[Mr_Blastman]

To preface, my control setup is as follows:

HOTAS Cougar stick+throttle + CH Pro Pedals

In total, I've got 9 axes to play with!   (that's 9 axis's - i.e. x,y,z,x1,x2 etc.)

Freespace 2 + SCP etc allows me to assign the x and y axes to the joystick movement - i.e. pitch up, pitch down, yaw left, yaw right

It also allows me to assign the rudder axes to roll left and roll right.

A unique feature of the HOTAS Cougar for those who are not familiar, is it contains two rotary axes - like a light dimmer switch, on the throttle, which I can't get assigned to anything.  Being fully analog controls, I would love to assign them to the slide left and right commands as well as the slide up and slide down commands - a la descent 1/2/3 style control (these are a must in these games).  Some people might know them as the strafe type commands.

Anyways, I can't assign them through the command menu and was wondering if there are any plans or thoughts to add support for additional axes like this in the future.

Through the sticks programming software I've managed to get the micro stick to manipulate the shields direction, but analog control of strafing would be pretty nifty (for attacking cap ships - I don't imagine I'd use it for situations other than that).

[StratComm]

I've wanted the mouse wheel assigned as an axis as well, though I feel like the odds of that happening are even more remote.  But I'll be honest; if it works in Descent 1/2, I'm sort of suprised that it doesn't work in Freespace as the codebases share some rather extensive common roots.

[Mr_Blastman]

Well, I haven't tried it in descent 1 2 or 3.   I was simply referring to the ability to slide left/right/up/down.  I'm sure there's a way to program it into my stick, I just haven't figured it out yet.  I might try making the microstick do it using some shift modifier type combo or dogfight switch master mode dependent... but then I gotta figure out what to control shield direction with... Ahh the choices :-\

[StratComm]

Actually I don't think the foundation is there right now to be honest.  The control axes in FS2 are actually definied as axis (pitch axis, bank axis, etc) whereas, even if defined, the lateral movement controls don't have axes to assign.  If you want to see if your setup can interface with the FS controls then try setting, say, the throttle axis to one of the extra axes you've got available.  Otherwise, I'd suggest mentioning this in the SCP forum since that's where you might see results from it.

[ZmaN]

I think he means strafing, not sliding...

If I remember correctly, FSO doesnt have that ability, though someone did post a part of a code to input its ability....

correct me if Im wrong...

[Porthos]

If someone has that please post it here, that would be entertaining to mess around with side strafing in a non Descent 1-3 game. Even though if you think about the physics of it, a fighter in space should be able to use its various thrusters to accomplish moving on those axes.

[Mr_Blastman]

Perhaps my memory is failing me.  The last time I played through Freespace 2 was when it first game out in the 90's - just recently I have started playing it again with my Cougar + SCP etc.

I remember being able to strafe/slide a la Descent style back them.  Am I imagining this?

In regards to the throttle - I've got that working great in FS 2 - I just assigned up the axes in the controls settings for it and viola it worked.

[Ghostavo]

Only some shivans ships have the ability to use the Y and X-axis IIRC.

The Basilisk at least.

EDIT:: Just checked a few ships in the tables and in the speed indication, most (if not all) shivan ships have positives on all axis speeds while all terran and vasudan (all if I'm not mistaken) have 0 speed indication in Y and X axis. (Z being forward)

[Prophet]

The ships CAN move sideways. It's just that the AI doesn't reallyknow how to do it effectively. They might sometimes try to strafe away from you (moving away from you sideways), wich isn't very effective. You can see this with little table hackery. Normally the Shivans just like to slide a lot when they turn because the sidevaus values are so small.
Pressing the "decelerate" (default Z) butten makes your ship go backwards. At least TBP ships can do it. Don't remember if Terran or Vasudan ships have have reverse, but some (if not all) Shivans fighters and bombers have the backwards gear. I suppose it would be possible to add strafing controls in to the code. Teaching the AI to use it would be the hardest part. SCP guys will know.

[Mars]

I've noticed that with Flail / Morning Star. In Freespace 1 wasn't there a cheat to allow "Descent" style physics (instant acceleration, strafing, that sort of thing)?

[Unknown Target]

AI ships actually slide very well when given a high sliding speed, as opposed to being really dumb - that's a misconception that everyone seems to have...

[Col. Fishguts]

Yeah, we enabled sliding in TBP once, but the AI Starfuires got so deadly it was no fun.

In FS retail you couldn't slide, although some Shivan ships did (depending also on the difficulty setting IIRC). The Scorpion in FS1 was especially notorious with that.

In FS2_open, you can give your ships sliding capabilities in the ships.tbl and you have to assign the corresponding controls.

[brandx0]

How exactly do you set these controls?  I can't find them in the regular control config

[Dark Hunter]

Nah, it was the Dragons that trichorded their asses off and became impossible to hit. Scorps did but to a far lesser extent.

I really wish the player ships could trichord, make for some interesting maneuvers...



For those who don't know: Trichord = moving in three directions simutaneously.

[Backslash]

gah, I just typed a big long response to this and then lost it.

Ok, basically:  I've been working on some of this already   Most of that thread has to do with how I've combined strafing with 'gliding' to make semi-newtonian physics; you may find it interesting.

Sliding/strafing is in the code already, but only binding to keys, not axes (yet).  Look in Ship Controls, "Thrust Up", Thrust Left", etc.  Col. Fishguts is right, the ship has to support it.  But here, I'll attach my testing mockup to give you an idea.  (Remove the .txt extension so it's .tbm).  It's only got Terran/Vasudan fighters so far, and it's not exactly 'balanced', but it's fun.

I've already got semi-working code for binding sliding to axes, but the problem is it breaks the current pilot file code.  taylor is working on a new improved version of the pilot code, but it's a big project and he's always got so much on his plate besides, so we have to be patient.

IIRC somebody got mouse-wheel code temporarily working a while ago, but it was a hackish Windows-XP-only method .  I'll take another look, but it may end up being another of those things that ties in with the pilot code.

Strafing is fun, but I only have a mortal 3-axis joystick, so I need to come up with a better keyboard layout -- the shift+numpad keys idea is too awkward.  Anyone have a solution that works well for them?

[attachment deleted by admin]

[S-99]

I've recently been messing around with fs2 to notice this myself. About the only things you can assign an axis to is rolling and steering. The other stuff to get an axis working is not to rely on fs at all, but rather use a joystick/gamepad mapping program. For me, i use an xbox360 controller with the xbcd program, and quite frankly, i can turn whatever the **** i want into a button or an axis, whether it be me making an axis like a joystick into a couple of buttons, or making a standard button into an axis. But that's me, i can brag all i want about that since it's very useful, but get a keyboard mapping program like controlmk. Controlmk will let you assign controls to axises, and it's a universal joystick/gamepad mapper. Very useful program, it does keyboard and mouse emulation very well, and lets you set the deadzone and other stuff too. But for me, my problem was reversed, i was wanting to turn some of my axises into buttons and assign stuff to them But it's possible, check out controlmk and some xbcd research, and i think you'll be closer to what you want.

[Ferret]

When I read the title of this thread I immediately thought "? What?"

[Trivial Psychic]

On my X52, I assign the index-finger-hat on the throttle, to up, down, left, and right thrust, then I've got reverse thrust bound to the pinkie button.

[taylor]

The new pilot code includes new input code, code that will support the X-52 at a minimum (since that's what I have).  That should provide plenty of axes and buttons for everyone.   Additional support in the future can be added without breaking pilot files with the new code, since it will be able to automatically adapt to those sorts of changes (both backwards and forwards).

As for the mention of mouse wheel support goes, yes the new code will have that too.  But, it's done in the SDL fashion (since SDL will ultimately be used for input control on all platforms), which means that the mouse wheel is maped as buttons 5 and 6 on the mouse, and no other buttons will be supported (ie, 7, 8, 9, etc.).  Only the first three mouse buttons, and the wheel, will be usable.  To do otherwise makes pilot files platform specific and that's not an acceptable option.  The patch that has already been submitted for additional button and mouse wheel axis support, was rejected for that reason (it was Windows specific).

[pecenipicek]

sooo, i cant use the 4th and 5th buttons on my Mx518? (when the changes roll out)