Hard Light Productions Forums

General FreeSpace => FreeSpace & FreeSpace Open Support => Topic started by: Elvendark on October 02, 2007, 08:18:48 am

Title: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: Elvendark on October 02, 2007, 08:18:48 am
Posted this already OT as reply to an other question. But here again, because apparently I am not the only one who gets bothered by the incredible  wicked behaviour of joysticks. However, I didn't manage to find a solution in the forum to slow down the movements (apart from using a mouse with obvious disadvantages...) :

Is there a way to slow down the joystick reactions (except in game sensitivity... already at lowest...)
-- i.e. in windows, by configs, patches, build-in for FSO 3.7. (?!) ... a.s.o. --  to avoid overpitching/-steering ?

I can hardly follow anyone, the ship is acting like an insane, ****ing rabbit on crack.... yet the slightest action turns the ship strongly, and as soon as I try to countersteer, same thing vice versa. So I end up in embarrassing zigzag courses.

(besides: playing FSPort atm, MS SW stick on gameport-to-USB-adapter, Win98, automaticaly detected by Win)

Thx in advance. greez
Title: Re: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: Shade on October 02, 2007, 08:48:20 am
Fly a less agile ship :p Handling the really maneouverable ones definitely takes some getting used to, but if they didn't react that quickly then they'd be sitting ducks since they don't have the defenses to take many hits.
Title: Re: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: jr2 on October 02, 2007, 09:39:07 am
...Increase the "Deadzone" a bit?  IDK if that'd do anything or not.  What you need is a "mush zone" where you can make small course adjustments, without sending all available power to the maneuvering thrusters.
Title: Re: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: Herra Tohtori on October 02, 2007, 09:51:54 am
Adjustable response curve would be very useful in addition to the current deadzone/sensitivity settings.

For example like in IL-2 games - you have the axis area from centerpoint to edge divided into ten sensitivity areas. I've noticed that a setting that increases in squares of numbers one through ten gives rather smooth input, when 100% would mean that movement in that particular sensitivity area will return full feedback. Thus, the sensitivity curve would be like a parabel curve

Code: [Select]
Sensitivity zone : 01-02-03-04-05-06-07-08-09-10
Zone sensitivity : 01-04-08-16-25-36-49-64-81-100


Increasing the dead zone doesn't actually help much IMHO, it just... increases the area which does nothing at all. I prefer to keep the deadzone so that the stick doesn't move the ship when it moves in the small loose area in the mechanism (which is pretty much the definition of deadzone... :p)

Decrease sensitivity a bit, I usually fly with three bars deadzone and sensitivity set full minus three or two bars, depending a bit from ship in question.

...also, you can buy a controller that provides a chance to alter the response curve in driver settings. Like Saitek X52(Pro) or equivalent.
Title: Re: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: jr2 on October 02, 2007, 11:20:10 pm
I've just recently got an XBOX 360 controller... :/  No such settings... any other non-M$ drivers that anyone knows of?
Title: Re: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: Huggybaby on October 03, 2007, 12:02:32 pm
http://www.matt-land.com/xbcd/
http://xpadder.com/
DXTweak2 http://www.wingmanteam.com/latest_software/gadgets.htm
Title: Re: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: Elvendark on October 03, 2007, 12:16:16 pm
jeah, that is exactly the point: deadzone doesn't help, it just delays the strong movements. It's hard to concentrate on moving the stick only millimeters in tough fights to keep track with enemies, nearly impossible I dare say... as soon as it is moved just a bit more forceful it's over  :mad:

The zone in which I can make smooth movements is damn little, subtly, hardly sensible, and then !whoosh! suddenly full strength. I guess the problem is that the transition between smooth movements to the stronger comes way too abruptly.

Buying another (adjustable) stick is no option for me, in general it works fine. Great stick besides, indestructible.  ATM my sens is at 1 or 2, deadzone at 3, Will try middle rate sens and higher dz. Though I already tried many combinations....

Thanks so far, maybe other pilots have other solutions?

Don't know if there are plans to deal with this problem in 3.7. But it would be great to change it in zones like Herra posted it. Or just setting the zone for slight movements near the center position a bit higher. Don't know much about programming and coding and if that's possible or if it solves anything.... going  :mad: here....  :hopping:

Title: Re: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: Herra Tohtori on October 03, 2007, 04:19:09 pm
Or, you can wait until you win in the lottery and then practice like hell with no economical obligations. :p
Title: Re: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: jr2 on October 04, 2007, 01:49:33 am
http://www.matt-land.com/xbcd/
http://xpadder.com/
DXTweak2 http://www.wingmanteam.com/latest_software/gadgets.htm

Thx, Huggybaby... will check these out when I'm home.  :D
Title: Re: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: Huggybaby on October 04, 2007, 02:57:49 am
You're always welcome jr2. Be sure to google xbcd, and check out
the XBCD forums (http://redcl0ud.1.forumer.com/index.php?s=c38498f67baa91decb8389cc4473810c&act=idx).  ;)

I don't have any specific help for Elvendark though. Any conversion from joystick port to usb is problematical and depends on the drivers for the conversion thingie. I hope and suspect he will find an easy solution though, something overlooked. There is lots of Sidewinder info out there, and some of it talks about missing functionality when converting to USB.
Title: Re: Joystick sensitivity, any ideas for slow down?
Post by: Elvendark on October 04, 2007, 11:35:45 am
DXTweak2 helps a lot, thx for that! But we will see how other ships like slow bombers and very agile fighters will respond to the changes :)  ;7
looks like a setup for every type of ship... alt-tab...change....battle....alt-tab...change....    :drevil: