Fingering

Do most people play with their thumb or index finger on the guard button? In Taiwan the buttons are set up with everyone playing with their thumb and first three fingers, but at the arcade at Indiana University the buttons are spaced in a way that makes you use you fingers w/o the thumb on a button. This seems fucking retarded since the thumb is the most dextrous appendage on the human body, but my friend plays that way. When I see him take his joystick and assume that position it so vexes me that I want to shove the joystick up his secret spot. Why is that cabinet set up that way and why does anyone play that way? It's all wrong I tell you.

 

In the US, arcade layouts have generally forced people to use index, middle, ring finger. While everywhere else has the standard (and imo best) configuration of thumb, index, ring.

To add more annoyance... VF1 and VF2 in the US have the buttons angled differently between player one and player two...

VF3 afaik was one of the few that didn't totally muck up the configuration.

-Chanchai

 

Wow! That's what I was afraid of. That is Lunacy! Will the U.S. Vf4 be that way? Jesus, I hope not. That is so retarded. I like my thumb. It's dexterity has been increased through years of Mario, Punchout, etc. Mt opposable thumb is also what separates me from my monkey cousins, among a few other things. No wonder people don't like Vf in America!

 

The US VF3 machines I've played allowed me to do thumb, index, middle... of course this was actually not so good for me, since I'm used to index, middle, ring for VF2 PC

 

A lesson in anatomy

Actually, your opposable thumb is what makes *more* related to your monkey cousins, but separates you from being a rodent or what not

I have found that there are many who really like using the index finger on guard. I started out that way, due to the symmetrical button layout on the original VF1 machines. It carried over to VF2 and it wasn't until I played saturn VF2 on really good homemade sticks that I switched to my thumb.

For VF2 especially, using your thumb lets you do senbon punches properly. There's anatomical reason for that, too. It's virtually impossible to do senbon nokku (perfect infinite senbon) using your index, middle and ring finger. Reason being is that all three of those fingers are moved using the same muscle in your forearm: extensor digitorum (ED) to lift and flexor digitorum (FD) to tap down.
Your thumb is conveniently separate from muscular workings of the index, middle and ring finger. It's governed by extensor pollicis longus (EPL) for extension and flexor pollicis longus (FPL) for flexion.

So, to tap P,K,G in rapid succession using your index, middle and ring fingers, you must quickly flex and reflex ED and FD continously and it's nigh impossible to do this. One can practice, develop the appropriate neural pathways, but it's pretty tough and takes a loooong time. It's much easier to flex FPL, flex FD twice and repeat because you're using more individual muscles.

Try this: with your palm flat on a table, tap you index as fast as you can. Now tap your thumb and index alternately in comparison. The majority of people will notice that alternate tapping of you thumb and index finger is light years faster than repeated index taps. This is because of multiple muscle recruitment. Cool, huh?

Anyway, back to the VF cabinets and button layout. From an ergonomic perspective, the button alignment on a VF3 machine makes much more sense. It's advantageous to use your thumb, index, middle but there are many who have a habit of index finger on guard.

Since Naomi2 is jamma compatible, many arcade operators will put VF4 into an existing cabinet. So, go to arcade operator and let them know in advance what's a comfortable button layout and what's not.

Sorry for the anatomy lesson - I've always thought it to be somewhat interesting - thought I'd share

cheers,

<font color=white>Llanfair</font color=white>
<font color=orange>Booyah daddy mac! I'm stylin!</font color=orange>

 

US VF4 is dependent on what cabinet individual arcade managers decide to install their kits in...
Sega of America will decide on the layout for the dedicated cabinets... they'll probably screw us again. Although VF3 was OK IMO. (I've always played with index-middle-ring and used my pinky to E in VF3)

--
"VF is the resonance AND the wonder." GodEater

 

i don't think there is anything wrong with using your index finger as guard and etc.

i USED to do thumb on guard but switched to index on guard just cuz it feels better. yes i do think thumb on guard is better but i still prefer index middle and ring finger. the way i play is that i usually rest my wrist on the cabinet but when i do need to tap certain button combinations quickly i lift my wrist off the cabinet and snap my wrist up and down (i.e. this really helps me perform akira's knee).

i wouldn't call it a habit to use my index than my thumb.... it just depends on the individual.

"How many people wanna kick some a$$!!?? i Do! i Do!..." Stroke 9

 

The reason why it feels better for you to use index-middle-ring is because the button layout on the VF4test machine in SVGL (and likely in all VF4 machines in the US when they come out) is bastardized... everywhere else in the world, the buttons are positioned such that thumb-index-middle is the ideal layout. (Of course, I remember some outliers like Alan Tan in Singapore who used index-middle-ring, even on Japanese buttons.) My wrist always aches after 2-3 hours of play because of the nonstandard layout. /versus/images/icons/mad.gif

 

damn, and here I thought I would learn how to make my girlfriend spazz out better j/k

"Victory can be anticipated, but not assured" Sun-Tzu

 

yea chris i noticed you stretching out your wrist in between rounds. hmmmm not good. well i hope they either they do change the button layout or that your wrist will adapt with new flexibility soon . ; )

i actually started the Index-Middle-Ring way back when svgl had vf3 where the button lay out was the thumb-index-middle. i practiced on saturn with fighter's megamix and i got used to using the saturn vf stick with just the bottom three buttons.

"How many people wanna kick some a$$!!?? i Do! i Do!..." Stroke 9