Why the bug I wrote became a core gameplay mechanic?!
Chapter 204 - 203: The Ultimate Solution for the Miniature Steering Wheel!_2

Chapter 204: Chapter 203: The Ultimate Solution for the Miniature Steering Wheel!_2

In short, it’s highly playable.

Of course, this kind of detachable module is not an original invention of Zhitong’s controller; other controller manufacturers have also made similar products. However, the completion level of Zhitong’s controller is relatively high, and there are also quite a few accessories that are very innovative.

For example, there is an accessory that replaces the left joystick with a circular, wheel-shaped knob that can rotate, allowing players to turn corners when playing racing games.

However, this accessory has not sold well and is now close to being discontinued.

Could it be that what President Gu wants, this miniature steering wheel, is specifically designed for the "Explorer 4" detachable modular controller, to be developed as a compatible accessory?

President Gu said that this miniature steering wheel could send signals directly to the controller—isn’t that what an accessory does?

Lu Haocheng suddenly realized, "Oh! I get it, President Gu. You mean, we just remove the left joystick and attach this accessory directly! Instead of mechanically manipulating the left joystick to make turns, it’ll send the steering wheel’s turning information directly to the controller?"

"The joystick and the steering wheel are different after all, they have dead zones, and the sensitivity is a lot different. So the original crude solution can only be said to barely work, and it’s actually not necessarily better than using the controller directly.

"But this new solution, it’s really like a miniature steering wheel! It can achieve very precise control!"

With his thought process suddenly unlocked, Lu Haocheng continued to ponder along these lines.

"What other requirements did you have, President Gu? Right, to match a steering wheel, it needs to have vibration and force feedback...

"Vibration is easy to handle, as controllers currently have vibration. It’s just a matter of updating the vibration mode like a steering wheel and upgrading the vibration module to achieve different vibration methods.

"But force feedback might be a bit more challenging. Steering wheels complete force feedback through a base, which already has direct drive motors, but where would a controller get a motor from...

"Wait a second, President Gu, you’re not thinking of installing a small motor inside this accessory, are you??"

Gu Fan looked at him, neither confirming nor denying: "What do you think?"

Lu Haocheng couldn’t help but gasp; he understood!

No wonder this little gadget has such a high price. Obviously, if it were to be properly made, it couldn’t be cheap!

Why must it have force feedback?

Because when using a steering wheel to play racing games, force feedback is essential; without it, you simply can’t play.

The most basic function is the self-centering of the steering wheel.

After turning a corner, you slightly release the steering wheel, letting it naturally return to the center, which is a driving habit many people also have in reality. This is very important for the driver to grasp the current posture of the vehicle.

If this feature is missing, it is very uncomfortable for the driver, who cannot determine through the feel of the steering wheel whether the car is actually driving in a straight line.

And if you want to master some advanced techniques, like drifting, then force feedback becomes even more essential.

During drifting, the driver will naturally release the steering wheel, letting it quickly spin back and then re-grabbing it at the right moment. The whole process should be smooth. Without force feedback, this action is almost impossible to perform.

Why has the steering wheel always been worked on at the base? From gear transmission to belt+gear transmission, then to direct drive, steering wheels always aim for increasing feedback intensity. A direct drive steering wheel, if set to maximum feedback, might even injure the player’s arm.

The currently available plastic mini steering wheels are simply mechanically connected directly to the left joystick. Although the left joystick itself has a certain amount of re-centering force, this force is not that strong to begin with, and when transmitted to the steering wheel through the connector, it’s almost non-existent.

So, it’s lifeless.

Lu Haocheng took out a notebook and sketched a simple diagram.

"Is this what you mean, President Gu?

"On the basis of the ’Explorer 4’ controller, we first move the D-pad to the upper left side, and the left joystick to the bottom. Then, remove both the left and right joysticks and attach this mini steering wheel.

"This way, we wouldn’t have to worry about any collision between the mini steering wheel and the joysticks.

"We’ll install a small motor on the mini steering wheel, located right at the bottom of the controller, connected directly to the controller through a buckle structure, and it will drive the steering wheel to enable force feedback.

"Since the player will only use their two thumbs to control the steering wheel, this motor doesn’t need to be too large. But as long as there’s force feedback, it’s sufficient to significantly enhance the player’s experience!

"Right?"

Gu Fan nodded slightly, "Yes, pretty much. But there’s one more thing. Is there room for improvement in the design of this steering wheel?"

Lu Haocheng thought for a moment, "You mean... perhaps add two more places where fingers can press?"

Currently, the design of the steering wheel is essentially "a large circle with two small circles." The large circle is the main body of the steering wheel, while the two small circles are located at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions on the steering wheel, corresponding to the player’s two thumbs.

These two small circles have a slightly concave, flat structure to assist the player’s manipulation, similar to the joystick caps.

After all, a real steering wheel is grasped with the entire hand, while the mini steering wheel is only operated with fingers, and without this structure, it would be easy to slip.

This is also the mainstream design of those crude mini steering wheels on the market.

But upon Gu Fan’s prompt, Lu Haocheng instantly realized there was still a flaw in this design.

Because it means that the player could only turn the wheel a quarter circle at most.

At most, a player could rotate their thumb to the 12 o’clock or 6 o’clock position and could not continue turning because fingers aren’t long enough.

But in driving games, a quarter circle is definitely not enough. Even top-notch F1 cars basically need half a circle to make turns.

So, to accommodate the action of turning the wheel half a circle, two more areas for thumb pressing need to be added at the 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions, allowing players to first use the right thumb to turn half a circle and then use the left thumb to take over for another half.

They could even repeatedly swap thumbs, turning as much as they want.

And then let go of the steering wheel, letting it self-center again through force feedback.

Gu Fan was very satisfied with Lu Haocheng’s insight, "Good, very good, Lu Haocheng. Your design proposal is finally starting to satisfy the client!"

Lu Haocheng was momentarily stunned. Is this my proposal? Isn’t it you, the client, who guided me step by step to come up with this...?

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