Plunger issues with controller

DrainoBraino · Dec 3, 2013

Anyone else having major issues with the plunger when using a gamepad controller? I can't seem to get a handle on the plunger. Most of the time the ball won't even make it out of the lane. I'm using the default settings, the right analog stick is the plunger. I tried binding it to another button, but it won't work. I end up using the spacebar most of the time.

Any ideas?

JPelter · Dec 3, 2013

DrainoBraino said:
Anyone else having major issues with the plunger when using a gamepad controller? I can't seem to get a handle on the plunger. Most of the time the ball won't even make it out of the lane. I'm using the default settings, the right analog stick is the plunger. I tried binding it to another button, but it won't work. I end up using the spacebar most of the time.

Any ideas?

The plunger does behave pretty erratically. The only thing I can really say that helped me is wait for the ball to settle in the plunger lane before touching the plunger. If you pull the plunger back before the ball is against the plunger it won't give any real momentum when you release.

DrainoBraino · Dec 3, 2013

JPelter said:
The plunger does behave pretty erratically. The only thing I can really say that helped me is wait for the ball to settle in the plunger lane before touching the plunger. If you pull the plunger back before the ball is against the plunger it won't give any real momentum when you release.

Yea I have to wait until the ball is completely settled.

It's strange because sometimes it works just fine, and others I can't seem to get the ball out of the lane at all, no matter what I do. Have to resort to spacebar.

neilpinbot · Dec 3, 2013

I'm finding it difficult to get the strength right when using right analog stick, making skill shot difficult to hit(BoP, PINBOT etc), might try using different plunger camera view to see if that helps

I Should say the higher scoring holes on those tables.

AtomicDragon · Dec 3, 2013

I find the most accurate way to use the plunger is to use the mouse for skill shots. If you must use the analog stick pull back and pull your thumb toward you and let it slide slide off the pad. The pad should flick in to center position.

Crawley · Dec 3, 2013

I thought it might have been just me. But I also have been experiencing this with the 360 controller.

Stuart Webster · Dec 3, 2013

Is it possible that the controller isn't reaching a 100% value?

DrainoBraino · Dec 3, 2013

Stuart Webster said:
Is it possible that the controller isn't reaching a 100% value?

I don't think so. The plunger goes all the way back, just like if you use the keyboard, but sometimes barely hits the ball. It's inconsistent. I can usually get more power if I pull back on the stick, then flick up. Again, that's too inconsistent to aim for skill shots.

Jeff Strong · Dec 4, 2013

Yeah, the plunger is pretty flakey. This happens to me quite often.

MontanaFrank · Dec 4, 2013

I also have problems with the plunger efficiency. I hit the 100k bonus on Pin*Bot 95% of the time with my tablet; pc version, no consistency at all.

Jeff Strong · Dec 4, 2013

The main problem I have with it is that sometimes it does absolutely nothing. You pull it back and let go and the ball doesn't even move.

Stuart Webster · Dec 4, 2013

Ahh yeah. Apparently there's a collision check when pulling the plunger back where if the ball isn't in the right position, the plunger ignores it. Mike might be able to provide more input on this.

netizen · Dec 4, 2013

I found that disabling the X Axis on the R Stick helped to get more consistent plunges with my sixaxis controller as I didn't always draw the stick back perfectly straight, and that getting some X in my Y would dilute the plunge strength.

Also waiting for the ball to settle would make sure that I could plunge at a more reliable strength. As Stuart mentions, there is that collision detection issue that occurs, such as trying to plunge the ball quickly after having it roll back on a failed plunge; you'll find that there are occurrences where the ball suddenly acts as if it isn't even there.

DrainoBraino · Dec 4, 2013

Stuart Webster said:
Ahh yeah. Apparently there's a collision check when pulling the plunger back where if the ball isn't in the right position, the plunger ignores it. Mike might be able to provide more input on this.

Cool hopefully it can be fixed. thanks

netizen said:
I found that disabling the X Axis on the R Stick helped to get more consistent plunges with my sixaxis controller as I didn't always draw the stick back perfectly straight, and that getting some X in my Y would dilute the plunge strength.

Also waiting for the ball to settle would make sure that I could plunge at a more reliable strength. As Stuart mentions, there is that collision detection issue that occurs, such as trying to plunge the ball quickly after having it roll back on a failed plunge; you'll find that there are occurrences where the ball suddenly acts as if it isn't even there.

I thought about the x axis could be interfering, as in I wasn't pulling it back perfectly straight. How do I disable that?

netizen · Dec 4, 2013

DrainoBraino said:
I thought about the x axis could be interfering, as in I wasn't pulling it back perfectly straight. How do I disable that?

Because I am using a sixaxis controller, I use xinput emulation, I disable the X axis input through the emulation software; I am using Better DS3.

After a quick look I can't see how to do it for the Xbox controller without FS setting limits on their end for controller input. Perhaps someone more familiar with teh Xbox controller can help out.

DoX · Dec 9, 2013

I'm using Logitech F310 gamepad that works perfectly with all PC games I have played so far, but this plunger is also killing me! Especially after playing PS3 version for a year or so... I don't even try to make a skill shot anymore, as I have no nerve for that, I'm happy just to see the ball enters playfield. Come to think of it, does anyone from FS actually playtested gamepad controls on PC? Seems not likely...

netizen · Dec 9, 2013

What kills me about the plunge screens on the PC build is views 1 and 3, they are so different after coming from the mobile version. The view is so long there is no way to see the plunger move in the plunge lane except for view 2, but for whatever reason I loathe view 2 for plunging now.

If the camera angle were raised enough to see the plunger moving in the plunger lane, just enough to see the plunger against the hash marks it make such a world of difference. Heck even if the camera angles were consistent across all the platforms ...

rasher99 · Dec 9, 2013

This took me a while to do for the keyboard too, I would assign the plunger, which would work fine on some machines but not on other - not even moving the ball.

Finally it clicked that you have to assign BOTH the plunger AND the plunger button in the controls menu, then hey presto it worked.

Plunger issues with controller

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