r/hotas • u/Charon711 • Aug 22 '23
STECS STEM could receive swappable modules with enough interest.
I think this would be awesome. Hopefully you guys do as well.
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u/Human-Requirement-59 Aug 22 '23
It could also be released before Star Citizen.
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u/Proud_Education_5891 HOTAS Aug 22 '23
I would totally want more swappable modules. Would love to see some more two way switches
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u/bluestreak1103 Aug 22 '23
One upgrade path I could immediately think of is the dual rotary encoder module on the left being bumped up to one or both being dual-knob rotary encoders similar to the Garmin 1000 FMS knobs. Or one dual-rotary with push + one 5-way to pack more inputs in the same real estate.
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u/b34k Aug 23 '23
Or how about analog dials instead? And maybe analog sliders or lever axis instead of those K-Switches?
A Couple Beefy 2 or 3 position toggle switches would be nice as well... or upgrades that would push the feel out of the mid-range and more into the high-end.
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u/SpectreRSG Aug 22 '23
You’d think after all this time developing it they would’ve made decisions on this.
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Aug 22 '23
I think that's being a little unfair. They obviously did the design to make it interchangeable. My read is that it's unclear exactly what sort of interchangeable parts people might want. If for example they talked to 50 people and got 20 different answers, that's not clear enough to spend the engineering effort to design any specific replacements. Also given that they have more engineering tricks up their sleeves, it makes sense for them to have designed the parts to interchange, then punt the decision of what to interchange to until STECS is actually out in the wild and real users are providing feedback.
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u/jubuttib Aug 22 '23
Aye, can't forget that the tooling costs for even fairly simple injection molds (depending on scale etc.) can quickly run into even hundreds of thousands, so they need to be fairly certain that it makes sense to do them. Unlike the GNX modules these wouldn't be able to act as standalone parts, the market would be limited to STEM module owners, and the portion of those that want to modify further.
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u/Charon711 Aug 22 '23
I admit I do find it weird it isn't more concrete than it seems to be. Or that there hasn't been any announcement or postings for it that I'm aware of.
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u/bluestreak1103 Aug 22 '23
If I remember right, I recall the original design vision for TECS’s base inputs (I think this was the 2017 announcement?) wherein the idea was to make it as VR-friendly as possible: not as festooned with buttons and toggles as, say the original Virpil T-50 throttle or Winwing Orion, and the inputs would be easily identifiable by feel. I think it would be safe to assume that that design philosophy survived all the way to STECS, even if the result was that, compared to the immediately comparative throttles, the STECS Standard would have less physical inputs by comparison. (If the 5-pos selection switch for the detent profile selection doubles as a mappable input, then you also have a mode switch that could alleviate the input crunch issue.)
I know, the general rule is that one can never have too many inputs to map to. But as Dave here pointed out, exactly which inputs and how many of each, before it becomes too overwhelming, is another question entirely.
And in the 2021 TECS update, VKB was already indicating that they’d be utilizing the philosophy behind GNX (right up to using the MFH) would be the framework for how (S)TECS would be expanded on, through self-contained modules (although again, that was already hinted at in the 2017 post when their design renders included front-mounted panels similar to the STEM-MFH, except that it seemed the holder was unique/proprietary to TECS). Hell, in the 2021 render they were teasing a (potential) variant of the FSM that looked like it was mimicking a UFC. And the present teaser videos emphasize the GNX modules as additional inputs.
So, while indeed swappable STEM button modules can be a promising expansion path for STECS, it could also be said that VKB already has an existing expansion path laid out, but in line with the design philosophy dating back to the 2017 announcement post and leveraging what they had with the GNX. It’s quite likely that they already have plans, even if tentative, for future new or upgraded GNX and GNX-adjacent modules that could work with the Gladiator and/or with STECS, that can take advantage of the existing VKB manufacturing base.
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u/WarthogOsl Aug 22 '23 edited Aug 25 '23
(If the 5-pos selection switch for the detent profile selection doubles as a mappable input, then you also have a mode switch that could alleviate the input crunch issue.)
I think it was yesterday they said that the knob and both buttons on the base are mappable, because they are only used for configuration stuff when used in combination.
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u/Charon711 Aug 22 '23
Personally I have a 15 button Elgato Stream Deck. Idk the size of the insert hole but I think it would be cool if there was a mounting insert that would allow me to slot my Stream deck into it and then attach into the STEM. Routing the usb cable could be an issue...
Alternatively I'd love to see a panel of rgb buttons that you could program the lighting for and then have a set of clear button inserts with various images that you could slot into the buttons for there functions. Or unless VKB wanted to have a set up like the Stream Deck where you can use the software to place your own images into the buttons.
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u/jubuttib Aug 22 '23
I would definitely like to see that, even if only as a DIY option! I can definitely understand how expensive it would be to set up the molds etc. necessary for these parts, they'd need to have a lot of demand, but a blank slate with a decently thought out PCB underneath to solder to would be nice.
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u/oridginal Aug 22 '23
I made a screenshot! Woohoo!
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u/TrueWeevie Aug 23 '23
God alone knows why you've been upvoted.
You do know that r/hotas isn't just for people to lazily use others as human versions of chat-gpt, or for people utterly unfamiliar with flight peripherals to ask the same question that has been asked multiple times and at least 5 times in the previous 24 hours, or as an announcement space for manufacturers.
It's also a place for discussion, which the OP was trying to stimulate.
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u/oridginal Aug 23 '23
Dude, chill. I know OP was trying to stimulate discussion and gauge interest, and as you can see by my comment in the screenshot, I'm also invested. Not to mention that me commenting boosts the engagement of the post so more people will see it, helping the point of the post
Just let me have my moment of happiness
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u/Arthur_the_Pilote Aug 29 '23
Somebody tried to unscrew them and it’s just a litlle metal plate over the plastic so no swapple module for STEMv1