[ShadowPuppet]

After a longish break, I finally got around to putting FS2 back on the HD for a play. Loaded it up, and all was well.

Then, when I tried using the last 'official' release of FS open, no joystick.

I was using 3.5.5 along with launcher 3

Everything works fine with stock FS2. The launcher is detecting my stick fine, but not working at all with it when you start a mission. No direction control, nothing. I know all this stuff worked fine BEFORE I upgraded to XP. I burned all my FS patch stuff to CD. So, everything I have now, I had before. Under Win98SE this worked fine!

Has anyone got any suggestions as to how this might be cured? I have had a search through this forum for others with this problem, and I don't htink I am alone. Seems to be something about WinXP and joysticks! Mine is a Saitek Cyborg 3D, which I am using on USB

[Rga_Noris]

Here's how I got around this one:

Set all of your flags and options using the FS_Open launcher (click apply, then OK). Then, launch the stock launcher and select your joystick. Now run the FS_Open executable 9NOT through the launcher) and enjoy.

For some odd reason, whenever the FS_Open launcher is run, the stock launcher resets its joystick configuration to , so everytime you run the FS_Open launcher, you must tell the stockk that you do indeed have a joystick.

--Rga

[Goober5000]

Oog.  Bugzilla this, Rga, and add your workaround.

[RandomTiger]

I can only fix bugs I know about guys...

[ShadowPuppet]

Well.... gave this a try, and I got some progress!

I don;t know if I am using the right version of Launcher...

I was able to get the stick to function with 3.5, which I hadn't before. But, when I tried with 3.5.5 I was getting an 'Error: out of memory' when the game tries to load a mission!

I opened up launcher, set no flags...but made sure it was pointing at the fs2_open_r exe, and that my joystick was chosen. Then I hit apply and closed launcher. Then I fired up the exe manually. It is 3.5.5 ... but it crashes before I can load a mission.

It also locks up when I try to exit from the main menu, and I have to use ctrl alt delete and terminate the process that way.

Is it possible that I am loading up some options that are beyond my machines capabilities?

I have an Athlon XP1700, 512Mb SDRAM and a GF4 Ti4200. No rocketship....but enough I would have thought !

[Solatar]

The bug where it locks up when exiting can be fixed by setting compatability mode in XP IIRC.

[RandomTiger]

Try using the exe in my sig if you are using D3D.
It requires v4 of the launcher.
Sadly that versions OGL is broken.

What version of the launcher are you using now?

[ShadowPuppet]

Thanks for the link RandomTiger

I have downloaded v4 of the launcher and new exe file and will try this version of the exe tonight soon as I get in from work I have downloaded the new media vp file as well....in anticipation of seeing all the new loveliness

I have been running in OGL ... so I will switch over to D3D to try this one.

I was using v3.3 of launcher with the 3.5.5 exe.

I will also try running the thing in compatability mode to see if this helps out with the quitting out thing. I know 3.5 is functioning, so I can use that as a test for the compatabilty thing.

I will let you know how I get on .... and feed as much info as I can back if thing don't go well! I know how hard it can be to fix a bug that you can't directly reproduce !!

[CmdKewin]

Well. I got the same problem, the launcher not detecting my joystick.... I simply take it out of the USB port ang plug it in again... voila', problem solved.

[ShadowPuppet]

OK..... tried it .....

First off, I ran the launcher 4, set the joystick, but didn't set any flags. I ran it in D3D at 1024x768 32bit. Started game up, then got a black screen. The thing beeped ( the XP 'error beep' ) but I could not see what the error was. CTRL ALT DEL, ALT TAB etc. were all to no avail. I had to hit the reset button to get out of it.

I tried again setting the launcher parameters, hitting apply, closing launcher and running the game. Same effect.

As an aside... I also tried running the 3.5 exe ( which my joystick works in providing I DON'T use the stock original launcher ) in compatability mode, but I still can't quit out of it cleanly. CTRL ALT DEL and terminate the process....but at least I can play!

Is there any way of running this new exe so that it dumps out an error log when it blows up? I can't tell you why it's failing at the moment

[RandomTiger]

Try windowed mode -window, this should let you tab around and find the error that came with that beep.

[ShadowPuppet]

OK .... gave that a try

The error was in PlayWndSample, and was :

Failed(hr=0x80040265) in pGB ->Renderfile(wFile, NULL) (Dshow error)

This error stopped everything. Hitting OK to the error message did nothing until I closed down Launcher. Then I could actually tab over to the FS2 window and play the game. Without Joystick though.....

If I left launcher open, I was basically stuck and couldn't clear the error.

I wondered if playwndsample had anything to do with sound.... so I tried it with EAX, Directsound AND nosound...and it was all the same.

I know XP error messages don't tend to be helpful...but hopefully this will give some clue!

[RandomTiger]

This is a fs2_open error, something its going wrong with the video playback use -dnoshowvid to disable that code.

Send me an e-mail and I will send you instructions and we will get this sorted out.

[ShadowPuppet]

sent mail.... I think

IF that failed.....you can get me on [email protected]

[ShadowPuppet]

OK.....dnoshowvid sorted out the error nicely. Only fly in the proverbial ointment is the continued lack of joystick !

[RandomTiger]

Check your mail

[ShadowPuppet]

sent a reply

Those tests should clarify things a bit.... I hope!

The big difference seems to be the fact that the stock launcher sets Current Joystick to 1 .... the FS Open launcher sets it to 0

I have no idea what the difference between the 2 values REALLY means....but the fact that the stock launcher works and the new one doesnt ... well...it makes me wonder what would happen if th enew launcher set the value to 1 .... If I fure up regedit or something similar, can I manually edit this value?

[RandomTiger]

Yes you can edit it with regedit but my launcher would only set it back next time you use it.

Give me some time and I'll actually fix the bug, workarounds are not a good idea.