Novint Falcon Experience Thread

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Wintermute{A|R}

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Hey eGO!

Tom Anderson of Novint wants to know what you think about the Novint Falcon. If you have purchased or won a Falcon, please let him know what you think.

He wants to hear everyone's opinion. Negative, Positive, Neutral, or any thing else.​

In order to keep it organized, please try to use this format.


Falcon: (Won or Bought or Gift)
Opinion:

There is no length requirement, maximum or minimum. He would like to know what you think of the product, what can be done to make it more effective, and if you are having any trouble setting it up.
 
Falcon:BOUGHT
Opinion: Its so fun to play with on half life 2 and all and css and TF2 thanks for the great gaming add-on. been playing hl2 for ever now!
 
(Don't have one, but do have an opinion)

It's been my experience that, while playing TF2 against these guys who have the Falcon, they're easier to kill on the turn. If I play pyro, per se, I can run circles around them as they can't turn as fast as me.. I don't know if this is a setting on the Falcon itself that they can fix, but to be honest, I'm scared to purchase one due to this fact... Now, if Tom wanted to send me out a loaner... ;) *hint hint*
 
Thanks Wintermute - appreciate you making this thread. I definitely want to hear what people think, good or bad. Good reviews are always fun to hear, and good for others to hear. Bad reviews are also good to hear so that we at Novint can fix problems. I think eGo does a good job of being respectful to it's sponsors (which is important for a group like eGo), so as a general rule, the forums keep things pretty clean, which is nice to see. In this case though, I consider myself part of eGo's community, and I want to hear honest feedback (and therefore I won't be offended as a sponsor from negative feedback). I've found a number of times where when people had bad experiences with the Falcon, we turned it into a positive experience. Some of my biggest critics in the past have ended up being some of our strongest supporters. I'd very much like to see the Falcon flourish as part of the eGo community, because it is an awesome community that I want to grow with.

I heard in our Falconers games last night that one of the guys was with some eGo people, and they said they didn't like the Falcon, and were really bashing it. I don't have a problem with that. Whether it was an isolated incident or opinion or not, I'd like to hear. At Novint we try and make sure everyone has a good experience. If there are larger numbers of people who don't like the Falcon for some reason, or like it in some cases but not in others, I'd like to hear that too.

I'll give my opinions on people's thoughts, and I invite discussion on any points people bring up.

I like that Deja posted - I think that views in advance of getting a Falcon, good or bad, are a good thing for this thread too. That is the spirit of it.

Deja, some of the people you've played with might be getting up to speed or maybe aren't as good of players? (if you ever came across me, you shouldn't attribute my bad play to the Falcon - I'd be worse with the mouse lol) - I've found the competition on our Falcon nights is more challenging than many public servers from my own experiences (though the eGo servers tend to be tougher competition than average in my experience), and we definitely have some well above average Falcon players. The specific example you give doesn't make sense to me, as that is one of the strengths of the Falcon - with it, you can turn quickly and fluidly when someone is running around you. When I'm playing heavy or pyro for example, I've seen people try and stay a little faster than me in turning (where a mouse might get to a point where you hit the edge of the mousepad, but the Falcon can keep spinning). I think I'm personally better skills-wise (though I still have a lot to learn gameplay-wise) with the pyro than I ever could be with the mouse.

thanks all, and appreciate your feedback.
tomnovint, ceo
 
Falcon bashing isn't rare by any means. People think it's "gimmicky" because... Well, it is.

But, what they don't understand is that gaming is primarily for entertainment. Any gaming mouse, keyboard, monitor, graphics card, falcon, or anything is just a gimmick built to enhance the experience. Some are for entertainment, some are for competitive gameplay.
 
What I'm saying, Tom, is that I've been able to out turn the people on the Falcon with a lot of ease. Sure, they may have been newer to the Falcon, but I don't know for certain. It just seems in game that there is an issue with turning left and then right really fast then back to left... I never circle strafe someone as a Pyro, rather, I go left a few steps then right really quick. I haven't seen a Falconer keep up with that jerking movement like that yet... Maybe you can give me a one on one so I myself can become a believer in this thing?
 
I understand better now. I can try a one on one with you, but the problem is, you're probably a better player than me and it might not prove much ;) I'm probably decent in that situation myself with either a Pyro or Heavy - that is still a situation where I personally think the Falcon shines. As long as I don't get stunned I hardly ever die with a scout using that tactic, for example, when using those classes. I think John T (he says "I can do some wicked turns with the Falcon), or some of our other better players could do the concept more justice though. One of the things we're going to be organizing with eGo is some Falconer vs Mouser sessions, with some good Falcon players. Would be good for you to attend that, it sounds like, and might help. thx, tomnovint
 
But then again, you can change the turn sensitivity right?
 
Falcon: Purchased.
Opinion: Excellence. Though it's not the first, or last time i'll say it: I want the Falcon to knock the mouse off its throne and usher in a new era of control. Not an easy task, but not impossible either, given time. It has a lot of potential and in my mind, the Novint Falcon is a prototype for what is to come next.
That said, it is my opinion that so long as Novint does not change its attitude dramatically and continue to advance the Falcon and beyond, that they will be the torch carrier in a new era of control.

That said, they have already opened the gates, and if they DO rest on the Falcon's success and don't try to out do their own beast, it is likely that some one else will come to carry that torch instead. After all, once this hits Logitech, Razor, Saitek, every big hard ware company and their mothers will be launching their own haptic devices within just a few years.
Novint has the lead, but they have to be willing to carry that torch. I think they are, but only time will tell.
Success feels very good, and when you feel good, you like to relax.
 
Hey Sir, I've liked our interactions on the boards - I can tell you're a good guy, and appreciate your thoughts. On the Falcon being gimmicky, I believe I get what you're saying. I have one bit of perspective I'd like to share in that respect though.

One aspect of the Falcon as a product for gamers, is if it is competitive or not. If you've read my other posts, you'll see that I clearly think it is, with practice. I've seen and spoke to too many people who have surpassed their mouse skills not to believe that to be true, and more important I know it's true deep down from my own experiences. I don't think there's anything you can't do with a Falcon that you can with the mouse - that's my opinion on it ;) You just have to practice.

All of that being said though, one thing I think people don't realize is that the technological field the Falcon represents is going to be a huge field in computing. All computers have monitors to see, and all computers have speakers to hear. In the future, all computers will have 3D touch devices to feel. I think the touch aspects of games and apps we have now are going to be considered very rudimentary in 5 years (like we think about old video games), and the field of touch in computing is going to grow significantly. I think it is one of the few fields of computing we'll see in our lifetime that fundamentally changes computing (on par with the mouse, monitor, and internet) - i.e. something that will be on every computer in the future. All of this I say irrespective of Novint or the Falcon - I am only talking about the field. I think this is intuitively true, because our sense of touch is one of our most basic human senses. Novint is currently working on almost a million dollars worth of research outside of video games, using the Falcon to telerobotically control military robots or as a simulator to realistically simulate medical procedures to a level that a real life surgeon thinks our virtual procedures feel just like the real life procedure being simulated (such as the feeling of injecting a virtual needle into tissue). When I started working in the field in 1995, haptic devices (i.e. robots) that do what the Falcon does cost over $30,000. Even in 2004 when we first started working on the Falcon, devices that do what the Falcon does cost $15,000. Even today, there are devices comparable to the Falcon that cost many thousands of dollars. It's no joystick.

I personally don't think the Falcon is gimmicky. I think it is a first device in the future of not only gaming but computing as a whole -- again, I say this referring to the field irrespective of whether Novint is successful or not, though we think we will be.

thx, tomnovint
 
thank you for your thoughts Malid. very much appreciated. Please keep the opinions and discussion going all ;) tomnovint
 
I wasnt sure till now if i should buy a falcon, but since most owners have positive feedbacks on the Novint Falcon. I guess i sould buy one :)
 
tomnovint said:
Hey Sir, I've liked our interactions on the boards - I can tell you're a good guy, and appreciate your thoughts. On the Falcon being gimmicky, I believe I get what you're saying. I have one bit of perspective I'd like to share in that respect though.

One aspect of the Falcon as a product for gamers, is if it is competitive or not. If you've read my other posts, you'll see that I clearly think it is, with practice. I've seen and spoke to too many people who have surpassed their mouse skills not to believe that to be true, and more important I know it's true deep down from my own experiences. I don't think there's anything you can't do with a Falcon that you can with the mouse - that's my opinion on it ;) You just have to practice.

All of that being said though, one thing I think people don't realize is that the technological field the Falcon represents is going to be a huge field in computing. All computers have monitors to see, and all computers have speakers to hear. In the future, all computers will have 3D touch devices to feel. I think the touch aspects of games and apps we have now are going to be considered very rudimentary in 5 years (like we think about old video games), and the field of touch in computing is going to grow significantly. I think it is one of the few fields of computing we'll see in our lifetime that fundamentally changes computing (on par with the mouse, monitor, and internet) - i.e. something that will be on every computer in the future. All of this I say irrespective of Novint or the Falcon - I am only talking about the field. I think this is intuitively true, because our sense of touch is one of our most basic human senses. Novint is currently working on almost a million dollars worth of research outside of video games, using the Falcon to telerobotically control military robots or as a simulator to realistically simulate medical procedures to a level that a real life surgeon thinks our virtual procedures feel just like the real life procedure being simulated (such as the feeling of injecting a virtual needle into tissue). When I started working in the field in 1995, haptic devices (i.e. robots) that do what the Falcon does cost over $30,000. Even in 2004 when we first started working on the Falcon, devices that do what the Falcon does cost $15,000. Even today, there are devices comparable to the Falcon that cost many thousands of dollars. It's no joystick.

I personally don't think the Falcon is gimmicky. I think it is a first device in the future of not only gaming but computing as a whole -- again, I say this referring to the field irrespective of whether Novint is successful or not, though we think we will be.

thx, tomnovint
Click to expand...

I see where you're coming from. I feel like a mouse is superior for competitive gaming simply because it is a simple device.

Although, with recoil and whatnot off on the Falcon, it all becomes a matter of preference.


To me, it's an entertainment gimmick for games (For other stuff it's more important because that's serious business, not entertainment), but it's a freaking epic piece of tech.
 
well i dont own one yet, but i have used it at a friends house and it just brought gaming to a whole new level, thanks for making such a win product :)
 
Falcon: Won
Opinion: I feel like I can give a full review now that I have played half life 2, L4D, TF2, and the newly released CS:S compatibility with it.

My overall opinion in terms of would have to be a 4/5. Its a solid product that has a lot of potential and I can't wait to see what will come out of it in the future. As for now, I would like to elaborate on my opinion. The Falcon does a great job of immersing you in games, but sometimes at the expense of skill in some games. By that I mean it takes practice to get good with a Falcon. I have not mastered it for a lot of games, but I can honestly say that it takes a good chunk of time to get to the same level as a mouse. Yet for some things the falcon outdoes the mouse in terms of helping you. Snipping in almost any game is usually improved as you have much higher control as to where your cross hairs are then the mouse, yet turning can sometimes be limited and fast turning can sometimes be only achieved by very twitchy motions. A lot of this can be configured after a while of messing with the options but it takes time. That is something a lot of gamers don't want to put in.

TF2 -
The falcon works relatively well here, putting you on even footing with most classes, excluding only scout really. The twitch game play of a scout is difficult to successful replicate on the falcon. The feedback produced is decent, but since its not a very realistic game, it just furthers the feeling of being in a game, and not a living breathing world.
3/5

Half Life 2 (and Episodes)-
I played through the half life 2 serious before, but never did I enjoy it as much as when I played it with the falcon. Sure some of the more fast paced sections were a bit tougher, but it felt real. The feedback on a lot of items felt perfect, especially anything that you need to pick up yourself. My favorite part was the beginning fast pace chase sequence, because I felt as if this is how I would probably fare myself. As I ran near an edge I had to real back in my seat because I thought i would fall over otherwise. I was hooked.
5/5

L4D-
This is the game I had the most fun with. The feedback that you receive in this game really draws you into the world. If you play with a serious enough minded group, in a good atmosphere (night, lights off, thunder storm perhaps) you just might not be able to fall asleep untill the sun comes up the next day.
5/5


CS:S-
I'm torn on how to review this one. CS:S has always stood out as a pretty realistic game. The falcon does a great job of bringing that across even more with the incredibly well designed feedback for each individual gun. Shooting an AWP with the preset feedback options felt like shooting a big gun. With full feedback... It felt like shooting a very, very, very, big gun. The guns do a great job replicating the effect they would have of screwing up your accuracy as well though. Playing with default feedback is entertaining, but it will mess up your aim with most guns, if you are used to them shooting a certain way. By that I mean most hardcore CS:S players are used to guns behaving a certain way with only a few variations in the spray pattern. The falcon adds in realistic recoil, and if you turn down the feedback, you may as well not be playing with the falcon at all. So I thought about what a falcon is striving to be, in order to rate it for this review: a substitute of a mouse. As that, for me, it has not achieved its goal for CS:S. I do not see myself scrimming anyone with the falcon in the near future, maybe one day after a couple of months of practice I could get to the same level of skill I currently posses. That does not mean its not fun. In regular games you will see my using it, as well as in events. In terms of fun, there is no substitute. In terms of effectiveness, I find the mouse is a better alternative. I can see where my falcon in the long term could rival the mouse, as it does possess features that could help an experienced falcon user put the falcon to far greater uses then a mouse could be put to, but the time requirement would be extraordinary.
3/5
 
very nice review oldie. Thank you for taking the time. Would be good to hear back after you've played a couple more months. CSS I think we might tune some more - It's the only Falcon game I haven't played extensively myself, so I'm curious to try it out too (likely will next week). I appreciate your feedback on CSS. We don't have much customer experience with it since it's only a couple days old, so is good to hear about it. Sounds like the weapons might need to be turned down a bit. As you might guess, there are tricks (like anything in computers) where you can make guns still feel real, but also have them affect your aim less. For example, you can leave the magnitude of a force response the same (or even turn it up), and if you turn the time duration down, it will affect your aim less (i.e. you can still get a good feel, but make it shorter in time, and it then doesn't affect your shot). Our goal with CSS will be the same as TF2 or BF2 - in those kinds of games the Falcon needs to be able to be used competitively. thx, tomnovint
 
Falcon: Bought
Opinion: I am still getting used to the switch but I am praticing. I love it!! I play for realism and fun and the falcon nails that on the head! Yeah I may stink when I play with the falcon but I garuntee im having a blast while doing it! In time I know I can be as skilled with the falcon as I am with a mouse (which isnt very skilled lol)
So in conclusion the falcon is amazing if you like that sense of realism and feel! I dunno if its supported for the battle field series, but when it is I am reloading all of them!
 
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