Arcade Stick Vs Pad Debate

Yep, it's your preference. But, in life, my main mantra if it's not dangerous to you or others, "try it to find out." If you have any type of curiosity, there are cheap 360 or PS3 sticks out there- the cheaper Hori options are perfectly fine, then if you get the "aha moment" like me when I first played VF on a stick, then maybe you'll want something more durable. For me, a pad would be fine, but I am uncomfortable doing the "G+K" moves cause the "P" button was in the way. That was on a Saturn pad. I don't like using buttons that combine buttons cause it complicates things adding more buttons. I tried the PS pad and it was impossible for me.

That being said... and an epiphany just came over me- wouldn't it be nice to have a joypad on a base. A frankenstein joypad/push buttons bastard- having a joypad on a joystick... if that makes sense. A llittle more directional precision with the joypad, while keeping the ease of using your fingers for the action buttons. Hmmmmmm.....

 

I have both but im way more comfortable using the pad. It feels more comfortable and I can still pull off all the inputs. I switch between both to keep it interesting. I get demolished when I use the stick .

 

you don't say... you should face me later this week. STICK ONLY.

 

I bumped into a few people last night over Live on really low numbers who said they were struggling with some things (admittedly trying to play pretty complex characters like Akira). It's kinda tricky to type quick on there (ironically, using a stick), but they can pick up a decent stick from Amazon for just over £100, which will last for years, unless you go crazy with it.
I noticed on some replay inputs some guys are blatantly hitting things like straight P+K+G around 50 times a second, so clearly have some kind of binding. Seems a shame IMO as VF just feels so natural playing with 3 buttons, as it was clearly designed (well, apart from a brief Evade button blip hehe).
In fact, with a decent stick you get comfy with after a few weeks, the DLC outfits, and good network connections, this game really is the very definition of pure Japanese arcade gaming awesomeness!
I personally feel with the Capcom games, heavy on the 236236 motion and obviously the SRK (623), it can be more difficult to transition from pad to stick, if that's what you've used for years, but with VF... it's just a blast with something like a Sanwa JLF and big, sensitive buttons up front, it really is.

 

I'm a pad player since SF2 in prehistory (if Time starts with SF2) but have thought about the best confiq several times. VF2 on Saturn had that "A=block B=punch C=kick" and combination buttons and I have used them since. That DC/PS pad with 4 buttons on front kinda cemented my preference for "down=G, left=P, up=K right=K+G" since Dreamcast VF3/DoA2. It made my jump to VF4 on PS2 really smooth too.

I have tried dropping comb buttons altogether as it does seem a bit n00bsy, but it's hard to change what I learned long ago.

I'm interested in learning the stick and I actually bought a Hori with all Sanwa parts (I'm pretty sure) a while ago but left it for my VF training stage friend who is really fed up with pad (Dual Shock ergonomics problem I hear). So my learning period is still a bit on hold.

I found bd and crouch bd really hard on stick and I consider them tough with pad too. In VF 5 FS button buffering makes some creative combinations nicely done too, so far perhaps only Aoi's new g-cancel K seems tough to me - sliding the hand from P to G to K+G feels very unnatural (square -> X -> O).

It's engouraging to hear other players have enjoyed playing with keyboard fine too. I liked VF2 on PC and have tinkered with VF3 too.