Pad Players Realm

Disclaimer: This is my opinion. All constructive comments / questions are welcome. This is not an argument against sticks, just a place for pad players to discuss style. Thanks /versus/images/graemlins/cool.gif

OK, I'm an avid pad player. Its a semi rare thing for Virtua fighters, but I think, and I'm sure all the pad players agree, that playing a pad well is an admirable and very pleasing. Everyone devlopes technique playing on a pad and I was wondering what technique everyone uses. My button layout is most relatable to Soul Calibur :

= Square
= Circle
= X
+ = Triangle
+ = R1
++ = R2

I play standard PS2 pad style. Surface buttons with thumb, shoulder buttons with Index finger. Being that direction inputs must be so accurately and quickly entered in vf I find I don't really use the left shoulder buttons much. (Which is different when i play tekken as you can really slack on direction inputs). Another thing you should notice about yourself is, do you use the insides or outside of the directional pad. My friend uses the inside and he has trouble modding CD move (i.e. ) I use the outside of the pad and I usually have no trouble doing CD inputs. I find inside d-pad style is good for doing movements.

What character do you use as a pad player?

I use Akira, and the difficulty level is stunning. Just to get it out of the way, I can't do + ( one frame) knee. I just can't. I'm sure there are pad players out there that can, I just can't. (Though I can do it on a stick no problem). It has to do a little with the layout of my buttons and the fact that pressure sensitive dual shocks have to be pressed at just the right pressure for it to do only one frame. If anyone has any idea's on high quality non pressure sensitive pads for the ps2 please pm me or post hehe.

Anyways. The main problem with Akira for pad players is modifying moves, Double palm, Shoulder ram, etc etc. My advice for those having trouble modifying akira's moves is 1) Find out if you're using the inside or outsides of the D-pad. Try to use the outsides. 2) First work on doing the moves very slowly, then as fast as possible. 3) I know this may sound funny but, grow your thumb nail. I noticed that growing my thumb nail increased my percision on the pad 10 fold. 4) Patience is the key, as everyone should know. I do Akira's tactics advice at a rate of one per week. I'm nearly done with all the ones that deal with everything besides the knee. I'm still having problems with
+ --> --> + . But with time I will eventually get it.

Reversing is awesomely easy on a pad. Just +triangle . As opposed to two buttons on the joystick. I know, it sounds a little minute but little conviences like that which make it worth getting better to at.

Another syle of pad players is using the d-pad with your thumb and the Triangle, Square, Circle, X
with your index, middle, and ring finger (da three middle ones hehe). I wish i had a pic of how it looks because it sounds wierd to discribe. Now I've seen this a lot for tekken (sometimes I switch back and forth pending on what charry I am using) and very little for VF. For VF, I find this style very difficult due to the lack of space between the buttons. Also, the commands have to be entered much to fast with most characters for me to be effective with this style. But if you play this style, tell me the upside to it.

Lastly, if your a pad player, (as many of us Americans are) relish the fact. Pad players that are nasty get much respect. Don't be afraid to try a joystick for a week or two though. Its always good to be somewhat compitent on a stick just incase you wanna be confident in an arcade setting.

 

well as much as id like to use sticks for VF i cant dammit, feels unatural, so here's my layout,

=triangle
=Circle
=X
+=Square

L1=+
L2=++

R1=+
R2=+

but i mostly try to play using only the three main buttons, ,, so as to not get wupped at an arcade or not having the extra buttons. I use Goh mostly, Brad, and Shun.

For all moves, i like to use the inside, but for the big input moves like Goh's + i use the outside. I changed the d pad's buttons to a special made gel ones, so the go in better, and are less harsh on the fingers. My friend is a stick maker so he knows how to adapt things. he also fixed my buttons so that now i can do the 1 frame moves like the akira knee you were talking about easier.

Pads are better in a way because i feel that moving around the screen and inputting commands is a little easier on the pad. Id have to say if i was forced to play on a stick, id lose more often than on a pad.

just my little input.-DS

 

/versus/images/graemlins/grin.gif /versus/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

Takes time to get used to a stick, don't expect it to immideatly feel better. At first it's problems doing CD's and later on circles (specially 3/4 and etc) but once you get used to it (takes 2-3 weeks) you never want to go back. If you don''t want to play a stick cause you felt it didn't give you immidiate satisfaction I would recommend you to try it once again. Playing Brad on a pad (making slips/dodges) is beyond yucky but whatever makes you happy /versus/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

I played VF4 entierly with a pad. I did very well however as Akira and Jacko, with Jeff I became an emperor. But on Evo Im strictly using a stick. All my freinds however use pads. It limits your options more than you understand. Here are some of our personal matches http://www.crystalbargains.com/ /versus/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

well im gonna try to use stick straight for 2 weeks and see if i get better with it, if no than pad for me, btw, very nice matches. enjoyed them.

 

/versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gifLoL two post about pads and out come the stickies! /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I've played with a stick to the point where I was pretty good at it. Somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks. I can do pretty much anything on a stick, but being able to execute them in intense battle is much different. When it comes to movement, persicion and overall enjoyability I likes me Dual Shock more than any stick I've tried.

But as I've stated before, this thread wasn't meant to be an argument against sticks, just a place to discuss pad users technique.

To DarkSparda : About the gel buttons tell me more! PM or Post what you did to change the buttons and if you got a camera or something post a pic of it!

 

Simply put, when I play on pad, I don't have any trouble with moves with the default settings for Evo. X= Circle= Square= R1=+ R2=+ L1=+ L2=++. you use your right thumb for the X Square, and Circle buttons, and your left thumb for the directions. Your left index finger on L1, left middle finger on L2, right index on R1, right middle finger on R2 you can pull anything off with this (aside from Akira's knee), including dragon lance combo and modified dbplm. All you need is practice, you can adapt to basically any setting for pad.

 

Vith_Dos, about the gel pad, its simply the pad buttons in a blue, hardened gel , like you know those mouse pads for the comp with that fat gel pack so you can rest your wrist? well, its like that but a little harder. my friend installed it for me, but he's on vacation. so if you cloud PM me in a week so you could remind me to ask him where he got it so i could send you one, he gets em free, so i'll send you one free too. no prob.also, sticks just dont work for me in VF, and I'm proud of how good im doing, so ima stick to it. maybe i'll be like Ohs.Akira one day /versus/images/graemlins/wink.gif ]

Sorry but im not comp literate and have no idea how to take a pic of it, and dont have the equipment too.

 

I can totally play on the pad with just the four face buttons for Tekken but I just cant do the same with VF.
I dunno, I just find it really tight to squeeze all three fingers on the SQUARE, TRI and CIRCLE buttons and it feels too weird using just two.

Thats why I set up my pad this way. It suits me really well:

Square = Guard
R1 = Punch
R2 = Kick

This way, I can press all the buttons in any combination required and I can do it really fast too.

My main complaint with the pad for me is doing back dashes and crouch back dashes. My thumb just doesnt seem to have the muscle to do those really fast. Hence, Akira is out of the question for me as long as I am using the pad. My main guy is Lei. I find it a lot easier to change stances with him using the aforementioned three-finger set up. Plus with the way I play him, I dont really do too many backdashes and whatnot. I know I should, but I dont really have to.

Now if only I can find a good stick where I live...

 

This has been my config since VF4:

=triangle
+ =Circle
=X
=Square

L1=+
L2=+

R1=+
R2=++

My Akira as shaky like a glass of scotch, but I can cope perfectly with others. It´s easy to do anything after a while. /versus/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

I can do Akira combos with a pad, but I cant do stance switching(dances) with Lei! I mess up every time. I dont know why is that, switching between more than three stances is impossible for me.
Also I cant do Wolf´s PGS from 2P side, but its perfect in 1P side, I dont understand this.
I use default buttons.

 

I play default pad settings - even though they suck for moves like Vanessa's slide moves, where you have to hold down a button and press another and whatnot. And I prefer a stick, but I play pad. Reasons being, the times I'm over at my friends', it's usually an impromptu occasion, and there's usually no stick available, nor the time to fuss with button configs when playing with a bunch of people.

Anyway, I don't have a problem with CD modifying, but I find the SF shotokan moves somewhat hard to do on a pad (namely, dragon punch, and qcf). I do these moves without a thought on a stick, but on a pad, I can't do Kage's dp, or Shun's chowuan reliablely. It really sucks. /versus/images/graemlins/frown.gif Oddly enough, I don't seem to have a problem with HCFs or 270s. Oh, the mysteries. Come to think of it, I have trouble with b,ff moves, too (e.g., Akira's backcheck, Jeff's backbreaker). I have no problems with these moves on a stick, so I think it's a speed issue. I just can't seem to enter commands fast enough on a pad- e.g., I can't do Akuma's raging demon for my life on a pad, but on a stick, it's a cinch. On the same token, I'll never be able to do Akira's combos on a pad. /versus/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Oh and for some reason, I never use the L1 p+g button. I just press the p+g together with my thumb. Not sure why I do this.

 

hah! didnt think anyone else did this. it makes perfect sense now... i cant believe i didnt think of it sooner... but i guess it just doesnt seem like the shoulder buttons would be comfortable. they arent, when yer trying to use all 4 top buttons.. but if you dont have to move yer thumb around, its great. i started using this config when i broke my elbow, and it hurt to use the flat buttons on a stick. now its the only way to play on a pad.

[] =
R1 =
R2 =

HIGHLY reccomended. your fingers stay in 1 place, which is as it should be. they stay in the same place they should be on an arcade machine, which means no confusing your fingers when you go to a stick.

 

I've always wanted to play with a pad, but hey, the change would have SOME getting used to. Devil 7om has played alot of Street fighter vs Xmen with a pad and recomends it for playing in every fighting game with hqc or 270 movement, but I really dont have much difficulty doing any move with a d-pad...excluding akira's knee /versus/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

Agios : About doing try the two different thumb positions, outside and inside, and see which works best for you. In VF Circular command imputs (shotokan you called them) Have to be entered at about the same speed . so the imput time betweeb and and etc would have to be approx the same. Its all about smoothness when you enter them, not really speed. Once you get the feel of the circular motions doing them as slow as possible , try to speed up your movements. It feels better on stick do to the easier motion.

Demon : What is set as?

Izha : Set to a shoulder button and then all you have to do to switch through Lei's stances is one button and a direction.

Tzgorr : Its all about the Akira Nail! Crouching dashes will suddenly feel a lot a better.

I've been doing some experimenting and I can get Akira's knee to work consistantly now. The only problem is that my hands are in much different position than I can play VF in : Using the middle and index fingers. Bleh. Not too useful for me ingame .

 

sorry, theres no 'square' icon here so i faked it with [] ... figured it looked good enough. =]

guard is set to square, the same button on top of the PS2 controller that its set to by default, in control type A. this gives it the added benefit of being compatible with anyone who uses 3 buttons on top of the pad... i have a few less hardcore friends who do that, and i used to do it myself whenever i had to play on a pad.

the only change from type A default controls is the 2 right shoulder buttons.

[] (square) =
R1 =
R2 =

which leaves

X and (triangle) =
O =

... and then whatever the left shoulder buttons do.

 

Shoulder buttons are for sissies! /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

Thats your own opinion. Most pad players use the shoulder buttons. makes it easier since the buttons arent big enough to press together w/o it being annoying.

 

i use the standard scheme. and i use the shoulder buttons. i find it a lot easier. i wanna try that R2 = K, R1 = P, [] = G tho.