DUALSHOCK®2 - Handbrake Setup

[Automobile]

I just noticed something with the handbrake recently while fiddling around with my DUALSHOCK®2 button configuration after finding out you can influence the automatic gear changes through the manual gear control buttons. I always used the left stick for turning, right stick for acceleration/deceleration, L1 for reverse, R1 for handbrake and R2 for special. I drive automatic, so I had no use for L2. After setting L2 and R2 back to manual shifting, to allow me to control the automatic shifting better, I was running out of bottons and decided to try assigning some more functions to the left stick. Then, after I tried using left stick down for handbrake, i found that you can apply it in an analogue fashion, allowing you to mildly brake without locking up the wheels as you do when you use a non-analogue button. I always thought that it would be foolish to put the handbrake on the steering stick, because of accidents, but I find that I always tend to push up slightly on the stick when I am steering, in order to get a subtler side to side motion at the top of the circle, rather than directly across the centre. I know I probably didn't explain that very well, but my point is that you could set the handbrake to either left stick up or down and not interfere with the steering, which may be well worth getting used to in order to benefit from the analogue function it provides. I also tried putting reverse on the opposite of the handbrake but I didn't find it natural to push up on the stick to go into reverse, which doesn't really matter because you don't really need to have analogue motion for the brief moment you use the reverse gear to reorient yourself forward after a mishap. But I would still prefer to have L1 and R1 as my reverse and special buttons. Just some thoughts here for people who might not be getting the most out of their DUALSHOCK®2 analogue controllers.

I am interested to see what button setups other DUALSHOCK®2 analogue controller user's have as their custom configurations, let me know if I am missing something.

 

[socomplayer2]

every thing i default exept i changed

handbrake to R1
lookbehind to O
Nos to L1

nothing much but feels a bit better... kind of like nfs for the psp

 

[Pink_the_Floyd]

I'm just using the stock ones although it's very "crappy" to use the E-brake with the O-button while using the right stick for throttle and brake...

 

[Ermac26]

I leave everything at default...they feel fine to me and I drive automatic aswell and never need to use the manual shifting buttons to change when my car goes into gear...

 

[Automobile]

The handbrake is much different in corners though, especially offroad. It gives a good amount of oversteer.

 

[Dark Elite]

Welcome to GTP.

I use the standard setup with a manual gearbox, except I swap over the R/L1 and R/L2 buttons (so gearshifts are on L1 and R1), which I find easier.

A correct point that you've spotted is that the handbrake is certainly proportional, and O isn't the easiest button to regulate, so moving the handbrake to a shoulder (R/L) button would give greater control over it. I rarely use it in normal driving, so I haven't bothered changing it, but if you did then it would be much more useful elsewhere.

The way you're using it, with the handbrake set to LeftStick Down, is a much better idea. This way, normal steering across the top of the stick (as you said) doesn't affect the handbrake, but if you wanted to apply the handbrake at the same time all you need to do is steer across the bottom of the stick. A nice idea, and I hope it works for you

DE

 

[Pink_the_Floyd]

I might try that on the right stick as only upper adn down are used there now, thanks for the tip

 

[Wolfe]

Two questions for the topic starter:

1. You do know that every single button on the PS2 controller is analog just like the sticks, right? Even the D-pad is pressure-sensitive.

2. Why use the manual buttons to "control" the automatic when you can just drive manual instead?

 

[RenesisEvo]

2. Why use the manual buttons to "control" the automatic when you can just drive manual instead?

Agreed!

I use the default set-up - and use X and square for throttle/brake. The right stick sees no use - simply because you cannot left-foot brake (brake with throttle applied) and in GT4 left-foot braking really gives you an advantage.

 

[Revolution 909]

As RenesisEvo said: "in GT4 left-foot braking really gives you an advantage" but was wrong to say that you can only do it with buttons (I prefer sticks since buttons give me sore thumbs).

My controller configuration:
Right stick up - Accelerate
R1 - Brake
R2 - Shift up
L2 - Shift down
L1 - Nos
D-Pad down - Look behind

 

[Automobile]

A correct point that you've spotted is that the handbrake is certainly proportional, and O isn't the easiest button to regulate, so moving the handbrake to a shoulder (R/L) button would give greater control over it.

Two questions for the topic starter:

1. You do know that every single button on the PS2 controller is analog just like the sticks, right? Even the D-pad is pressure-sensitive.

Yes, I am aware that all the buttons on the DUALSHOCK®2 controller are pressure sensitive. However, their degree of sensitivity is inferior to the sticks. There is so little subtelty in the buttons that they might as well be digital. A proper analogue button wouldn't 'click' in when you pressed it, the spring would need to be looser and the button would need more of a range for me to consider using one of these 'analogue' buttons. The A and B buttons on the Namco NEGCON controller are a good example of usable analogue buttons. I don't see much difference between the front and shoulder buttons either. They are as good as on/off when I try using them for subtle movement. I can't hold the handbrake in just enough so that the red warning light comes on but the wheels don't lock using a shoulder button. I had previously used L1 as my handbrake but rarely used it because it locked up my wheels and left me in high gear, wasting much time while I recovered. With handbrake on the stick, I can get a lot of oversteer on corners without losing speed. The handbrake has definate benefits if it can be properly harnessed.

Two questions for the topic starter:

2. Why use the manual buttons to "control" the automatic when you can just drive manual instead?

Because I'm lazy and automatic is easier on my hands.

I use the default set-up - and use X and square for throttle/brake. The right stick sees no use - simply because you cannot left-foot brake (brake with throttle applied) and in GT4 left-foot braking really gives you an advantage.

This is an interesting concept, braking without losing revs. I would be tempted to experiment with further reorganising my controls in order to benefit from this idea. However, having acceleration and braking as up/down on the same stick is very natural and I don't think I want to fiddle with that. I find that just easing off the throttle sometimes gives me enough oversteer or deceleration to get through a corner without resorting to brakes. So it's kind of natural to have go/neutral/stop on the same axis. But if it will let me assign left stick down to brake, I'll try this idea of braking while under throttle later on tonight. Which still leaves me back at square one regarding the handbrake.

 

[Hubbe]

Default ftw!

 

[amp88]

I'm not sure exactly what you're using the handbrake for, but what I understand is that you're using it to aid corner entry, trying to stop the car from understeering. Is this correct?

If so, McLaren got there a few years before you. The McLaren F1 team had two different brake pedals in their cockpit at the start of the 1998 season. The middle pedal applied pressure to all 4 brakes, just as a normal brake pedal would, whereas the left hand pedal only applied braking pressure to the rear wheels (much in the same fashion as a handbrake). This was used to great effect, slowing the inside rear wheel from corner entry to mid-corner and reducing understeer. It was also used to try to prevent or reduce corner-exit wheelspin. The system was banned after a photographer snapped the pedal box when Coulthard retired from the Brazilian GP.

During 1997 they developed a lateral-biasing rear brake system, designed to enable the driver to steer the car using one or other rear brake, in much the same way as Yaw Stability/Anti-skid systems on some road cars use the ABS system to apply a rear brake and control a skid. On the McLaren, the clutch pedal is replaced by a second pedal (the clutch being operated by a lever behind the steering wheel). The driver selects the inner rear brake for the approaching corner and when the car begins to understeer into the corner, as most Formula1 cars do, he applies braking effort to this second pedal to brake the inner rear wheel. The resulting yawing moment generated turns the car into the corner. He may apply power at the same time and use both feet, on throttle and brake pedal, to assist with the steering control of the car. On exit from the corner it is this same inner rear wheel that will tend to spin as power is applied, and so a further application of the pedal will brake it, helping the differential transfer torque to the loaded outer wheel and prevent the inner wheel spinning.

edit: Always better with a pic:

 

[TS]

Everything is default except for NOS and change view, I swapped those 2.

 

[Automobile]

I'm not sure exactly what you're using the handbrake for, but what I understand is that you're using it to aid corner entry, trying to stop the car from understeering. Is this correct?

Yes, for light braking on asphalt, or creating oversteer by flicking the arse of the car out on loose terrain. But I'm only talking about how you control cars in the game Gran Turismo 4 on the Playstation 2 here, using a DUALSHOCK®2 analogue controller. I'm not claiming to have come up with some earth shattering new TCS concept that will rock the real life racing world.

I'm just kidding, thanks for that interesting information. 👍

 

[amp88]

Yes, for light braking on asphalt, or creating oversteer by flicking the arse of the car out on loose terrain. But I'm only talking about how you control cars in the game Gran Turismo 4 on the Playstation 2 here, using a DUALSHOCK®2 analogue controller. I'm not claiming to have come up with some earth shattering new TCS concept that will rock the real life racing world.

I'm just kidding, thanks for that interesting information. 👍

Yep, I wasn't trying to say you were behind the times either, just pointing out that obviously there's something in it in terms of performance benefit if it was used in F1.

 

[FC3Sleepah]

Used to have R1 for e-brake. But I don't use it much if at all, so I put everything back to default.