U360/ joy2key & Game Ex

[Visitor Q]

I soon will be using U360s and am trying to understand how well it will work with Game Ex and my other Emu's. With my current setup, I have an X-Arcade that outputs key presses for button presses etc. but it is my understanding that the U360s do not work this way. I downloaded joy2key just to get idea of what it was but I see no exe file... Can anyone explain how this works in general?

[bkenobi]

NOOOOOOO!!!!!

Well, what I mean is... Don't use Joy2Key. It's ok, but the author long ago abandoned development. You should look at XPadder. It's simply awesome and there is active development going on. It's also much easier to set up and switch profiles with.

[Visitor Q]

XPadder looks good, thanks.

Any thoughts on any of the restrictor plates or harder springs?

Note that the restrictor plates are designed to be a one-off fit, not suitable for regular removal and refitting

We expect most people will find the UltraStik 360 to be perfect for all gaming applications including analog and any variation of digital. But we recognise that some people would prefer a different "feel" to the stick with a mechanical limit on it's movement. So there are three restrictor plates available.

4-8 Way restrictor: This can be fitted in either 4-way or 8-way mode and provides a mechanical limit for those people who prefer this. You can easily adjust from 4 to 8-wy by turning the plate 45 degrees.

Round Restrictor: For those who want to use the stick in full analog and digital programmable mode, but prefer a stick with limited mechanical movement, a round restrictor can be fitted.

Note that fitting the restrictors requires some dismantling so these are a semi-permanent fixture.

Octagonal Restrictor: This can be left in place and used in either 4 or 8-way mode with no need to move the plate between each mode. Octagonal restrictors are used on Sanwa joysticks and have a great following.

[bkenobi]

I don't have U360's and have never tried one. Everyone here that has them raves about them, so I assume the are good. They aren't rotary though, so I'm not interested

[Tempest]

I think the restrictor plates would defeat the purpose of the U360. If you want a 4-8way stick then get the magstick plus. As for the springs, get them and play to see which ones you like best.

[stephenp1983]

I have used them with and without the hard springs and I prefer them with. For the restrictor plate, most people prefer the round one that simple limits the throw of the stick. I have yet to try that one, but have added a square restricter to the one I have and its ok. Like Tempest said it kind defeats the purpose, but the round one would not.

[Visitor Q]

Agree.

I am going to get the hard springs and the round plate to limit the throw.

Thanks Guys.

[DaveS]

I have been using a pair of the U360s for close to a month now I guess. I ordered two of the ball top models with everything standard except I did get the optional "harder" springs. I wanted to evaluate the sticks as they come by default before adding or changing anything. The default springs were too light for my tastes, so I swapped those out after a couple of days. One things about the replacement springs is that they are still very light. If you are used to old school joysticks from the 80's (Wico for example) you will still find the sticks have very little resistance. You can always go to your local hardware store and get a stiffer spring, which is what I did with my J-sticks (same base as the U360) some time ago. I will most likely do the same thing with the U360s at some point.

As far as restrictors go, the default throw of the U360 is pretty long if you are into games that require quick directional changes IMO. They are good, but you will notice the long throw. I ended up ordering the circular restrictors but I haven't received them yet. The circular plate will still allow the U360 to behave as it normally would (it is circularly restricted in design anyhow, just with a much longer throw) just with a shorter throw. For analog games, this will result in a little less control (less travel to resolve the entire analog range) but I am willing to live with that.

Kepp in mind that the U360 is a fairly short stick. I believe most of the Japanese style sticks are designed to be top mounted or used in metal CPs, so if your panel is thick you might need the longer shafts as well. My CP is 1/2" with bottom mounted U360s and I wouldn't want the sticks any shorter for sure.

Dave

[bkenobi]

If you have a wooden CP and you use sticks that have a short shaft, then your only solutions are top mounting or routing the material. The problem with routing is that you lose a lot of the strength of the material and aggressive play could break the stick off! The solution I came up with was to cut a hole through the CP that the sticks would fit through. Then I routed a pad on the top of the panel for a metal plate that would sit flush with the CP. I used Liquid Nail to adhere the plate down and then bottom mounted the joysticks. I was nervous about the strength of the adhesive, but after ~3 years of decent abuse there's been no issues.