Hardcore Gamer Resource Kit

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Text File | 1995-02-15 | 30KB | 645 lines

BATTLEDROME WARRIORS COCKPIT CONTROL for use with Thrustmaster WCS MarkII OR Thrustmaster WCS MarkII and 4 button stick with a hat switch like CH Flightstick By Bill "Hercmaster Po" Wilson Phoenix, AZ Voice/Fax (602)953-1676 Data (602)953-3661 Well, ol' Hercmaster Po got pretty bored after wipin' all the Cybrids off the planet in the Metaltech Earthsiege campaign. Our boys at the Sierra\Dynamix NORACDEFEC8 (North American Cybrid Defense Center #8) came up with a little training and free time diversionary HERC combat sim for us so our boys can keep sharp while awaiting the arrival of the next Cybrid invasion wave from the inner planets. I ain't bored n'more now that we got BATTLEDROME, better than HBO reruns of TERMINATOR. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS SIM YOU'RE REALLY MISSIN' IT. TELL YER OTHER HERC PILOT FRIENDS TO GET IT TOO AND BLAST THEIR FREAKIN' PARTS OFF! Only thang that chaps my butt is that the tech boys had ta put these thangs together outa the leftover salvage and they had to build alot of 'em real fast so's they could satisfy the demand of all the HERC pilots that otherwise would hafta sit around and pick their crevice. Well, ya might say the technowhizzer boys skarooood around with the controls 'cause these new fightin' cans don't quite operate the same as the HERCS we kicked the Cybrids off the planet with. Gut says its just like techies ta fix sumpin' that ain't broke. So now we got mass confusion in the trainin' arena as everyone tries ta get used ta the controls or modify what they got ta work with. Mosta the boys are usin' that Thrustmaster WCS MarkII an' the Mark I FCS for controls but there's lotsa noise comin' from these pilots about which configuration is the best. Jes like fighter jocks ta carry on that way. Ya'd thank the way some of 'em talk they was fightin' over some girl. Man I tell ya, the nukes musta got the good ones 'cause I ain't seen any worth fightin' over in a long damn time, although that Stone gal I met on one campaing in the Earthsiege wars wudn't too bad lookin' for a stiffed lipped, stuck up, crap don't stink..nevermind.. As I was sayin' there's lotsa confusion so I decided ta try an' sort this control mess out bafore someone else got their nose broke argyin' about which control configuration is the best. I guess someone will hafta prove it in the arena but until then there are several that seem ta get the job done. I jes wish the tech boys had built in a series of throttle steps that would work with the GAME 2 configuration for the WCS Mark II new chipset. The ideal throttle control would have been digital with a SINGLE STROKE keyboard character for 100% reverse, 75% reverse, 50% reverse, 25% reverse, zero throttle, 25% forward, 50% forward, 75% forward, 100% forward. Then you could pick Game 2 Throttle configuration, but nooooooo, anyway we do with what we have. Maybe they will come out with an option in an update or somethin' right? Hey, if we don't complain they'll think we like it, aye? Now the old MarkII chipset could be fooled into workin' the way ya want it to. But the new one has some kinda self testing algorithm that spots it like a birddog if ya try ta use the same character twice. The secret throttle code for the old chipset in the Mark II WCS for digital throttle usin' the game 2 statement is: THR 10 1 - - - - - 0 0 0 = = = = = Yea I know it ain't ten throttle steps but it works, I tried it. If it don't work fer you, well yer gonna get hurt then. I guess ya better play with it afore ya fight fer real, huh. Hey, check the character generation on yer DOS (Dumbly Organized System) screen and see what you get, if it does something other than the above characters then change the 10 to something else, and try again. Ok, time ta cut to the chase. I have developed five configuration that seem ta work pretty good. The secret is ta pick one that works OK fer ya then ta practice with it 'til ya ain't gettin' yor lame butt kicked na'more. The configuration that will work best for you will depend on the control hardware that's in yer HERC and yer own personal preferences. See, in this one battle in the Earthsiege campaign we caught a buncha Cybrids nappin' near what used ta be the old Thrustmaster regional distribution center. Well this one Cybrid got hit in the reactor by a 'lectro-optical Missile while it was standin' next to the this one wall at the distribution center and it blew its metal butt clean through that wall so when the scavenger troops came ta get the salvage they found some prototypes for a foot control system they're callin' a RCS. Now the machine shop boys have been able to produce some o' these but they're in short supply so if the HERC you bought has one, consider yerself very fortunate, these will definitely give ya an edge. If ya don't have RCS foot pedals thats still OK, some uh the boys say they kin fight jes fine without 'em. The configuration supplied here that you choose may depend alot on whether or not you wanna use them foot thangs, though. Unless I tell ya differ'nt the configurations below are for the new chipset in the MarkII WCS. Configuration #1 which I call BD.ADV Digital HAT, Analog Throttle Preferences Menu Chose Joy2 for movement, Joy1 for Turret, Keyboard for throttle (even though you aren't gonna use it, right?) Calibrate Joy2 by pushing throttle fwd and rudders left then reverse that procedure. BUTTON EFFECT HAT Same on All Rocker Positions Hat UP Centers Turret and Gives ya FWD View (BSP F1) Hat DWN Status Display (s) (Am I missing a vital part?) Hat LEFT Probe Control HUD Configuration (TAB o p h d w) This one turns on a HUD which tell ya everything ya need to see ta control a probe. Press it again and it turns the fightin' HUD back on. For this ta work properly you need to have the followin' displays turned on in your HUD to start with in your normal fightin' mode: Target (t) Damage (d) Throttle/Heading (h) Weapons (w) Energy (e) View/Control Status (b) It is a good idea to have this HUD configuration on anyway, if you are not using it like this, you should be. Hey if something is in the way, drag it where you want it but at least be able ta see it when ya need it. As far as the probe displays go, ya don't need 'em 'til ya wanna drive yer probe, turn 'em off, Rog? Try this out it really works well! Hat RT. Max. Engines "Ya ain't Drivin' Miss Daisy here" BUTTONS ON THE MARK I or 4 BUTTON JOYSTICK (you may have to load it and test if you bought one of them other sticks by accident) TRIGGER Fire weapon chain UPPER BUTTON RKR UP--Shield 90% (Press ESC if ya need panty shields, lets keep the damn arena clean, OK?) UPPER BUTTON RKR MID--Shield 80% (If ya got better sheild than butt armor. Seriously this just trickles a little more E to the weapons and engines.) UPPER BUTTON RKR DN--Balance Energy (Hey, a little Zen never hurts.) MID BUTTON RKR UP--Engine 90% (Keeps a little E in reserve for the other sys) MID BUTTON RKR MID-Engine 80% (For those of ya that are used ta drivin' V6 and 4 cylinder imports. Wouldn't want it ta get away from ya now would we?) MID BUTTON RKR DN--Zero Throttle (Stop, don't move, freeze, a good button ta use prior ta kickin' it left or rt. in a circle dance ya know. Oh, if you're using analog throttle like yer s'pose ta, then center your stick first.) LOWER BTN RKR UP--Max. Weapons (Com'on baby, charge that plasma.) LOWER BTN RKR MID-Weapons 80% (Lets the sheilds have some E, I ain't askeered ta die just ain't done with livin' yet.) LOWER BTN RKR DN--Gamma Correction (No this don't tell off yer grandmother. Jes like eatin' more carrots, though) WCS MARK II BUTTONS BTN #1 RKR UP--Fire Weapon #1 RKR MD--Remove Weapon #1 from firing chain RKR DN--Pause (Hey, why didn't ya go b'fore we left?) BTN #2 RKR UP--Fire #2 RKR MD--Remove #2 RKR DN--Probe orientation display (don't mess with it, its here just ta be here if you wanta screw up your HUD settings.) BTN #3 RKR UP--Fire #3 RKR MD--Remove #3 RKR DN--Probe List (See Probe Orientation Comment Above!) BTN #4 RKR UP--Fire #4 RKR MD--Remove #4 RKR DN--Select Probe #1 (First Press) [if you bought a probe] Free Probe #1 (Second Press) BTN #5 RKR UP--Fire #5 RKR MD-Remove #5 RKR DN--Select Probe #2 (If you bought a #2) Free Probe #2 (Just like Probe #1) BTN #6 RKR UP--Fire #6 RKR MD--Remove #6 RKR DN--Select Probe #3 (If you bought a #3) Free Probe #3 (Just like Probe #1) Now for the useful part. I gotta good format here for the HERC pilot's kneeboard. This will put it all at yer fingertips, er..ah,...retinatips, huh? Anyway, produce a copy of this on yer Ulick Backard Desk Skwert fibrous matrix marking peripheral if ya have one, uuggghh. It may come in handy, it's like my daddy used ta always tell me "Shut th' hell...wait...ah..that was my other daddy, ah "its better to have it and not need it than to gather no moss" I don't know what that means but I'm sure it was important at the time. Hey, take what ya can use and leave the rest, Jack! Now, one more thing, the trickiest part of this program is the probe control. The procedure is as follows, pay attention!: 1)Press HAT LEFT to turn on probe HUD displays 2)RKR DN Press BTN 4,5 or 6 (for multiple probes) to select your probe 3)RKR DN Press BTN 4,5 or 6 a second time to FREE the probe to roam and control with your joystick. Press button twice more to ATTACH probe (twice because it toggles between select probe and ATT/FRE). 4)Control Probe with joystick and fire button. Unfortunately our designers require you to use button 2 on the joystick to go in reverse. This is not possible with the digital Thrustmaster FCS Stick. We need a different method, programmers! I have included some programs that require plugging the FCS into the Joy 1 port and the WCS into Joy 2 port which will give you this reverse option as well and HERC control options not available in the other configurations but you sure give up alot of command features available from my BD.ADV program for this very small convenience. How about it programmer guys? What say we fix this along with the throttle wish as stated above. There is one option that will work but requires work and a small rewriting of the BD.ADV file. I will describe this option later as it adds other enhancements. 5)Press HAT UP to return to HERC cockpit 6)Press HAT LEFT to restore original HUD displays Analog Throttle BD.ADV Digital HAT BTN RKR UP RKR MD RKR DN UB Shield 90% Sheild 80% Balance Energy MB Engine 90% Engine 80% Zero Throttle LB Max. Weapons Weapons 80% Gamma Correction #1 Fire Weapon 1 Remove Weapon 1 PAUSE #2 2 2 Probe Orient. Disp #3 3 3 Probe List #4 4 4 Probe #1 / ATT-FRE #5 5 5 Probe #2 / ATT-FRE #6 6 6 Probe #2 / ATT-FRE (draw a circle around the following representing the hat button) CTR TURRET FWD VIEW PROBE CTRL MAX DISPLAY ENGINE STATUS DISPLAY F12 Calibrate / Preferences Ctrl Q Exit to DOS, your wife's home! Quick type cd\windows....... View Control Status b Weapons Display w HUD on/off u Reset HUD Ctrl u Target info t Next Probe n Damage/Sheild d Surrender ESC Throttle/Heading h Cal. Joystick Ctrl j (use at yer own risk) The text of the .ADV file is shown here: GAME 0 30 BTN UB /U x X /M x /D z BTN MB /U c C /M c /D 0 BTN LB /U v V V /M v /D F8 BTN HU BSP F1 BTN HR c C C BTN HD s BTN HL TAB o p h d w BTN 1 /U 1 /M ALT 1 /D F12 BTN 2 /U 2 /M ALT 2 /D o BTN 3 /U 3 /M ALT 3 /D p BTN 4 /U 4 /M ALT 4 /D /T F2 /T a BTN 5 /U 5 /M ALT 5 /D /T F3 /T a BTN 6 /U 6 /M ALT 6 /D /T F4 /T a ENHANCEMENT OF THE THRUSTMASTER WCS/FCS COMBINATION One of the only inconveniences (irritations) in using this combination is that for digital programming of the FCS buttons, you have to run it into the WCS which destroys the analog capability of the buttons (trigger not with- standing). The hat can still function in analog with a switch, but not the UB, MB and Lower Button. You may restore this function by plugging the FCS (of CH Flightstick) into the Joy 1 Port and the WCS into the Joy 2 Port as previously mentioned. However, you then lose the multifunction digital capability of all the buttons. Since the FCS makes a great control for DOOM and other similar programs, you have to change configurations by powering down your box and then reattaching the joysticks. This is a pain in the oil pan. If there was a way to restore analog function to the buttons it would be welcomed. Well, welcome home you childhood toy breakers, here is a chance to revisit those golden days. Open up your WCS and take a look, you can attach three jumper wires with switches in the middle to pass analog flow to the gamecard. Where? Ah, did we discuss my fee yet? Oh, well they said I can't sell anything here so I'll tell ya fer free. If you loosen the circuit board from it's housing (3 screws, now are you interested?) and turn it over to see the bottom you will see where you can solder some wire connections to many different locations, including the 15 pins comprising the joystick port. Don't start soldering yet, I know it's fun but remember how much you paid for this HERC Controller.$) OK, I said wait...put that solder iron down now! You only need to make 6 solder connections on the board, we are only making fancy jumpers. Ya gotta know what those are. Turn the board back over and look for connections labelled J26, J27, and J28. Now turn the circuit board to the flip side and look at the pins for the joystick connector on the circuit board. The pins are numbered as shown below: Joystick Connection --------------------------------------------------------- EDGE OF BOARD #9 . . . . . . . #15 | | #1 . . . . . . . . #8 | As seen from underneath the board Underneath=the side NOT showing when you J26 take the base off the MARKII and look inside. J28 J27 The connections are as follows: Upper Button PIN 7 to J26 Middle Button PIN 10 to J27 Lower Button PIN 14 to J28 Solder a small gauge, single filament wire to PIN 7 then to J26 and another wire to PIN 10 and J27 then another wire to PIN 14 and J28. Then run your MARKII tmsa program while you have the MarkII open and the keyboard and FCS hooked up and press each button on the FCS to test for analog stream presence. If you have done this correctly then the trigger display will change from a 0 to a 1 and each other button will also work this way as they are pressed. When you are satisfied with the results, turn off the computer and clip each wire in turn soldering a small switch you can buy at a Radio Hut or other establishment. You can use a separate switch for each button. The most versitile arrangement I have found is to put one switch on the Upper Button and a Double Pole Switch on the other 2 buttons which allows you to turn on and off the analog stream for button one and leave the others digital. This in effect creates a standard joystick. This could be very useful for a variety of programs including Battledrome and the probe control discussed above. Best of all you don't have to change your joystick plug connections when trying to use the FCS as a standard FCS 4 button joystick, useful for a quick switch from sparks to blood (Battledrome to Doom). Remember, that even though you are using one switch on the other 2 buttons (MB and LB) it must be a double pole switch so the circuits stay separate. The potentially awesome (or troublesome) plus with this setup is that the buttons with the switch in the analog on position (contact with the jumper wires) now not only throw analog streams but return digital function as well!!!!....Whoa!!!....Swoooon!!! If you don't want digital characters then don't program those button lines in the MarkII .adv program. If you want to try both, that is going to take some experimentation with each sim that normally supports the FCS or CH Flightstick to get some really swoooft effects, but it appears to be very much "...a theoretical possibility, Captain." "Thank you Mr. Spock." Wow, digital and analog mixed, I still can't get over it. I have successfully accomplished this twice, so anyone with a soldering iron and some switches can do this, just use a steady hand and remember to heat the wire and connections not just the solder. Solder flux helps in tinning the wires prior to connection, hey do it right and don't get everthing too hot, it isn't necessary, and the solder joints don't need to be large, just adequate for a current to flow. Hey, Thrustmaster, how about including this as Standard Equipment? As I stated before, this works perfectly. No problems at all. None. I'm tellin' ya. Just do it! Oh, and mount the switch wherever you want to, just make sure you have long enough wires beforehand. You can dangle the darn switches in the air if you want, just so yer happy. One more thing, now rerun the tmsa program and check for operation of the switches as you did previously before closing the base of the MarkII. Now, is also a good time to check on the calibration of your analog throttle while the base is open and tmsa is running. Switch to analog HAT and digital throttle and check to see if the HAT value is 82, if not, then adjust the speed of your gamecard and try again. If you don't have a speed adjustable game card and you can't get a value very near 82, then YOU NEED A GAME CARD that is speed adjustable or any joystick will not operate to its full potential. My anal retentive personality requires a value of 82 and so does my joystick, 'cause I told it that it did. So once you have an 82 on the HAT then switch to analog throttle and digital HAT and check your throttle values, you should be at 10 on the lower end. If not, then loosen the nut inside yourself and lets party....uh, wait, first loosen the nut on the throttle potentiometer. Now while looking at the bottom (flat part) of the poteniometer rotate the potentiometer counterclockwise to lower the reading toward 10 or to clockwise to raise the reading toward 10. Once you find a 10, marry her, and tighten your nut while you're there. All done, well let's go on to other control configurations for Battledrome. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO MAKE THE ABOVE MODIFICATION FOR THESE TO WORK! The next configuration I call: BDDIGTHR.ADV In the sim preferences, select Keyboard=Movement, Joy 1=Turret, Keyboard=THR On the WCS: HAT Digital, THR Digital BDDIGTHR.ADV BTN RKR UP RKR MD RKR DN UB Shield 90% Sheild 80% Balance Energy MB Engine 90% Engine 80% Zero Throttle LB Max. Weapons Weapons 80% Gamma Correction #1 Fire Weapon 1 Remove Weapon 1 PAUSE #2 2 2 Target Display #3 3 3 Probe HUD Config. #4 4 4 Probe #1 / ATT-FRE #5 5 5 Probe #2 / ATT-FRE #6 6 6 Probe #2 / ATT-FRE (draw a circle around the following representing the hat button) STATUS DISPLAY HERC LEFT HERC RIGHT WHEN FWD WHEN FWD CTR TURRET FWD VIEW See the discussion section above for the description of key presses for BD.ADV and apply the names to this file. The file for download looks like this: GAME 1 30 BTN UB /U x X /M x /D z BTN MB /U c C /M c /D 0 BTN LB /U v V V /M v /D F8 BTN HU s BTN HR ] BTN HD BSP F1 BTN HL [ BTN 1 /U 1 /M ALT 1 /D F12 BTN 2 /U 2 /M ALT 2 /D t BTN 3 /U 3 /M ALT 3 /D TAB o p h d w BTN 4 /U 4 /M ALT 4 /D /T F2 /T a BTN 5 /U 5 /M ALT 5 /D /T F3 /T a BTN 6 /U 6 /M ALT 6 /D /T F4 /T a BTN MT - - THR 10 1 = - = y = y The next configuration I call: BDMARKI.ADV In the sim preferences select: Keyboard=Movement, Thustmaster FCS=Turret Keyboard=Throttle Set the WCS to Analog HAT and Digital THR BDMARKI.ADV BTN RKR UP RKR MD RKR DN UB Shield 90% Sheild 80% Balance Energy MB Engine 90% Engine 80% Zero Throttle LB Max. Weapons Weapons 80% Gamma Correction #1 Fire Weapon 1 Remove Weapon 1 Status Display #2 2 2 Target Display #3 3 3 Probe HUD Config. #4 4 4 Probe #1 / ATT-FRE #5 5 5 Probe #2 / ATT-FRE #6 6 6 Probe #2 / ATT-FRE See the discussion section above for the description of key presses for BD.ADV and apply the names to this file. The file for download looks like this: GAME 1 30 BTN UB /U x X /M x /D z BTN MB /U c C /M c /D 0 BTN LB /U v V V /M v /D F8 BTN 1 /U 1 /M ALT 1 /D F12 BTN 2 /U 2 /M ALT 2 /D t BTN 3 /U 3 /M ALT 3 /D TAB o p h d w BTN 4 /U 4 /M ALT 4 /D /T F2 /T a BTN 5 /U 5 /M ALT 5 /D /T F3 /T a BTN 6 /U 6 /M ALT 6 /D /T F4 /T a BTN MT - - THR 10 1 = - = y = y The next configuration I call: BDMK2SEP.ADV In the sim preferences select: Keyboard=Movement, Thrustmaster FCS=Turret Keyboard=Throttle Plug the FCS into Joystick Port 1 and the WCS into Joystick Port 2 (that's right separate them) Hat or Joystick controls HERC movement depending on pressing Upper Button on the FCS You must delete weapons from the firing chain by pressing Alt and the weapon # you wish to delete. RKR UP MD DN #1 Fire Weapon 1 Shield 90% Status Display #2 2 Engine 90% Target Display #3 3 Max. Weapons Probe HUD Config. #4 4 Equal Settings Probe #1 / ATT-FRE #5 5 Max. Engine Probe #2 / ATT-FRE #6 6 Max. Shield Probe #2 / ATT-FRE The download file looks like this: GAME 0 30 BTN 1 /U 1 /M x X /D s BTN 2 /U 2 /M c C /D t BTN 3 /U 3 /M v V V /D TAB o p h d w BTN 4 /U 4 /M z /D /T F2 /T a BTN 5 /U 5 /M c C C /D /T F3 /T a BTN 6 /U 6 /M x X X /D /T F4 /T a The next configuration I call: BDCTLTHR.ADV This selection uses the alternate throttle commands the programmers "thoughtfully provided for MARKII WCS use." This is my least favorite configuration, but it is all a matter of preference as it does work well, you just don't have throttle control with the WCS throttle, instead you do it with button presses. Set up your sim preferences as in the BDMK2SEP.ADV configuration except choose MarkII WCS in the sim preferences under throttle section. Again separate the FCS and WCS as in the above example. BDCTLTHR.ADV RKR UP MD DN #1 Fire Weapon 1 FWD 100% Status Display #2 2 FWD 75% Target Display #3 3 FWD 25% Probe HUD Config. #4 4 REV 25% Probe #1 / ATT-FRE #5 5 REV 75% Probe #2 / ATT-FRE #6 6 REV 100% Probe #2 / ATT-FRE The download file looks like this: GAME 0 30 BTN 1 /U 1 /M CTL 8 /D s BTN 2 /U 2 /M CTL 7 /D t BTN 3 /U 3 /M CTL 6 /D TAB o p h d w BTN 4 /U 4 /M CTL 4 /D /T F2 /T a BTN 5 /U 5 /M CTL 3 /D /T F3 /T a BTN 6 /U 6 /M CTL 2 /D /T F4 /T a _________________________________________________ These configurations are not the only ones. You may wish to pick and choose some ideas from one and add to another or insert some of your own. I have all of these and they do work. The best advice I can give is to find one you like or that works well with your hardware and stick with it and practice. You can with all of these configurations. These are all designed to get the most from the hardware configuration you have and from this sim. Remember, when you use the configuration where the WCS and FCS are separated (plugged into different joystick ports) refer to the back of your Quick Reference Card for you Battledrome sim for FCS operation. TECHNICAL SUPPORT DEPARTMENT (like a 12-Step recovery 900 number for the unbalanced masses that fell on their keyboard during installation. "Yea hello, this is Dilbert Hamfist an' I jes bawt yor new game so's I could kill that thang on the box that looks like my ex-wife's lawyer an' I tried ta in'stall it an' it dint werk. Kin ya'll tell me whut is the matter wit' it. I caaant understand whut is wrong 'cause I got a 269 Triple X computer wit' a real hard drive and lots a mem'ry an I mean ta tell ya I got Mega RAMMED out the waazu so it shood wurk!" "We'll Mr. Hamfist did you try to install it with the computer plugged in and turned on? Oh, you did. Well did you insert disk #1 in the floppy drive first?" "What disk, thats another thang, I got this big ol box here an all's my computer has is one a them little skinny slits in it and a thang called a CD Drive I can't figger what it's fer but if I pull it out it makes a nice shelf to hold a piece of pizza fer me whilst I'm huntin fer the letters own my keybard." "Well obviously Mr. Hamfist your problem appears to be beyond the scope of our technical services department, but if you call Greg Taylor our BBS SYSOP he has experienced similar problems in the past and has successfully worked through most of them. Goodbye and thank you for reminding me that there are people just like you loose in the world, I think I'll stay home more." Now wasn't that a special lesson in courteous customer service? Call us and we can use our trusty rusty proctoscope to help you determine if your cranial vault is occluding your alimentary canal. Or we might say something like "The 200 inch refracting telescope at Mt. Palomar Observatory can detect the light of a candle at the distance to New York City. Now, even with the aid of that remarkable instrument I still could not see your problem." (602) 555-LKUP (Try it, hey ya got just as gooda chance of talkin to someone that can help as any other tech support number you called at random, ever wish you were the other customer...as in "Please hold our representatives are currently (making a hundred other customers hold while they finish-off that HERC) assissting other customers." Deep Thought: Clunk softly and don't shoot your plasma too soon.