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Active: 7503 users

Invert Y-axis

Blogs > Antifate
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Antifate
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States415 Posts
July 28 2013 12:45 GMT
#1
First blog :O

I'm one of those people who inverts the vertical axis on console shooters, but pretty much none of my friends do. It's actually funny to see them curse and die we share controllers and forget to change the settings (I do this as well T_T). This inverse association is only there for console games and I don't invert axes for PC shooters. I think I had this habit burned into me after Goldeneye 64, which had inverted vertical vision for some reason.

I once had it explained to me that "inverted" was how pilots flew, and that pulling back on the flight stick made the plane's nose rise, while pushing forward made the plane descend. I suppose this makes sense, but then again, the two situations are completely different since planes move very differently than people in shooters. Planes can't strafe or move backwards or anything. Also I think it feels more intuitive when you're holding the entire flight stick in your hand, rather than manipulating an analog stick with your thumb. That last sentence makes me laugh; I'm mature I swear.

I guess this "inverse" logic is present in some other random areas of life, like moving specimens under a microscope or in sailing. But those systems are more consistent in that every direction is inverted (well in sailing I guess there's only left and right lol I'm not a sailor), and it's easy to see the underlying mechanical reason why that inversion is there. I feel that it's kind of funky that I find a normal x-axis and inverted y-axis to be the most comfortable way to play console games, while both are normal for mouse and keyboard. There are natural differences between a stick and a mouse, but it's still strange that this exists for me. I get tricked by some people's mouse/touchpad scroll schemes too. I feel like they should be inverted.

I guess it can be reasoned for systems like planes, the inverted Y-axis is kind of like "back" or "slow" is against gravity, while "forward" or "go" is with gravity. I don't know, it all seems kind of silly.

I guess I kind of feel like a weirdo for having my brain wired in this way, but there's got to be a reason, right?

I wonder why some games had mandatory inverted Y-axes as well.


*
No one is taller than the last man standing.
Khalum
Profile Joined September 2010
Austria831 Posts
July 28 2013 13:14 GMT
#2
When FPS games on the PC started utilizing the mouse, I also played with inverted Y. Maybe because I also played space/flight sims and was used to that behaviour. I think I stopped during UT times, now I couldn't do it anymore.
Mongoose
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
United Kingdom190 Posts
July 28 2013 14:13 GMT
#3
It's so weird to invert the Y axis on PC games..

For console, I prefer inverted but can play both (in the old days inverted used to be the norm, but in recent years un-inverted seems to be the most commonly used)
Master league EU Terran
Awesomedrifter
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Canada62 Posts
July 28 2013 14:16 GMT
#4
I was expecting a math blog

http://awesomedrifter.com/
Zoundsforsook
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
Scotland636 Posts
July 28 2013 14:28 GMT
#5
I too invert the Y-Axis on controllers and so does my brother, it might be as you say due to Goldeneye 64!

A friend of mine inverts the Y axis with mouse movement which I found a lot weirder, though after a bit of use it's not as hard to adapt as it might seem at first.
Paint it bright and bold.
lifeisgood99
Profile Joined October 2010
Canada915 Posts
July 28 2013 14:30 GMT
#6
Same here. I need to use Y-inversion on consoles since I played a lot on a flying simulator when I was younger. I really can't deal with console FPS without it now. I don;t use Y-inversion on the PC as well.

For anyone wondering how we use Y-inversion: + Show Spoiler +
[image loading]
Taengoo/Eunji ~ flavourflower.tumblr.com
Azera
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
3800 Posts
July 28 2013 14:31 GMT
#7
On July 28 2013 23:16 Awesomedrifter wrote:
I was expecting a math blog



Same here. Equally disappointed.
Check out some great music made by TLers - http://bit.ly/QXYhdb , by intrigue. http://bit.ly/RTjpOR , by ohsea.toc.
docvoc
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
United States5491 Posts
July 28 2013 17:02 GMT
#8
I know some pros play inverted, though they all say they play inverted because of golden-eye. I remember BioHuntaa who played high level Halo would use the Claw-Grip and play Inverted. Sidenote, he also played a sick guitar.
User was warned for too many mimes.
Myrkskog
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
Canada481 Posts
July 28 2013 19:48 GMT
#9
Anyone who owned a 286-486 was guaranteed to learn inverted pretty much because of games like Descent and Terminal Velocity. The majority of people who played Quake in its heyday were inverted also, probably because of this.

Inverted makes more sense anyways. When you want to look down you tilt your head forward. When you want to look up you tilt your head backwards.
Hoender
Profile Joined March 2011
South Africa382 Posts
July 28 2013 20:11 GMT
#10
On July 29 2013 04:48 Myrkskog wrote:
Anyone who owned a 286-486 was guaranteed to learn inverted pretty much because of games like Descent and Terminal Velocity. The majority of people who played Quake in its heyday were inverted also, probably because of this.

Inverted makes more sense anyways. When you want to look down you tilt your head forward. When you want to look up you tilt your head backwards.

Same here - Descent was my first 'fps' game and I've been playing inverted ever since. It's almost become something I'm proud of by now and is sort of used as an inside joke by all my friends

Stay strong my inverted friends!
Anti-inverted propaganda:
+ Show Spoiler +
Die ou swepe sê: "daar's 'n raat vir elke kwaal," maar watse pil kou jy as die donker jou kom haal?
CecilSunkure
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States2829 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-29 00:21:22
July 28 2013 21:23 GMT
#11
Inverted z is actually common. If you invert z and increase a position on the x or y axes, that position will appear to move up and right respectively.

You of course need to be looking down negative z axis to see it this way. This doesn't change user experience much, but if you're developing a game or using a tool like an editor, having inverted z can make things less retarded.
GwSC
Profile Joined December 2010
United States1997 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-28 23:04:02
July 28 2013 22:54 GMT
#12
I invert when using a controller too. It makes sense if you think of it as controlling a head. Push forward on the stick (push head forward) you look down. Pull back on the stick (pull head back) you look up.

Edit: Someone totally already said that, didn't notice. Oh well
deathly rat
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
United Kingdom911 Posts
July 29 2013 00:36 GMT
#13
It's funny. When i gave my dad a try at Call of Duty he also wanted to play inverted, but he had never played any FPS games before in his life.
No logo (logo)
Chairman Ray
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
United States11903 Posts
July 29 2013 00:46 GMT
#14
I'm used to inverted Y-axis when controlling aircrafts, and non-inverted for everything else. Just sorta how I got used to things.
Terranist
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States2496 Posts
July 29 2013 01:06 GMT
#15
i don't think it is that weird of a habit. older gamers that played stuff like goldeneye still like inverted a lot while the halo generation doesn't. turok was the game that got me to use inverted but i don't feel that it necessarily is better.
The Show of a Lifetime
Najda
Profile Joined June 2010
United States3765 Posts
July 29 2013 04:12 GMT
#16
On July 29 2013 09:46 Chairman Ray wrote:
I'm used to inverted Y-axis when controlling aircrafts, and non-inverted for everything else. Just sorta how I got used to things.


I do that as well. I'm pretty sure the Banshee in Halo 1 was always inverted regardless of controls (or was it a separate control setting?) which taught me to play that way. I originally started playing inverted everything but my brother played normal and I got tired to switching, so I just learned to play both. Now I only play normal.

I didn't even know inverting Y-axis on PC was even a thing until pretty recently. Seems so odd to me.
ObviousOne
Profile Joined April 2012
United States3704 Posts
July 29 2013 06:12 GMT
#17
Oh man now I know why I got destroyed in Goldeneye so often haha. Maybe I'll break out the old '64 again sometime.

I can't do inverted-Y anymore thanks to 5 years of Counter-Strike and I was never much one for flight simulators before that (thanks BW =])
Fear is the only darkness. ~Destiny Fan Club operator~
Antifate
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States415 Posts
July 29 2013 06:32 GMT
#18
It's strange that the joystick-on-head argument doesn't apply to the X-axis, because it's the same spatial set-up. I wonder if anyone even uses X-axis inversion, I've seen the option in a few games lol.

I suppose even if it's a bit strange it's useful; it's harder to track people when they jump than when they crouch, so pressing down (more comfortable to me) on an inverted control scheme is practical in that sense.
No one is taller than the last man standing.
rebdomine
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
6040 Posts
July 29 2013 06:47 GMT
#19
Was expecting to see graphs and instead I find discussion on shooters and flight sims.

Slightly disappointed.
"Just because you are correct doesn't mean you are right!"
opsayo
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
591 Posts
July 29 2013 07:13 GMT
#20
i use inverted and i also played descent a long time ago

no idea if thats the reason or not but i can't undo it
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