Author Topic: Game Crashes if Joystick present  (Read 1321 times)

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Game Crashes if Joystick present
Hello!
Long-time lurker here, but I had to speak up because I'm desperate for help.

Blue Planet Complete crashes during initialization when launched from Knossos 0.13.3 while my Sidewinder FFB Joystick is connected -UNLESS I turn *off* the option to 'Store Config in a portable location'.  But, if I turn off that option, my Force Feedback doesn't work.  Other mods like FSPort with or without MediaVPs work.  Those other mods that work still require me to check the option to 'Store Config in a portable location' to get FFB to work. Even then, I often have to re-launch the game several times to get the stick to 'stay alive', as it seems to kind of die on game-launch.  I strongly suspect that *all* of this behavior has something to do with security, or permissions -perhaps in the registry. 

***From now on, I'll be referring to 'Store Config in a Portable Location' as 'SCiaPL'.***

More info:
Windows 10
I have a long-standing installation of FreespaceOpen and various mods that I've curated on my system over the years.  Started out with WxLauncher, then migrated to Knossos recently (Love it!).  This requirement to 'SCiaPL' existed in WxLauncher early on.  I ignored it.  Knossos was working fine.  Several months later, I notice some updates, decide to re-launch some mods and make sure everything still works.  Everything is okay except for Blue Planet Complete!

Over the years, I have fiddled with getting this joystick to also work with other games (nowhere near as much success as with Freespace SCP!).  Most of the time, it's a battle between having any force-feedback but no Return-to-center, or RTC but no FFB.

***This next part, I think, is important.***
In the process of fiddling with other games in the past, I had discovered a registry key that affected how the stick could be initialized by games.  Now, it didn't have anything to do with changing any *values*, but rather (this is weird to me), it had to do with changing the *permissions* to that key.  If you granted full permissions to everyone (or something) the stick would or wouldn't provide FFB.  I have no idea where that registry key exists, what setting I left it on, or whether it even has anything to do with this friggin' problem.  But it might speak to why I have to use that 'SCiaPL' setting in these launchers all the time, and it might explain why Blue Planet Complete crashes while this joystick is attached with 'SCiaPL' turned on.

Conclusion:
Guys, if this can be troubleshot or fixed, I'd be terribly grateful.  If not, perhaps I'll try wxlauncher later (just for BluePlanetComplete) until I can reinstall Windows or something.
I don't know all the steps for how this debugger works for this game, but I'm a techie, and I can follow steps.  Thank you!!

 
Re: Game Crashes if Joystick present
WAIT, WAIT, I found an executable that works!
FSO-3.8.1-20190205

The following definitely caused me joystick issues:
FSO-Multilock-3.8.1-20180922
FSO-19.0.0-RC1



 
Re: Game Crashes if Joystick present
I found the setting to 'Use a different registry path' under troubleshoot.  Stops crashing, but...then I lose FFB. 
The older executables give me terrible performance, I think, because BPC is demanding features that the old executables aren't designed to support.
: (

 
Re: Game Crashes if Joystick present
Oh Hell, it's fixed!!!!
HAHAHAH!
Sorry, I get excited.

Solution for me:
Under Launcher options, I need to stop using the option to store my config in a portable location, and under Troubleshoot, I have to check the box to use a different registry path.

If anyone can deduce what the heck is wrong with my system, please fill me in.  Otherwise, I'm happy!

 
Re: Game Crashes if Joystick present
Hi,

Can you run under “fast debug” in each situation and then upload the debug log and post a link.

Thanks

  

Offline Goober5000

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Re: Game Crashes if Joystick present
:bump:

Just in case the OP isn't aware, this is a bug that has been fixed in recent builds.