Any game for CPC+ that support analogue joystick?

[SyX]

Would there really be much benefit to an analog joystick in most 8-bit 2D games, though? I always thought it seemed a somewhat niche idea and possibly because Amstrad was expecting to have a batch of joysticks it could dump into a bundle along the lines.

Aside Amstrad being Amstrad, always trying to sell their products...

I can say that I have been getting nice feedback from people enjoying the cpc games that I have been patching to use analog mouse (in this case multiplay); and I am sure that adding support of analog joysticks to those games, they would be so enjoyable as playing with mouse.

[Anthony Flack]

From what I read on the wiki page it sounds like PC joysticks are more-or-less compatible, depending on the one you get, allowing for the fact that you may need to provide calibration facility in software because otherwise the range might not be quite right. A bit of a drag having to do that extra maths though. It sounds like the Amstrad joystick is compatible with PCs in the other direction.

3d games aside, and apart from Choplifter which I mentioned (if anyone fancies doing a Plus port of Choplifter sometime!) some 2d games that I can think of that might benefit from analogue control - or at least be interesting to try - would be stuff like Spindizzy and Bobby Bearing... Marble Madness, if the CPC version of Marble Madness wasn't garbage (that's another good candidate for a Plus remake there). Any kind of Space Taxi kind of game. Missile Command. Asteroids. Maybe Thrust? Anything where you're controlling an object that has momentum.

It seems like it would be fun to goof around with anyway. But only if it's reasonably easy to access compatible controllers. It really is just pots and wires in an appropriate casing... 

[TotO]

WARNING: The pinout is not the same. VCC and GND pins looks to be inverted.

[roudoudou]

Not the same impedance also

[Anthony Flack]

If the stick is just pots and buttons then inverting the power shouldn't matter? Apart from reading reverse values. But I don't like the idea of putting 2.5 amps through it backwards to find out. 

Wiring up something correctly using an existing joystick as a shell ought to be straightforward enough but if only three people in the world have a working controller it's not very encouraging to write software.

[dthrone]

I think a lot of PC etc. sticks are safe to use but just need some calibration, the VCC/GND thing seems to depend.  That's why I started that table on the analog wiki page several years ago although it is still only populated by my quickshot!  I've not blown up my GX4000 yet and easy to check in advance.

Wiring up something correctly using an existing joystick as a shell ought to be straightforward enough but if only three people in the world have a working controller it's not very encouraging to write software.

Availability of the controllers is a sticking point.  My (unreleased) game Phobos http://sohde.co.uk/%D0%A4%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%81.html which is/was 80% finished as of 2019 was analogue/light gun (aka RJ11) only and had a calibration function for both control options.  I ended up dropping the analogue option because it was completely naff to play. I prototyped a lightgun for testing but then my CRTC died.  Here we are a few years later and I could finish it but there are still no fan-made analogue or light gun peripherals.  Originally I didn't care but I'm more of the opinion now that someone might as well be able to play it  

[TotO]

If the stick is just pots and buttons then inverting the power shouldn't matter?

If the joystick embed IC?

[Anthony Flack]

If the stick is just pots and buttons then inverting the power shouldn't matter?

If the joystick embed IC?

Or even just some capacitors, then you've just smoked your joystick, yes... which makes it difficult to recommend to people, if you're somebody who's thinking about making a game that supports analogue controls.

I was hoping there would be loads of simple potentiometer joysticks for $20 on ebay that would work, but I don't know that this is the case. The Quickshot analogue sticks apparently do work? Like this one? https://www.ebay.com/itm/284760373873

Presumably backwards?

It shouldn't be too difficult to rewire an appropriate donor joystick to be properly compatible, but the number of people who would consider doing that must be tiny. I don't even know what common sticks are out there that would make a good donor.

Hey, maybe Bubble Quest could inspire people to try it though. If enough people do it...

[TotO]

The problem is not to make a game that support analog controls, but to use an incompatible controller. The same issue exist with digital joystick/mouse that can be wired to have a button on a Vcc line on another system (pin5 / pin7). Press fire to smoke!

Some Amiga/ST users have destroyed the controller input by using third party Mega Drive gamepad with turbo feature or damaged a PC serial mouse (pin5 = gnd) that use the same connector.

What about people pluging the wrong PSU (9V on 5V for GX4000, or inverted polarity, ..), again because the connector is the same or close, like a baby playing to an awakening game. (circle on circle, square on square, triangle on triangle.. Playstation!)

The risk always exist, but If the feature is not mendatory or a solution is offered (like an USB adapter), it get limited.

[Anthony Flack]

Well yes. If there is not a wide availability of broadly compatible controllers out there then that's an issue (there was never any proper standard for the 9 pin controller either, hence Amiga/ST owners ruining their machines with nonstandard Mega Drive pads, hence autofire not working on CPC, hence nobody agreeing what fire 2 should be - but there are still enough broadly compatible ones that people got by).

So, I don't know whether the best approach to recommend would be a list of compatible joysticks (like the Quickshot?), an adaptor cable which may improve compatibility, or just stripping and rewiring an old stick. As for the current install base, community response suggests we currently have one person with a somewhat working joystick and one person with an assemblage of bare wires, and that's all. So no wonder there's no games.

But if I get a Bubble Quest cart, which I would like to, and if it supports analogue controls, I'll put something together to try it. And if I get one working for myself, I might yet try converting an additional game or two to use it, even if it's only me.

[TotO]

It can be not too hard and expensive to use a Wii nunchuck (or a pair of) as analog controller(s) on this port.

[Anthony Flack]

Really, how so? Have you tried this?

[TotO]

I think, by using a Tiny AVR to interface the I2C with the GX/Plus analogic port.
I have not tested, but I have expected to do that while working on the MultiPlay.

[Anthony Flack]

Well, I got myself a Quickshot analogue stick, anyway. When I have some time I'll have a look inside with a mind to wiring it up Amstrad Plus-style.