I am curious, then; in what way is XFPS superior in any respect? You note that SmartJoy FRAG pre-sets did not work (I have not found this to be the case), but then just use one of the (12?) user-programmable key-set slots to do whatever you want. (is the XFPS user programmable?) "Compatibility issues"? Should I take this to mean that it did not work with your PS/2 mouse or keyboard? I have not yet found such a problem. (They use the same connector; could you have had them switched?)
I would be very interested to know if any keyboard+mouse adapter for the xbox addresses any of the factors mentioned in the grandparent post that would seem to prevent such a configuration from working effectively. It is conceivable that there might be a way to eliminate the mix/max threshold for stick input, but only if MS had intended to leave open the option of releasing their own such device at some point.
(first post to Slashdot, so apologies if i screw this up).
i feel obligated to say something here.
regarding these adapters for the xbox; the (first) thing that kills them on a console (that only has sticks) is that the maximum turn is limited. this is that the console believes the controller has sticks, which have a limited range. so, if you want to turn, the fastest you can turn is 'all the way'. this is unlike a mouse, which does not have this same restriction.
this makes it very frustrating for PC FPS games to make the transition to console using mouse+keyboard. its not a sensitivity issue.
in terms of halo, another significant factor knocks out the mouse+keyboard adapter for use on the xbox, is that the stick is simply much more natural for controlling vehicles. it makes sense to easily pull back on the stick to pull up the nose of the banshee or push left to turn the scorpion. it is very clumsy to do the same by repeatedly sweeping a mouse across a mousepad (further complicated by the maximum speed problem mentioned before).
if there is a sensitivity issue, it has to do with the dead-zones in the x and y axes in the stick. the gimbals in these controllers are not perfect; theres a little play on both x and y. in other words, you can move it very very slightly in different directions w/o it springing back. this is more apparent in cheaper controllers. some stick designs are very good at eliminating this (gimbals in R/C transmitters), but i have not seen a console controller that did not have play. so, games (or the hardware, but in the xbox, its the software) must compensate for this. this means that adapters must allow for a dead-zone, also. the result is a mouse control that not only has a maximum limit, but also has a minimum limit.
since ive gone on this far, ill go ahead and also note that stowing the controller means you also lack the vibration feedback that the game assumes all players feel. using a keyboard to move also means your movement is not analog (push a button to walk, not a variable stick).
i bought a mouse+keyboard adapter for my xbox, hooked up a wireless mouse and keyboard and programmed my familiar PC FPS keys. in some cases, the interface works well. but, id never try multiplayer with that handicap.
Slashdot Mirror
I am curious, then; in what way is XFPS superior in any respect?
You note that SmartJoy FRAG pre-sets did not work (I have not found this to be the case), but then just use one of the (12?) user-programmable key-set slots to do whatever you want. (is the XFPS user programmable?)
"Compatibility issues"? Should I take this to mean that it did not work with your PS/2 mouse or keyboard? I have not yet found such a problem. (They use the same connector; could you have had them switched?)
I would be very interested to know if any keyboard+mouse adapter for the xbox addresses any of the factors mentioned in the grandparent post that would seem to prevent such a configuration from working effectively.
It is conceivable that there might be a way to eliminate the mix/max threshold for stick input, but only if MS had intended to leave open the option of releasing their own such device at some point.
thoughts?
i feel obligated to say something here.
regarding these adapters for the xbox; the (first) thing that kills them on a console (that only has sticks) is that the maximum turn is limited. this is that the console believes the controller has sticks, which have a limited range. so, if you want to turn, the fastest you can turn is 'all the way'. this is unlike a mouse, which does not have this same restriction.
this makes it very frustrating for PC FPS games to make the transition to console using mouse+keyboard. its not a sensitivity issue.
in terms of halo, another significant factor knocks out the mouse+keyboard adapter for use on the xbox, is that the stick is simply much more natural for controlling vehicles. it makes sense to easily pull back on the stick to pull up the nose of the banshee or push left to turn the scorpion. it is very clumsy to do the same by repeatedly sweeping a mouse across a mousepad (further complicated by the maximum speed problem mentioned before).
if there is a sensitivity issue, it has to do with the dead-zones in the x and y axes in the stick. the gimbals in these controllers are not perfect; theres a little play on both x and y. in other words, you can move it very very slightly in different directions w/o it springing back. this is more apparent in cheaper controllers. some stick designs are very good at eliminating this (gimbals in R/C transmitters), but i have not seen a console controller that did not have play. so, games (or the hardware, but in the xbox, its the software) must compensate for this. this means that adapters must allow for a dead-zone, also. the result is a mouse control that not only has a maximum limit, but also has a minimum limit.
since ive gone on this far, ill go ahead and also note that stowing the controller means you also lack the vibration feedback that the game assumes all players feel. using a keyboard to move also means your movement is not analog (push a button to walk, not a variable stick).
i bought a mouse+keyboard adapter for my xbox, hooked up a wireless mouse and keyboard and programmed my familiar PC FPS keys. in some cases, the interface works well. but, id never try multiplayer with that handicap.
the adapter i used was a SmartJoy FRAG
http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=166&prod ucts_id=5438&
it does a good job at what it was designed to do. im not trying to sell the thing; visit the site if youre interseted.
much of this is just my limited understanding of things work. please correct me if im wrong.