Best metal pad?

Pretty much both of these posts for anyone thinking about buying a CF. I highlighted the important parts.

I've had a CF for about 2 years now if you want to know my reasoning.

If you need any help with CFs, you can always PM me and I'll try to help your cause.

I'm not gonna be posting the scores, just improving on metal pads, because I can only do 16s on metal pads rather than the 18s on soft pad.
There isn't anything wrong with Extreme, it's just that it's the only one that's around Winnipeg that I can get to, and I like my diversity. maybe even an SN2 machine somewhere near would be nice to play every once in a while.

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part of the reason why the cobalt flux is complete trash right here. its NOTHING like an arcade experience. you can either play on a flux or play at the arcade, but the flux will NOT let you play the same way a set of arcade pads will. as such, what tyma says is complete bull shit. i repeat, the flux will not let you "play in a way that feels like the arcade." if you think this, you've either never played on a flux or never played in the arcade.


the 260 lb version of me passed HDVO on an ignition. all you have to do is slide your feet around without actually picking them up, you'll be just fine. its nothing like an arcade experience, which is obvious, and IMO nothing on an ignition should count as a pass for this reason.

anyway, the cobalt flux is complete garbage. even with the "arcade" mod its nothing like an arcade experience, the pad itself needs to be cleaned daily to function properly, it slides like crazy even with the slip pads it comes with (almost broke my fucking neck playing trip machine survivor on one because when i tried to crossover and pivot my foot it moved the whole damn pad), it doesnt work with 5th mix (huge negative for me, <3 5th mix) and the screws never stay tightened on the panels. not one gripe about it not having a bar, i used a high back chair, the bar isnt what breaks the CF for me.

i regretted buying mine about a week after i got it. i did the cardboard mod to mine back in the day to make it have recessed panels like the arcade and that didnt help at all, it just recessed my panels. i played on a friends that had the arcade mod and his pad had the same problems as mine but his recessed panels were a bit more nicely done.

i got my flux 6 years ago, i dont know when my friend got his. maybe they are better quality now, but the ones made back then sure as hell werent this ultimate dance pad i was hearing about.

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I totally agree with you. My town has Extreme, and the pads are horrible the cabinet needs major modding, but I don't think anyone would ever come to my town to fix it. All the other DDR locations are miles away as well. I can't even find many SuperNOVA 2 or X machines in Ohio.

That is pretty amazing that you can pass such hard songs on a plastic mat though. I have a plastic mat, but I always have to tape it in place so I use the Afterburner.

if you live in ohio and you cant find a good machine then you arent looking hard enough

also, ask the manager to fix it yourself if its the pads. ask to buy new sensors or some shit and fix it. free of charge

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+1

Does DDRFreak not post every machine? I always check that site for locations whenever I go out of town.

DDRFreak has waaaaay too many ancient listings which don't exist anymore. At least, no one actively maintains it that I know of.

Also, I am going to reiterate since it seems most people are saying otherwise: Cobalt Flux does not feel or play anything like arcade.

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That makes a lot more sense. Sometimes they aren't accurate either. I still can't find their SuperNOVA 2 Strongsville location.

Look at my profile under arcades I've been to. There is an SN2 in Parma in fairly good condition.

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I the modification forces you to avoid using vices. If you don't have to rely on bracketing and a bar in order to play, then playing in the arcade and playing at home starts to feel exactly the same. The only difference I notice when switching between Cobalt Flux / Arcade Pad / DDR X machine is that all 3 sufraces have a different depth to them.

As previously mentioned, using a chair to bar rape, and achieve higher scores on Stepmania is completely pointless. The only reason anyone would have a Cobalt Flux at home is because they enjoy playing DDR, or they want to practice, and become better players, by playing DDR in an enviroment suited to self-improvement?

its not a vice, i've said this so many times. the results screen doesnt lie. it doesnt matter what your preference is, if you win you're the better player. it doesnt matter if the other guy's no bar score is higher than your no bar score, or if his no bracketing score is higher than your no bracketing score. what you're saying is the same as saying daigo umehara isnt good at street fighter because he uses a stick and some players prefer a pad. its a preference, plain and simple. sure score isnt everything, and you should play the game for fun, but you cant call something that improves your score without cheating a vice. a vice would be claiming 100+ AAAs, but they're all on stepmania timing and you cant even get As in the arcade. a vice hurts you in the long run. regardless of your play style, wider timing windows wont help you improve on the real thing. being able to practice bracketing at home with extreme timing on your stepmania CAN help you.

using a chair while playing stepmania on a pad has a huge point to it. SOME PEOPLE PREFER TO PLAY THIS WAY. if you werent such an elitist ass hole you might have thought to stop and think that people play the way that is fun to them. if someone enjoys playing with the bar. also, theres another reason. you play with the bar, but arent at the point where you can consistently pass LOM. you play it at home with a bar/chair, learn HOW TO STEP THE SONG, and are then better at DDR. that scenario isnt about the score at all, but of course you want to ignore that because it puts a big gaping hole in the "bar raping is all about achieving a higher score and stepmania scores dont count" theory.

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This isn't a bar argument. It's about how playing DDR with correct posture negates the "alien" feeling of playing on a Cobalt Flux or a DDRX cabinet, and how the average person who buys a Cobalt Flux won't notice the difference, once they've played with it for a few weeks.

you WILL notice the difference if you go between home and the arcade. i dont see how you can possibly argue this. you simply CANNOT get the same experience playing at home that you can playing at the arcade, its impossible. this applies to all games. i dont care if its street fighter, DDR, or house of the dead, its better played in the arcade. thats not about controllers, thats about atmosphere and people. if you plan on EVER using an arcade machine, dont buy a cobalt flux. its THAT simple.

and if its not a no bar/no bracket argument, dont call it a vice and say the flux is awesome because you cant do said evil things. you keep contradicting yourself on this. either it is, or is not something you should do. and either you do, or do not get an arcade experience from the flux. you've made statements both ways for both subjects. its like having a conversation with a 2 year old. hell, in one post you contradicted yourself in the same sentence by saying there is no difference, then saying the depth between flux and arcade is different.

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Playing on an "arcade mod" Cobalt Flux, where bracketing and bar-raping are impossible will quickly condition you to play DDR with correct posture, and teach you to move your foot completely onto a panel, for every step.

Once you're used to playing this way, switching between an arcade and cobalt flux won't make any noticable difference, besides the depth of the surface you're stepping on.

This isn't an argument about what's "right" and what's "wrong", I'm explaining why playing on a Cobalt Flux doesn't feel any different to playing in an arcade. The pad encourages you to play DDR in a manner that breaks down the barrier between arcade and CS gameplay.

I disagree. My front room (which Tyma's been to):


Also, you can buy an arcade perfect controller. It's called the Konami ASC, but you can only get them second hand now (and they aren't common outside of Japan - they aren't really common even there):


It's literally a re-cased DDR Solo pad.

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the Cobalt Flux is pretty good, but the new flux sucks, it got holes in the base, pretty weird.

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and playing street fighter on a PS3 controller gets you used to not playing on an arcade stick. that does NOT mean a PS3 controller provides an arcade experience. and there shouldnt be a barrier between arcade and CS gameplay. SOMEONE should make a pad, aside from the konami ASC, that is perfect. there are countless pop'n, IIDX, street fighter, tekken, etc controllers that are perfect to the arcade feel. you shouldnt have to change play style just because no one makes a proper home pad, no other game forces you to. no home street fighter stick is designed so plinking doesnt work, no IIDX controller is designed so you're forced into 1 or 2 handed play, etc. just because the flux might fit your play style doesnt mean it replicates an arcade experience. if you cannot do EVERYTHING the arcade pad allows, its NOT the same thing.


oh, my bad. i didnt realize having your own cab to play on was the same as going to an arcade, which was a huge point of my last post that you blatantly ignored. you CANNOT replicate the atmosphere of playing in an arcade. having your own machine wont put initial d, MvC2, SF3, SF4, mario kart, house of the dead, etc sound effects and music in the background. you wont be hearing pinball machines. you wont have the large groups of friends and meeting new people. you just wont. even if you step dead on the center of the panel on every pad you play on and have a flux or buy your own machine you will NEVER replicate the arcade experience in your own home.

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hahaha

No one good goes to the arcade for "the atmosphere". You can easily get the same atmosphere by inviting some friends over. I met most of my ddr friends online anyway. They go to the arcade for valid scores.

No one wants to hear the bullshit in the arcade when they're trying to get a good score. The last thing I want to hear during the slow down in Sakura is some stupid machine blaring "PLAY TO WIIIIIIIIIIN"

stop being so old

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Uh, I'm pretty sure that's why I go to the arcade. At this point, I mostly go to try and get through the missions in Pump Fiesta's Quest World, but I do still play DDR at a different location. I go there because it's more fun to not be sitting in my apartment all the time. If you don't have a whole lot of a scene around you, the arcade at a bowling alley might just be the best place to play. I have an Afterburner pad sitting in front of the TV right now, but I rarely play on it anymore except to slowly work through the various DDR mission modes. This isn't to say the Afterburner sucks (I played on it with no shoes on just so I could finally stop shifting around while playing), but playing at home is just... bleh.

Why do I want to sit at home, even with a few friends over, if I can go to the arcade, be out doing something else, playing in a more fun way (arcade is just awesome), and even getting the satisfaction of random people who will still wow at DDR, no matter how good of a player you are.

Oh, I also go to Chipper's to play Extreme because I get to play cheap Time Crisis 2, also, and that game is pretty awesome.

I think I have run out of whatever point I originally had here... uh, enjoy, I guess.