Dinosaur alert

[jhart13]

Yes, but at least it's X-Wing 95. It's from the X-Wing Collector's Series CD package that included TIE Fighter and XvT Flight School. It's still a blast (pardon the expression) to jump in for a few rounds of slicing up wave after wave of Imperial cannon fodder. And yes, it runs reasonably well in WinXP, which I've just upgraded to, along with the full set of CH HOTAS controllers (FS, PT, and PP). I'm working my way up the CM3 learning curve now.

The problem is, there's a joystick detection routine in the game startup, and 9 times out of 10, for no reason that I can see, it asks me to check that there's a joystick connected and dumps out of the start. That tenth try though....it's a great time. This does not happen in EECH, LOMAC, or FS9 (I guess I'm not a total dinosaur after all.)

Of course the joystick is not only connected, the map is downloaded and switched to Map Mode and shows as Control Manager Device 1 in the Test/Calibrate applet. I'm sure there's no way I can run more than one controller in the game due to its age.

I know the original game didn't have pedals, but I doubt they're the problem because I was still running my old gameport FS, PT and PP on my old Win98SE machine and they were never a factor.

(These were bought in 1995-96, BTW! And were still working fine, but have been honorably retired to spare me from clumsy workarounds to keep the programming capability in XP -- a Microsoft problem, not a CH problem, you'll note. If anyone wants to know about the durability of CH gear, I can give them an earful.)

So, I guess my question is, is there a way to defeat this stinkin' joystick detection routine? Or some other workaround that might get me back blasting TIEs consistently again?

While I'm asking, I know about using the Map Wizard to set the map for combined mapping, or...uh -- not. If a particular map has been set up as an uncombined, Direct Mode map, can it somehow be switched to a Combined map after it's written? Or is the only place to do so during the setup, where you define the controllers and other map parameters?

And, is there a way to print out a graphical representation of a map? I used to use a Wordperfect table to show what was where, but I had to populate the table by typing in all the function and command data myself. I was hoping there'd be a new, somewhat more sophisticated way to do it.

Thanks, guys.

[MichaelCHProd]

Thank you for sticking with CH when you retired your game port controllers.

I don't have any of the X-Wing series to play around with at home so I can't help you there.

But you can change a map that is combined to a seperate map and vice versa. You just change the DX Device settings on each controller to be CM Device 1, 2, or 3.

We are wroking on a utility that will print out pictures of your controllers with a listing of what the buttons are programed for but at the moment you can just print out one fo our kneeboard print outs and fill it out manually :)


Combatstick ftp://ftp.chproducts.com/pub/Maps/CMBT-kneeboard.jpg
Fighterstick ftp://ftp.chproducts.com/pub/Maps/FGTR-kneeboard.jpg
Pro Throttle ftp://ftp.chproducts.com/pub/Maps/PT-kneeboard.jpg

[jhart13]

Michael,

Thanks for the quick response. I'm afraid I'm still unclear about exactly how to convert maps that were "Direct-only" to "Combined" maps. I know it must be a very easy switch, but I don't have any idea how to do it. Can you elaborate?

When I try to click on "Map Mode" on a map that isn't set up to run "Combined", it shows up as "Control Manager Device 1", "Control Manager Device 2" and "Control Manager Device 3." That doesn't help when the game will only recognize one controller.

Thanks also for the graphical depictions of the controllers. They'll help.

And if you can find a copy of X-Wing CD laying around the office, there's still my original question....

[531_Ghost]

jhart13,
In the Wizzard while initially making the map you have to answer yes to "Do you want to combine your controllers?" If you were to answer yes to this question and after you've downloaded the map then it will show up as CM Device 1.

:salute:

[MichaelCHProd]

I can only find..

"X Wing Alliance" and "The Tie Fighter Wars" and neither of them likes my hot rod test box :(

[jhart13]

Ghost,

I got that. I wanted to know if there was another way to do it, after the map has been defined. I'm guessing no.

Failing that, is there a way to transfer in bulk all the commands from one map (perhaps, one not defined as combinable) into a new one (that is defined that way)?

Michael,

Yeah, there are warnings on the Lucasarts site that no versions of TIE Fighter will work in XP. And I'm going to work on setting up a map for XWA -- thanks for the CMC file. Maybe I can get my X-Wing fix that way. Thanks for trying.

[531_Ghost]

Originally posted by jhart13@Jun 22 2004, 01:41 AM
Ghost,

I got that. I wanted to know if there was another way to do it, after the map has been defined. I'm guessing no.


Not that I'm aware of sorry.

:huh:

[MichaelCHProd]

You can change a map by going to each axis and setting it to the same CM Device. Post a map and I will convert it to combined then you can see where I did it.

[jhart13]

Sorry guys, real life kept me away. I hate it when that happens.

A good example of what I'm asking about is Revvin's "Lock-On_FSPTPP" profile in the library here. When I load it it shows up in Calibate/Test as Control Manager Device 1, Control Manager Device 2, etc. As far as I can see, there's no way to combine the three devices (now, I mean, after it's written) into just one that shows up as Control Manger Device 1. I know, you don't need to run them combined for LOMAC, I'm just using it as an example.

BTW, I'm really impressed with the power of this Control Manager software. I'm by no means a programmer, but using the sample scripts I've seen here as a guide, I wrote a script to give differential braking in FS9. Once both pedals are depressed past 3/4 of their travel, it switches to normal, left-and-right-combined braking. Works great, and is much more realistic than the standard interface (I'm a pilot).

Thanks again for your help.

[MichaelCHProd]

Ok I downloaded Revvins map that you mentioned and I changed it manually to combine the three controllers into a single virtual device.....

[jhart13]

Michael,

Thanks for switching it over. One question, though -- how did you do it? Is there something in the documentation that I'm just not seeing (wouldn't be the first time), or is this one from your secret bag of tricks? I'm lost here.

[MichaelCHProd]

It's hard to describe with out going into screenshots and the like, so you can either call me and I will walk though it with you over the phone or you can wait until my next "How-To" (http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=731) thread is released. :)

[AGlassman]

jhart13,

I've been running XWing95 under XP Pro (SP1) for some time now using a FighterStick USB with no problems. No idea why it failes to see your stick.

But here are some XWing/XP joystick links that might help.

http://pub30.ezboard.com/fofficialtotallyg...picID=161.topic (http://pub30.ezboard.com/fofficialtotallygamesboardfrm8.showMessage?topicID =161.topic) - Talks about "Qfixapp" for joystick problems.

And here's a fix to allow 3D acceleration in WinXP:

Just rename the file XWING95.EXE in the directory you installed X-Wing in to Z_XVT__.EXE You will then be able to run XW95 in XP with 3D acceleration w/o having it crash to the desktop.

Credit shouldn't go to me, as I found it on the LucasForums "Classic Star Wars Gaming" board in the X-Wing Trilogy and X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter forum. http://forums.lucasarts.com/

Also, I'm working on a full Command File for XWing95, will post when completed.

- Alan G -