DOT spinner and Front LIne?

[Brogner]

Just a thought, and I haven't seen it mentioned. Wouldnt the DOT spinner work on Front Line also?  From what I remember, it used a spinner to aim the soldiers arm and you pushed (or pulled?) to fire....any thoughts?
Brogner

[u_rebelscum]

Nope, won't work.

Frontline used an 8-way rotary (spinner).  Mame emulates this with an 8-way joystick type input.  You can get an original frontline rotary and hook it up (through ipac or the like), or simulate the original with an 8-way joystick.

[CitznFish]

would a rotary joystick and assigning 2 buttons work?

[u_rebelscum]

would a rotary joystick and assigning 2 buttons work?

No, the rotary part of the joystick is a spinner (dial/mouse), and mame does not let you use mice for digital inputs.

You could use the joystick part of the rotary joystick to point the gun, but then you'd need another joystick to control the movements, and the rotary is just acting like a normal joystick, so no need for the rotary part.

You could map "move up" and "point up" to the same "joystick up", ect, but then you couldn't shot sideways/backwards to the direction you're moving.

Or you could use four buttons to point the gun.   Easiest if in a diamond shape, so to point diagonals you'd press two buttons.  Just like how a normal 8way joystick works.

Next to best way is just use an 8way joystick like "smash tv", except you need to push a button to shot in frontline.  So map "up or down or left or right" to the button.

Best is the original controller.  More discussions:
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=4158
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=3889
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=6;action=display;threadid=4849

[CitznFish]

my CP will have dual sticks for P1 and P2. Rotary on the left and a top-fire on the right for each player. So I could use that button for fire, but then a button for grenade I guess.....


one of these days I'll just get a frontline CP.. man I loved that game

[Brogner]

Thank you rebelscum for answering that.  Front line was one of those games I could never play but alway liked because of the action of the controlers.  I have a couple of SNK rotary joysitcks i will try to incorporate one in my vertical cab (future project) to be able to play
Brogner

[kspiff]

SNK rotary sticks won't work for that.  MAME interprets the input like a joystick (U/D/L/R and intermediates) for Front Line.  Through an interface, MAME interprets SNK LS-30s as one of two button presses (L or R, sort of).

If you really want to do this, check MAME and see if you can configure Front Line to accept 2 button presses for rotation like you can in Ikari.  I think I've checked already, though, and you couldn't.