My keyboard sucks

Thread in 'Hardware' started by jujube, 12 Mar 2008.

  1. jujube

    jujube Unregistered

    or Windows sucks...or i don't know how to fix this...


    try opening Notepad and holding down the up and left arrow keys, then press X. all i see is a blinking cursor. it seems there are many combinations of 3 simultaneously held keys in which one of the keys is ignored until i release one of the other 2. does anyone else have this problem? (and it is a problem for the style of play i'm testing). the best solution i can find is to use the number keys with the arrow keys. i can hold down all 4 arrow keys and press 2 number keys at the same time without anything being ignored.


    this may be something to consider for anyone who plays on a keyboard. it might not be uncommon to have 3 keys held down at once, like left+rotate right+rotate left if you're making a slide/twist very quickly. left arrow+V+C doesn't work for me.


     
  2. This is what made me stop working on my typomino-style game. Though, special expensive keyboard will not have this problem.


    [​IMG]
     
  3. jujube

    jujube Unregistered

    i'm extra uninterested in buying a special expensive keyboard.


    so you're saying i don't need to blame Windows for all my problems?
     
  4. holding up+left+x works fine on my keyboard.. and it's a super cheap keyboard.
     

  5. It's a hardware problem.
     
  6. jujube

    jujube Unregistered

    and you play with a stick. cruel fate [​IMG]
     
  7. If you're interested, my keyboard is a Logitech Ultra Flat Keyboard, I had one just like it previously but then it was called Labtec Ultra Flat Keyboard. Apparently Logitech has acquired Labtec.
     
  8. gila

    gila Unregistered

    i thought it was sort of a limitation of a PC, not more than 3 (or 4) keys at the same time? it's also what makes it impossible for comfort versus matches in fighting games.
     
  9. tepples

    tepples Lockjaw developer

    It's not a limitation of the PC. The PC can track as many key-up and key-down events as the keyboard sends. It's a limitation of the keyboard connected to the PC, namely a limitation of the encoder matrix to save money on pins. (A 40-pin package is cheaper than a 110-pin package.)
     
  10. gila

    gila Unregistered

    soo... where do i get this proper awesome keyboard? [​IMG]
     
  11. tepples

    tepples Lockjaw developer

    I don't know. You could start with Google.
     
  12. Try all you can to find a Logitech Elite.
     
  13. massi4h

    massi4h Unregistered

    Yeah it's a thing manufacturers do, to save costs of making the keyboards by disabling certain combinations from working. There are some combinations where you can get 4 buttons working, not sure about 5.


    Yeah this sucks, best thing is try to and get a gaming keyboard or try changing your buttons around to one's that work together (wsad for arrows).


    Also from what I know, standard PS/2 Keyboards are far better than standard USB keyboards, many net cafe's I've been have had it so I can't even use the radio in Counter-Strike while holding two walking keys or even duck while crouching. But for a complete fix any gaming keyboard should work.
     
  14. jujube

    jujube Unregistered

    thanks for the advice, and i'll try not to spend too much money if i do get a new keyboard. this problem still seems ridiculous to me though [​IMG] i guess some manufacturers do the bare minimum that will satisfy the majority of their customers.
     
  15. You might find the following helpful, direct from the FAQ file of another freeware game that I play ("GeneRally"):



    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    9.4 - When I try to race with one or more human drivers on the same computer, the keyboard seems to lock up when four or more keys are pressed simultaneously. Is there any fix for this problem?


    Many computers and keyboards ignore certain combinations of keys when pressed simultaneously. Simply put, this is a limitation of your hardware. The keyboard controller chip on your computer's motherboard or the actual keyboard can not process that certain combination of keys pressed at the simultaneously. You may find that another combination of keyboard keys will work properly. If so, simply reassign your driving controls (or another human driver's controls) in the "Driver Options" menu within the game to different keys on your keyboard.


    To determine which key combinations will work properly on your keyboard, download the ZIP archive "TM_Keytest.zip" at http://forum.racesimcentral.com/attachm ... ntid=68989. This ZIP archive contains the file "Keytest.exe", which is Thrustmaster's "Keyboard Test Utility". This utility will display a picture of a keyboard on your monitor that will highlight keys when keys are pressed on your keyboard, and can help determine which combination of keys will work properly on your keyboard when playing GeneRally.

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-



    Anyhoo, Race Sim Central recently experienced a *SEVERE* server crash, losing almost all of their file attachments (file attachments over the course of *many* years <aarrgghh>!), so's I've uploaded the utility to my server (URL is case-sensitive):


    http://tang.cmoo.com/~snor/weeds/TM_Keytest.zip


    Unzip and then run "Keytest.exe", with this utility you can see which combination of key press will function properly... handy if the target game is configurable for other keyboard commands [​IMG]
     
  16. I am getting a new keyboard that I hope can let me hold up to seven buttons.

    Cause I want to play o2jam, and I need that.
     
  17. gila

    gila Unregistered

    let us know how it turns out, i might consider getting one too if it works
     
  18. jujube

    jujube Unregistered

    that's an awesome program Rich. i'm gonna put a link to it in my first post.
     

  19. Glad ya found it useful [​IMG]

    I wrote and maintain most of of the afore-mentioned "GeneRally FAQ", and that problem has always been a major gripe of many players of the game.


    GeneRally supports up to six human drivers/racers on the same PC (the game has no Internet/network multiplayer support, so that's the only way to race in human multiplayer games)... and needless to say, six people using four different keyboard buttons each (accelerate/brake/steer left/steer right) on the same keyboard can be problematic, to say the least <G>.
     
  20. jujube

    jujube Unregistered

    i'd imagine the bigger issue is making it physically possible for six people to use the same keyboard [​IMG] six babies...maybe.
     

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