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Text Input with a Gamepad

MerrikMerrik
edited in General
I'm busy thinking about how I can implement a better chat solution for people playing Broforce online with a gamepad. I'm pretty out of date when it comes to the latest generation of console technology so I was wondering if any one can point me in the direction of smart solutions to entering text with a gamepad.

The only systems I'm currently aware of is the Daisy Wheel from Steam Big Picture and the one proposed in this paper.
http://vis.berkeley.edu/papers/text_entry_joystick/2006-TextEntryJoystick-CHI.pdf

Has anyone had experience with the steam daisy wheel?
I personally feel that a swipe style solution with an analog stick sounds the most intuitive.

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Comments

  • dislekciadislekcia
    http://www.8pen.com

    This is a really cool input system that I've always wanted to see working on a controller. It just makes so much sense to swipe around in circles like that with analog sticks.
  • TheFuntasticTheFuntastic
    Problem with "intuitive" interfaces is that there is still a level of investment required to learn it in the first place, no matter how intuitive it is. If anything, I would stick to steam one, because you're not asking people to learn a new system relevant to only broforce.
  • dislekciadislekcia
    @TheFuntastic: Yeah, you're always going to have to offer things as alternatives to the default onscreen keyboard. If people want to invest in something else, it has to be their choice and not something you force on them.

    That said, I wish more people would force 8pen on me in console game situations...
  • TuismTuism
    Wow that 8pen is pretty cool. One day it could be a one-hand keyboard, I wonder how easy it is to learn. Do you have it on your phone? Are you fluent in it?

  • dislekciadislekcia
    Tuism said:
    Wow that 8pen is pretty cool. One day it could be a one-hand keyboard, I wonder how easy it is to learn. Do you have it on your phone? Are you fluent in it?
    It's not out on iOS AFAIK. @Aequitas is fluent in it though, he's had it on his phone for years.
  • MerrikMerrik
    @dislekcia 8pen looks really amazing! I think figure 8 gestures aren't as natural on joystick, but it's definitely a great precedent and starting point

    @TheFuntastic I agree with you on sticking with standards. I was hoping there was a better standard out there.
    It's weird that there aren't more established solutions considering how long gamepads have been around for.

    I think I might just try the daisy wheel with a suggested word list, perhaps based on previous usage.
    I'm going to ask players what they want on our discussion board now.
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