Conference 501clb::pcdoom

I've heard the Gamepad is a good model, but I've had no "hands on" 
experience with this (Keith - I know you're listening -- comments?)

I've got a Gravis Joystick (mostly because of Rebel Assault), and
so far, so good. I still prefer a keyboard though, I can manouver
(sp?) faster.

Geoff

    
    i use keyboard only, but am thinking of picking up a thrustmaster FCS
    (for use with Privateer :')).  i cant stand using the mouse (even
    though mine has never hung, nor anybody else i know).
    

    I use the Gravis Gamepad, and it's just fine after I reconfigure the
    buttons. I like it for its similarity to the controllers of my other
    gaming platform--the Super Nintendo. The only gripe I have is that I
    still have to use the keyboard to do things like change weapons and
    pause the game--so events get hectic as I try to use the Gamepad
    one-handed while I fumble to pull the keyboard out and find the right
    key, all without becoming a percentage mark on the bad guys' score
    screens...
    
    Adam      

    Thanks for the info. guys.
    
    I did a little shopping yesterday. Here's what I found.
    
    Gravis gamepad - cheap, reasonably well built. Does not do analog
    (proportional) so it is basically the same as using the keypad. i.e.,
    there are no "degrees" of right turn, soit is just like using the
    keyboard (where how far you turn is based on duration on KEYDOWN, the
    rate at which you turn is fixed.)
    
    Logitech CyberMan 3D - not cheap (CDN$125). Different motion than a
    joystick (it rotates and does L,R,F,B directions). Provides tacticle
    feedback of games events (hitting a wall or getting shot causes the
    controll stick to "kick" in your hand). Highly recommended as "the"
    controller for Doom by the sales droid. Downsides, tactile feedback
    only works on games that support it, not very well suited as a joystick
    or mouse replacement according to sales droid.
    
    I was extremely close to buying the CyberMan, had the plastic _out_ but
    balked at the last minute. I'm going to look around for a shop that has
    a demo unit - $120 is bit high considering the limited applications for
    the CyberMan controller. It does come with four sharewares; Doom,
    Shadowcaster and two others I didn't recognize.
    
    Antone out there have a CyberMan?   (For sale cheap? 8^)
    
    Thanks for the information, keep it coming.
    
    Jason...

Geez.  Am I the only one who prefers the mouse?  I have a Microsoft serial mouse
(the comma-shaped one) and it behaves very well for me. (I use version 8.mumble
of the driver.) I just don't have the same feel with the keyboard.  I use a
gravis joypad sometimes, but its movements are too coarse for me.  (I have no
experience with other joysticks, but I've met very few joysticks I really like.)

I got used to using the mouse with Wolf3D and with Doom's right mouse button
"auto-walk" feature, it's even better.

#Gary

RE: .4

WARNING WARNING DANGER DANGER!!

Don't fork out that money for the Cyberman just yet! I'm a fairly
avid reader of the alt.games.doom newsgroup and I hear never- 
ending complaints about the Cyberman's INcompatibility with Doom.
Yes, it works, BUT it's not perfect, and doesn't always work.

I hear said problems will be fixed with Doom 1.4, but it who knows
when that'll be out...

Geoff

    
    
    Geoff:
    
    I'd heard similar comments, I think it was in the FAQ, about CyberMan
    now that you mention it.
    
    Maybe the best solution it to spend nothing, and practice my keyboard
    skills!
    
    Do you have the definitive scoop on mouse-related hangs on V 1.2? I
    thought this was a widely known/occurring problem.
    
    Thanks for the advise,
    
    Jason...

    
    I'm a complete keyboard addict, I tried the mouse once or twice but
    just couldn't get to grips with it.  As to a joystick I only have a 
    cheap old one and it proves to slow to get a good aim on the target.
    I'll stick with the keyboard, it doesn't provide analogue movement
    but between the use of rotating and stepping left and right I can
    shift about the levels pretty well.
    
    -John.

    I've got a review of joysticks and joypads at home, I'll try to
    remember to summarize. I seem to think they thought the Gravis Gamepad
    was awful, but there is a better one around.
    
    Cheers,
    
    Greg

I generally use the keyboard (usually cos gareth has changed the setup)
and when I realise it's changed I can't be bothered to restart the game
after running setup

I do think the keys are good but it's still mouse&keys in Wolf3d

Oliver

I use both the keyboard and the mouse.  The keyboard for movement,
and the mouse for shooting and fine-tuning my aim.  I use both devices
for strafing.  BTW, its a 3 button Logitech serial mouseman, and I've
never, ever had a problem using it with Doom.

-Devon

    I use a 3 button mouse (one hand) for running and shooting.
    
    The other hand over the run-fast, strafe, and map keys.
    
    I like the idea of feedback. 
    
    Using the keys or a keypad/digital joystick to me loses the virtual
    reality feel of the game.
    
    -Simon

I find the only time I don't use the mouse is when I am surrounded and the 
only wayout is to do course control, and blindly fire away until I've cut a
swath big enough to ram a truck through, then out to safety I go! I have my
left hand hovering over the numbers to drop down to that chainsaw in a hurry
if the rough stuff starts to get too close. Normally (yeah right... what's 
normal about this game?), I have my hand on the shift key, and ready to quick
slide the mouse with the shift key and the up arrow pressed simultaneously.
Instant Warp Speed for about 100 yards. Gets me out of danger everytime.

I have thought many times to go to a joystick, but killed the idea each time
based on the limited abilities of the joystick. Besides, the way I kick around
during periods of high stress, I don't want to be worried about breaking the 
stick at the worst possible moment because I'm not moving fast enough. 89)

Sometimes I have the sticky mouse problems, but it usually occured just after a
save, so I never really lost much, and was able to start back really quick after
a reboot to fix the error. (I tend to save a lot and test the waters for
different things.) 

Cheers!

Greg

    Keyboard only...

    Mouse in right hand ... 1st two fingers on < and > for the all
    important side step and "body swerve" (with mouse), thumb on space
    
    For running I'll use the left hand for keyboard control and the mouse
    to finely control direction ...

    Interesting replies guys.
    
    The last while I've been using keyboard for most everything and mouse
    for long shots where accuracy is required.
    
    After several hours of play last night I didn't have a single mouse
    problem, using MS Mouse V9.01. Maybe the "hang" problem is related to a
    particular mouse event/sequence ?
    
    The only problem I have is when I do move my left hand from the
    keyboard I have trouble getting my fingers back in the correct spot.
    This usually means I pop up the automap rather than shoot at a
    critical moment 8^(
    
    Keep those cards and letters coming,
    
    Jason...

   I use a combination of the mouse and keyboard.

   With my left hand I control the up arrow and down arrow keys. This allows
  forward and backward movement. My right hand is on the mouse controlling
  the trigger finger, aiming and door opening.


   - Bob

    
    does doom support the fcs joystick?
    

RE: -.1 

Doom supports "joysticks", but what exactly is an FCS joystick?

Geoff

Well it'll work. If you have a WCSII Thrustmaster supplies a download file
for Doom as well that gives you the ability to change weapons etc from the
WCS. The hat is useless unless you have the WCS to re-program it. As are
the extra buttons.

An FCS is a Flight stick, usually associated with Thrustmaster's flightsticks.
they are very high quality, have many buttons and a "coolie hat". (coolie hat
is a 4 way button ie: goes up/down/right/left. It's on the top of the 
stick)

dave

    
         Hi all,
    
         Well, on my friend's 486, I use a Gravis gamepad, by far the
            easiest thing to use, once you set up the buttons right.
    
         On my lowly 386 I use the keys, they seem to get the job done
            fairly well...
    
                                                              Bye,
                                                               Mike.

Originally posted this in the "mouse problem" topic & got referred here.

Obviously, after reading this thread, folks have tried Doom with a joystick.
Does it work for you folks?

I've got the Gravis <mumbly> Pro, and while I like the feel, I find it's not
sensitive enough to control my aim accurately.  That is, I have to move the
stick a lot before the image changes, and then it changes all at once and
overshoots the point I'm trying to aim at.  The only reason I'd like to use
it is to save my keyboard; I tend to get "excited" playing Doom and press
down pretty hard on those keys (the harder you press, the faster you go,
right? :-).

Is this normal for joysticks (I'm a relative novice here) or is there
something I need to adjust, either in the joystick or in Doom?

thanks,
Bob

    Has anyone ever gotten 4 buttons to work independently on the Gravis? 
    If so, how?
    
    Thanks

         RE:-.1
    
         Yep, got all four working...
    
         First, make sure you got the controller set for four buttons.
    
         Second, go into the Setup proggy in doom and make sure you have
            the correct controller type. Then there is also another
            menu to setup buttons on the gravis...
    
                                                            Hope this
                                                             helps,
                                                              Mike.

Aha!  I infer from the previous two replies that somebody's using the
same joystick as me with Doom.  So do you folks have problems with
responsiveness?  For example, when you move the joystick "just a little",
does your aim move just a little also?  My aim doesn't change at all
unless I move the joystick "a lot", which makes it hard to use.  Is this
just a case of "bad user on device" or can I adjust this (the docs. for
the joystick are pretty bad)?

BTW: I've also got the 4 buttons individually configured using the method
described in .24.

bob

    Missed the "joystick B" part of the config.  I have a splitter in
    place.  I'll remove it and try again...

    
    i just setup doom to use a joystick... i have the thrustmaster fcs.
    i start doom, it does the center stick, push button 1, upper left,
    lower right... doom starts up, the button works, but i just sit there
    doing 'donuts'.  this part of the mouse bug thing or something else?
    

    
    Does .-1 mean you sit there and eat dounuts while the demo runs, or you
    are having a problem with your joystick? Please clarify.
    
    
    
    Sorry, just had to. Couldn't resist. 8^)
    
    Jason...

    
    :')
    
    in otherwords, the guy runs like i drive :')