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I
repeated the same mapping process with Delta Force and set out to try again,
this time with much better luck. This time I was able to move, change postures, switch weapons and shoot with relative ease with the Frag Master.
Frag Master - Side View
I say "relative" because although I could move, the movement was very uncomfortable and did not feel the least bit natural. While strafing from side to side I was constantly fighting to keep my reticule on target, since my hands tended to move downward, forcing the aiming reticule down as well.
Aiming was also difficult, since unlike the mouse the Frag Master centers like a joystick, and that creates big problems when under fire. When
it recenters itself physically the reticule tends to be pointing downward
rather than on the horizon as with a standard joystick.
As a result, I wasted a lot of ammo and time just bringing the reticule up and on target, something that's not good for your virtual lifespan in multiplayer gaming. Lose the shot, lose your life; you simply don't have the time to make this kind of adjustment. I also find the mouse and keyboard combo to be much more suitable to movement and keeping my reticule on target.
Click to continue
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Furthermore, the Frag Master grips are constructed and set at a downward angle. This makes aiming upward quite uncomfortable and the base of the controller moves around quite a bit when you attempt to do so. This could be remedied by the addition of suction cups.
The Frag Master is a 4-axis movement based controller. It is a joystick and not a mouse. Even with the Megahurts™ mode selected, aiming control is not improved very much. I always
felt like I was fighting for control of the crosshairs while using the
controller. This is especially bad in a game like Delta Force where you die if
you get shot. Games like Quake and Half Life allow you to absorb some damage
before dying so you can probably get away with it in those games.
Frag Master - Top View
SUMMARY
The Frag Master would have been best served with a freely rotating base, not a 4-axis one. A design more like a trackball than the joystick
style design this controller uses would allow for the freedom that a mouse gives.
On the other hand, the handgrips are great and would work extremely well on
a trackball style base. They made firing and controlling
different actions very easy.
If Thrustmaster can apply themselves to a new design I know they can come out with something better, but until then I’ll stick with the mouse/keyboard combo.
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