Splash DamageBlogHaptX Mod Lets ETQW Shake Your Right Hand

Splash Damage Blog

HaptX Mod Lets ETQW Shake Your Right Hand

From the fjords of aptly named Reachin Technologies in Sweden comes a new way to experience Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars. Dubbed HaptX, this technology works in conjunction with the peculiar looking Novint Falcon controller to delivery physical feedback based on what's happening on screen. The controller is used in place of the more traditional mouse and not only looks like a contraption that fell straight out of a sci-fi movie, but has been getting some rather good reviews from the enthusiast press. A software add-on supporting ETQW is now available free of charge. If you're completely confused by all this, you can find videos of the thing in action on this page.

We've not had a chance to hold hands with the Novint Falcon, but we're definitely intrigued. If anyone out there has one, please tell us all about it in the comments.

20 Comments

So does anyone have one of these devices and has tried it out? Seems pretty expensive, but then that was to be expected There is available an adapter to replace the default grip with a gun-grip so that would be idea for FPS I'd quite like to try this out tbh
Posted on 31 May, 2009 - 03:00
Looks like it could get uncomfortable after long periods of play, hand would go numb cos all the blood has drained out of it. And of course too expensive for a gimmick atm.
Posted on 31 May, 2009 - 12:15
Great idea. Lot's of great reviews. Company seems to still be around. Too bad about the price...I'd guess that $200 is at least twice what most would pay for a controller. Oh well, at least the Novint ETQW patch is available for free. Oh wait...didn't the Novint guy say that most developers gave them access to the game code?...and yet we still don't have a fix for a simple dual-stick controller...sigh
Posted on 27 January, 2010 - 13:48
No way, that looks very uncomfortable, it may be better for non-FPS games.
Posted on 27 January, 2010 - 15:44
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_s-9CUEmOo[/url] looks kinda awkward
Posted on 27 January, 2010 - 16:01
I think it would become real hard to have your arm elevated all the time to align the gun at center :( Lol this footage is clipped together xD See him shooting at the entrance stairs to the second objective of Volcano, the next moment he is at the main bunker again. I guess he got owned too badly to show on Youtube :P
Posted on 27 January, 2010 - 16:07
Yeah nice necrophilia posting ! This thing allows you to do some epic movement who are kinda hard to do with a mouse/kb.
Posted on 27 January, 2010 - 17:30
@NJ_Dude, what could be better for FPS than recoil feedback, hit directionality, or blowing yourself up real good and feeling the vibes? In the instruction tutorial, it sounded like the "right" way to hold the pistol grip is with elbow cushioned against an armrest. Undoubtedly after several hours, a person's arm might get sore. But, who knows, that might be better than carpal tunnel pain that one might get from using a mouse for that long.
Posted on 27 January, 2010 - 19:28
nah, you can't be good while playing with this weird thing. But i'm sure it could shake your other part of body for relax while you play. And no, i didn't meant THIS PART of body. As we know, relaxed player will play better than stressed one :)
Posted on 28 January, 2010 - 09:55
Speaking of tired arms and carpal tunnel... If you've been shaking your ETQW with your right hand too much, then perhaps the ergonomic, maybe even therapeutic, benefits of these mouse pads could help... ...on second thought, maybe not so much.
Posted on 4 February, 2010 - 00:42
lol, are they actual mousepads? xD
Posted on 4 February, 2010 - 15:22
they are indeed, and they are actually therapeutic edit: the wrist supports are filled with a silicone jelly or a spongy dense foam. Resting one's wrist on the support purportedly takes much of the stress off of the carpal tunnel area, and feels quite pleasant I'm told.
Posted on 4 February, 2010 - 16:46
Id prefer one of [URL="http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.173893100/categoryId.35208900"]these[/URL]
Posted on 4 February, 2010 - 19:38
@NJ_Dude, what could be better for FPS than recoil feedback, hit directionality, or blowing yourself up real good and feeling the vibes? \
I rather wear a feedback-vest if you REALLY want to feel hit directionality, as for recoil, a recoil-ready mouse will suffice.
Posted on 4 February, 2010 - 20:17
how about AmBX support, instead of Subj ? p.s. [url]http://www.ambx.com/[/url] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AmBX[/url] [url]http://www.ambx.philips.com/[/url]
Posted on 4 February, 2010 - 21:29
Great idea. Lot's of great reviews. Company seems to still be around. Too bad about the price...I'd guess that $200 is at least twice what most would pay for a controller. Oh well, at least the Novint ETQW patch is available for free. Oh wait...didn't the Novint guy say that most developers gave them access to the game code?...and yet we still don't have a fix for a simple dual-stick controller...sigh\
Someone, forget who(Got his real name/email, but not his alias), approached me in October 2009 about supporting this in QWTA, I asked him to contact the company and pursue the subject of an API or sourcecode to use the driver properly. The reply he got from their CEO, also back in October 2009:
Hi **** and thank you for your email. We haven't taken a decision just yet as to how we provide and distribute source for mods including HaptX for developers - commercial as well as non-commercial. Looking at the growing popularity of haptics and the install base of Falcons I will take this topic to our management team for further evaluation and discussion. Sincerely Yours, Mats Lordin CEO\
So far they haven't released a usable API or sourcecode to use their product AFAIK. So basically you're limited to playing their mod of BaseETQW if you want to use it. *shrug* Dunno about you, but I don't own or especially desire to own one, nor do I have the inclination to invest a lot of time in supporting it.... However, if they made it easy to include support for, I'd have no problem including support for it in QWTA.
Speaking of tired arms and carpal tunnel... If you've been shaking your ETQW with your right hand too much, then perhaps the ergonomic, maybe even therapeutic, benefits of these mouse pads could help... ...on second thought, maybe not so much.\
Cute notion, although I think I prefer my "[url=http://www.func.net/]Func[/url] Surface" mousepad. (Rigid textured plastic beats the hell out of a fabric mousepad anyday. Although even pretend boobs have their perks.)
how about AmBX support, instead of Subj ? p.s. [url]http://www.ambx.com/[/url] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AmBX[/url] [url]http://www.ambx.philips.com/[/url]\
That looks just...bad, to me personally. XD Not a huge fan of such things in the first place, but it looks very gimmicky and not at all contributory to a gaming experience.
Posted on 9 February, 2010 - 02:15
That looks just...bad, to me personally. XD Not a huge fan of such things in the first place, but it looks very gimmicky and not at all contributory to a gaming experience.\
i can talk only for myself, but Premium AmBX sets with FarCry2 and SupremeCommander[w/latest patches] imress me.
Posted on 9 February, 2010 - 03:20
Perhaps this style of controller will convince you that they are a better control surface... :D But, be careful. Carpal tunnel is not the worst that can happen. Gamers that sit in one place for too long can leave lasting impressions... :eek:
Posted on 17 February, 2010 - 20:56
looks interesting,would love a video of low sens strafing with that tho
Posted on 18 February, 2010 - 00:35
that's a women's watch but that's analogue control I can understand
Posted on 18 February, 2010 - 02:21