Please fix the Centipede controls

[Daws]

Okay, so I have tried and tried to get the controls for the arcade version of Centipede to get close to what I am use to on my actual Centipede arcade.... And I promise this is not just a case of unreasonable expectations...

I have tried the mouse settings, bought a trackball, and even the steam controller... I have played around with everything.. all the settings I can think of... No luck not even close.

It is clear that the emulation is attempting to copy what the arcade trackball does when you spin the ball and just let go... This is an unnecessary gimmick... In the real arcade game the trackball stops when you stop it and goes to where you want it without any noticeable acceleration or lag... Arcade players who know anything about good gameplay never ever try to play the game by just rolling the trackball letting it roll around. In the real game the trackball does not continue on... continue to slightly roll or follow behind where the player wants the controller to end up... or accelerate... or any other nonsense....

Even MAME versions get this right...even the real 2600 version is pretty good...

So why in 2016 can we not get a decent emulated version of this game on Steam???

Am I missing something, is there some control adjustment that allows for precise curser movement without acceleration or follow behind???

I love this game its the reason I bought Atari Vault... But I must say that the current control setting are beyond disappointing...

[Tempest]

Trackball control for Millipede and Missile Command have also been imprecise since launch. I have given up and just play these on a different emulator, which like you stated recreates the trackball controls perfectly. On the other hand, trackball control for Tempest on Atari Vault is perfect, except that it is reversed during level selection.

[TomatoMan]

That's too bad - I'd like to buy this, mainly for arcade Missile Command and Centipede. If trackball emulation made it work just like a mouse on the desktop, I'd be in, but it has to be completely smooth. If the cursor has momentum or tracking isn't instantaneous and precise, not trying to emulate spin or anything else, it won't work for me. :(

[Code Mystics]

Originally posted by TomatoMan:

That's too bad - I'd like to buy this, mainly for arcade Missile Command and Centipede. If trackball emulation made it work just like a mouse on the desktop, I'd be in, but it has to be completely smooth. If the cursor has momentum or tracking isn't instantaneous and precise, not trying to emulate spin or anything else, it won't work for me. :(

There is a "Follow Mouse" mode which will move the target to exactly where you put your mouse cursor. Those who are having issues with the controls are primarily having trouble with genuine trackballs because of the accommodations made to improve the mouse experience.

[fluke]

Originally posted by CodeMystics:

Originally posted by TomatoMan:

That's too bad - I'd like to buy this, mainly for arcade Missile Command and Centipede. If trackball emulation made it work just like a mouse on the desktop, I'd be in, but it has to be completely smooth. If the cursor has momentum or tracking isn't instantaneous and precise, not trying to emulate spin or anything else, it won't work for me. :(

There is a "Follow Mouse" mode which will move the target to exactly where you put your mouse cursor. Those who are having issues with the controls are primarily having trouble with genuine trackballs because of the accommodations made to improve the mouse experience.

The problem with this, is the lag in following, as it does what you state, follows the cursor. What the above people are arguing is that it shouldn't do that.

The player object should move with the mouse, and not follow the mouse.

[Tactics Precise]

I'm glad I read this thread. I wanted the legit Millipede trackball experience and apparently it isn't possible with this game. I'll pass on the purchase.

[fluke]

Originally posted by Tactics Precise:

I'm glad I read this thread. I wanted the legit Millipede trackball experience and apparently it isn't possible with this game. I'll pass on the purchase.

No, please purchase it, it really is a nice package despite the short-comings. I'm pretty sure Code-Mystics will listen and either add a new option for the mouse, or change the current ones.

[Code Mystics]

Originally posted by Luke Nukem:

Originally posted by CodeMystics:

There is a "Follow Mouse" mode which will move the target to exactly where you put your mouse cursor. Those who are having issues with the controls are primarily having trouble with genuine trackballs because of the accommodations made to improve the mouse experience.

The problem with this, is the lag in following, as it does what you state, follows the cursor. What the above people are arguing is that it shouldn't do that.

The player object should move with the mouse, and not follow the mouse.

As has been stated elsewhere, these are the original arcade games. The lag in the target/shooter movement is true to the way the arcade games worked. If you spun the trackball faster, the shooter did not move faster. In fact, it would sometimes alias (shudder/shake) instead of moving. So, the controls are trying to stay true to the arcade, minus the malfunctions. To be able to move faster than the original game allowed would both change the play balance and the logic.

[fluke]

Originally posted by CodeMystics:

Originally posted by Luke Nukem:

The problem with this, is the lag in following, as it does what you state, follows the cursor. What the above people are arguing is that it shouldn't do that.

The player object should move with the mouse, and not follow the mouse.

As has been stated elsewhere, these are the original arcade games. The lag in the target/shooter movement is true to the way the arcade games worked. If you spun the trackball faster, the shooter did not move faster. In fact, it would sometimes alias (shudder/shake) instead of moving. So, the controls are trying to stay true to the arcade, minus the malfunctions. To be able to move faster than the original game allowed would both change the play balance and the logic.

You say this, but the two modes contradict you.

1: Follow mouse; This is an awkward mode, though I can see the logic of it, it absolutely does not translate very well to the methods of control we have available. It honestly feels like it should be direct mouse input, but with a setting for max//min speed.

2: Trakball; this feels better, as it feels like direct mouse input. And we can adjust the speed of it. The problem is, however, the run-on. Which is quite frankly a bit infuriating.

I'm all too aware of the alias you speak of. Many times in Tempest I've spun the spinner fast to try and *skip* a monster. BUT! I still had precise control. Same with Centipede.

Either add a method of input similar to direct mouse input, or drop the "roll-on" that comes with the "Trakball" mode (as the OP stated, we can still stop the actual trakball/spinner with our hands). If it's an issue for multiplayer, then add a new mode for single player an lock it out for multiplayer.

Please!
This is one of those situations where yes, we appreciate the effort to try and provide an authentic gameplay experience, but the problem is it just doesn't translate well.

[TomatoMan]

The weight of the trackball in the full-sized arcade version of Missile Command made precise control difficult for me - though it's true that if you spun it fast enough, you could make the cursor go backwards, and that was kind of cool. But the Centipede trackball was much lighter and much easier to be extremely precise with. It would be really frustrating if there was a perceivable lag in a "follow cursor" mode. I get that they have to emulate an analog control, and that's difficult, but if I can't put the cursor right where I want it very quickly, I"ll play it once and then quit. I wish there were a demo or test mode where we could test-drive it first.

[Tactics Precise]

Same here. A demo would be perfect.I have wanted the true arcade Millipede experience for eons. Fellow 'Peders remember what it is like to be in the zone with this game, and it simply will not work with some emulated scheme.

I'd buy this title and a trackball in a heartbeat if it were guaranteed to replicate that awesome experience. No other game on the list excites me as much as Millipede.

The only thing I don't understand is, why does it have to be either/or when it comes to the controls? Simply add as many optional control setups as necessary, then everyone is happy.

[pond skim]

I just came here to see if this was as much as much of an issue as some of the reviews made it out to be, and I take it the answer is yes? And that the devs consider this to be officially a non-problem? Ouch.

[fluke]

Originally posted by David778899:

I just came here to see if this was as much as much of an issue as some of the reviews made it out to be, and I take it the answer is yes? And that the devs consider this to be officially a non-problem? Ouch.

I'm really, really hoping that they change their mind on that. As it stands, the currents schemes while being authentic (somewhat), are also not fun!

[Code Mystics]

Originally posted by Tactics Precise:

The only thing I don't understand is, why does it have to be either/or when it comes to the controls? Simply add as many optional control setups as necessary, then everyone is happy.

This is not simply a control tweak people are asking for. They are implicitly asking for the game play balance to change, and that's not something emulations do. It's come up several times so we don't always repeat the full explanation every time, but another aspect of it is that the shooter in Centipede can only travel no more than 8 pixels per frame because if it could jump more than 8 in a single frame it could "teleport" through the mushrooms... the original arcade code does not permit the shooter to move that fast, and does not support collision interpolation. Centipede's controls had a sluggishness to them and the game was balanced for this. Yes, we could make a new Centipede that did it differently, but that would not be arcade Centipede and it would definitely not be an emulation.

[Tactics Precise]

I think you misunderstand. For myself, I am not asking for a unique input. I just want authentic trackball controls to work like it did back in the day. If the old scheme had limitations, no problem, keep 'em in.

It's just that I'm reading here that you guys chose to program some custom alternative scheme, which scares me off. You yourself said it has "accommodations made to improve the mouse experience."

So my suggestion is leave what you've done in the game, and simply add an optional, pure trackball control perfectly emulating the old Centipede/Millipede arcade controls.

[TomatoMan]

Could you make a demo available that would allow people to try it out with their hardware and feel how it performs? If it felt OK, I would buy it in a heartbeat, but if not, I would never play it and it would be wasted money.

(Point taken on Centipede, in that there are obstacles (mushrooms) that the cursor interacts with, but Missile Command has no obstacles; the cursor should be able to move freely on the screen, like an ordinary mouse pointer. If the cursor is slow to follow the mouse, or skids past it when it stops, the game won't be playable.)