I think you missed my post from a month or so ago telling of how I enjoyed using a stick on Marble Madness as much as I enjoy a trackball. In a way more so, cos it's more efficient all told.
A analogous example is, in many vertical shooters, the difference between trying to constantly 'fly' through enemy formations and munitions, versus doing quick, bird-like movements. I don't like that latter, but have accepted that it gets the job one better.
> Its really not a good idea, and certainly, if you really
> like to play the game, then you will just pickup a cheap
> analog controller. Even if its a $12 gameplay with analog
> thumb pads.
>
> Imagine this:
>
> You have to control a Marble with a Joytick. Both
> direction and speed need analog control... but you want
> to try to use a digital joystick.
>
> If you adjust the speed and direction to a low setting...
> you can control the marble well to navigate tight sharp
> turns without falling off the edges.
>
> But then how do you make the marble go fast suddenly, so
> that you can quickly escape the enemy that jumps right at
> you?
>
> If you adjust the setting for high speed, you can dodge
> things easily.. but when you get to the part of the game
> where you have to be very careful... you will be going too
> fast, and fly off the level over and over again.
>
> If you provide a set level of acceleration... it
> still does not help. If a wall was about to fall on you,
> and the acceleration ramp was too slow.. you could never
> escape the wall from crushing you.
>
> If the acceleration ramp was too quick, then you again
> have the problem of lacking fine control needed for tight
> and accurate steering & slow speeds.
>
> I know all this, because I was helping to develop a
> Marble Madness sequel. The programmer never could make
> the realization that Digital control in such a game was a
> stupid idea.
>
> I had designed a brilliant digital compromise, which would
> allow a player to use a button as sort of a virtual roll
> of the trackball. If you tapped the button rapidly, it
> would accelerate quickly. If you pulsed slowly, you stayed
> moving slowly. You were not allowed to hold the button
> down like a gas pedal, because that would again require an
> acceleration ramp. In my method, it was truly analog.
> Though of course never as accurate as a real trackball..
> and of course there was no real fix for missing steering
> detail. There was an idea for an analog steering simulation
> formula.. but it didnt work well in practice. (to be fair,
> the programmer didnt follow the design to spec, which might
> have at least made it at least acceptably decent)
>
> Anyways, as you can see.. controlling a Marble is
> no easy feat with a digital controller... and a game
> like marble madness is very easy compared to the Insane
> difficulty, speed, accuracy of a game like Sinistar.
> Even with perfect arcade controls, that game will Stomp
> all over you. (I think my best was 5th level, and that
> was a miracle to get there, for me)
Consider it high comedy....sincere tragedy....whatever...don't take it personally.
The Culture
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