Some controller help please....

[past caring]

Hello people, just got the game yesterday.....

Ok, to begin with, this isn't one of those numpty threads "How do I make bowling work plz!!. Wot iz the mark on the ball for?!! it isnt in the manual coz I don't have a manual coz I got a hacked copy of the game....."

Nope. What it is, is that I am finding bowling really bloody difficult because I cannot get enough control over the marker that determines where the ball pitches. I get line and length correct no more than 50% of the time because either the marker moves too slowly or simply bounces away from where I want it. This is on "easy".

So the question is this - have people found any real difference using different types of controllers? I can't get along with the keyboard, but what I have got is a Saitek Evo joystick.

Now, it's a good joystick, but it's really designed for flight sims - there's a fair amount of "dead area" built into the thing, so that it doesn't send the plane all over the sky at the merest twitch (unfortunately, whilst it's possible to calibrate the amount of "slack" or "dead area" in an actual flight sim, it can't be done indepndently. The stick also has a 8-way hat button, but it isn't possible to use this as a substitute, as far as I can tell).

And I'm thinking that this could be the problem - it just isn't responsive enough to get the pitch/line and length right. I spent about 2-3 hours in the nets, btw. Whilst batting isn't quite as bad, it too isn't as responsive as I'd like.....

So, I've got two questions;

a) Am I going to notice a difference with a joy-pad or is this "just the way the game is"

b) If a game-pad is going to be better, is it best to get a pad with just a D pad and buttons - or one with a couple of those mini joysticks?

Cheers.

 

[brad352]

b) If a game-pad is going to be better, is it best to get a pad with just a D pad and buttons - or one with a couple of those mini joysticks?

I have a dual analog gamepad (two mini joysticks) and I just use the D-pad to control everything (shots/ bowling cursor)
I don't have any problems controlling the cursor, it goes very close to where I want more often than not
There's no real point spending a lot more for the analog sticks, the D-pad is probably a better option anyway

 

[past caring]

Nice one chief - cheers for the quick reply

 

[voldemort]

well you can bowl with a steering wheel too.

 

[duffarama]

Bowling with a steering wheel is much flimsier though and very hard to control.

 

[past caring]

Nah, it's ok. Got a cheapie gamepad - only a fiver - does the job fine. Thing before was that for every "proper" run I was giving away, the opposition would score three times as many in byes. Gamepad has put an end to that - all I have to do now is actually get the b*st*r*s out. :o

Just wondering - 'cos I fancied playing tournaments/seasons from the get-go, I started with the the line-up fix patch. But I've also used Sam's cursor patch - so there shouldn't be any difference in the actual gameplay, right? I haven't done something to actually make it harder for myself?

It's just that I can only seem to get anyone out with spin - fast and medium fast I've yet to take a wicket.....

 

[duffarama]

You should try bowling on 'hard', it is much easier as many people have found out.

 

[past caring]

Hmmm - well, what you're saying flies in the face of logic.........but it appears to be correct. Had a little try-out with your suggestion this a.m. before coming to work and it was certainly easier to get a good line and length. I also noticed more movement in the air from my swing bowlers and sharper turn from my spinners.....wierd.

Only had time to bowl about eight overs though, so it's not exactly an empirical test - but it does seem you're right.

Thanks again.

BTW - do you/does anyone know of any kind of resource/FAQ where this kind of useful information is gathered together in one place?

It might save you from having to answer my stupid questions, too.....

 

[brad352]

Just search the forum, everything's been answered before

 

[past caring]

Originally posted by brad352
Just search the forum, everything's been answered before

I'm sure it has. However, a search for;

"tactics guide"
"tactics and guide"
"strategy guide"
"strategy and guide"
"newbie guide"
"newbie and guide"

yields no results......

I don't want to keep asking a load of questions that have been asked and answered before. I've been in that situation myself with other games I've played - I know that, with the best will in the world, answering newbie's questions can be a bit tiresome.*

Which is precisely why I was asking if the kind of useful but far from obvious info such as that on "hard" bowling that duffarama offered had been compiled into one post/thread.

*You could have said "no", you could have said "I don't know" - you could even have said nothing at all as you had nothing useful to add........because I take the view, even when it is "tiresome", that it's a good idea to help newbies, particularly when they are enquiring politely - all gaming communities need to encourage new members to participate.

Of course, I might not have had to ask at all if v-bulletin's search funtion wasn't such a piece of crap.

 

[brad352]

*You could have said "no", you could have said "I don't know" - you could even have said nothing at all as you had nothing useful to add........because I take the view, even when it is "tiresome", that it's a good idea to help newbies, particularly when they are enquiring politely - all gaming communities need to encourage new members to participate.

If you take a look around you'll see that a lot of the time I have been the one answering everyone's questions, and you're right- it does get tiresome at times but I try to help whenever I can

do you/does anyone know of any kind of resource/FAQ where this kind of useful information is gathered together in one place?

Perfect definition of a forum- all of the information you need is here, however:

I might not have had to ask at all if v-bulletin's search funtion wasn't such a piece of crap

That I can totally agree with, my only suggestion would be to use specific words or phrases (for example, bowling tips) rather than general stuff like strategy guide.

Now that might sound like I'm having a go at you, but in fact in some ways I totally agree- one guide would be a lot more efficient and give people quicker answers to their questions, but it's a lot of work to collect every bit of information into one place, and even then a large percentage of people (the ones you described in your first post) wouldn't even bother to look at it and would just post question threads anyway.

Even though the search function is pretty dodgy to say the least, a search with the right terms usually turns up the results you want. If it doesn't, then just ask- it might take a while but you'll get the answer at some point. The thing which does annoy most people is when people don't even bother to look for themselves before they post, for example the 20 odd threads we had asking why their game wouldn't resume (a search for resume turns up 37 results btw)

 

[past caring]

Originally posted by brad352
If you take a look around you'll see that a lot of the time I have been the one answering everyone's questions, and you're right- it does get tiresome at times but I try to help whenever I can

Fair enough - you helped me out earlier. I'd rather not get off on the wrong foot - in fact I was going to edit out some of the more snippy comments from my earlier post. Trouble is, the internet connection at work is up and down like a whore's draws - and by the time I got back on line, you'd already quoted me.....:o

Now that might sound like I'm having a go at you, but in fact in some ways I totally agree- one guide would be a lot more efficient and give people quicker answers to their questions, but it's a lot of work to collect every bit of information into one place,

Agreed (on the hard work thing) - but who knows, if I stick around, I might even offer to help compile it....
As it goes - and baring in mind that having just walked in the door, so to speak, I'm reluctant to tell my granny how to suck eggs - I do know of a couple of relatively straightforward/painless methods of compiling a useful guide......let me know if you're interested.

and even then a large percentage of people (the ones you described in your first post) wouldn't even bother to look at it and would just post question threads anyway.

Absolutely. But with that kind of FAQ in place, you can tell those numpties to f**k off and feel entirely vindictated.......

 

[brad352]

Agreed (on the hard work thing) - but who knows, if I stick around, I might even offer to help compile it....
As it goes - and baring in mind that having just walked in the door, so to speak, I'm reluctant to tell my granny how to suck eggs - I do know of a couple of relatively straightforward/painless methods of compiling a useful guide......let me know if you're interested.

Yeah, I'd be interested- PM me if you want to talk further, this really doesn't have anything to do with controllers

Oh, and congratulations on being one of the few people around here that knows how to type properly

 

[duffarama]

I know how to type properly too, another one of the few.

 

[barmyarmy]

i d Oes toe