PSX ZDoom?

[deadnail]

Guess what I just got. A PS-PC USB Controller Converter. I ordered it from Zophar's Domain for seventeen bucks. Using it I've got the Dual Shock gamepad that came with my PS1 plugged into my system right now.

I've done some tests with a few emulators, and I can safely say, it beats the living hell out of any Sidewinder, Interact or Gravis gamepad I've ever had.

So I also just ran through a few levels of ZDoom with it... and if you're curious, here is how I configged it.

I didn't assign anything to the D-Pad, since the left analog stick is automatically the x-y axis in a FPS game (although I could change that in the software). Square is run, Triangle is jump, Circle is open and X is of course shoot. L1 / R1 handle strafing and L2 / R2 cycle the weapons. Select is map and I couldn't find a decent use for the start button.

When I play Heretic or Hexen with it I'll use the D-Pad to handle inventory use... left and right to cycle, down to use probably. Up and start still don't seem to have much use... aside from 'add bot'. =P

I had to adjust the sensitivity a little bit (WOW, this thing is SOOO smooth... I wonder why PSX games don't use this great stick to it's potential?) but it runs awesome now. I don't even need the run button when I jam the stick as far as it can go. I can't wait to do some splitscreen Legacy action with it.

Of course, the best part remains untested as of yet. The Dual Shock functions are controlled completely with Force Feedback so I should get vibration support! I'll try it out with Soldier of Fortune soon to see how it works. The docs are about ten pages in pure Chinese (Traditional) so they don't help much, but at least they've been condensed into one page of English that has horrible grammar but covers the important parts.

It also comes with a Win Emulator program that allows me to set any stick to emulate the mouse and any button to emulate the keyboard. So, theoretically I could even use this with the original doom.exe or just set it up so I can surf the web with it in a good slouch.

So now, here's my question that I hope some of you Doomers will rally with me on. Don't most of the best ports require DirectX? I'm pretty sure ZDoom does... so, how hard would it be to implement Force Feedback? C'mon, you know you want to feel your gamepad (or Logitech mouse) rumble with that chaingun... heheh.

So, um, yeah. It rocks. They make 2 player models but I hear there's issues with the software so its better to just use the one I got.

I hope this doesn't end up in Post Hell, 'cuz I think that this is a great thing for PC gamers of all breeds. Especially FPS and Emulator gamers.... 'cuz PC gamepads just sorta suck.

[Zaldron]

I can safely say all the Win32 source ports uses DirectInput for the controllers. The only reason stoping the existence of this feature? I guess it's demand. Few people play with pads, and I'm sure the source port creators have a lot of stuff yet to fix/add much more important than FF.

Of course, if you bitch around Zdoom forums you could get it in 2 betas more or so...

[deadnail]

Well, ZMan, more than gamepads have force feedback. There are mice that have it too (that would rule... taking a hit and your aim jumping a little 'cuz the mouse vibrated...).

How hard would it be to implement into the source?

damage
if <5 then vib1 time 1
...
if >75 then vib4 time 3

and weapons... that would just be adding a little jump on the right frame, usually the firing frame. I don't know jack about programming but I'm thinkin' it would only take an hour of work for someone familiar with the code to stuff it in.

Plus, just one console option. Vibration 0 or 1. That actually has to be there, people who have a ff gamepad sitting on their desk but playing with a mouse and keyboard... the gamepad would be rattling all over the place. =)

[Zaldron]

I know there are mices with it...but I guess the demand is still TOO small. Gather some more opinions, I don't know. I, personally, don't give a rat ass about FF (I don't have that on any controller :), so I would be more interested in Hexen support. ;)

[deadnail]

Heheh, cooooooooooooooooool. I just set up the gamepad for Internet Explorer (or anything in Windows, actually). The analog stick moves the mouse, x is left click, triangle is right click, square is alt-left (back) and circle is alt-right (forward). The d-pad emulates the arrow keys.

Heheh, now I can blindly surf around in a fully reclined position. Yay. =)

[Lost Soul]

I find that feedback controllers and mice are more of an annoyance than anything else. They just distract me form the task at hand! ;)

[Zaldron]

I find that feedback controllers and mice are more of an annoyance than anything else.

So you navigate throught Window using the keypad.

[Zeratul 982]

I couldn't find a decent use for the start button.

...Pause?

[skadoomer]

that vibrating action comes in useful on those lonley nights

[deadnail]

...Pause?

Well, bind joy12 pause certianly worked. Naturally it frees the mouse cursor so I can actually play with a gamepad when I'm bored and just tap Start to get back to what I was doing. I was thinking about that while I was at work... heheh.

[spank]

heh deadnail called Zaldron ZMan!