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/  Forum Index
   /  Amiga Gaming
      /  Digital vs. analogue joysticks with OS 4
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Dandy 
Digital vs. analogue joysticks with OS 4
Posted on 13-Jan-2017 11:49:26
#1 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 24-Mar-2003
Posts: 3049
From: Cologne * Germany

Back in 1997/98, when I bought all the necessary parts for building my Amiga4000PPC Tower, I also bought a few games that supported digital joysticks (like Competition Pro), as well as analogue ones.

Back then I also bought a pair of analogue joysticks and deemed them better suited for simulator games (like e.g. F1 GP) than the digital ones (like my Competition Pro).

Now, in the NG-Amiga days, it sort of surprises me that there is no more talk about analogue joysticks, despite the fact that they allow for a much more precise steering experience.

As I'm just considering to upgrade my experimental OS 4.0 classic setup from 2007/2008 to OS 4.1 FE classic Update1 and donating my Miggy at least one BigRamPlus, I'm also wondering how the support for analogue joysticks or steering wheels is in OS 4?

I mean - I rarely Play games - but if so, then mostly simulations. And there I would definitely prefer analogue steering devices over digital ones anytime.

I would like to see e.g. steering wheels supported, including pedals, gearsticks, force feedback and the like for racing games.

And something equivalent for flight simulations, as well.
All analogue, of course...

What do the Amiga Gamers think about that?

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Daedalus 
Re: Digital vs. analogue joysticks with OS 4
Posted on 13-Jan-2017 13:00:22
#2 ]
Super Member
Joined: 14-Jul-2003
Posts: 1680
From: Glasgow - UK, Irish born

@Dandy

I'm with you regarding analogue controls - it made F1GP into a whole new game, not to mention Birds of Prey.

OS4 does support analogue controllers via AmigaInput, however that depends on games being compiled specifically to use that rather than hitting the pot registers directly, which is how most of the older games worked. Those registers are still available on classic hardware so I expect games that work on OS4 Classic and support analogue controllers should still work fine, though that won't be the case on non-classics. The only game I can think of in that category would be Descent: Freespace, but there may be others.

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Hypex 
Re: Digital vs. analogue joysticks with OS 4
Posted on 13-Jan-2017 13:23:46
#3 ]
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Joined: 6-May-2007
Posts: 11180
From: Greensborough, Australia

@Dandy

It's funny to talk about going analogue when the world is going digital. But I agree it would be good to have support for these devices. Perhaps thay have fallen on the back burner along with web cams, printers and other devices that don't work when plugged in.

I checked out lowlevel.library function ReadJoyPort() which can provide a bridge between classic and NG. But even that looks like it lacks analogue support. Instead the best being a game controller with extra buttons.

So that would limit things to AmigaInput.

It's logical to use a steering wheel in a racing game obviously but perhaps things were stuck with a basic joystick because no one thought to support a more exact input device. Or they thought left and right on a joystick was good enough with up and down to change gears as if it was an automatic tiptronic. Having played a PS3 racing game the other day this simplistic idea still penetrates.

I recall when I started playing TestDrive II (The Duel) in manual mode how it annoyed me that they didn't map the gears perfectly to the joystick. Made sense to me. A five speed box and reverse or six speed with no reverse (since the game didn't do it) maps perfecty to a joystick with fire for clutch. Not even twin fire needed. So why didn't they do the obvious thing for the gear stick? Obvious to me. Mouse controlling steering with buttons for brake and accelerator. It all maps perfectly apart from any difficulty using mouse for steering. I'm not thinking outside the box here, just inside it. I wonder if anyone did an input hack?

Perhaps this simplistic thinking is why we tend to lack support for anything but the basic controls. I mean there are people still making PC games where WASD is used for movement when a cursor makes more sense. And more so they should be using a joystick like a real gaming computer.

Last edited by Hypex on 13-Jan-2017 at 01:26 PM.

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Severin 
Re: Digital vs. analogue joysticks with OS 4
Posted on 13-Jan-2017 15:46:41
#4 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 18-Aug-2003
Posts: 2740
From: Gloucestershire UK

@Dandy

Amigainput does support analogue joysticks, any PC USB stick that doesn't come with custom drivers should work, I had a few older ones that plugged into my sound card and they worked fine too.

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