Opinions on Missile Command settings & questions

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Opinions on Missile Command settings & questions

I just listened (again) to Roy S. talking about Missile Command and the issues on the dip switch settings. I looked up the dip switch settings and it appears that the only one he can be talking about is dip 4 @ R8:

On Large trak-ball input
Off Mini Trak-ball input

Based on the conversation, it's pretty clear that one setting allows for a faster cursor track ball movement and one is slower. I couldn't catch which way was faster though.

In Atari's documentation for the cabaret (TM-158, 1st printing), for dip 4 there is no default listed and the manual states: "Switch position is irrelevant for Missile Command cabaret".

In Atari's documentation for the cocktail (TM-152, 1st printing), for dip 4 there is no default listed and the manual states: "Switch position is irrelevant for cocktail Missile Command".

In Atari's documentation for the sit-down (cockpit) (TM-162, 1st printing), for dip 4 the default is OFF and the manual states: "Large Trak Ball input (switch must be off for proper operation of Sit-Down Missile Command game).".

Here's the kicker:

In Atari's documentation for the upright (TM-147, 2nd printing), for dip 4 the default is ON and the manual states: "Switch must be on for proper operation of large Missile Command game".

In Atari's documentation for the upright (TM-147, 3rd printing), for dip 4 the default is OFF and the manual states: "Switch must be off for proper operation of upright Missile Command game". In fact, in this printing, it does not even include or describe the ON setting for dip 4.

Does anyone have any Missile Command manual versions or printings besides what I have above? What do they say? Surely there must be someone with the 1st printing of the upright manual.

So, which way is easier to play? Which way has the faster trak-ball setting? I've never checked what I have on my game. Ok, I know what I'm going to be trying (both versions) this holiday weekend. Have you tried both? Which way do you prefer (not which way do you do better, but which do you prefer to play on)? I would imagine everyone would do better on the faster cursor (whichever way that is).
 
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So, which way is easier to play?

Depends on your playing style/preference.

Which way has the faster trak-ball setting?

You can set it on either, though the cabaret version was likely meant for the faster setting due to trak ball size.

I've never checked what I have on my game. Ok, I know what I'm going to be trying (both versions) this holiday weekend. Have you tried both? Which way do you prefer (not which way do you do better, but which do you prefer to play on)? I would imagine everyone would do better on the faster cursor (whichever way that is).

I've tried both, I prefer the faster cursor but I have a buddy who plays on the slow cursor much much better than he plays on fast. Not everyone does better on faster cursor. It really is about playing style and what you feel most comfortable playing on. I don't see either giving a clear advantage as speed does not necessarily equate to accuracy of shot and thus I support TG's ruling of that dip being player's choice.
 
I just listened (again) to Roy S. talking about Missile Command and the issues on the dip switch settings. I looked up the dip switch settings and it appears that the only one he can be talking about is dip 4 @ R8:
Yes, that is indeed the infamous dipswitch #4 for the UR Trak-Ball cursor speed...

In Atari's documentation for the cabaret (TM-158, 1st printing), for dip 4 there is no default listed and the manual states: "Switch position is irrelevant for Missile Command cabaret".
In my play and observations, BITD and in the collecting era, It is very relevant. In fact, I think (IIRC) the switch has to be the exact opposite of what the manual indicates. The cursor hardly moves on one setting. Off or on, I forget. But not really to important in this overall discussion

In Atari's documentation for the cocktail (TM-152, 1st printing), for dip 4 there is no default listed and the manual states: "Switch position is irrelevant for cocktail Missile Command".

In Atari's documentation for the sit-down (cockpit) (TM-162, 1st printing), for dip 4 the default is OFF and the manual states: "Large Trak Ball input (switch must be off for proper operation of Sit-Down Missile Command game).".

Here's the kicker:

In Atari's documentation for the upright (TM-147, 2nd printing), for dip 4 the default is ON and the manual states: "Switch must be on for proper operation of large Missile Command game".

In Atari's documentation for the upright (TM-147, 3rd printing), for dip 4 the default is OFF and the manual states: "Switch must be off for proper operation of upright Missile Command game". In fact, in this printing, it does not even include or describe the ON setting for dip 4.

Get's a little confusing huh...:D Yeah, this along with all the other stuff, Roy, etc. has been discussed on othe forums as well. I'll get back to that... Yeah, there seem to be discrepencies in the manuals on the #4 setting... The reasons have been debated
... it never ends:p
So, which way is easier to play? Which way has the faster trak-ball setting? I've never checked what I have on my game. Ok, I know what I'm going to be trying (both versions) this holiday weekend. Have you tried both? Which way do you prefer (not which way do you do better, but which do you prefer to play on)? I would imagine everyone would do better on the faster cursor (whichever way that is).
Alright, Just to start, I prefer and play 'fast' setting these days. I switched 'speeds' only because that's what TG was tracking... the 'fast' speed As far as BITD, I observed a majority of the MCs were on 'slow' speed. So that's what I and other players were used to. And many to this day will still be set on the 'slow', like at CAX and similar collector events...

The fast setting took some getting used to, because the cursor was really 'jittery'. The slow speed gives the cursor more control right in the area you want to shoot... Obviously the advantage to tha fast is the cursor just zooms across the screen, compared to slow. On super missile I couldn't live with out 'fast'...

If you're forced to play in the wild, athe player has to be ready to play any speed that the trak-ball may be set to.
 
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In Atari's documentation for the upright (TM-147, 2nd printing), for dip 4 the default is ON and the manual states: "Switch must be on for proper operation of large Missile Command game".

In Atari's documentation for the upright (TM-147, 3rd printing), for dip 4 the default is OFF and the manual states: "Switch must be off for proper operation of upright Missile Command game". In fact, in this printing, it does not even include or describe the ON setting for dip 4.
As far as the inconsistencies in the manuals, here's what I've gotten out the many discussions over the years...

Different views:

1) It's just a simple 'typo' mistake

2) The later printing setting was meant to help offset trak-ball/shaft/bearing wear and tear. So, yeah, that must be the 'fast' setting.

3) Also, there were 4 different MC board revisions... This is where it gets a little dicey. This pertains to the CT and cabaret models too...

So some argue the later board revisions have something to do with the different settings in the manuals.

Yeah, Steve W has seen alot of the discussion in other forums, so I hope he'll be chiming in again as well.
 
Yeah, Steve W has seen alot of the discussion in other forums, so I hope he'll be chiming in again as well.

I'm nowhere close to your acumen on the game but I have a few friends who can 0x it and beyond so I can only regurgitate their thoughts they have expressed to me in the past. In fact I had a friend staying over this past weekend that is a good player and I was listening to his thoughts on this quite recently. It's certainly an interesting topic. I have a MC now and once I get a few kinks worked out on it I'll be playing it more and try both speeds and see how it progresses for me, etc. Just from the people I speak to on a semi-regular basis it seems to me that preference varies on that dip.
 
I'm nowhere close to your acumen on the game but I have a few friends who can 0x
Oh yeah, thanks for mentioning this... just more bragging. I was 0x-ing MC when Carlton was still a middle schooler, or a frosh maybe:D

Just from the people I speak to on a semi-regular basis it seems to me that preference varies on that dip.
Like Jeff Blair... I don't think he ever switched to the 'fast' speed, throughout all the TG/Roy/internet debate... I think he even plays Super Missile on the old 'slow' speed. This guy is definitely old school MC Samarai!
 
Like Jeff Blair... I don't think he ever switched to the 'fast' speed, throughout all the TG/Roy/internet debate... I think he even plays Super Missile on the old 'slow' speed. This guy is definitely old school MC Samarai!

Yes his name was mentioned by my friend this weekend who is good friends with Jeff. I've never met Jeff but my assumption would be that he is on the same page with Roy in that he wants TG to make slow cursor mandatory? I would think TG would have to do something with the current Robotron marathon WR first before changing a dip on MC :)
 
Yes his name was mentioned by my friend this weekend who is good friends with Jeff. I've never met Jeff but my assumption would be that he is on the same page with Roy in that he wants TG to make slow cursor mandatory? I would think TG would have to do something with the current Robotron marathon WR first before changing a dip on MC :)
I don't think Jeff cares too much about wanting 'slow' speed as the only TG setting. Just my speculation, don't know him. 'Same page' as Roy? Yeah, to a degree.:D

Oh yeah, the robotron debate... somewhat familiar with that. Ken House's crusade?..
 
In Atari's documentation for the upright (TM-147, 2nd printing), for dip 4 the default is ON and the manual states: "Switch must be on for proper operation of large Missile Command game".

In Atari's documentation for the upright (TM-147, 3rd printing), for dip 4 the default is OFF and the manual states: "Switch must be off for proper operation of upright Missile Command game". In fact, in this printing, it does not even include or describe the ON setting for dip 4.

As far as the inconsistencies in the manuals, here's what I've gotten out the many discussions over the years...

Different views:

1) It's just a simple 'typo' mistake

2) The later printing setting was meant to help offset trak-ball/shaft/bearing wear and tear. So, yeah, that must be the 'fast' setting.

3) Also, there were 4 different MC board revisions... This is where it gets a little dicey. This pertains to the CT and cabaret models too...

So some argue the later board revisions have something to do with the different settings in the manuals.

Yeah, Steve W has seen alot of the discussion in other forums, so I hope he'll be chiming in again as well.
Another theory I remember seeing...

4) Atari thought they made a mistake on the earlier manual, as far as the true setting they actually desired in the game. So they went to the 'fast' (Later print) setting thinking that's what they really wanted from the beginning...:D But the 'damage' had been done already as far as the earlier manual of the dip setting... Ahhhhhhh!!
 
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What is the robotron debate?

The world record score cannot be attained due to the fact that it ends in "80" which is impossible. There is no debating that. The only debate likely comes from whether or not the score was miswritten down and it ended in "00" or something.
 
Surely there must be someone with the 1st printing of the upright manual.
I remember posting about this here years ago... Crickets. Yeah, I came up empty in search as well. Yeah, bit of a mystery on that as well, as far as the scarcity of the 1st printing... But since this thread came up, I've been going over my notes, trying to get it all together...:p

Thanks to TT, over at TG forums. Posted in early '10...

Covers.jpg


First Printing Manual Dip Settings #4 @ R8 for the Upright... Seriously? Obviously Atari was really effed up on this setting...

MC1DIPSETTINGS.jpg
 
Here's the kicker:

In Atari's documentation for the upright (TM-147, 2nd printing), for dip 4 the default is ON and the manual states: "Switch must be on for proper operation of large Missile Command game".

In Atari's documentation for the upright (TM-147, 3rd printing), for dip 4 the default is OFF and the manual states: "Switch must be off for proper operation of upright Missile Command game".

And the Back Door sheet indicates that dip #4 @R8 is turned ON...



1654545027088.png

Surely there must be someone with the 1st printing of the upright manual.

Just doing some re-research on this subject... Haven't been able to find one/link for the '1st printing' manual. And my search-fu is usually pretty good...

I must have found it, previously?

It has been posted on another site, years ago, that in the 1st printing of the Missile Command manual that dip #4 @R8 is turned OFF...

First Printing Manual Dip Settings #4 @ R8 for the Upright... Seriously? Obviously Atari was really effed up on this setting...

MC1DIPSETTINGS.jpg

Just curious and want to make sure...

Does anyone have a link to UR Missile Command manual '1st printing'? Thanks
 
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I have all three upright manuals here somewhere. I go into this whole subject in my book.

For the upright:

1st Printing simply states the dipswitch is NOT USED.
This is because the first version of the ROM only accounted for the upright with the larger trackball. The switch literally does nothing when using the original release ROMs.

2nd Printing states the dipswitch should be ON.
This supposedly was released with v2 of the ROMs, which added functionality for the switch to be toggled ON or OFF, which allowed the operator to account for the smaller trackball found in cocktail and cabaret cabinets. Atari in their wisdom however, released the cocktail and cabaret manuals and stated that the switch was NOT USED.

3rd Printing states the dipswitch should be OFF.
This is where things get weird. Nothing else is changed in that manual compared to Printing 2. No one can explain the thinking behind taking the trouble to come up with a new manual version and only change that setting. The best explanation was Atari decided to change the default trackball speed after feedback from operators and players. At the same time, Atari released a correction to the cabaret manual and stated the switch should be ON for the smaller trackball.

My own view is that the 3rd Printing, as the final manual released, trumps previous versions of the manual. There is a 3rd ROM which fixes the 810,000 point bug and adds extra difficulty in later levels, and this 3rd Printing manual could have been released to coincide with that. However, the 3rd ROM was only available on request if an op wrote in. It was never placed on a PCB by Atari in a new Missile Command cabinet.

And this mess is why the decision was taken by Twin Galaxies to allow "players choice" for the trackball setting when setting records. Clearly there were Missile Commands out there set to ON and OFF. It was never monitored, checked or noted at any point for high score purposes.

Note: The back door sheets simply regurgitate the info from the relevant manual (Printing 1, 2 or 3) - note that your image says "2nd Printing" top right. I have the "3rd Printing" version on my back door and it states OFF not ON.

Another fun fact to add to the mix: The sit-down cockpit (which uses the same trackball as the upright) manual states OFF. Note: there is only one print version of this manual known to exist:

Screenshot 2022-06-06 213303.jpg

Choose ON or OFF, decide which works best for you and play. There are advantages and disadvantages for either setting.
 
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Choose ON or OFF, decide which works best for you and play. There are advantages and disadvantages for either setting.

Yeah, I'm cool with either setting. Was just curious.

Many of us old schoolers were just used to the slow-ball speed.

just a little context on that...

At CAX '09, Bill Carlton and I played an MC 2 player game... we both reached the 810k mark. And that MC was set on slow-Trak-Ball speed.
One of my friends, who was used to playing my MC on fast ball speed, commented that the Trak-Ball was messed up... I said no, it's just set on slow speed :p

Yeah, I knew about the setting on the cockpit/sit-down model.

Thanks for clarifying the dips in all the manuals, especially in the '1st printing' manual... just wish I could find a link to the 1st printing :)
 
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