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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