Excavator controls are bloody awful

[~* BiZZ Keryear *~]

The controls of the Excavator are bloody awful. They are slow inprecise and a pain in the butt.
For a thing this late game ... it should be better, faster and more precise than working with a shovel!
Having only two axis dosn't improve control either!
Here is my suggestion how to improve that.

1. Keep the switch between driving and digging, but when switching back to driving put the arm back to the rest position.
   
2. When In digging mode use the mouse to move the arm left/right and up/down, and keys e.g. A and D for moving the arm back and forth, while then W and S is moving the whole machine back and forth.

[March]

Better yet. Mouse look for arm activity, WASD for movement. No need for mode switch.

[~* BiZZ Keryear *~]

Originally posted by Aloriel Lelyn:

Nah, bad idea. because you want to move the arm at least in 3 axis but "mouse look" only for arm control only gives you two ... unless you incoroperate mousewheel.

[Hakgova]

After playing with it for a while, I like the controls as they are. Perhaps a variety of control configs might be a better solution.

[~* BiZZ Keryear *~]

Originally posted by Hakgova:

After playing with it for a while, I like the controls as they are. Perhaps a variety of control configs might be a better solution.

I can't argue on the things you like or dislike, but all I say that it could so much better ... and a control config wouldn't cut it since what I purpose would mean a complete change the whole control system.
I might be not seeing things, but I think they are exclude each other.

[Hakgova]

Originally posted by ~* BiZZ Keryear *~:

Originally posted by Hakgova:

After playing with it for a while, I like the controls as they are. Perhaps a variety of control configs might be a better solution.

I can't argue on the things you like or dislike, but all I say that it could so much better ... and a control config wouldn't cut it since what I purpose would mean a complete change the whole control system.
I might be not seeing things, but I think they are exclude each other.

Actually, what I said would work. You listed one control config preference which could be assigned and I mentioned the default which also could be assigned. Best of both worlds at that point.

[~* BiZZ Keryear *~]

Originally posted by Hakgova:

Originally posted by ~* BiZZ Keryear *~:

I can't argue on the things you like or dislike, but all I say that it could so much better ... and a control config wouldn't cut it since what I purpose would mean a complete change the whole control system.
I might be not seeing things, but I think they are exclude each other.

Actually, what I said would work. You listed one control config preference which could be assigned and I mentioned the default which also could be assigned. Best of both worlds at that point.

No, it won't. Since my suggestion would have 2 degrees of freedom more than it has now

[zytukin]

That doesn't matter. Those additional two degrees could simply not be bound to anything in the default controls.

Having identacal controllable degrees of movement isn't a requirement of having different control configurations.

[~* BiZZ Keryear *~]

Originally posted by zytukin:

That doesn't matter. Those additional two degrees could simply not be bound to anything in the default controls.

Having identacal controllable degrees of movement isn't a requirement of having different control configurations.

Resurrecting a dead thread, huh?
Anyway my would only require a better default control scheme. It isn't that you can drive the excavator anyway while moving the arm ... or at least you wasn't able to when I posted it.
(We also have now the ... skid? ... which is better ... though, still not fun)

[zytukin]

Would you rather me have posted a new topic instead of replying to this one? Or would you then have mentioned about the search option? :P

Honestly though I didn't realize the last reply was in April. I'm on my cell phone and forgot I went back a page or two while reading through the topic.

I do agree that being able to move while digging would be great. Although it's small capacity can easily get filled pretty fast when digging anywhere more then a few blocks tall

[~* BiZZ Keryear *~]

Well, I just thought the thread is dead for a reason.
I said what I think about. Everyone else seems to have a different opinion (from mine).
Thing is I would like to be able to use the machine like I wrote it, everyone else thinks my idea is awful and the default is fine ... while I feel like I am going to break my arms and fingers by using it ... or playing surgeon simulator ...