the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

ASH ASH ASH BORKEN

best layout

3+1
6
23%
2x2
14
54%
4x1
4
15%
3+1- D,ABC
2
8%
 
Total votes: 26

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by PenPen » Tue Nov 02, 2010 19:02

Well HK had that layout (DABC) since we started KOF, pretty much. I think the best reasoning is that it's easier to press AB with your two most active fingers. Pressing CD is a little bit harder, but it's not like it's "gawd awful and I will never press them together in my whole life" bad. Still, I'd love to go back in time and smite whoever that designed this layout. You have my word once a fully functional time machine has been invented.

In arcades, you pretty much need to deal with the stuff you're given. So I think this is actually making mental notes on how to adjust yourself. I played on both ABCD and DABC settings, even XI's ACE/BD settings (or its HK variant of ABC/DE...), so I can adjust relatively well myself (and I am about average anyway so no skill lost/gained either way), but not everybody adjusts *that* well to different layouts. The HK representative to Tougeki had to adjust to Japan's button layout himself which took him around a night to get around. Basically, you are dealt that button layout and had to stick and train with it, making it the most comfortable layout you have. Which is why, at the start of XI appearing around here, arcades actually started with mostly ACE/BD, but somehow people didn't want to relearn the layouts, and arcades switched back to ABC/DE instead (because people weren't playing it, but even if it switched nobody played it so...).

If we're talking about getting your own stick for consoles, and configuring buttons on your own then you have lots of freedom because games let you set buttons however you want, see which one suits you the best. If you think you want your buttons to be DBCA for whatever ungodly reason and it makes you feel comfortable, then by all means go ahead - it works best with you. But once you decided on that, you'll need to stick to it and practice. And be annoying to your friends when you visit their house and set the stick every time you play.

Regardless of my rambling, I'll have to go with a 3+1 layout as it's the most ergonomic and all your fingers, except the pinky (unless you don't use the thumb, then maybe a full row ala 4x1 is better), is assigned to a button, discounting whether you're doing it with ABCD or DABC. You won't need to shift your fingers/wrist around. This won't tire you as much.

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by Gunsmith » Thu Nov 04, 2010 10:55

After meditating, and then trying out and comparing, I can confidently conclude that 3+1 or 4x1 is the best layout.

However, due to my thumb just not being as fast as my forefinger, I will be going with 2x2 for now.

My Neosticks are not speaking to me at the moment D:

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by Dark_Chaotix » Thu Nov 04, 2010 11:34

I still feel that its still a personal preference......

I dont have any issues with my thumbs and can actively move it quite quick and freely but I still like 2x2

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by ZeroNiiro » Sat Nov 06, 2010 03:38

Mainly play 3+1, but can play 2x2 especially for XI & NGBC.

Learning D/ABC format for the sake of it in case whenever I go back to HK.

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by devlkore » Sat Nov 06, 2010 15:01

I use 2x2 but when I started playing KOF 10th years ago I was using AB/CD, correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't that the official neogeo pad layout?

Anyway, once I switched to playing emus on my xbox, I changed the layout to AC/BD to be inline with street fighter. Now I use a stick but a don't like the idea of 4x1 or 3/1 layout because I like my attack strength arranged linearly as opposed to LSLS and having to press with alternating felanges too often puts me off too.

I can see the appeal though of having each button covered with no hand movement.
Last edited by devlkore on Sat Nov 06, 2010 22:45, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by DarkDreamT2 » Sat Nov 06, 2010 21:30

I like the 2x2 cuz its most similar to the SF style (Punches on top, kicks on bottom, ascending from left to right in power), and I started off with SF. It doesn't hurt that it's the exact same as MvC2 as well. If the game only had Light, Medium, Heavy, Roll as its layout, then it'd be 3+1 DABC ala BlazBlue, TvC, and MvC3.

I can't deal with the 3+1 ABCD style. Just too weird to me. I was hype when I saw that KOF XIII allows you to select your layout at the arcades instead of forcing the 3+1, cuz if it did I'd have to learn to do stuff all over again due to finger placement.

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by Dark_Chaotix » Sun Nov 07, 2010 00:49

devlkore wrote:I use 2x2 but when I started playing KOF 10th years ago I was using AB/CD, correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't that the official neogeo pad layout?
Nah it was always

AC
BD

when pads and sticks started to come out like arcade 3x3 (or 2x2 for pads)

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by devlkore » Sun Nov 07, 2010 01:14

Dark_Chaotix wrote:
devlkore wrote:I use 2x2 but when I started playing KOF 10th years ago I was using AB/CD, correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't that the official neogeo pad layout?
Nah it was always

AC
BD

when pads and sticks started to come out like arcade 3x3 (or 2x2 for pads)
Actually, we are both wrong. This is the official Neogeo pad:
Image

I had my pad set up like that too. It makes sense because I actually got into fighting games on the Gameboy playing Killer Instinct, which obviously only had two buttons. It used to piss off my friends cuz if we played games on SNES I would need to change my config to be like the Gameboy lol.

OMG, the nostalgia, I had forgotten about my GB KI days. Who woulda thunk SNK would have come up with something so unique as a CD/AB layout lol?

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by Dark_Chaotix » Sun Nov 07, 2010 01:35

Well I didnt know neogeo had a pad, and when games started to get ported onto ps1, ps2 etc they were

AC
BD

from my memory. I stand corrected with that neogeo pad but yeah my answer was on non neogeo consoles.

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by Gunsmith » Sun Nov 07, 2010 12:20

that pad .... should be forgotten, it was like the neogeo pocket controller... not good for fighting games

On PSX it was as DC said

AC
BD

It's interesting because looking at the famicon, the sega saturn and dreamcast and even xbox, the layout seems to be different for each.

The most important thing now is simply what is comfortable for you. Secondly, which format you would use should you visit an arcade. Console Tournaments are not a problem unless they won't let you change config.

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by Tel » Sun Nov 07, 2010 17:17

I'm used to arcade configs at

A B C D

or

A B C
D

or

A B C
D

I never liked the 2/2 layouts as I use my thumb and like to have one finger on each button.

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by DarkDreamT2 » Tue Nov 09, 2010 20:13

I use my thumb with the 2x2 layout, so I don't understand the argument. I guess most people use their fingers when they do 2x2 or something?

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by devlkore » Tue Nov 09, 2010 21:33

People be chattin' bout arcade sticks (or cabs) son. You pretty much have to use the 2x2 layout on a pad, unless you have a 6 button pad, you could have the 3+1 layout which would fuck you when trying to do SDMs, but actually make it easier to BC (without macros).

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by The Master » Tue Nov 09, 2010 22:33

here in the states, our cabs were nick named "Big Red" and had the Ab/CD type layout.

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Re: the great debate: 2x2, 3+1 or 4x1?

Post by mutagene » Sun Nov 28, 2010 23:37

I can't stand 2x2, and this is coming from a Tekken player. 3+1 (BCD/A) is by far the most comfortable for me, it's the closest thing to a natural hand position and it lets me use all my strong digits. 4x1 is incredibly awkward for me, since I have a genetic defect that gives me virtually useless pinkies, and trying to use it with my thumb on A gives me cramps in seconds.

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