From: hp48sx@wupost.wustl.edu (HP48SX Archive Maintainer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Advanced Gravis Mousestick review
Date: 9 Sep 1992 19:18:14 -0500
Organization: Washington University in Saint Louis, MO USA
Reply-To: hp48sx@wuarchive.wustl.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: wuarchive.wustl.edu

This may look a bit like advertising, but it is not. I do not get any
profit from this (except more games supporting the mousetick ? :-)
I am in no way related to the company, and have not even sent in my
registration card yet.

---------------------------

Advanced Gravis Mousestick review

I just got my Mousestick 2 days ago, and I have almost been playing 
Hellcats ever since. As the mousestick is something more than a plain 
joystick I have decided to post a review here.

The mousetick comes as a connector unit (GMPU), whit a thru-connect 
ADB connector and a connector where to put the mousestick unit in.
The mousestick looks almost as a normal joystick, with one button on 
the top, and two buttons down to the left.  But there is also a wheel 
that lets you decide how tight the stick is moving. When it is as 
loose as possible, there in no self centering at all. When I play 
Hellcats I prefer to have it fairly loose, but still able to self 
center. I think there are 8 levels here.  Where are also 3 switches, 
so you can decide which button is #1, #2, and #3.

The 3 buttons can be configured to provide any key-press combination 
(at least 2 keys is possible to assign to a button). Each button has 3 
states that can be programmed individually, single-click, double-click 
and tripple-click.  You can disable or enable sequencing on any 
button. Sequencing means that if you tripple-click, then the actions 
belonging to single and double-click is performed first. Click-and-
lock is also possible, and is usefull if you try to use it as a mouse 
replacement.

The joystick is really a 1200x1200 dots device, that can be 
programmed. And new configuration sets can be created, and downloaded 
any time. So it is a lot more sophisticated than plaion joysticks for 
other machines, and also more expensive.

When you program the joystick, you can change 3 zones. the first is 
the neutral zone. You can change the size of this, and thus making it 
easier to center the stick.

Around this there is the direct-mapping area you also can change 
various aspects of. Here any specific position of the joystick has an 
equivalent point on the screen. And if the joystick centers, then the 
cursor goes back to the center. This is working almost like a mouse. 
Move the joystick some distance and the cursor is moved the same 
distance.

Around this area again we have a vector mapped area. That is, the 
mouse position decides the speed/direction vector of the cursor. So if 
the stick is moved a little right the cursor continously moves slowly 
right, and larger movement result in increased cursor speeds. If you 
center the stick, the cursor stops where it is.

All the above options can be fine-tuned, and there are more things in 
it than I have mentioned. Good games comes with Gravis Mousestick 
settings, and there is suitcases with lots of settings for older games 
in the package. And if there is none that fits you, then you can make 
your own.

Gravis Mousestick can be used for ANY mouse controlled game.
-- 
Povl H. Pedersen             hp48sx@wuarchive.wustl.edu
HP48sx archive maintainer

All Opinions (C) Copyright the Intergalactic Thought Association