QOTD : Joysticks/Pads..

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Socoder -> Question of the Day -> QOTD : Joysticks/Pads..
Wed, 06 Jun 2007, 14:58
Jayenkai	You rarely see games in our little indie community that properly support Joysticks. Since we're sitting with our hands poised over the keyboard all day, it seems pretty easy for Joystick support to slip our mind. How important do you think Joystick support is to your game's popularity? : Personally I doubt many PC users actually use joypads, but then that's only my little tight knit community of mates. And, of course, What kinda stick do you have? : I've currently got an Xbox (classic - Big style!) pad plugged in, using a little converter I bought at Game. -=-=- ''Load, Next List!''
Wed, 06 Jun 2007, 15:14
flying_cucco	A cheap playstation-style controller. It's really just a weapon of last resort; mouse and keyboard just seems more natural and less likely to cause seasickness. It only gets used for consolely games like GTA or Lego Star Wars which benefit from twin analogs.
Wed, 06 Jun 2007, 15:29
steve_ancell	I use a cheap £10 Logic-3/Plastation look-a-like JoyPad, especially for console emulators.
Wed, 06 Jun 2007, 16:30
caffeinekid	I just got a JoyTech Neo-Se Xbox 360 USB controller from play.com for £5 which I thought was a pretty sweet deal. I include joystick/pad support usually when someone reminds me to do so - it's not really at the top of my list of priorities to be honest. Although... In Super Obliteration I spent a fair old while writing a full configuration routine including dual-analogue control (as well as keyboard, keyboard/mouse, etc) as it seemed fitting to the game. -=-=- www.tcksoft.co.uk www.retroremakes.com
Wed, 06 Jun 2007, 17:05
spinal	I usually try to add joypad support to anything I do, it easyer to play/test. I cant thing why people don't add spuutor for joypads/sticks. I used to use a playstation pad with a converter i got from gamestation of £1, but I hacked up the converter to a ps2 remote, so now I have a 13 button ir remote for my PC (with absolutely no useful function what so ever). Now I use a SNES pad hacked to a parallel(printer) plug using a driver called psxpad or something. -=-=- Check out my excellent homepage!
Wed, 06 Jun 2007, 17:20
magicman	The only games that i can think of that need joysticks are flying games, and there arent many indi flying games. Mabey next weeks WW could be the joystick/game pad challenge. -=-=- Stuff... Yeah...
Wed, 06 Jun 2007, 17:52
garand	Thats a good idea magicman. I havn't tinkered with joystick/gamepad support at all yet. although i have to admit its pretty fun to play halo with an xbox 360 controller
Wed, 06 Jun 2007, 18:20
JL235	I bought some solder, a multi-meter and a usb cable and turned one of the little XBox leads that joins the pad to the console into an XBox-usb lead. So I just use my XBox pad for the PC. I mainly use it for emulators, but I quite rarely play them now. I just wish it wasn't the original XBox pad.
Thu, 07 Jun 2007, 10:07
mole	how does one go about connecting a console controller to the computer? I presume there is more to it then just chopping the plug off and replacing it with a USB one...?
Thu, 07 Jun 2007, 10:19
Jayenkai	Playstation and XBox controllers are pretty easy, you can usually pick up converters in your local videogame store. If they don't have any on display, just ask, they can probably get them in for you. Otherwise, Xbox 360 Wired controllers can be plugged straight in. MS are trying to make it into a standard controller for 360 and Windows.. -=-=- ''Load, Next List!''
Thu, 07 Jun 2007, 22:30
JL235	DirectInput (in DirectX) is now depreciated (or more specifically, hasn't been updated since DirectX 8), as Microsoft want you to use XInput (which I thought was called something else) instead. XInput was designed for the 360. As for 'how to connect game controllers to a pc', for the XBox pad you cut the XBox and USB leads in half, find the matching coloured wires, strip, and solder together (I think the colours are the same). The XBox lead also has an extra wire inside, just ignore it. Then surround with lashings of Sello or gaffer tape. Masking tape might do, and you get extra points with Wood-Effect tape, but I wouldn't advise double-sided carpet tape. For other consoles it's more tricky. Someone I was chatting to on PSO said that it's near impossible to connect DC controllers to the PC via the USB port, because USB are serial ports and the DC uses parallel ports. This is terrible as I REALLY want to get one of my DC keyboards working for my PC. Those keyboards are easily the best. But he was only a random guy I met once on PSO.