Controllers don't work

Griphos
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Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:14 am

Controllers don't work

Post by Griphos »

Hello,

I just bought FS2013 from Steam and installed, and I can't get either my xBox 360 or Logitech DFGT wheel and pedals to work. I have checked the box in options for gamepad/joystick. When I try to configure the controls manually, no wheel shows up, and although the 360 controller is listed with default settings, I cannot modify them and they do not work in sim. If I try to manually configure by clicking on a given control, no input from my 360 controller is registered.

I have checked the log file, and it shows the input devices recognized:
Input System
Keyboard enabled
Mouse enabled
Gamepad/Joystick enabled
Force Feedback disabled
Name: Xbox 360 Controller
Number of Axes: 5
Number of Buttons: 14
Name: T.16000M
Name: Logitech Driving Force GT USB
Name: CH Pro Pedals USB
Name: CH Throttle Quadrant USB
My controller and wheel work in every one of my many other games and sims. They are configured correctly and recognized in Windows 7. I can test them there and all buttons/axes work correctly.

The only thing I can think of that might be an issue is that I downloaded the demo version from Steam a year or so ago (might have been FS2011?) and tried it out, and my controller didn't work in that version either. I uninstalled, but when I installed this current version I just bought, my nickname was already present, so I suspect some settings files or registry entries weren't deleted with the uninstall of the demo. I don't know if that could be affecting things.

I've submitted an email to support yesterday but haven't heard from them yet. I've searched with Google and can find the problem mentioned by a number of users (seems similar to my issue in that controller cannot be configured manually either) but no solution offered in any thread I can find.

EDIT: It appears that in the game.xml file, there is no entry for either the game controller or wheel. Should there be? Can I enter one manually?

There is an entry for joystick, but no joystick shows up in the controls configuration section of options.
<input>
<joystick enable="true" vibration="false" />
<mouse enable="true" />
<keyboard enable="true" />
</input>
Griphos
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:14 am

Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Griphos »

Well, no other input? Just do I have the box checked? It's been over 24 hours and no response from support either. Is this the kind of support I can expect from this developer?
sfy
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Re: Controllers don't work

Post by sfy »

feeling a little entitled?

try this thread http://fs-uk.com/forum/index.php?topic=124852.0
Griphos
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Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Griphos »

No. Just expecting some kind of support. That thread is basic. As you can tell from my detailed post, I have all of those suggestions covered already.
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bassaddict
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Re: Controllers don't work

Post by bassaddict »

Have you tried just connecting just one controller (e.g. just the Xbox360 controller)?
Griphos
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Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:14 am

Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Griphos »

I tried disconnecting my joystick, in case that made a difference. It did not. I could still see the game pad controls but could not change them or use the game pad. No wheel was detected. I didn't disconnect the wheel since I want to use the wheel. And isn't a joystick supposed to work in game?

If I disconnect all controllers, reconnecting can shift their joystick IDs which can create problems in some sims, causing me to reconfigure all control settings, for instance (an incredibly tedious task in some).

I tried renaming the game.xml and gamesettings.xml files, but it created identical files on the next start.

Could someone who has a wheel and/or controller working post the input section of your game.xml file so I can compare that at least please?

What do your control map pings screens look like? Mine lists only keyboard, mouse and game pad. No joystick or wheel.

Does support usually not respond to emails? Is there a better way to get support?
Griphos
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:14 am

Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Griphos »

Wow. I figured out the problem, and I can't believe there isn't a note somewhere in the manual or in a FAQ that explains clearly that you can only have EITHER a wheel and joystick OR a gamepad connected (or that someone hasn't mentioned this rather quite simple solution in response to my email query). What crappy device detection and configuration this game has. I realized, finally, that the only options for control configuration offered are keyboard, mouse, and gamepad (no separate wheel or joystick). The box to check for wheel/gamepad means that only one configuration option is offered for both. Once I unplugged the gamepad, I was able to configure my wheel and joystick (not without some fiddling), and they appear to be working. I will assume that if I unplug my wheel (and perhaps also my joystick), the gamepad will work. I'll try it, but I'm afraid I will lose my just completed settings for wheel and joystick.

I have to say that this is quite a pain, having to unplug devices any time I want to use the game. I can't think of another game out there that uses controllers that has such a clunky and counterintuitive control interface or makes you choose only the devices you want to use for that game to have plugged in.

And, in addition, it appears that the pedal axis isn't really an axis. I can accelerate by pushing the pedal (I've configured my logitech profiler for this game by checking "combined pedals") but I can't modulate that acceleration. At a certain point, I move forward but keep accelerating to max speed no matter how much I push. To use the pedals, I have to keep pushing and releasing like I'm blipping the throttle switch on a Sopwith Camel. Sort of defeats the point of having pedals.

I know I'm new, and as a long time member of many game and sim forums (and owner and moderator of a RoF forum), I don't want to be the new guy showing up and bashing the game. But, really! My experience so far, of both game controller interface and support in general, hasn't been good.
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Farmer Carol
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Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Farmer Carol »

I really don't understand all of this posturing and whining tbh. If you had any experience (as you claim you do) then setting up a wheel correctly would be a piece of cake to you. I use a logitec G27 wheel and pedals and a Thrustmaster stick for my farming and it just works straight out of the box.
Obviously, I had to set the controls under the options tab but I've had none of the problems that you are experiencing. I would post my settings xml file but I had to take out my controllers to do something else and have been playing without them for a couple of days.
Another way would be to try xmapper or something similar to take the inputs from your controls but I assumed you would know about these things :confusednew:

Carol. x
Married to "Farmer Bob" aka Ian
mother, wife, sister, daughter, bank manager, farm manager, cleaner, chef, Councillor, PC technician and all round dogs-body!
sfy
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Re: Controllers don't work

Post by sfy »

i assume you know this game also has 3 preset cruise control speeds that are accessed by pressing 1 2 or 3 on the keyboard.
if you would like to fine tune the speed a bit more, while using cruise control, check out the Speed Limiter and Operating Hours mod
http://fs-uk.com/mods/view/28776
Griphos
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Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Griphos »

Where am I whining? I asked nicely and gave a great deal of detail about the problem. No one from support has responded yet to me. I had to fuss a little on here before a few of you came out of the woodwork to basically tell me I'm the problem. Bassaddict's suggestion was the only helpful one. I figured it out for myself, luckily, although why someone couldn't mention, "hey, don't have the wheel and the gamepad plugged in at the same time," I don't know.

I've set up the wheel correctly for over a dozen racing sims and Euro Truck simulator. I've set up the joystick and other flight controls correctly for FSX and, again, over a dozen air combat sims. I've used the gamepad on a number of FPS games and Train Simulator, actually. It was not a problem setting up the controls, once the game recognized the controller. It was a problem with this particular game not recognizing the controls when more than one of them is plugged in. My description of the problem makes it abundantly clear that I know what I'm doing. Color me surprised that I found a game where you're limited to ONE controller plugged in at a time! I'm still not sure I want to plug in the gamepad again and unplug the wheel and try the gamepad as a controller, since, given my experience so far, I'm doubtful that this game has been programmed well enough to save the wheel settings when changing controllers.

If anyone else DOESN'T have this problem of the game not recognizing controllers when having both gamepad and wheel plugged in, I'd love to hear about it.

With the wheel plugged in, the gamepad simply isn't recognized. With both of them plugged in, neither registers inputs when trying to assign controls. If the manual or a FAQ had mentioned anywhere that ONLY a wheel OR gamepad could be plugged in, it would have saved me a lot of trouble. In over 20 years of gaming over more than a hundred titles, I've never come across another game that makes you unplug a controller for another one to be recognized. If you guys think that is up to date controller programming, then, fine. You're going to LOVE every other game you play for the enhanced convenience and logical interface!!

And the only reason to use xmapper or similar workarounds is when the developer is lazy or bad and can't program controller interfaces well.
Last edited by Griphos on Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Griphos
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Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Griphos »

Yes, I do know about the cruise controls speeds, but thanks for the suggestion. I've mapped them to some wheel buttons. The pedal does seem to moderate speeds as it should on some vehicles when simply driving them. However, once equipment is attached and engaged, it no longer works excepts as an on/off input. Is this the general experience as well?

Is there a mod that allows you to use the pedal as it should be used at all times, moderating speed according to how far it is depressed? I can live with it like it is, because a tap of the the pedal at the end of a row resets cruise, but it would be nicer to have it work as it should.
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Farmer Carol
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Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Farmer Carol »

If you had mapped your controllers properly then your pedals would work as they should. I have no problem at all using my pedals as they were intended. I also don't understand why you have completely ignored the fact that I AM using a wheel and pedals AND a joystick whilst farming. The only thing I can think of is that you have a very inferior set that don't work as would be expected. I've never known anyone to come on this forum and complain of problems like this. Of course, there are posts where people ask for advice and/or guidance regarding controllers but none have moaned and bitched on like you are doing.
Married to "Farmer Bob" aka Ian
mother, wife, sister, daughter, bank manager, farm manager, cleaner, chef, Councillor, PC technician and all round dogs-body!
Griphos
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Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Griphos »

What is your problem? I asked for advice, and stated the problems objectively. Do you have a gamepad controller installed?? No??? Then that's why you haven't had this problem!!! I have a Thrustmaster 16000M joystick, a very good joystick. I have a Logitech DFGT wheel. As good a wheel in pretty much every way as my old G27, but without a clutch.

I wasn't able to "map my controllers correctly" so they would "work as they should" since, when I had BOTH my wheel and joystick AND gamepad plugged in (as anyone who has all of them does at pretty much all times), I couldn't map ANYTHING, since the game would not even SEE any input from any controller except my keyboard. That's not a problem with my ability to map controls. That's a problem with the game's programming.

I'm sorry I've insulted your favorite game. I'd be interested to hear what I've said that you think isn't accurate. I wish people had been as quick to respond before I "moaned and bitched."
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Farmer Carol
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Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Farmer Carol »

Griphos wrote:What is your problem? I asked for advice, and stated the problems objectively. Do you have a gamepad controller installed?? No??? Then that's why you haven't had this problem!!! I have a Thrustmaster 16000M joystick, a very good joystick. I have a Logitech DFGT wheel. As good a wheel in pretty much every way as my old G27, but without a clutch.

I wasn't able to "map my controllers correctly" so they would "work as they should" since, when I had BOTH my wheel and joystick AND gamepad plugged in (as anyone who has all of them does at pretty much all times), I couldn't map ANYTHING, since the game would not even SEE any input from any controller except my keyboard. That's not a problem with my ability to map controls. That's a problem with the game's programming.

I'm sorry I've insulted your favorite game. I'd be interested to hear what I've said that you think isn't accurate. I wish people had been as quick to respond before I "moaned and bitched."
My problem is that you posted a quite whinny moan about how bad this game is and then within 24 hours you're back again ranting that you're not getting any help. Do you think we just sit here waiting for impatient people like you to post?

Who said I didn't have a controller connected? I didn't mention my Xbox 360 controller because I don't use it for FS but it is definitely plugged in and ready to go. I use it for extra buttons when I'm playing ETS2, FSX and Arma3.
You still haven't recognized that I HAVE GOT MY WHEEL AND JOYSTICK WORKING TOGETHER WITHOUT THE PROBLEMS YOU ARE BITCHING ABOUT.

This forum is, normally, a very friendly and helpful place to come to with any issues you might have with the game but people like you who just drop in and DEMAND help and a solution immediately get very little help from anyone. It's simple really, have respect for all the users on here and we'll do our absolute best to help you, talk to us like you do and you get ignored.

Carol.
Married to "Farmer Bob" aka Ian
mother, wife, sister, daughter, bank manager, farm manager, cleaner, chef, Councillor, PC technician and all round dogs-body!
Griphos
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:14 am

Re: Controllers don't work

Post by Griphos »

I wish you would ignore me, since you certainly aren't being helpful. My initial post had NO moaning or whining of any sort, and detailed the issue I'm having quite thoroughly. I waited for a day and then complained mildly about no one responding except to ask if I'd checked the box. This was after I'd submitted an email to technical support directly and from whom I've STILL not heard anything. How does one get technical support for this game? I tried here, since I can't think of any other way to get the developer to help with this issue.

Otherwise, I simply detail the problem I AM IN FACT HAVING. I'm glad to hear that you have a wheel and joystick and controller working together with them all plugged in. I'd like someone from support to respond and help me figure out how to do the same, because I CAN'T have them all plugged in together and have the game recognize them, and I'd like to know why. It's a brand new version of the game. Just bought it. I didn't create this problem and I'd really like some help with it, and believe that such help is only good tech support. If there is something I need to do, I'd sure appreciate hearing what it is (rather than you simply telling me that it works for you, for which I am glad, but that doesn't help me). I have everything hooked up correctly, and as I said, it ALL WORKS in all my dozens of other games.

I didn't drop in and make demands. I'm asking for support!!! If this isn't the place to get it, where is, please?? A customer who buys a game should be provided support.

If I've got something wrong, please tell me what it is.
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