[Ratneck]

I got the idea to try using an old gamepad I had laying around after someone mentioned they always wanted to try it. So I thought I'd share my experience for posterity.

The controller I used was a Microsoft Sidewinder (V 1.0). Yeah, it's around 10 years old. Vista instantly recognizd it and welcomed it like a 10 year old glass of scotch. I looked at the "Game Controllers" setting in control panel and it acted just like a Joystick. So I figured "What the hell" and I gave it a shot.

This controller has 10 buttons. A trigger for each index finger, 6 "face" buttons like the old skool fighting games, a "start" and "select" button, and an 8 way D pad.

Let me start by saying it was easy to get the controller to work with Jumpgate Classic. It was recognized as a joystick and worked fine.

I programmed the buttons into what seemed a logical configuration for a simple launch and landing test. I did add a couple of gun, missile, and radar type buttons, but that won't matter for this review.

All of the flight controls worked flawlessly. All of them, save one. Throttle. I could throttle up without a problem. Throttling down wouldn't work for some reason. I attempted to put the throttle on every button of the controller (Except the D-pad) but the system refused to regognize a throttle down command unless I put it on the keyboard. This basically eliminated any other tests.

I find this very disappointing since I was actually enjoying using the d-pad for pitch and yaw, and with 2 triggers at my command I could see having 2 different sets of guns to fire with different timings. I would, naturally, want more buttons on the controller since there weren't nearly enough, but making a "shift" or "Control" key for 3 differenet modes (flight, combat, other) would have mad it run just fine.

If I could find a way to run the throttle with this controller I'd give it another shot. I know it wasn't the button number (I was able to have the throttle up as B8 and down as B7 with the same result as vice versa) nor the controller (I tried it as EVERY button just to be sure) so it must have been something in Jumpgate. I was able to throttle with the keyboard, but I think everyone knows that wouldn't be possible to do normally anywhere but the sim.

All in all, a good experience that I'd like to try again....but only if the controller can operate the throttle. A game pad could be a great controller for this game with the right elements, a scroll wheel for throttle for example. I could see people controlling a ship with their X-Box controller (within reason of course, nothing nutty) so if they could port Jumpgate Evolution to XBOX 360 they could really expand their market.

BTW - I hate dpads and game controllers. Hency why this Sidewinder has sat here unused for around 8 of the 10 years.

[netburnr]

Make sure to give it a go in Jumpgate Evolution Beta and report any problems like that.

[Ambrosius]

Yeah, I'm surprised it worked in Jumpgate Classic. In Jumpgate Evolution it will actually be a "supported controller type," so one would hope bugs like yours would not happen.

[Ratneck]

I just brought it in to work today so I could give it a shot here and make sure it wasn't the system or OS. I had a similar throttle problem here.

[netburnr]

I had a throttle problem once I think. Don't you have to remap the keys and then map them back or something like that? I swear I saw a thread on this...... anyone remember?

[ELPIRATA]

I remember trying to use a racing steering wheel for Jumpgate Classic lol, it was one of the most awkward moments in my life. Gamepads I only use for NBA games or alike.

[-Vomir-]

I pilot on mouse/keyboard and usually use the brake to throttle down (it completely cuts the throttle) so you might try this to cut the throttle, but maybe in joystick mode it's working different.

[Ratneck]

Originally Posted by netburnr

I had a throttle problem once I think. Don't you have to remap the keys and then map them back or something like that? I swear I saw a thread on this...... anyone remember?

I had also remembered this but failed to try it on my inital test. I just tried it on the PC I'm on currently (XP box) and the problem remains the same for the throttle.

I believe I have found the problem, but I don't think it's something I can fix.

Jumpgate is treating the "throttle down" button like it's a "Throttle up" button. If I'm at a dead stop with no throttle and I press the "throttle down" button, the throttle goes up, not down.

Additionally, on this PC when I press the throttle up or down button, the throttle immediately jumps to 100%. On my home (Vista) machine the throttle gradually increases and doesn't just jump to 100%. I will try on the Vista machine tonight to make sure the "throttle down" button is also acting as a "throttle up".

Originally Posted by -Vomir-

I pilot on mouse/keyboard and usually use the brake to throttle down (it completely cuts the throttle) so you might try this to cut the throttle, but maybe in joystick mode it's working different.

I tried this and the brake doesn't work unless I put the throttle to zero. Could be a limitation of the joystick. I'll attempt this at home tonight as well.

<EDIT> I tried at home. Throttle does the same thing. I was wrong, the throttle jumps at home too, it's not gradual. I even tried setting the throttle to the D-Pad axis but it didn't work. I think I'm giong to have to guess that throttle in Jumpgate Classic can't be set to a joystick button.

If you can think of any more ways for me to check, please let me know, I'd love it if this pad would work, but I have a feeling that the throttle on a joystick has to be a "throttle".</EDIT>

[Istanbul]

The problem with this is that in the joystick configuration it treats the throttle as a slider with a 0 point and a 100 point (two ends). So, even a scroll wheel would not work properly as there isn't a defined beginning and ending point on a scroll wheel. That said, I think there are a couple of different options for joystick configurations, including one for a joystick no throttle... (this is in the jumpgate menu). Are you in the joystick without throttle setting, or the joystick with throttle? If you aren't in the joystick only setting, try using that one and it may work better.

[Ratneck]

I'll give that a try later, I'm not sure what joystick I had selected, however I'd guess I had one "with" throttle selected as the default was the throttle slider. For now though, the dogs have to go swimming before it starts raining and they get all wet..... :-)

[Ratneck]

Ok, I tried all three different Joysticks, the one with no arrows....the one with 1 arrow, and the one with the 3 arrows.

All of them started with the throttle control as "Slider0". I attempted each type of joystick with the same results. It was a good idea though.

The thing I'm wondering is why it will work with a keypress on a keyboard, but not a key press on a joystick. It would seem to me that there should be no difference in the on or off input from the button.

I think I've come to an end with the experiment on this gamepad, unless someone has any other ideas to try.