Setup: Better Analog Functionality for Gamepads

[clairebun]

In an attempt to create a better gamepad experience for SRB2, I concocted a setup which improves player control over the camera and character while in Analog mode.

Features:
* Greater control over movement, more sensitivity. Can slow-walk by slightly tilting the control stick.
* Switch between two camera modes by pressing Y (XBox360) or Triangle (PSX). The first mode is farther up and away from the player, allowing for an overall view of the surrounding area. The second mode is up closer and level to the player for close quarters and tight sections.
* Camera panning via the shoulder buttons.

The only drawback is that glide usage with Knux is still pretty twitchy, and menu navigation is clunky with the controller.

Step 1: Download JoyToKey and install anywhere.
Step 2: Save the following as SRB2.cfg in the JoyToKey folder:

[General]
FileVersion=37
NumberOfJoysticks=2
Use8Axes=0
UseDiagonalInput=0
UsePOV=0
Threshold=100
KeySendMode=0
[Joystick 1]
Axis1n=2, -64,   0,   0, 0, 0, 0,  0
Axis1p=2,  64,   0,   0, 0, 0, 0,  0
Axis2n=2,   0, -64,   0, 0, 0, 0,  0
Axis2p=2,   0,  64,   0, 0, 0, 0,  0
Axis3n=0
Axis3p=0
Axis4n=0
Axis4p=0
Axis5n=0
Axis5p=0
Axis6n=0
Axis6p=0
Axis7n=0
Axis7p=0
Axis8n=0
Axis8p=0
POV1-1=0
POV1-2=0
POV1-3=0
POV1-4=0
POV2-1=0
POV2-2=0
POV2-3=0
POV2-4=0
Up-Right=0
Up- Left=0
Dn- Left=0
Dn-Right=0
Button01=2,   0,   0,   0, 0, 0, 1,  0
Button02=1, 58:00:00,  0
Button03=2,   0,   0,   0, 1, 0, 0,  0
Button04=1, DC:00:00,  0
Button05=1, DB:00:00,  0
Button06=1, DD:00:00,  0
Button07=1, 09:00:00,  0
Button08=1, 1B:00:00,  0
Button09=0
Button10=0
Button11=0
Button12=0
Button13=0
Button14=0
Button15=0
Button16=0
Button17=0
Button18=0
Button19=0
Button20=0
Button21=0
Button22=0
Button23=0
Button24=0
Button25=0
Button26=0
Button27=0
Button28=0
Button29=0
Button30=0
Button31=0
Button32=0
[Joystick 2]
Axis1n=0
Axis1p=0
Axis2n=0
Axis2p=0
Axis3n=0
Axis3p=0
Axis4n=0
Axis4p=0
Axis5n=0
Axis5p=0
Axis6n=0
Axis6p=0
Axis7n=0
Axis7p=0
Axis8n=0
Axis8p=0
POV1-1=0
POV1-2=0
POV1-3=0
POV1-4=0
POV2-1=0
POV2-2=0
POV2-3=0
POV2-4=0
Up-Right=0
Up- Left=0
Dn- Left=0
Dn-Right=0
Button01=0
Button02=0
Button03=0
Button04=0
Button05=0
Button06=0
Button07=0
Button08=0
Button09=0
Button10=0
Button11=0
Button12=0
Button13=0
Button14=0
Button15=0
Button16=0
Button17=0
Button18=0
Button19=0
Button20=0
Button21=0
Button22=0
Button23=0
Button24=0
Button25=0
Button26=0
Button27=0
Button28=0
Button29=0
Button30=0
Button31=0
Button32=0

Step 3: Save the following as analog_cam.txt in the SRB2 folder:

soundtest 0; soundtest 257
echo "Analog camera switch enabled. Default key for use is backslash ('\')."
alias cam_switch1 "bind \ cam_switch2; cam_height 160; cam_dist 480; soundtest 0; soundtest 246"
alias cam_switch2 "bind \ cam_switch1; cam_height 20; cam_dist 256; soundtest 0; soundtest 246"
bind \ cam_switch1

Step 4: Turn Always Mouse Look off.
Step 5: Open JoyToKey and set to "SRB2"; keep this open the entire time. Ingame, turn Analog on and execute analog_cam.txt.

If you did everything right, your game should play as shown above.

Note: if you've modified your controls beforehand, you may need to mess with the config supplied. For reference: Buttons 1-4 are the face buttons, Buttons 5 and 6 are the shoulder buttons, Buttons 7 and 8 are Select and Start.

Have fun, and let me know what you think.

 

[rjsec4ever]

I still find binding:
X-Rudder for turning,
Y-Axis for moving,
X-Axis(-) for strafing, and
Z-axis for looking better.

Sure, it's a Sonic game, I get it, but if it's meant to run as an FPS, I'd be DOOMed to not do so. Really nice in first-person, actually...

The only thing I'd love to map to a controller button is Escape. Why is B (Xbox) Backspace? Go through the File Select screen with the controller, want to go back, you press B, "Do you want to delete this file?" >_>

 

[Invert_Tails]

I've always wanted to play SRB2 with my Xbox controller. Cool to see someone is working to make that happen. :3

 

[clairebun]

I still find binding:
X-Rudder for turning,
Y-Axis for moving,
X-Axis(-) for strafing, and
Z-axis for looking better.

Sure, it's a Sonic game, I get it, but if it's meant to run as an FPS, I'd be DOOMed to not do so. Really nice in first-person, actually...

The only thing I'd love to map to a controller button is Escape. Why is B (Xbox) Backspace? Go through the File Select screen with the controller, want to go back, you press B, "Do you want to delete this file?" >_>

Ordinarily I would go through everything as FPS-style as possible, but I was tired of doing so because it didn't feel as authentic to the single player experience. I found this setup actually feels and works a lot better in some situations. The only problem with it is that you don't get the level of precision with your special abilities that you would with a mouse, and the analog camera is always trying to turn when you move, even when you're panning the view manually. I've experimented with a version that toggles cam_still via the X button, but it's not ideal.

 

[ProtoBlur]

I play SRB2 with my Xbox 360 controller with the default joypad settings.
Basically these are my controls:
A- Jump
B- Spin
X- Ring Toss
Y- Custom 1
RB- Custom 2
LB- Custom 3
RT- Strafe right
LT- Strafe left
START- Pause


This may seem weird but I can play the game pretty well.

 

[WedgeStratos]

As someone who is actually playing a lot of Doom on my phone as of late, I can tell you it is not as hard as it seems. Sure, it's an FPS, but Doom was made to be pretty simple. Hell, you could play it on the SNES, adding analog just makes it easier.

For SRB2, it also makes enough sense. It would only be in deathmatch and the like where you'll have a problem, but this is always the case when competing with KB/M.

I just wonder why JoyToKey is necessary. Could you not theoretically make an alias that also binds to gamepad buttons?

Sent from my SM-N915P using ********

 

[clairebun]

SRB2 reads control stick input in a very binary fashion, so unless you're jamming the stick in whichever direction you want to go 24/7, it's going to feel pretty imprecise. JoyToKey gives you much more nuanced feedback to soft tilts, and that translates into better movement control in game.

 

[Rumia1]

Your image in the first post has gone dead I'm afraid. it just brings me to a blank page with the text "not found".