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How do I fightstick?

Stuff

Stuff

The guy who says the thing you might not like
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After my pad decided to break I thought that I should try something new like a stick and I don't really know if there is a special to use these things. So I bought one and it'll show up around a week or so.
I'm not expecting to pick up the fightstick and have everything click and be a better player or anything and I'm sure that the transition will be difficult. So I figured since some people here do use a stick I would imagine that some people have their own style of play with a stick.

Things I would like to know:
Hand placement. (Where do my fingers go?)
How to hold the stick itself. (Do I hold from the balltop or should I cover the stick's side er actually I'm not sure that's a thing.)
Button mapping. (Do other players have a certain configuration that works for them? I'd really like to know!)

Things I may have missed:
Probably a lot.

I just thought that some advice from stick players could probably teach me faster than just figuring out on my own so your input would be greatly appreciated!
 
It just comes down to using it a lot and breaking the stick down to find a comfortable position, I find myself switching between 2 styles when I play fighting games.
 
Big thing you need to keep in mind when getting familiar with an arcade stick is that it takes a while to get used to and you should experiment. I started off holding the joystick like an american bat top, but that didn't get me far. After I tried out wineglass and modified it a bit to tailor to my hand, my execution ability skyrocketed. These are just guides, after all!
 
Kiyobi said:
Big thing you need to keep in mind when getting familiar with an arcade stick is that it takes a while to get used to and you should experiment.
This so much.

I don't want to make assumptions, but experience threads by new stick users shows that many people opt for a relatively cheap stick when they first make the transition. There's nothing wrong with that, but if this is the case and you dislike using your stick because it feels loose, imprecise or unresponsive, then keep in mind that the more expensive sticks do often yield a better experience.

And one last thing is that it often takes even very experienced pad players a reasonable amount of time to get their motions coming out consistently when they first start using a stick, so don't feel stupid just because you can't get your fireball motions to come out straight away.
 
A good idea is to play some other games on your stick, it will help you get used to it.
I played Castlevania: SotN on stick it was great. Also it uses a lot of FG motions for the spells.
 
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Standard button mapping most people use.
Works fine and you don't have to constantly configure the buttons at tournaments.
 
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I actually just got my first stick like a week or two ago. For hand placement, just figure out a way to hold it that's comfortable. Definitely look up some of the way other people hold their sticks, but don't say "Daigo holds it this way therefore I must conform!"
For the buttons, like with the stick, just do whatever feels comfortable/natural. There aren't really any standardized ways to hit the buttons, although I will say that I had some trouble with how sensitive the buttons are at first, you have to be pretty gentle not to push them when you rest your finger on them.
 
Oh well most of this has cleared up my preconceptions, thanks everyone!

I kinda forgot to also ask about restrictor gates but now that I know it's all based on comfort I'll have to wait to try it out.

There is one more thing I wanted to ask: If your palms sweat how do you deal with it?
 
Stuff said:
Oh well most of this has cleared up my preconceptions, thanks everyone!

I kinda forgot to also ask about restrictor gates but now that I know it's all based on comfort I'll have to wait to try it out.

There is one more thing I wanted to ask: If your palms sweat how do you deal with it?

Your palm shouldnt be touching anything.You hold the stick loose with your fingers and thumb don't tightly grip it.
 
Here's the trick to getting good with a fight stick:
Be so bad with pad that switching to stick instantly improves your execution. I have first-hand experience that this works.
 
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obscura said:
A good idea is to play some other games on your stick, it will help you get used to it.
I played Castlevania: SotN on stick it was great. Also it uses a lot of FG motions for the spells.
Did the exact same thing, along with Rayman Legends and Origins. Swimming levels taught you the difference between holding left/right and a diagonal easily.
 
Horseman said:
For the buttons, like with the stick, just do whatever feels comfortable/natural. There aren't really any standardized ways to hit the buttons, although I will say that I had some trouble with how sensitive the buttons are at first, you have to be pretty gentle not to push them when you rest your finger on them.
Do you use Sanwas? IIRC Seimitsus are less sensitive.

Edit: Also yes, an arcade stick is a lot more versatile than one would think. It's absolutely fantastic for shmups if you're into that. I also play Puyo Puyo and Tetris on it.
 
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Kiyobi said:
Do you use Sanwas? IIRC Seimitsus are less sensitive.

Edit: Also yes, an arcade stick is a lot more versatile than one would think. It's absolutely fantastic for shmups if you're into that. I also play Puyo Puyo and Tetris on it.
Yeah, I have sanwas because they're supposed to be the super MLG pro buttons to use.
I knew about Seimitsus but I just decided to deal with it, and I did, and I no longer go into argus agony when I'm trying to shoot my revolver.
 
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Okay I got my fightstick today and so far I'm enjoying it, it's so sensitive but I like it that way.

Since I've never played on or owned a stick I was wondering... is the ball supposed to spin? It's not a fast spin but I can certainly turn it slowly.
 
My balltop spins. It's normal.
 
Stuff said:
Since I've never played on or owned a stick I was wondering... is the ball supposed to spin? It's not a fast spin but I can certainly turn it slowly.
It's for even distribution of dead skin.
 
I'm not sure if that's for real but as long as it's normal there's nothing to worry about, thanks. (I hope that still seems enthusiastic exclamation points are hard to make.)
 
MysteriousJ said:
It's for even distribution of dead skin.
S-Seriously? That's why they spin? I thought it was to reduce friction or something.
 
I have a stick related question as well, if its alright for me to post here as well.

The one I ordered came with a square gate installed, but also includes an octagonal and circle gate with it. I've been wanting to try the other two, but in order to open it up, I have to take this sticker off of one screw hole which voids the warranty on it. So before I do any of that, does anyone have experience with using different gates in fighting games (And otherwise), and do you find it provides anything? Or is it just a case finding one that just plays well and sticking with it?
 
I don't use a restrictor gate at all (does that mean the micro switches will wear faster?) I removed the square gate because it really confused me. I just like the freedom because I often mistake corners as the end of qc's. I guess it's more of a preference.

I guess you could refer to this too http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/restrictors.html
 
Mise said:
I have a stick related question as well, if its alright for me to post here as well.

The one I ordered came with a square gate installed, but also includes an octagonal and circle gate with it. I've been wanting to try the other two, but in order to open it up, I have to take this sticker off of one screw hole which voids the warranty on it. So before I do any of that, does anyone have experience with using different gates in fighting games (And otherwise), and do you find it provides anything? Or is it just a case finding one that just plays well and sticking with it?

Keep in mind that as you get better, you will want to avoid touching the gate at all in your motions. If you try pressing your stick in any direction until you hear (or feel) it activate the microswitch, you'll see that you don't need to move it all of the way to the edge.

I'm assuming you are a beginner, so here's an overview of the benefits of each gate:
  • Square gate (what you are currently using) - This usually has the most overall space inside the gate, which can sometimes help with more complex motions, but there aren't any of those in SG. The corners being well-defined means that it is much easier for most people to hit DP (:DP:) motions as the corner provides physical resistance against the stick continuing any further. On the downside, Quarter-Circle (:QCF:) and Half-Circle (:HCF:) motions are more difficult as dragging the stick along the gate (a.k.a. 'riding' the gate) isn't really possible.
  • Circle gate - These are the opposite extreme, where riding the gate makes it easy for people to execute the circular motions (:QCF:, :HCF:, :360:, etc.), but DP motions (:DP:) are significantly more difficult because if you don't stop your motion at the right point you will overshoot and end up with :Arrow::QCF: instead. These gates also have the least room inside them, which may be a consideration if you plan to play other games with a higher execution requirement.
  • Octagonal gates - Are half-way between the other two options, and what I'd generally recommend to a complete newbie. Riding the gate is still somewhat effective for your circular motions (though it feels icky to more experienced players), and there's a small amount of resistance in the corner to stop you overshooting your DPs. The main downside to this gate is that you can easily get used to riding the gate for every motion, which is more tiring and much slower for you to do (because, as stated earlier, you don't need to touch the gate).
That said, changing the gates on a stick is not a difficult thing to do and it is very unlikely that you will break anything by doing it, even if you aren't used to modding, so I'd definitely recommend experimenting with all the different gates yourself before making a final decision.
 
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Pretty much what I was looking for. This is my first experience with really using a arcade stick to play a game, and just didnt want to void the warranty to change the gate without knowing the advantages of using a specific gate. Thanks for the advice.
 
gates are like how you hold the stick. find one you like and use it. voiding your warranty isnt really that big of a deal, i voided the warranties on all of my sticks as soon as i got them.

and stuff, you have a restrictor gate, all sticks have one (unless you are using a happ stick, which you arnt). you more than likely have a square gate because thats what all of the sanwa sticks come with by default.
as far as your ball turning, yes and no. the ball should turn with the shaft of the stick. if just the balltop is spinning you should try to fasten it as tightly as possible. if you are comfortable opening you stick this can be done best from the inside (the shaft of the stick has a spot for a flat head screwdriver at the bottom to anchor it so you can really tighten it)
 
I actually took off the square gate because it confused me so much. It might not seem practical but I like that there are no corners bugging me I just don't like the feel. Maybe I'd like a circle restrictor more who knows.

I should probably put the gate back on and learn to get used to the feel I'm worried I'll wear down the microswitches faster.
 
I remember when i got my stick, took me a while to get used to it, specially crouch blocking. But after a few days, it started to feel natural. Still having the crouch blocking problem at times...
 
Just came back across this thread while doing some cleanup. How are you finding the stick now?
 
hand placement on a fighter is whatever you feel comfortable with.


feel free to use this as a guide.

(also, if you arent gonna be super competitive, get a Qanba q1. they are super cheap and easy to mod should you choose to do so.)

Also there is no shame in using different gates in your stick.
 
also, heres sort of what the gates are suited for:

Square gate: the standard gate. it can be used for all characters but the best charactersa this works for is charge characters like Guile.

octagonal gate: best used for shoto characters like Ryu. easy to input commands but can cause easier missed inputs with chargers.

circle gate: pretty much for grapplers AKA churn dat butter. best suited for characters with lots of 180 and 360 inputs.

it all depends on what you want to do.
 
Well I can use it now, everything feels normal and fluid. I also got used to the square gate which I've always felt was useless and now I can't imagine playing without it.

My skill level on the other hand is another story.
 
you'll get better eventually. and like I said, if you find a character that would better utilize a different gate, feel free to change it.
 
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