Ship Sim 2008 Joystick?

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[anniesboy68]

I note in the blurb for SS2008 use of a joystick is optional. I cannot find any information in the manual.  Can a joystick be used and if so how can one set it up, please. I have a Microsoft force feedback!!!! Can anyone help on this please?

[Mad_Fred]

Hi anniesboy68 and welcome to the forum!

Here you can find DJM's guide for using alternative control methods, that might help you out!
http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php/topic,3472.0.html

Regards,
Fred

[anniesboy68]

Thanks for the prompt reply....however, I do not appear to have the primary input and Secondary input facility, only Action and Assigned Input. Clicking on an assigned input does give the facility to program a joystick button, but, unfortunately does not cater for the throttle and twist grip,[to use for engine and steering] so I shall have to use the keyboard inputs, unless you know something I don't.

[Mad_Fred]

Hmm, so when you go to controls, you're menu does not look like the one posted below? With two columns for primairy and secondairy inputs?

I thought that was the standard menu, but I could be wrong.  Does that joystick come with keymapping software? You could always try that too, if possible. I don't know that particular one so I can't really say much about it I'm afraid.

Maybe these options were introduced in a patch. What version are you running?

Regards,
Fred

[Captain Jon]

Try using a steering wheel. It's much better.

Cheers ... Captain Jack

[carl]

have you instaled the joystick on to the computer first?

[TerryRussell]

Thanks for the prompt reply....however, I do not appear to have the primary input and Secondary input facility, only Action and Assigned Input. Clicking on an assigned input does give the facility to program a joystick button, but, unfortunately does not cater for the throttle and twist grip,[to use for engine and steering] so I shall have to use the keyboard inputs, unless you know something I don't.

Hi.

i think you are referring to the Joystick's own program, aren't you? The menu that Mad_Fred is referring to is the one within Ship Simulator itself.

Start Ship Simulator, then go to the Options menu, then select Controls.

Let's say that you want to make the ship accelerate forwards when you push the joystick forwards. To do that:
Find the row for "engine 1 + 2 ahead", then double click on the "secondary input" column. Just push the joystick forwards and ShipSim will get the idea. (You'll see the secondary input entry change to show the relevant joystick control function)

Just repeat this for all of the movements you want the joystick to control.

It's as simple as that!

[anniesboy68]

Thanks all again for your input on this matter.

Mad Fred......No, the menu does not look like the one you posted, and I am using Ship Sim 2008 v1

Captain Jon..... I do not have a steering wheel

Carl...... The joystick is already loading and working [I use it for flight Sim 2004]

Terry......I did realize that Mad Fred was refering to the Ship Sim menu, and I have tried your suggestion re programming the joystick and it works other than the engine control [using the joystick throttle]. That remains on full all the time so I have programmed buttons for that purpose.


Thanks all once again, over and out  unless of course someone knows how to programe the throttle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[saltydog]

Hiya anniesboy,  it is quite easy to program your throttle,
Here is how I like it:
put your throttle in the halfway position, then doubleclick on Engines 1+2 forward in row 2
make sure the box turns lightgrey, move the throttle forward,
After this command is assigned, move the throttle back to the halfway position and repeat for Engines 1+2 reverse, only now move the throttle backwards (of course)
Good luck..

[anniesboy68]

Salty Dog...............Thanks for that,all systems go now.

[saltydog]

you're welcome, happy sailing..

[Mad_Fred]

Thanks all again for your input on this matter.

Mad Fred......No, the menu does not look like the one you posted, and I am using Ship Sim 2008 v1

No problem!

Might I suggest upgrading your game? You'll get the same menu that way and thus you wont have to sacrifice any keystrokes for your joystick inputs. And of course, you get new content and a better game. Just a thought!

You can grab the updates here:
http://www.shipsim.com/downloads/patches.php

Regards,
Fred

[Sam]

Try using a steering wheel. It's much better.

Cheers ... Captain Jack

I am not shure about that.

For the powerboat and watertaxi it will be better, but for the other ships?

I think a great joystick for shipsim is the saitek av8r.
Beceaus of the two throttles.

[anniesboy68]

Before I dowload the patch/update I must register my code with the technical support forum, and I cannot find the link for that, can someone put me in the right direction please.

[Poncho]

Regarding the Joystick, what joystick do you think is the best to play this game?

I would like to have one which includes a thrust...

Any suggestions?
Rgds, 

[Mad_Fred]

Before I dowload the patch/update I must register my code with the technical support forum, and I cannot find the link for that, can someone put me in the right direction please.

Your license key is located on the CD-Rom case. It should be behind the manual, on a little white sticker. This is the code you need to enter. You both need it for your game, when you patch it, and to gain acces on the restricted boards on the forum. You enter this in your forum profile.

Regards,
Fred

* Edit *  I see you found out!   

[anniesboy68]

Yes I scouted around a bit... Whilst your on is it possible to save a voyage [for example]  ro run at a later time/date, please?

[Mad_Fred]

Yes it is indeed.

When you are ingame, click the third button on the right, in the control panel on the lower right-hand side.
It will say "Save your game" when your mouse pointer is over it.

Note: You cannot save missions that involve container loading.

Regards,
Fred

[TerryRussell]

Thanks all again for your input on this matter.
Terry......I did realize that Mad Fred was refering to the Ship Sim menu, and I have tried your suggestion re programming the joystick and it works other than the engine control [using the joystick throttle]. That remains on full all the time so I have programmed buttons for that purpose.
Thanks all once again, over and out  unless of course someone knows how to programe the throttle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One thing that makes a big difference. This affects many of the controls but  I have found it most noticable on engine controls. In the options/controls menu, check the "Precision controls" setting. If it has a shaded box, try clicking it to turn it off. If it is off, try switching it on. This can make a big difference.

Personally, I like it switched off, but opinion is divided.

This can make your controls appear to not work, depending upon how well the joystick is calibrated.

[saltydog]

A matter of taste. I like "precision-steering" switched on for larger, slower ships.
For small and/or fast ships I prefer it switched off..

As for the  joystick/throttle combo, this is also a matter of taste.
Some would like dual-throttle controls, (such as the Saitek Aviator.) but I find a joystick with a single throttle more than adequate. I believe Logitech and Microsoft manufacture these for reasonable prices..  Also Saitek makes nice joysticks..

[Mad_Fred]

Yes precision steering is nice for the bigger ships indeed. Though I have it turned off. I just use the shift key to engage precision steering when I need it. If you press and hold shift, and then use the key you need and release that key again when the control is in the right setting, whilst still holding down shift, the control will stay in that position untill you press that particular control key again. just FYI, I reckon most people know this, though.

And any analog controller you might use is in presicion steering mode anyway AFAIK. I use an old logitech wheel (without the pedals) and the throttle quadrant from an X-45. I actually have 2 of those so I could basically use two throttles, but my desk isn't big enough, unfortunatly hehe.. so when I need seperate throttle control I use keys. I might cannibalise those two X-45's when I get a new HOTAS and make a nice custom controller for Shipsim out of them. 

Regards,
Fred

[TerryRussell]

Hi chaps.

The important thing is that I'd like Anniesboy to see the point I raised, as the setting of teh precision controls may be what is causing the joystick to not work for engine controls.

So, anniesboy, please see above (assuming this message doesn't have 20 more comments beneath it when you next read this thread....) 

[Mad_Fred]

Well we didn't mean to get the attention away from your point, Terry. 

But he allready said he had it working after saltydog explained it, so I guess it was working after all. And so it was something he did, rather than an option that was turned off or on. 

See above.. somewhere:

Salty Dog...............Thanks for that,all systems go now.

So sorry if it looked like we were changing the subject, I figured the issue was allread solved.

Back to precision steering though, having it checked (or not) seems to have no effect on an analog controller at all. As an analog controller (his throttle slider in this case) is allready a precision steering method. I would think a badly calibrated controller would give the same result wether the option is turned on or off. But I'm just spitballing here. As I had a slight problem with the X-45 throttle quadrant and having the box checked or unchecked changed nothing. (Ended up having to re-install the X-45's software as it wasnt recognising some of the knobs/sliders/axis.)

Regards.
Fred

[TerryRussell]

Hi Fred.

No probs, but I was taking this comment:

Thanks all once again, over and out  unless of course someone knows how to programe the throttle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

to mean that the throttle still wasn't working as it should. What I did was to set up a similar joystick here and try to recreate the problem. I found that with Precision controls set to "ON", the throttle settings sometimes only worked in one direction, or the ship would "creep" in one direction or another even when the joystick was at rest. When the controls become "sticky", as with precision settings, this effect just adds up, and seemed to be a possible, if not likely, cause.

For that reason, I thought it might be helpful if anniesboy tried to toggle that setting. It's a 30 second waste of time at worst but at best might fix the problem with not getting the throttles working with that particular joystick.

[Mad_Fred]

Hiya Terry,

Yep, that comment did mean just that, you were right.
But the one I posted, was 2 posts below that one, after it was fixed.   

Ah well, never mind that.
I didn't notice the things you noticed with the precision steering, so I stand corrected. 

Cheers

Fred