumbs were evolutionarily designed for grasping objects. I type at 120 WPM though after an injury it reaches only 80 WPM.

As you can see, my right arm and fingers are dexterous due to training. Haha, it is training regardless if you enjoy it or not. So, I play with an arcade stick with my right arm and the buttons with my left hand. I tested both ways and I'm still better playing this way. As I said, I'm a peculiar person in this fighting game scene.
 
I think it's primarily more accurate, especially when compared to the 360 where you've got a very unreliable d-pad. Having a finger per button means you don't have to rely on shoulder buttons as well. If you've never used an analog stick, there's quite a bit of a learning curve though. If you feel comfortable with what you're using right now, you might as well stick to it.
 
If you've got a 360 pad DEFINITELY either buy an aftermarket pad or switch to stick ASAP.

360 pad is hot garbage... for fighters, anyway.
 
I have always used my standard playstation controller for all the fighting games i have ever played.

I like the D pad because i feel like its more accurate pressing the directions than waving them with the stick.

Of course, the stick may be more accurate or better, i don't care.
 
I play on a pad and stick, but a stick really isn't necessary for this game. I will say however that the Xbox 360 controller is garbage for fighting games so maybe you would like it better if you bought a fight pad?
 
For me the primary advantage of getting a stick was the ability to use it across multiple platforms. I wanted to be able to move between my wii (SC2) at home, and the Playstations used for tournaments without having to worry about getting use to a new controller. Being a pad player for my entire gaming life, the stick took a lot of getting used to, and truth be told, I never truly adapted to it. I felt like I had at one point, and then I picked up a gaming pad after my stick broke and it felt like going home again.

That being said, I have been looking @ the new SCV sticks, but a) They are expensive for a casual purchase, b) considering my past experience I don't know how beneficial they will be to me, and c) the branded SCV sticks don't work multi-platform. I have an xbox 360 now, and if I get a stick it needs to work across platforms so that I can take it to tournaments, which are always played on the ps3.
 
i'm primarily a pad player but own a few sticks aswell although i'm far from fluent on them. Pads will generally do fine in most games but execution on a stick is a lot more precise. Doing qcf/qcb or 236/214 isn't gonna be that much of a challenge on a pad.

Some of the moves aPat has like 2143aB is very much tailored towards a stick player. On a pad you tend to do a rolling motion across the corner of the dpad to do the 214 part but then you have to take your thumb off the dpad and move to 1 this isn't very efficient and there are chances that you may be slightly off with the timing and/or position and hit a 2 or 4. On a stick again you have a rolling motion using the your fingers to pull down and thumb to push across to do the 214 but after you use the lower part of your finger to push back across to 1 and it can all be done in one motion meaning you never miss the timing. Also move like 23 which are surprising hard to repeat over and over on a pad without hitting 236 are so simple on a stick as there are boundaries to how far the stick can go that you can push down to then slide across then let go and it pops back to neutral.

I will say this though, if you get a stick you will not be able to do half of the stuff you can on the pad to begin with and this a VERY frustrating thing which can really slow your progression as you know you can do it on a pad and the temptation to just go back to playing a pad is always there. As long as you are putting some time into playing the stick every time you play you will pick it up quickly. Also means you can play in arcades which is a entirely different experience in itself and you'll always have your skill on a pad as i'm sure there are plenty of other games you play that require a pad so its not like you'll lose your skill on the either.

As for what sticks to buy it comes down to preference, practicality and how much you wanna spend, Hori, Madcatz and more recently EightArc are probably the best brands out there all have there own perks and drawback whether it be button placement, cable lengths, size and weight if you plan on going to tournaments. Do your research but i would say don't skimp if you are set on getting a stick you usually get what you pay for.
 
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