Privateer 1 Joystick fits

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Hello all. I am currently trying to run Privateer 1 (the disk version) on XP with an old joystick (a old mircrosoft sidewinder) but I can't get past the calibration. It keeps insisting it is not calibrated correctly. I am using dosbox and D-Fend v2 Is there some way to get this to work? The game works in all other ways.
 
Does DOSBox detect it when you load it? Does Windows detect the joystick? Can you use the joystick in other programs? This kind of sounds like more of a DOSBox problem than a Privateer one. I'm not sure you can use gameport joysticks in DOSBox.
 
Windows knows it is there, I can use it in other (non-dos) programs, and Privateer is detecting it prompting the calibration, so I assume dosbox is detecting it. I am wondering if windows might be at fault. My understanding is that older games used to talk directly to joysticks (the hardware) but that under windows XP that is not allowed. Windows XP wants to get in the middle and it is causing the failures of the calibration tests in the game. I am just wondering if this is correct and if so if I am out of luck getting my wingman to work. I have been playing with the keyboard but it would be nice to use my old joystick. Thanks.
 
It keeps insisting it is not calibrated correctly
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Hmm this is interesting, actually. I haven't yet tried Privateer in DosBox (mostly because i have a real DOS machine around), but i'm beginning to wonder if Privateer suffers from the same joystick problems Armada had in DosBox. I'll look into the Privateer joystick routines when i get home and let you know what i find.
 
Actually, forget what i just said. I just checked the various Privateer executables (floppy and CD versions) and it uses a routine which is completely different from Armada's. DosBox appears to handle it very well, i was able to play Privateer with joystick on DosBox here with no problems at all.
 
Unregistered said:
I am wondering if windows might be at fault. My understanding is that older games used to talk directly to joysticks (the hardware) but that under windows XP that is not allowed. Windows XP wants to get in the middle and it is causing the failures of the calibration tests in the game.
Click to expand...

Windows may act like you describe, but there isn't a general common joystick error Privateer in DOSBox encounters, so that's not the problem here. You said it was an old sidewinder, and that could be part of the problem. DOSBox works great with usb joysticks, but old gameport connection joystick support can be kind of spotty.
 
Thanks

Thanks for the info guys. I might just have to get a new joystick. That would not be to bad really.
 
ChrisReid said:
Windows may act like you describe, but there isn't a general common joystick error Privateer in DOSBox encounters, so that's not the problem here. You said it was an old sidewinder, and that could be part of the problem. DOSBox works great with usb joysticks, but old gameport connection joystick support can be kind of spotty.
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i cant get Armada to work with my USB joysticks through DOSBox :(
 
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