If you want to improve your execution without buying a crazy expensive mix box, this might be for you. Hitboard emulates arcade controllers on your keyboard through keyboard hooks and a virtual DirectX controller. Create a profile to emulate an existing controller, and pull off some sick combos!

Usages

Primarily, the benefit of Hitboard is customising SOCD resolution. Different controllers have different ways of handling this to varying degrees of customization. With Hitboard, both cardinal axes can have separate and fully customizable resolutions.

SOCD?

Simultaneous opposing cardinal directions! Unlike physical controllers with sticks, keyboards can press opposite directions at the same time, i.e. left and right, or up and down. How this situation is handled is up to the game, and different games handle it in different ways. A lot of 2D fighters will pick which input came out last, so holding down and tapping up will let you jump straight out of crouch. In Tekken, it comes out as neutral, but it also ignores all other face inputs. For example, left, down, and right pressed at the same time will be a neutral input. Currently, people will buy a $250 mixbox, which comes with options letting them decide how the SOCD is resolved. But for those who don’t feel like shilling out the money…

Enter Hitboard

This application will map a virtual controller to the keyboard, with some options on both how to handle SOCD and the activation criteria. It also comes with the option to create and save configs as JSON files, for easier management.

Applications

Here’s a few things in Tekken that I’ve been appreciating:

Fast Dash

This can be done by holding left and tapping right. The tap will cause a neutral input. Rather than tapping the same button twice, that has to be done sequentially, the left and right tap can be done slightly offset, leading to a faster dash.

Wave Dash

SOCD doesn’t help much here, but it is really nice wave dashing on a keyboard over a stick. Tekken might be one of the few times I prefer to play a game at home rather than the arcade.

Giant’s Swing from Wave Dash

Giant’s Swing requires a half-circle input. At the bottom of the circle, pressing left, down, and right will usually drop the Giant’s Swing by putting a neutral in, but with SOCD it makes the input a touch faster than usual.

EWGF

Another one that doesn’t get a lot of help from SOCD. I just love electrics.

iWR Shining Wizard

My favorite move in Tekken! Essentially, chain two fast dashes into it. SOCD really comes into play here, since it goes from 3 very fast taps right into holding right and tapping left twice.

Project

Feel free to download the release from the repo and get some free rank.