Hi. I've played TGM on keyboard for a long time, but lately I've become very annoyed with ghosting / keys breaking / other inconveniences. I've also noticed most of the great players seem to use sticks (or just play on real hardware). So, I think I want to get one myself, but I'm pretty clueless about them. Since most of what I want it for is TGM, I figure it makes since to ask for advice around here. Any help is appreciated. Also sorry if I posted this in the wrong place. I'm not super familiar with this forum.
Anything with a Sanwa JLF. I originally started with a Seimitsu LS-32 but got frustrated with it and ended up getting the Sanwa, the difference is night and day.
As an aside, the best way (imo) to hold the stick is with the shaft between the ring and pinky fingers, and the ball between the thumb and the first joint of the middle and ring finger. Use the thumb to push up and left, fingers to push down and right.
the constituent parts are modular, durable, and inexpensive. you might well find a housing that you like and swap out all the internals. JLF's are great; along with .jp parts in general. little by little you rework these things, learning over time. after 10 years i changed my controller board. basically you cannot go wrong. do link anything specific you're curious about. a joystick is expensive upfront; but will surely prove to be itself a treasure.
Seimitsu LS-32 has actually been recommended to me by several others that I've asked (shmup players, fwiw). Can you explain what you didn't like about it, or what makes the Sanwa better?
It has a shorter throw and a smaller engagement zone than the Sanwa, and the micro-switches are less tactile. It also makes a clunky sound when you hit the gate and in general feels lower quality. The one advantage it does have though is that the sanwa is prone to rebound, but that can be controlled with a proper grip. I guess in a shmup the shorter throw makes for a quicker change in direction, but in TGM you really need deliberate control.
The 4 way gate on Seimitsu sticks have a bumps in the diagonals. They eventually wear down from play, or you can shave them, but I personally don't like them. Some do. I recommend Sanwa just because the 4-way gate is smooth and feels better to me. As for the actual arcade controller, there are tons of options. Many have usb encoders that add latency, here are some resources that have tested input lag: http://www.teyah.net/sticklag/results.html https://inputlag.science/controller/results It's possible to build your own, all the parts are commonly available too. Various guides exist for that as well.
the main reason for a sanwa is the diamond 4 way gate, instead of the clover gate. this makes zangi moves work a lot better.
