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Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Remagoen on August 02, 2007, 07:13:32 pm

Title: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Remagoen on August 02, 2007, 07:13:32 pm
I've been reading up on these boards for a while now because I eagerly await the finished Battlestar mod, but I figured I'd help contribute something to the community as well. I did a search and didn't find anything, but something tells me that I didn't search properly. But yeah...

Has anyone thought of adapting the Wii remote to FreeSpace? I have a basic idea how you can use it, but I'm not entirely sure about how it should be done best as I'm just a casual gamer and don't know many of the tricks to win in a dogfight. Either way, I think it'll be cool to use the wiimote's capabilities to aid in FS's awesomeness.

Anyone interested? I'll try to think of come controls if people like the idea enough.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Unknown Target on August 02, 2007, 07:15:57 pm
I've seen a Wii remote used like a joystick for flight sims, it could probably be used similarly - although for the PC I don't see why not just use a stick other than the coolness factor :)
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Topgun on August 02, 2007, 07:20:56 pm
freespace would suck on the wii. not enough buttons.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Unknown Target on August 02, 2007, 07:28:51 pm
It would take some redesign, yea. But what he means is use the Wii-mote on the computer (which is possible - many people have done it, all it is is a Bluetooth device IIRC).
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Remagoen on August 02, 2007, 07:35:32 pm
The small number of buttons is the only thing that worries me too. Power management would be a pain unless you so combo button presses. As for throwing away the stick and picking up the Wiimote, yeah, coolness factor, but also, IF done right, maybe there may be a more intuitive system of interacting.

Maybe being a keyword that I'll freely admit.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Gregster2k on August 02, 2007, 09:15:30 pm
Wiimote might work if all the targeting commands and such are done by voice command...
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: akenbosch on August 02, 2007, 09:27:32 pm
randomtigers voice reconginion build.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Solatar on August 02, 2007, 09:40:57 pm
If you could get all the wingman orders to be recognized by voice, that would take loads of strain off the controller, plus gain about 10 coolness points. Just pick up a headset, strap it on, and "Beta wing, guard the Galatea" becomes a reality.

Actually, this would be cool with a joystick too, I just haven't looked too far into the voice recognition build.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: bizzybody on August 03, 2007, 01:41:33 am
Wiispace? <activates jump drive and runs away>
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Unknown Target on August 03, 2007, 01:50:07 am
I always thought a good Wii set up for a flight sim would use the Wiimote as a stick, and the Nunchuk as a throttle - you push it forward or back to increase or decrease speed.

As for the controls, you could have the trigger button for lasers, A for missiles, and maybe the up/down on the D-pad for primary linking and the left/right for secondary linking. That leaves you with the Z button on the nunchuk for countermeasures, and the stick for whatever else you need - if voice commands wont work, you can use it for the comm menu (have it set up circular-like similar to BF2 or something).
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Vengence on August 03, 2007, 09:22:02 am
Very interesting. You know for a moment I thought this was a noobish question asking "Why can't FS2 be for the Wii" but now... hmm very interesting prospect even though I don't have a wii.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: karajorma on August 03, 2007, 02:22:26 pm
If you can get windows to recognise the wiimote as a joystick then AFAIK there is no good reason you can't play FS2 with it however you set it.

So now the question is whether you can get Windows to recognise it.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Unknown Target on August 03, 2007, 03:57:30 pm
Again, it's already possible:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9uOgdZg6E5M

:)
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Gregster2k on August 03, 2007, 08:29:23 pm
Again, it's already possible:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9uOgdZg6E5M

:)

Wiimotes --- Are they accurate enough to beat my trusty Microsoft SideWinder 3D Pro?
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: jr2 on August 03, 2007, 08:38:13 pm
Someone with a wiimote will have to try it & tell us.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Remagoen on August 03, 2007, 09:40:41 pm
I'll hook something up and see what I can do. It'll take me a while to set up the controls between work and school (and trying to upgrade my system), but I'll get back to you on this.

What I'll probably do is map the stick to the analog on the nunchuck, primary fire to B, and sec fire to A. From there I'll just roll with the flow and see what feels natural.

Also, besides power management and communications and basic maneuverability (thrust, left, right, up, down), can people start a list that they consider the most important controls in order of most important to least important? I'll try to work a compromise between it and put the most needed things where it would be easiest to access.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: jr2 on August 04, 2007, 01:49:46 am
Countermeasures and AB for two.  And don't forget weapon change / missile select / double fire.  Would it be possible to press a button on your keyboard while using a Wiimote?
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Unknown Target on August 04, 2007, 02:29:56 am
Wouldn't mapping the stick to the analog on the nunchuck be kind of...pointless? I mean, what's the point of using a Wiimote if you're not going to use it's motion tracking?
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Remagoen on August 04, 2007, 10:33:12 am
Countermeasures and AB for two.  And don't forget weapon change / missile select / double fire.  Would it be possible to press a button on your keyboard while using a Wiimote?

Short answer: No.

If you use the motion tracking on the wiimote, when you go to reach, hit a key, the wiimote will register that. Everything needed will need to be on the wiimote.

Wouldn't mapping the stick to the analog on the nunchuck be kind of...pointless? I mean, what's the point of using a Wiimote if you're not going to use it's motion tracking?

When I experimented with the wiimote on Half-Life, tilting the wiimote to tell you where to go was a horrible pain. I figured that would be the same with FS, but I'll give it a shot to see how it works.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Unknown Target on August 04, 2007, 11:22:55 am
Watch the video - it seems to work pretty well as a stick :)
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Remagoen on August 04, 2007, 01:11:01 pm
I missed that post.

Looks do-able, but a new problem would come from that: It'll be insanely hard to press all the buttons on the wiimote if it's used as a stick. I'll still try it out tomorrow, but I'm suddenly losing my optimism.
Title: Re: FreeSpace with a Wii?
Post by: Remagoen on August 20, 2007, 01:51:26 pm
I haven't forgotten to mod Freespace... Between my parents having issues with each other and each begging, forcing rather, me to pick a side, I'm been so stressed I'm sick. Plus, I got new parts for my computer that essentially make it a new one, so I reformatted everything.

Just give me some time please.

And sorry for the double post. Didn't seem like this was edit material.