Joysticks. A question for BIS.

[andersson 285]

I would be satisfied if you could have multiple devices even if they shared the same axis... That way you can just keep the wheel centered when you use the stick and vice versa.

But ofcourse true support for multiple devices are preffered....

@Darkninja:..... why not use joysticks...? The feeling when flying a helicopter isnt there for me when I use mouse+keyboard compared to hotas. I would also like to have a wheel when driving so that I only use the mouse+keyboard when I´m soldier.

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

I can see your problem. Mine is that the "increase/ deacrease thrust" doesn't work with the throttle on joysticks... at least not on my saitek aviator... Damn, I had just gotten it to work with FSX, too. And of course, the demo crashes when you change control settings...

Hmmm...

It works here, just had to manually assign them. Same with pedals (I have a twist joystick for that).

Anyway, I cant believe the game can't get input from multiple devices...?

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

Edit.

I found this program (which is free), that should be able to create a virtual joystick and you can assign different axes from different inputs (also USB).

I have hosted the file on our webby:

http://www.armedassault.eu/files/joy.rar

You need winrar from rarlabs.com to unrar it.

Cheers

This is an example of how to make it work posted by some1 else on the simhq boards:

From what I can tell, It's an all-purpose driver for homemade joysticks/controllers you plug into your parallel port, but it also serves our purposes by being able to act as a virtual parallel port joystick. In the PPJoySetup folder, run setup.exe to install the driver. When it completes, run "Configure Joysticks" from the new start menu subcategory. A blank configuration window should pop; click on the "add" button to make the utility look like this:

Select "Virtual Joysticks" from the Parallel Port dropdown box, confirm everything and exit the utility.

Now run PPJoyJoy from the other folder, and that should bring up a joystick mixer utility. Use this to assign inputs from your various devices to axes and buttons on the virtual joystick. Here's my mixer window, and I'm combining inputs from a Saitek X45, PS2 Dual Shock controller and an Xbox Steel Battalion controller + pedals.

Just leave the mixer window open/minimized while you're playing your game and everything should work as one controller. Unfortunately, I haven't found a way to bind the hat (It might be possible, but I haven't used this program much). There's other programs you can use that do this such as Frankenstik, but it costs money, and as far as I can tell, it installs the exact same drivers my method does (It told me if I wanted to overwrite the newer driver file I have with an older version that Frankenstik has). Maybe you can do extra stuff like bind the hat or macro with it, I don't know.

[frederf 0]

Why use joysticks when everyone's using mouse n' keyboard? If you want to play with sticks, sand and pads then wait for the console release.

Woah. I don't know how much EA's marketing dept. paid you to say that but it's not enough. This isn't BF2 and this new age philosophy in making games designed for only a keyboard and mouse even when a joystick option makes 10x more sense because the average user is too stupid-or-lazy to go and buy one and plug it in is offensive.

PC Gaming has always used a variety of hardware input. This is one of the major distinctions between consoles and PCs.

[Guest]

Consolers don't even know how to aim or play games properly. Why teaming up with them by buying a control?

[Rg 0]

Consolers don't even know how to aim or play games properly. Why teaming up with them by buying a control?

Wtf? I'm not sure I quite understand you clearly, but I guess you don't understand that we want to use a joystick to FLY, not control our soldier. Same thing goes with driving. If you play a racing sim, you really want/need a wheel and pedals. Same thing goes with a flight sim, you need a joystick. So what are you talking about? Some people want to use a wheel and pedals for this game (For me using a wheel and pedals for this game just doesn't seem necessary due to the horrid driving model. I may give it a try though, just for the hell of it, but I'm not expecting much. I may use a PS2 controller if it works better then a mouse, but I at least HAVE to have a joystick to fly. BTW, good job on the flight model BIS), so what does this have anything to do with console gamers ?

[Paco454 0]

Edit.

I found this program (which is free), that should be able to create a virtual joystick and you can assign different axes from different inputs (also USB).

I have hosted the file on our webby:

http://www.armedassault.eu/files/joy.rar

You need winrar from rarlabs.com to unrar it.

Cheers

This is an example of how to make it work posted by some1 else on the simhq boards:

From what I can tell, It's an all-purpose driver for homemade joysticks/controllers you plug into your parallel port, but it also serves our purposes by being able to act as a virtual parallel port joystick. In the PPJoySetup folder, run setup.exe to install the driver. When it completes, run "Configure Joysticks" from the new start menu subcategory. A blank configuration window should pop; click on the "add" button to make the utility look like this:

Select "Virtual Joysticks" from the Parallel Port dropdown box, confirm everything and exit the utility.

Now run PPJoyJoy from the other folder, and that should bring up a joystick mixer utility. Use this to assign inputs from your various devices to axes and buttons on the virtual joystick. Here's my mixer window, and I'm combining inputs from a Saitek X45, PS2 Dual Shock controller and an Xbox Steel Battalion controller + pedals.

Just leave the mixer window open/minimized while you're playing your game and everything should work as one controller. Unfortunately, I haven't found a way to bind the hat (It might be possible, but I haven't used this program much). There's other programs you can use that do this such as Frankenstik, but it costs money, and as far as I can tell, it installs the exact same drivers my method does (It told me if I wanted to overwrite the newer driver file I have with an older version that Frankenstik has). Maybe you can do extra stuff like bind the hat or macro with it, I don't know.

This program is useless for ArmA at least for me.

I have

Logitech G25

Saitek X52

Logitech Wingman FF (unplugged)

Situation: This program although it appears to be able to assign x and y axis to my G25 for driving and x and y for the X52 for flying, the game still see's the G25 as the default joystick. Eventhough I can assign the virtual joystick to ID#1

Conditions:

Virtual Joystick- 8axis 16 buttons--ID#1

G25- 8axis 23 buttons--ID#16

Saitek x52- 14axis 34 buttons in 3 modes, 2 POV,

Throttle hat, Mouse x/y axis--ID#15

By all rights according to armored sheep's response that "the game defaults to the joystick with most buttons and axis's", it should by default, use the X52 because it has the most axis's and buttons but it doesn't. The game picks the G25. I must assume the information provided by armored sheep is wrong and incorrect.

Therefore the utility is useless for me because the G25 is being defaulted by the game.

It may work for those who have less buttons/axis's on their controllers but for those like myself the program is useless with ArmA.

Nevertheless I'm back to square one, looking for and asking, with all due respect as a paying customer, will you "BIS" please acknowledge whether or not, with a simple "yes" or "no" will you add multi joystick USB support to ArmA.

I'd like to remind BIS the only information it has provided to us, the paying public was by armored sheep which simply stated the obvious, that ArmA only supports one joystick at a time and the additional information about which stick it chooses seems to be incorrect, leaving the community with only one piece of useful but not really useful information, "The game only supports one stick "which as everybody knows", "we already knew that". So in effect, BIS has failed to respond on this issue and in my view, with anything seemingly remote enough to indicate any real intelligence on the subject. The word "conspicuous" comes to mind.

I think I should rename the the thread to "Polly wanna a cracker?" It's like pulling teeth.

PACO454

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

Hmm....

Have you connected your G25 to an USB2 port?

Tried changing usb ports?

I'm just guessing here, as you said we really don't know much.

[Guest]

Consolers don't even know how to aim or play games properly. Why teaming up with them by buying a control?

Wtf? I'm not sure I quite understand you clearly, but I guess you don't understand that we want to use a joystick to FLY, not control our soldier. Same thing goes with driving. If you play a racing sim, you really want/need a wheel and pedals. Same thing goes with a flight sim, you need a joystick. So what are you talking about? Some people want to use a wheel and pedals for this game (For me using a wheel and pedals for this game just doesn't seem necessary due to the horrid driving model. I may give it a try though, just for the hell of it, but I'm not expecting much. I may use a PS2 controller if it works better then a mouse, but I at least HAVE to have a joystick to fly. BTW, good job on the flight model BIS), so what does this have anything to do with console gamers ?

There's no need for a joystick and such crap when we all got the superiour mouse and keyboard combo. Or do you need a gun to control your weapon too?

[Rg 0]

Wow, from a comment like that, I guess you either don’t play racing and/or flight sims, or if you do, you must not take them seriously.

[Maddmatt 1]

Consolers don't even know how to aim or play games properly. Why teaming up with them by buying a control?

Wtf? I'm not sure I quite understand you clearly, but I guess you don't understand that we want to use a joystick to FLY, not control our soldier. Same thing goes with driving. If you play a racing sim, you really want/need a wheel and pedals. Same thing goes with a flight sim, you need a joystick. So what are you talking about? Some people want to use a wheel and pedals for this game (For me using a wheel and pedals for this game just doesn't seem necessary due to the horrid driving model. I may give it a try though, just for the hell of it, but I'm not expecting much. I may use a PS2 controller if it works better then a mouse, but I at least HAVE to have a joystick to fly. BTW, good job on the flight model BIS), so what does this have anything to do with console gamers ?

There's no need for a joystick and such crap when we all got the superiour mouse and keyboard combo. Or do you need a gun to control your weapon too?

So you play flight and race sims with a mouse and keyboard?

[Guest]

Quote[/b] ]So you play flight and race sims with a mouse and keyboard?

Race sims are console games. On the PC we got more interesting games which require a large exchange of input/output data.

In "games" like Halo people will soon be able to fight console gamers in MP Live. Wonder who's going to win. People who can't aim?

[Maddmatt 1]

Quote[/b] ]So you play flight and race sims with a mouse and keyboard?

Race sims are console games. On the PC we got more interesting games which require a large exchange of input/output data.

In "games" like Halo people will soon be able to fight console gamers in MP Live. Wonder who's going to win. People who can't aim?

Shows how little you know about games. The best flight and race sims are on PC and are very difficult without the proper controllers. Very few console games can be called "simulators". Name a recent race or flight sim on console!

And I don't give a damn about crap like Halo . Mouse and keyboard are best for FPS/RTS games.

And as for gamepads, well they are good for nothing, just a cheap all-in-one attempt.

[maxqubit 1]

Wonder who's going to win. People who can't aim?

If you want to shoot you have to see the other first, so basically it comes down to tactics which has nothing to do with 'aiming'

[maxqubit 1]

And as for gamepads, well they are good for nothing, just a cheap all-in-one attempt.

So basically you deny the fact of 100.000.000 or so gamers who use these 'good for nothing' devices? I'd say that is rather arrogant.

And why mouse/keyboard gamers always forget the third 'device' being THE DESK is beyond me ... so, yes we have LAN party ... bring your own DESK plz:)

I think the DESK being a good reason why irl you don't aim with the mouse in a Tank or Cobra or whatever, perhaps you point/click a nuclear device on a map and confirm the 'Are you really sure?' button with another click of the mouse but that's about it.

[Maddmatt 1]

And as for gamepads, well they are good for nothing, just a cheap all-in-one attempt.

So basically you deny the fact of 100.000.000 or so gamers who use these 'good for nothing' devices? I'd say that is rather arrogant.

And why mouse/keyboard gamers always forget the third 'device' being THE DESK is beyond me ... so, yes we have LAN party ... bring your own DESK plz:)

I think the DESK being a good reason why irl you don't aim with the mouse in a Tank or Cobra or whatever, perhaps you point/click a nuclear device on a map and confirm the 'Are you really sure?' button with another click of the mouse but that's about it.

Well I have a desk . I don't go to LAN parties anyway. LANs for me are usually at the local internet cafe where they have desks. So I have no use for a gamepad.

[Rg 0]

Quote[/b] ]So you play flight and race sims with a mouse and keyboard?

Race sims are console games. On the PC we got more interesting games which require a large exchange of input/output data.

In "games" like Halo people will soon be able to fight console gamers in MP Live. Wonder who's going to win. People who can't aim?

I hereby declare shenanigans against Darkninja!

I don’t (IMO) consider any racing games on consoles as “racing simsâ€. GT4 and the like are the closest you will get on a console, but those still don't even come close to racing sims like LFS/GTR/GTL/rFactor/nkPRO which are on PC. Although, I do think GTR(2) was converted over to xbox(360), but I don’t know if they dumbed it down or not, but either way, I guess that would probably have to be considered the most realistic racing sim available on a console, since GTR is a realistic racing sim on the PC that was converted over to a console.

But once again, you miss the point. People here want a joystick/wheel/gamepad to FLY and/or DRIVE, not to control your soldier/aim and shoot a weapon (though there might be a few weirdos out there ).

[Paco454 0]

Quote[/b] ] (Darkninja @ Jan. 10 2007,15:55)

There's no need for a joystick and such crap when we all got the superiour mouse and keyboard combo. Or do you need a gun to control your weapon too?

There is no need for a comment like this and I concider it spamming. The topic of this thread is support for usb multi joystick support and not a spamming thread for those who see no need for it. So if you have something intelligent to post then post. If not don't bother posting.

PACO454

[shadow 6]

Stay on topic. This is not a pissing contest between mouse/keyboard and other input devices.

[suma 8]

Question: Is it possible to make the game support and allow the use of more than one stick,

We have this in our plans and hopefully it will be implemented in some future update.

[Rg 0]

Question: Is it possible to make the game support and allow the use of more than one stick,

We have this in our plans and hopefully it will be implemented in some future update.

Thank you for hearing us out. MUCH appreciated

[Paco454 0]

YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES!!!!!!!!! I DID IT!! I GOT A RESPONSE!!!!!

"Thank you Suma" for responding to this very important question. There are many people including myself that are looking forward to this important feature.

Again thank you for responding.

P.S. As you now I've been some what critical about BIS, I will be less critical and more supportive towards your goals of making ArmA the best it can be. Keep up the good work.

Cheers,

PACO454

[kroky 1]

YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES!!!!!!!!! I DID IT!! I GOT A RESPONSE!!!!!

"Thank you Suma" for responding to this very important question. There are many people including myself that are looking forward to this important feature.

Again thank you for responding.

P.S. As you now I've been some what critical about BIS, I will be less critical and more supportive towards your goals of making ArmA the best it can be. Keep up the good work.

Cheers,

PACO454

@Paco

In future:

If you want to get an answer from BIS: The quickest way is: Just email them to support@bistudio.com.

I did this, exactly about the topic (multiple joystick support) and got an answer right on the next morning. (about the same what suma wrote).

[GAU-8 0]

at least its a start ...now for the wait

thankyou!

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES,YES!!!!!!!!! I DID IT!! I GOT A RESPONSE!!!!!

"Thank you Suma" for responding to this very important question. There are many people including myself that are looking forward to this important feature.

Again thank you for responding.

P.S. As you now I've been some what critical about BIS, I will be less critical and more supportive towards your goals of making ArmA the best it can be. Keep up the good work.

Cheers,

PACO454

@Paco

In future:

If you want to get an answer from BIS: The quickest way is: Just email them to support@bistudio.com.

I did this, exactly about the topic (multiple joystick support) and got an answer right on the next morning. (about the same what suma wrote).

Why in the world didn't you tell us, then?