Mame expertise sought - Joystick sensitivity

[darkmenace]

Hi all

The following is not really a LB/BB issue, but hoping anyone in the community who may have some answers might provide me with some guidance.

I have a Windows PC running Bigbox 13.1 (latest) for my arcade machine. BB aside, I find in Mame (Any version) my joysticks aren't sensitive enough for the Mortal Kombat series (very hard to do basic combos). I did upgrade the PC and the joysticks from Sanwa JLF knock offs to the real deal. The machine uses an Ultimarc IPAC2 encoder.

I watched the below short video on youtube but it didn't help me as there were no sensitivity options to adjust in Mame, per this video. I suspect the reason why I cant adjust the joystick sensitivity in mame is because Mame sees my joysticks as keyboard inputs. For example Up on the player 1 joystick equals UP arrow on the keyboard. Is there some other config needed to be able to treat the joystick as a joystick in mame and adjust sensitivity?

 

 

 

[Headrush69]

You are correct that the iPac is an issue, but also the joystick itself.

The Sanwa JLF is a digital joystick that uses micro switches so, they report either on or off. For true analog support you need that type of joystick (Xbox/PS2 controllers, flight stick, Ultimarc 360, etc)

You can play with the increment/decrement speed settings in the MAME in game menu (they are for digital inputs), and you MIGHT be able to improve things, but sometimes you just need an analog joystick for best experience in some games.

 

[darkmenace]

Thanks Headrush. Wish I'd know that before investing in the latest round of sticks, but thank you for the advice.

I'll have to do some further research now. When I was reading last time the common thoughts where the Sanwa JLF IIRC was the go to stick for fighters, but it seems that's not the case. I'll investigate the Ultimarc 360 and others.

[neil9000]

4 hours ago, darkmenace said:

When I was reading last time the common thoughts where the Sanwa JLF IIRC was the go to stick for fighters, but it seems that's not the case.

Digital sticks are good for fighters, thats what the real cabinets used, you dont really want analog sticks for those as its much easier to get wrong inputs as digital are 8 way, and analog are basically 360 way. Most arcade games never used analog joysticks either, thats more of a console thing once 3D games became a reality. So if you have a arcade cabinet and want to play arcade and console games on one stick, compromises would of had to of been made unless you added another joystick.

Edited February 11, 2023 by neil9000

[Headrush69]

3 hours ago, neil9000 said:

So if you have a arcade cabinet and want to play arcade and console games on one stick, compromises would of had to of been made unless you added another joystick.

That's the route I went.

Some games you just need proper analog. I use my cabinet for console emulation as well, so a couple of wireless XBOX 360s that hang on 3D printed mounts on the front. Simple, clean, unobtrusive and there when needed.

 

[darkmenace]

13 hours ago, neil9000 said:

Digital sticks are good for fighters, thats what the real cabinets used, you dont really want analog sticks for those as its much easier to get wrong inputs as digital are 8 way, and analog are basically 360 way. Most arcade games never used analog joysticks either, thats more of a console thing once 3D games became a reality. So if you have a arcade cabinet and want to play arcade and console games on one stick, compromises would of had to of been made unless you added another joystick.

Thanks Neil. Am I right in assuming then that getting the appropriate level of responsiveness from readily available digital sticks and using MAME is just never going to be good enough for playing games like Mortal Kombat 1-3 with moderately complex combo moves?

[Retro808]

11 hours ago, darkmenace said:

Thanks Neil. Am I right in assuming then that getting the appropriate level of responsiveness from readily available digital sticks and using MAME is just never going to be good enough for playing games like Mortal Kombat 1-3 with moderately complex combo moves?

Using a Sanwa or Happ style joystick (meaning a microswitch style joystick) is exactly what MK 1-3 were built around as arcade games. MK2 (at least in the US) used Happ style joysticks. So with the Sanwa you are using something that is well more than good enough. 

You said you upgraded to real Sanwa. Any chance you have a 4-way/8-way gate and installed it with the 4-way gate set up?

One way you can affect the feel/response of arcade sticks is changing the spring mounted in it. You can put a lighter or stiffer spring in and that will affect the playability.