Mass request to Razer for doing a Mechanical Nostromo

[popol]

Why not organizing a mass request to Razer for building a mechanical Nostromo?
That would be the most interesting keyboard out of their catalog ^^

[cactux]

^ Most of the guys around here are not very attracted by Razer flashy stuff

[RiGS]

Also it was originally made by Belkin.

[popol]

Nostromo is not a flashy stuff. It's just the best device for playing fps. And no, it's owned by Razer now. ^^

[TheSoulhunter]

I would buy it...

[epicsilas]

I would definitely buy it. Razer is flashy, but I still like their products.

[Rajagra]

Why not organizing a mass request to Razer for building a mechanical Nostromo?

I'd tap that!
While we are wishing, how about one for the right hand too. Think of the possibilities.

[alaricljs]

I'd tap that!
While we are wishing, how about one for the right hand too. Think of the possibilities.

With the D-Pad replaced by a thumb trackball.  

[NamelessPFG]

And the whole thing mounted on a sliding base not much unlike the old Microsoft SideWinder Strategic Commander...I don't understand why devices like the whole Nostromo N52 line, the Logitech G13, and so forth haven't bothered to implement that.

Use the slide movement for...well, moving (analog, to boot!), and keep all those keys on top for switching weapons or whatever else you need to do.

[hazeluff]

I don't see how the Nostromo is good for anything... Someone enlighten me.

I do see the benefit of making them mechanical tho, reduced input lag is always good and better also the feel.

[thp777]

And the whole thing mounted on a sliding base not much unlike the old Microsoft SideWinder Strategic Commander...I don't understand why devices like the whole Nostromo N52 line, the Logitech G13, and so forth haven't bothered to implement that.

Use the slide movement for...well, moving (analog, to boot!), and keep all those keys on top for switching weapons or whatever else you need to do.

:O good idea. *off to lab to get started*. maybe ill try this with a arcade joystick as the movement part. got an extra cheap one laying around and need a reason to work on my full custom nostromo again.

[stingrae]

I don't see how the Nostromo is good for anything... Someone enlighten me.

I do see the benefit of making them mechanical tho, reduced input lag is always good and better also the feel.

Think the idea was that you had a slightly more comfortable experience and can use your thumb for the dpad to do something other than direction in mmos. I heard some pretty nice reviews of it from WoW players but whenever I look at it I just feel i'd lack keybinds. As I had about 45 keybinds (and potentially much more) outside of movement, even if 3 keys are assigned to be modifiers (ctrl, alt and shift) i'd only get 30 keybinds (maybe a few more but im not counting tab or a pushtotalk key).

So nice thing for FPS I imagine, nice for average mmo players who have more cash than sense and probably a better experience than a standard keyboard by being more ergonomic for some people (but my small hands simply didn't seem to feel good on it when I looked at it). I guess i'm with you, I don't really see the benefit of this device other than taking up more of my deskspace and i'd have to switch to the keyboard to type.

[popol]

In fps, the usage is not for macros. The position of the hand is better and more ergonimic than on a standard keyboard. Keys are aligned as well, and the crosspad allow many of my friends to switch weapons far better than binding them on a keyboard. Many people criticize N52 because they only tried it in a bad way, from what I've read on websites. For fps I prefer it far over G13.
N52 is an underrated device that would be perfect with Cherry black switches as on it your hand has more strength to push on the keys. The mistake would be to "cherry blue" it.

To me, not implementing a mechanical Nostromo is a nonsense from Razer. Better getting it out from their catalog...

[Rajagra]

I always found the D-pad to be sucky. Not only is it hard to hit/maintain the diagonals accurately, but the technicality of how it sent keys messed it up. For example sending arrow keys for N/S/E/W was fine, but doing diagonals had to be done as a macro, that instead of holding down two arrows at a time, had to stream them as a sequence of up/down strokes. TOTALLY USELESS in many games. I was always amazed to read of people using the D-pad for character movement and being happy with it. How could they not notice it was broken, and moved jerkily? (Also attempting to use the D-pad for movement and the thumb button below it to jump would be stupid for obvious reasons.)

For this reason, I just used the D-pad as a 4-button keypad for the thumb. Similar thing for the scroll wheel (3 buttons).

But as a comfortable controller with a mass of buttons, it works supremely well. Using WASD on a standard keyboard was vastly inferior.
One more criticism - it should have had a 6X3 grid of keys rather than (almost) 5X3.
An extra top row (6X4) would be icing on the cake.

[Lanx]

just think of the nostromo as more than a regular xbox controller i'll just use halo or gears(i don't play the battlefield or cod games on xbox, but all fps are basically the same controls)
in gears and many fps the d pad is used to select machine gun/pistol/melee/grenade (or some variation)
the nostromo d pad can function as the same.
BUT while you have to take your movement thumb off the analogue to select a new weapon with a xbox controller, you can move on a nostromo and select a new weapon, via WASD style.

not only that but then you have a multitude of other buttons that are close by to WASD in the nostromo to use, along with having a second or even third programmable layer via the big red button (i've never used it tho).

but i personally use it for programming simple macros the software is so easy for that.

oh and it's more ergonomic, with matrix layout and decent enough sculpted palm rest.

[stingrae]

In fps, the usage is not for macros. The position of the hand is better and more ergonimic than on a standard keyboard. Keys are aligned as well, and the crosspad allow many of my friends to switch weapons far better than binding them on a keyboard. Many people criticize N52 because they only tried it in a bad way, from what I've read on websites. For fps I prefer it far over G13.
N52 is an underrated device that would be perfect with Cherry black switches as on it your hand has more strength to push on the keys. The mistake would be to "cherry blue" it.

To me, not implementing a mechanical Nostromo is a nonsense from Razer. Better getting it out from their catalog...

To me, it is already an over priced peripheral. I sorta meant mmos with regards to macros, perhaps you might have a buy macro for say cs I guess.

Razer would be foolish to try this venture unless marketed very well. I think razer has bigger problems like trying to come up with innovative products (the switchblade and that pad thing this year) instead of improving the quallity of it's current products.

Blackwidows seem to regularly have defects, Mice seem to break within months or just after warranty. Mice have sensors that simply aren't all that good and shapes that are for the most part not inline with the mice that razer found success in (Boomslang, Diamondback, Krait, Deathadder) of those only the deathadder remains.

Simply put I believe razer needs to refocus on quallity before releasing over-branded, gimmicky and sponsored peripherals and actually get the testing done by enthusiasts and pro-gamers (much like steelseries did with the kana and kinzu v2).  

The n52 may not be a bad peripheral for some people but at the end of the day it's only ergonomic for some people, some people simply won't see the point unless another layer were added and others would stick to their membrane keyboards still as the price would have to be above the low end mechanicals on the market if not more than a leopold.

No one can use a nostromo on an Xbox so that is a bad example...

If you want more buttons adjacent to wasd switch to esdf? It's not that many buttons and you are losing the top row.

Again i'll reiterate that what may be ergonomic for some isn't for others. I couldn't cope with as steep an incline as the nostromo has as I also can not cope with using a deathadder mouse (also praised for being ergonomic). I did seriously want one after all the great reviews hit but after attempting to justify it in a shop and feeling the shape, it simply wasn't worth it especially if you don't have a tenkeyless keyboard and your deskspace is limited...

[popol]

To me, it is already an over priced peripheral. I sorta meant mmos with regards to macros, perhaps you might have a buy macro for say cs I guess.

Razer would be foolish to try this venture unless marketed very well. I think razer has bigger problems like trying to come up with innovative products (the switchblade and that pad thing this year) instead of improving the quallity of it's current products.

Blackwidows seem to regularly have defects, Mice seem to break within months or just after warranty. Mice have sensors that simply aren't all that good and shapes that are for the most part not inline with the mice that razer found success in (Boomslang, Diamondback, Krait, Deathadder) of those only the deathadder remains.

Simply put I believe razer needs to refocus on quallity before releasing over-branded, gimmicky and sponsored peripherals and actually get the testing done by enthusiasts and pro-gamers (much like steelseries did with the kana and kinzu v2).  

The n52 may not be a bad peripheral for some people but at the end of the day it's only ergonomic for some people, some people simply won't see the point unless another layer were added and others would stick to their membrane keyboards still as the price would have to be above the low end mechanicals on the market if not more than a leopold.

No one can use a nostromo on an Xbox so that is a bad example...

If you want more buttons adjacent to wasd switch to esdf? It's not that many buttons and you are losing the top row.

Again i'll reiterate that what may be ergonomic for some isn't for others. I couldn't cope with as steep an incline as the nostromo has as I also can not cope with using a deathadder mouse (also praised for being ergonomic). I did seriously want one after all the great reviews hit but after attempting to justify it in a shop and feeling the shape, it simply wasn't worth it especially if you don't have a tenkeyless keyboard and your deskspace is limited...

**** consoles!

[popol]

who cares about consoles... Many people are seing Nostromo as an outstanding device for FPS. Consoles are lowering the quality of everything, I know, but it's a topic about Nostromo, not disabled people devices.
Seriously, that's the only interesting keyboard in their whole catalog. Not talking about the mice. So the pads.....

[The_Beast]

I don't really see the point of these game pads, I already have a keyboard and it's pretty darn comfy.

[hazeluff]

Think the idea was that you had a slightly more comfortable experience and can use your thumb for the dpad to do something other than direction in mmos. I heard some pretty nice reviews of it from WoW players but whenever I look at it I just feel i'd lack keybinds. As I had about 45 keybinds (and potentially much more) outside of movement, even if 3 keys are assigned to be modifiers (ctrl, alt and shift) i'd only get 30 keybinds (maybe a few more but im not counting tab or a pushtotalk key).

So nice thing for FPS I imagine, nice for average mmo players who have more cash than sense and probably a better experience than a standard keyboard by being more ergonomic for some people (but my small hands simply didn't seem to feel good on it when I looked at it). I guess i'm with you, I don't really see the benefit of this device other than taking up more of my deskspace and i'd have to switch to the keyboard to type.

Right. So nothing too special about it.

I dont' think Razer would ever bother making it a mechanical board, since this is a niche within a niche. To them it won't be worth it. But I see your point.

I used to play WoW and I had over 50 keybinds/hotkeys (at least on my UI) i had ctrl/alt + number/function row/wasd area all bound to something. I wouldn't use it for MMOs. But I guess it could be something "nice" to have for FPS, but I wouldn't get it. My friend's got the Logitech version of it. He plays quite a lot of games, and I've seen him use it once. And that was cos he wanted to do custom macros so he didnt' have to spam in all the elements to make spells in Magica.

[popol]

Right. So nothing too special about it.

I dont' think Razer would ever bother making it a mechanical board, since this is a niche within a niche. To them it won't be worth it. But I see your point.

I used to play WoW and I had over 50 keybinds/hotkeys (at least on my UI) i had ctrl/alt + number/function row/wasd area all bound to something. I wouldn't use it for MMOs. But I guess it could be something "nice" to have for FPS, but I wouldn't get it. My friend's got the Logitech version of it. He plays quite a lot of games, and I've seen him use it once. And that was cos he wanted to do custom macros so he didnt' have to spam in all the elements to make spells in Magica.

OK you don'tunderstand, it's about ergonomics and better access to more binds. Gives you a substantial speed advantage and comfort in fps.
It's the only interesting product in the whole Razer catalog. An, oh wait, of course it's not been developped by Razer. That means everything.

[hazeluff]

OK you don'tunderstand, it's about ergonomics and better access to more binds. Gives you a substantial speed advantage and comfort in fps.
It's the only interesting product in the whole Razer catalog. An, oh wait, of course it's not been developped by Razer. That means everything.

As someone pointed out, ergonomics only means it fits some people (probably the majority tho). And as for "better" access, I don't think it's very significant.

I'll come to the conclusion (in my opinion), that for some this may be a good product if you play for FPS. But terrible for MMO/RTS

Whether your passion lies in FPS, MMORPG, or RTS games

Not enough keys for bindings for MMORPG/RTS.


[/FONT] I should shut up now tho.

[Rajagra]

Not enough keys for bindings for MMORPG/RTS.

I used it and a Logitech G9 mouse to play WoW with no problems, and never used the main keyboard except for typing.

23 buttons on the N52te. (3 from scroll wheel, 4 from D-pad.)
Reserve 4 for movement keys, that leaves 19.

9 'buttons' on the G9 in addition to left/right click.
Map 2 buttons as Ctrl and Alt, that leaves 7.

Total: 26 actions available with a single keypress.
Another 52 actions available with Ctrl or Alt via mouse.
Possibly another 26 via Ctrl and Alt.

So up to 104 commands available without having to move the hands at all from my chosen relaxed position.
Not enough for MMORPG? You weren't even trying.

Oh, and that's without even using the 3 layers that the N52te offers!

[Crowat]

I have both the original nostromo and the new one.  I prefer the old one by far.  The D-pad on it is way nicer.

I was interested in doing the hack that ripster posted (replacing switches) although I haven't had the time to do it.  

Since getting my Leo I really like the feels of the buttons.  However, I dislike how they are staggered (especially for FPS games).

I am contemplating shaping a form fit palm rest out of acrylic for my Leopold (maybe I can leverage the N52 hand rest for the template).

[Brodie337]

I've got the Belkin n52TE, the backlit one, and I think the last one they made. The main thing I use it for is FPS, where the primary advantage is that it's faster. I might use the Z key for prone in a game, but on the n52, I map it to one of the directional buttons under my thumb, where it's easy to find. Melee is just a sweep of my thumb away, as I map it to the round button above the D-pad.

I guess I'm trying to say that, at least in the case of FPS, it's primary advantage is distinction between each control. Whereas it's easy to miss the V key for melee on a keyboard, I've never missed it on my gamepad.

I haven't used it for any MMOs, but it handles RPG games with some crafty remapping, as well as RTS and the like. I've also set mine up with Windows, media, and browser shortcuts when I'm not gaming on it. As it stands, it's one of my favourite peripheral purchases, and I'd love a mechanical version of the same.

[limmy]

I would be interested in buying if mechanical version is made. However, I don't know if we should contact Razer to make them. When I got warranty service for my n52te, the Belkin was the one who I had to contact.

I have n52te and I think it is pretty comfortable. I bound keys to mouse buttons and navigation keys (Up, Down, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End) and mainly used it when web-browsing. The placement of scroll wheel and ability to map the wheels to something else is also nice.

One thing I love most about n52te is that it has on-board memory and that extra software is not required once you customize your settings. I do a lot of work in remote desktop environment, and in that environment software bound keys are useless. (I also own G13 and it also has on-board memory, but the memory is only used to store settings. So, in order to use customized layout, you would require software to be installed. It is close to useless in my working environment. It works fine once software is installed though.)

However, I think many people dislike on-board memory. Or should I say, many people have complaints about the limitation from using hard-ware bound keys. When I google n52te, I see people complaining the previous software was much better. Well software implementation is much more flexible, hence it would be generally better. However, one catch about software implementation is that you should have admin privileges on all of the system you use the board so that you could install the software. Also, you can only use them under specific OS for which software is available. If you are using Linux, you can use n52te once you customize the layouts, but you cannot use old version.


Well, my wish to make mechanical version of n52te with on-board memory and with hard-ware remapping. I would love to see a keyboard with flexible hard-ware remapping with multi-layered layouts.

[NamelessPFG]

Funny how you mention hardware remapping, as that's a feature I'd love to see on a keyboard for each and every key. It's also something I really liked about my Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar while I had it (the newer HOTAS Warthog, by contrast, is entirely software-driven), and something that also comes in handy with my Logitech G500 every now and then (though it would be preferred if it could store more than one profile).

That said, I don't think I'll go with the N52 or the G13 or any other such device in the end...though I probably won't find out for a while if the SideWinder Strategic Commander can actually be used in analog mode (for instance, presenting itself as a DirectInput controller).

[Hubris]

Odd all the aggro at the 52 for MMO's. I introduced my dad to it back when they were Belkin's babies and it made WoW playable for him. Years later he's still happily plugging away with it, and he's a non WASD player.

Using it efficiently requires more than just transposing the keyset from your keyboard. Yes, the d-pad is lousy if you use it like it looks like you would use it. But, if you use the mouse for forward movement and turning, the dpad for strafing and back stepping, things work pretty well. The diags are hard to hit reliably, so it's safer to make them redundant strafes. This still leaves the up direction free to do something. Sit is a surprisingly natural and useful choice.

The main keypad does well for wow spellbinds, especially since many classes can spend most of the time hitting the same four or five attacks in rotation. A shift state is useful for less common interface duties, and then the third hits your hotkeyed inventory bits, trinkets, "Oh Noes!" cooldowns, and snarky emotes.

If you really need moar, you can cheat moar in by setting the scrollwheel to cycle hotbars and having your keypad hit slots in the active hotbar.

But yeah, it is a mushy feeling pad. I miss mine.

But I'm more interested in finding my Strategic Commander. It was around here somewhere, back when I was playing Mechwarrior.

[Emporio]

I have the Razer Nostromo... Would hate it if they come out with the mechanical version, it means another hole in my wallet

[ViewMaster]

For anyone still looking, The mechanical Nostromo exists now.

"The Orbweaver"

[gnubag]

For anyone still looking, The mechanical Nostromo exists now.

"The Orbweaver"

nice of you to tell us. l0l

[nubbinator]

For anyone still looking, The mechanical Nostromo exists now.

"The Orbweaver"

[tp4tissue]

Viewmaster is a Razer SPY

[Smeagol_RP]

$130? No thanks.

Around here they're selling it about $290. Just a bad joke.

[llovro]

mechanical nostromo
half life 3 is announced
lolwut