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Forums - Gaming Discussion - Do the Dualshock 2 analog sticks register more than 2 degrees of pressure?

DMeisterJ on 24 June 2008
ItsaMii said:
RolStoppable said:

Just as a reminder: This topic isn't about whether or not you have a problem with the Dualshock 2 controller, I am asking if someone knows about any games that register more than two degrees of pressure on the analog sticks to clarify if the Dualshock 2 is even capable of that.

Is it ok to whine about the times I wanted to run and the game registered as I was pressing L3? The thing is that the analog must be very far from the center to run and when you push it a little harder than normal you usually press L3 as you run. The problem is more common with older controllers (the more you play the more the sticks loosen up). It is pretty annoying in the heat of the battle. In Bully, for example, L3 would make you look back. So whenever I was running away from someone I would press it a little harder and the character would look back and made me crash into a wall.

Well, I do that on the 360 controller all the time when playing Halo 3 and trying to snipe.  I go to move the stick quickly, as the target is moving, and I zoom in, or zoom out.  I don't think that it's a problem with the controller, but moreso a problem with not being able to properly convey what you actually want to do to your thumbs.  Cause if it's the controller's fault, then the 360 controller sucks.



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fazz on 24 June 2008

I makes me feel fuzzy in the inside to see all this disliking for the Dual Shock :D



Entroper on 24 June 2008
RolStoppable said:
Entroper said:
The lack of sensitivity is something that drives me nuts about the Dualshock 2. I first noticed it when playing the Super Monkey Ball collection. The level of control was absolutely HORRID compared to the Gamecube version of the game.

I am fairly certain that there are more than two degrees, but the resolution is pretty poor, and the "dead zone" is huge. If you pop in a Gran Turismo game, you should be able to move the stick and watch the telemetry respond to your movements.

So the analog sticks of the DS2 have more than two degrees, but because the resolution is so poor, most developers probably didn't bother to integrate more sensitive controls and restricted their games to just two degrees. Does that sound plausible?

 

That's possible, but I think it stems more from ease of programming than the controller itself.  It's easier to just set your state to run/walk than to bother with more complicated movements.  You'll notice that even in Mario 64, Mario only has a tiptoe, walking, and running animation, and nothing in between.  But at least they gave his movement speed more granularity!  Lesser developers spend less time tweaking the gameplay, and the controls are central to the gameplay.

 

EDIT: The other thing I hate about those sticks is that they're SLIPPERY AND CONVEX.  Look at the 360 analog sticks.  Notice that they're concave.  Your thumb fits into the little impression so it doesn't slide around.  Nintendo's analog sticks have ridges to give your thumb more grip.  The Playstation *insert incarnation here* controller has a micro-textured surface that provides much less "thumb adhesion" than its competitors.  Boo-hiss.

L2 and R2 on both the SIXAXIS and the Dualshock 3 are CONVEX as well.  The opposite of Nintendo/Microsoft's controllers, and the opposite of good.



http://entroper.no-ip.org

TWRoO on 24 June 2008

^there may only be 3 animations in SM64, but you can do each at different speeds (same as Banjo). So you can tiptoe slowly and then gradually tiptoe faster until you start walking.



Entroper on 24 June 2008
TWRoO said:
^there may only be 3 animations in SM64, but you can do each at different speeds (same as Banjo). So you can tiptoe slowly and then gradually tiptoe faster until you start walking.

 

Yes.  "But at least they gave his movement speed more granularity!" was meant to imply exactly that, sorry if I was unclear.



http://entroper.no-ip.org

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ItsaMii on 24 June 2008
DMeisterJ said:
ItsaMii said:
RolStoppable said:

Just as a reminder: This topic isn't about whether or not you have a problem with the Dualshock 2 controller, I am asking if someone knows about any games that register more than two degrees of pressure on the analog sticks to clarify if the Dualshock 2 is even capable of that.

Is it ok to whine about the times I wanted to run and the game registered as I was pressing L3? The thing is that the analog must be very far from the center to run and when you push it a little harder than normal you usually press L3 as you run. The problem is more common with older controllers (the more you play the more the sticks loosen up). It is pretty annoying in the heat of the battle. In Bully, for example, L3 would make you look back. So whenever I was running away from someone I would press it a little harder and the character would look back and made me crash into a wall.

Well, I do that on the 360 controller all the time when playing Halo 3 and trying to snipe.  I go to move the stick quickly, as the target is moving, and I zoom in, or zoom out.  I don't think that it's a problem with the controller, but moreso a problem with not being able to properly convey what you actually want to do to your thumbs.  Cause if it's the controller's fault, then the 360 controller sucks.

No, the DS2 sucks (and to a lesser degree, you suck at games). Pressing L3 accidently on the 360 controller is much harder than on the DS. The DS analogs are frail and loose, I can press R3 as fast as x and L3 almost as fast. To press L3 on the 360 you must put much more strenght than usual. You can`t press L3 or R3 on the 360 controller as fast as you can on the DS2. When playing PC games with a 360 controller I never pressed L3 without the intent to do so.

My objective is not to take pot shots at your favorite company. I am just stating that they make low quality controllers. I have a PS2 for more than 4 years (played more than 200 games) and I didn`t even got the DRE. However I had to buy 3 more controllers, the original broke, the second one is almost there, the 3rd is factory defective and the 4th is on the shelf almost ready to take its deceased brothers place.



Satan said:

"You are for ever angry, all you care about is intelligence, but I repeat again that I would give away all this superstellar life, all the ranks and honours, simply to be transformed into the soul of a merchant's wife weighing eighteen stone and set candles at God's shrine."

DMeisterJ on 24 June 2008
ItsaMii said:
DMeisterJ said:
ItsaMii said:
RolStoppable said:

Just as a reminder: This topic isn't about whether or not you have a problem with the Dualshock 2 controller, I am asking if someone knows about any games that register more than two degrees of pressure on the analog sticks to clarify if the Dualshock 2 is even capable of that.

Is it ok to whine about the times I wanted to run and the game registered as I was pressing L3? The thing is that the analog must be very far from the center to run and when you push it a little harder than normal you usually press L3 as you run. The problem is more common with older controllers (the more you play the more the sticks loosen up). It is pretty annoying in the heat of the battle. In Bully, for example, L3 would make you look back. So whenever I was running away from someone I would press it a little harder and the character would look back and made me crash into a wall.

Well, I do that on the 360 controller all the time when playing Halo 3 and trying to snipe.  I go to move the stick quickly, as the target is moving, and I zoom in, or zoom out.  I don't think that it's a problem with the controller, but moreso a problem with not being able to properly convey what you actually want to do to your thumbs.  Cause if it's the controller's fault, then the 360 controller sucks.

No, the DS2 sucks (and to a lesser degree, you suck at games). Pressing L3 accidently on the 360 controller is much harder than on the DS. The DS analogs are frail and loose, I can press R3 as fast as x and L3 almost as fast. To press L3 on the 360 you must put much more strenght than usual. You can`t press L3 or R3 on the 360 controller as fast as you can on the DS2. When playing PC games with a 360 controller I never pressed L3 without the intent to do so.

My objective is not to take pot shots at your favorite company. I am just stating that they make low quality controllers. I have a PS2 for more than 4 years (played more than 200 games) and I didn`t even got the DRE. However I had to buy 3 more controllers, the original broke, the second one is almost there, the 3rd is factory defective and the 4th is on the shelf almost ready to take its deceased brothers place.

Erm... We can have a conversation without you taking potshots at me.

I couldn't give two fucks if you were talking about any controller, I really don't care if you're talking about the DS2.  I was going to say that if you were still experiencing it with the 360 controller, then it has to do with your play-style.  As I did that alot on the DS2 controller also, zooming in on FPSs on accident, or clicking the button on accident.  Since it's still happening to me on the 360, I thought that it was my playstyle.

I'm able to have a conversation concerning somethign Sony related and not be biased toward them.  I think that the DS sucks compared to the 360, and the analog sticks are poorly placed.  I actually think that the 360 controller > DS3.  I just didn't get the analog stick argument.