Thoughts on diagonal mapping

Mapping the diagonals of an SNES controller is surprisingly controversial consider how simple it is (it is a basic option when setting controls in SNES9x).

My true opinion is that it, along with anything else but original SNES controllers should be banned. But that isn't going to happen. And as long as keyboard is allowed, I believe DMing should be too.

There is the functional issue of many keyboards not being able to press too many buttons at once, and DM helps alleviate that. But let's not pretend that is what people are disagreeing about - if it were just for that I assume nobody would mind.

To do some glitches you have to press diagonals (and can't have any frames where you are pressing just one of the component directions). DMing obviously makes this easier, and some players take exception to the fact that others are doing things an easier way. Here is my short defense:

- Something being easier is not a reason to ban. Nobody is going to deny that a keyboard is easier to play than an SNES controller, but it is allowed. SRL rules, while not really the authority on anything, state that you can use alternate control schemes for comfort. I think DMing is much closer to "alternate control scheme" than "turbo/script", because:

- DMing is not allowing any functional differences over what you can do on a controller. Without 3rd party additions, there is no way to hold your finger down on a controller to do frame perfect turboing of a button. However, there are a few ways such that one finger push = diagonal. Using a controller with a webbed dpad is one way - just press the web on the diagonal and it will send in 2 inputs. Even without webbing, if you tap the corner between the two directions you can get the d pad to send in the diagonal.

So I summarize like this:
~ On a competition legal controller you can do one tap = one diagonal
~ Obviously one tap = one diagonal is easier on a bigger button than just the corner of a dpad, but easiness is not a reason to ban or else keyboard would be banned
~ Diagonal mapping is thus not functionally different from, say, using an N64 controller on VC for a bigger ESS position in 3D Zeldas. You are doing something you can do anyways (one tap, one diagonal), but you are adjusting the scheme for ease of doing it.


Sorry for even reigniting this controversy. I completely understand the DM ban camp, but the more I think about this the more I realize the points above instead of the gut "it isn't how we normally do things so ban".

Mega respect to anyone who does this game on a console.