mathers@titan.trl.oz.au (Steven Mathers) (05/07/90)
Why doesn't commodore come out with a joystick with more than one damned button? Games software has grown increasingly more complex since space invaders, and the amiga is fantastic for games, being originally designed for such, and yet we are still restricted by an interface designed (?) years ago. I for one am sick of good games becoming almost unplayable by having to resort to stupid let-go-of-the joystick-and press <spacebar> gymnastics. Is it possible to use one (or gasp! *2*) of the spare lines used by the mouse for use as joystick buttons? Im sure once the official commodore joystick was released, there would follow a bunch of third party products, and software developers could add the 2 or 3 lines of code neccessary to recognize the extra button(s). Stefo.
gt5784a@prism.gatech.EDU (Walter G. Reynolds (JJ)) (05/07/90)
In article <1447@trlluna.trl.oz> mathers@titan.trl.oz.au (Steven Mathers) writes: >Im sure once the official commodore joystick was released, there would >follow a bunch of third party products, and software developers could >add the 2 or 3 lines of code neccessary to recognize the extra >button(s). > > > > Stefo. Whatever commodore does, I *HOPE* that they don't start making joysticks.. With the advent of the 3000, a joystick would only verify most people's suspicions that the Amiga is only a game machine... I use my Amiga for writing papers and software development.. I would like to continue to see growth in the Amiga's true usefulness. True, the Amiga was originally designed as a game machine (I've read the patent, probably most of us have), but I believe it's REAL power lies in development tools.. let's face it.. the Amiga is *FUN* to program.! :) Nothing I like more than GURU #3 and 4.. I get these all the time. -- Disclaimer: None needed... my lawyer makes more money than yours. uucp: ...!{allegra,amd,hplabs,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!prism!gt5784a ARPA: gt5784a@prism.gatech.edu
jcs@crash.cts.com (John Schultz) (05/08/90)
With an digital joystick, you can have up to 3 buttons. Two of the buttons are on the pot lines, and take a while to change state (like the right mouse button). So you want more buttons, eh? How about analog x-y, two fire buttons and an analog throttle control? These features come with the CH Products Flight Stick, which is currently the only joystick my current project will support. You can actually have 5 fire buttons with an analog joystick, if you so desire. IBM analog joysticks are easily adapted to the Amiga and they cost $19 and up ($50 for the Flight Stick). John
mrush@csuchico.edu (Losing Peer on the Net of Life) (05/08/90)
In article <1447@trlluna.trl.oz> mathers@titan.trl.oz.au (Steven Mathers) writes: >Why doesn't commodore come out with a joystick with more than one >damned button? Games software has grown increasingly more complex >since space invaders, and the amiga is fantastic for games, being >originally designed for such, and yet we are still restricted by >an interface designed (?) years ago. I for one am sick of good games >becoming almost unplayable by having to resort to stupid let-go-of-the >joystick-and press <spacebar> gymnastics. Is it possible to >use one (or gasp! *2*) of the spare lines used by the mouse for use as >joystick buttons? Here, here! I too am appalled at how developers write all their games for Single-Button Digital JoySticks. C'mon you game developers, The hardware DOES SUPPORT *TWO* FIRE BUTTONS. And there are ANALOG JOYSTICKS OUT HERE. What's REALLY agravating are games like Battle Squadron (which I think is the best game to come out on the Amiga since F-18) where in MOUSE mode it WILL check button TWO (for Nova Missle launching), but in JOYSTICK mode it DOESN'T. Aaaaargh! Did they go out of their way to do this??? -- Matt *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* % I could almost be tempted to give up % mrush@csuchico.edu % % homebrew hardware hacking... % mrush@cscihp.UUCP % *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* This is a SCHOOL! Do you think they even CARE about MY opinions?!
cstxqbt@warwick.ac.uk (CrisP of Truth and Justice) (05/08/90)
My half-brother has a a pile of junk the makers refer to as a "Sega Master System". This uses two button controlers. Using these on my Amiga I found that R-type will use the extra button insted of having to do the space bar juggle. The digital joystics use the same lines for the button as the mice. So as with mice you could build a joystick with three buttons. But commodore have yet to build a decent joystick. - CrisP.
efinley%albion.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Elliott Finley) (05/08/90)
In article <1990May07.224940.1915@csuchico.edu> mrush@cscihp.UUCP writes: >In article <1447@trlluna.trl.oz> mathers@titan.trl.oz.au (Steven Mathers) writes: >>Why doesn't commodore come out with a joystick with more than one >>damned button? Games software has grown increasingly more complex >DOES SUPPORT *TWO* FIRE BUTTONS. And there are ANALOG JOYSTICKS OUT HERE. > -- Matt Actually, the hardware reference manual shows support for THREE buttons, not to say that you couldn't do even more than that.
jimb@faatcrl.UUCP (Jim Burwell) (05/09/90)
mrush@csuchico.edu (Losing Peer on the Net of Life) writes: > Here, here! I too am appalled at how developers write all their games >for Single-Button Digital JoySticks. C'mon you game developers, The hardware >DOES SUPPORT *TWO* FIRE BUTTONS. And there are ANALOG JOYSTICKS OUT HERE. > What's REALLY agravating are games like Battle Squadron (which I think >is the best game to come out on the Amiga since F-18) where in MOUSE mode it >WILL check button TWO (for Nova Missle launching), but in JOYSTICK mode it >DOESN'T. Aaaaargh! Did they go out of their way to do this??? The only game I know of which uses an analog joystick is "Air Warrior", an excelent multi-player on-line combat flight simulator on GEnie. Dunno if they use the second joystick button though. (I never bought a joystick and hooked it to the Amiga) Although I suspect they probably have it wired to release bombs. C'ya, Jim -- James S. Burwell UUCP: ...!rutgers!faatcrl!jimb Internet: jimb@faatcrl.UUCP "The Maker is the one who is part of what he makes." - The Redbird, from _The Tales of Alvin Maker_
b2wild@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (The great and wonderful Jarafan) (05/09/90)
In article <523@lily.warwick.ac.uk> cstxqbt@warwick.ac.uk (CrisP of Truth and Justice) writes: > >So as with mice you could build a joystick with three buttons. But commodore >have yet to build a decent joystick. >- CrisP. This is true, it would do Commodore good to create a decent joystick. Does anyone remember what Amiga made before computers? Those awesome little Amiga Joysticks. gorn!snozer@ssyx.ucsc.edu
king@motcid.UUCP (Steven King) (05/10/90)
In article <523@lily.warwick.ac.uk> cstxqbt@warwick.ac.uk (CrisP of Truth and Justice) writes: >So as with mice you could build a joystick with three buttons. But commodore >have yet to build a decent joystick. I don't suppose we can convince Commodore into manufacturing the old Amiga Pow'r Stick from way back in the days before the Amiga was more than a gleam in =RJ='s eye? THAT's the joystick of choice! Slap a second button on there and you'd really have something to write home about! Speaking of which, anyone got one they'd be willing to part with for a reasonable sum? :-) -- ---------------------------------------------------+--------------------------- There has never been an unexpectedly short | Steve King (708) 991-8056 debugging period in the history of computers. | ...uunet!motcid!king (Steven Levy, "Hackers") | ...ddsw1!palnet!stevek