Grid Wars 2: u360 Controller Patch - v5.04.12

[Space Fractal]

Since I'm are a BlitzMax developer, I have looked on this game, which was come with source code (I have NOT created this game. Hence I dedicated to get this game more arcade friendly and adding supporting dual U360 joysticks and such which was requested by some users, hence I created a unofficiel patch for the game (due the officiel got "banned" by MS).

Full version (no more download from other source first):
http://www.spacefractal.com/files/Grid_Wars_2_-_5.4.12.zip

Here is what I patched since the lastest official version of 5.04:
 - Press BOMB button to Start -> Press START button to Start.
 - 1 Key is used to start a new game (but other normal keys still works)
 - ESC quit the game directly, regardless where you are (it save settings as well).
 - TAB is the settings key instead of ESC.
 - Pause/Unpause using the P key only (all enemy and shots is removed from screen when paused).
 - Added a "Dual Analog with 2 ports" as new control input method.
 - Bomb Button in "Dual Analog with 2 port" invoked by Space, Ctrl, Alt, C or the defined joy bomb button (new in 5.4.07).
 - Added "Move: Mouse - Aim: Joy" in Hybrid settings (new in 5.4.07).
 - Grid type can now been changed by P2 Start button (which in mame is the 2 key) (new in 5.4.08).
 - Sound FX Fixed for Vista (No more 1sec delay), which was not a bass error, but a freeaudio error which BlitzMax use as default driver (new in 5.4.09)
 - BASS updated to newest version (but only use few of its functions) (new in 5.4.09).
 - Support costume mp3 tracks (10 tracks selected random each time you die (new in 5.4.09).
 - Support for 32 joy buttons (new in 5.4.10).
 - Support for 8 joysticks (not tested, and not sure BlitzMax can handle it) (new in 5.4.10).
 - Second analog joystick is selectable in Dual Analog Mode (new in 5.4.10).
 - Port is now choiceable in Joypad Mode (new in 5.4.10).
 - Port 0 could not been used as shoot in dual u360 mode (bug fixed in 5.4.11).'
 - Bomb button do also now start the game on joystick (new in 5.4.12).
 - Bomb button on fire joystick port in dual mode also can been used now (new in 5.4.12).

Please notes:
 - ESCAPE is hardcoded to the ESCAPE key.
 - I have added a mp3 music track to the game and you can easy add your own.  The new mp3 music track, which play in-game as longs with the original music is composed by me in FL-Studio, so there is NO copyright issue about the mp3 track used.

[nuka1195]

This game is a lot of fun, thank you for updating to the latest version. Your changes do make it more cabinet friendly.

Hopefully someone who has success configuring with dual analog can enlighten us on how to configure them. no matter which port i select, only one joystick get's used. I have tried all the tips i found here, but no luck.

[iano]

Thanks for making it cab friendly. I really like this game. Can't wait to try it out.

 

[nuka1195]

I've downloaded the blitzmax demo compiler. I'm trying to compile it as is, but get a compiler error for controls.bmx. missing specifier.

did you have to change anything in that file to get it to compile. this language is new to me. but it looks like only one joyport is being used? I was going to hardcode port 1 for the firing, but it won't compile for me without any changes.

any assistance or if you would like me to test a hard coded version where fire is on joypad port 1 to see if this is the issue. I would be more than happy to test it.

thanks

edit: i see you include the source also, will have a look.

edit2: your version just exits when i hit start or bomb. I also can not compile your source.

[BobbyG66]

I can get the game to come up to the "Press start button" screen.
As soon as I press 1 or the space bar, the game exits.

Are they any other support files needed? 

[iano]

I can get the game to come up to the "Press start button" screen.
As soon as I press 1 or the space bar, the game exits.

Are they any other support files needed? 

One thing i remember about setting up that game - you have to set your video options (resolution & playfield) in a cfg or ini file before running the game or it won't work.

 

[nuka1195]

that's not the case, the original plays fine without manually editing a config file.

[iano]

that's not the case, the original plays fine without manually editing a config file.

Maybe i had to edit it coz i was running at 640x480. Just tried that version there > no joy.

[Space Fractal]

nuka1195:
Demo compiler is a old version, hence the code might dosent like it (due to missing commands).

Otherwice which command does it stop and marked on?

BobbyG66:
Which screen does this one? Make sure to have bass.dll on the same dir as well. It all I can say now (remember Im are NOT the original programmer).

The joystick problem:
I'm sure I can look what it happens with the dual joystick problem. I just can't test it now, until I got another joypad converter (my friend is on vicattion). It sad, but soon I can, I do check what it really happens.

[nuka1195]

hi,

ok, an old version may be the issue with compiling.

I beleive the issue is there is only one joyport. even what is read from the config file only specifies one joyprt used.

if you would like to hardcode the joyport for fire as the second port (1). then i can test if it should actually work. the configuration window is a nother matter. this may be easier just allowing a person to manually modify the config file, to allow a joyport2 to be used for dual analog.

about your version exiting on start (1 button) or bomb(spacebar), the base.dll file is in the same folder. i just unzipped all files in their own folder.

thanks for your work,




compile output:

Building gridwars
Compiling:vectorfont.bmx
flat assembler  version 1.64
3 passes, 28383 bytes.
Compiling:colordefs.bmx
flat assembler  version 1.64
3 passes, 2530 bytes.
Compiling:utils.bmx
flat assembler  version 1.64
3 passes, 16120 bytes.
Compiling:images.bmx
flat assembler  version 1.64
3 passes, 8165 bytes.
Compiling:gridparttrail.bmx
flat assembler  version 1.64
4 passes, 64862 bytes.
Compiling:bass.bmx
flat assembler  version 1.64
3 passes, 4353 bytes.
Compiling:sound.bmx
flat assembler  version 1.64
3 passes, 14153 bytes.
Compiling:control.bmx
Compile Error: Missing type specifier
[.bmx/bass.bmx.release.win32.i;4;9]
Build Error: failed to compile I:/GridWars54/control.bmx
Process complete

Edited for exit issue

[Space Fractal]

Try to remove the bmx folder. I have seen that happens sometimes here.

I have in the newest version (just uploaded to same url) I have hardcorded joystick port 0 for movement and joystick port 1 for shooting in gameplay.

For some reason there is bug in the code, so they shared the port and not seperate. This is why seperated joystick diddent work.

The Dual Analog is used for those like PS2 controllers as such, since the secound controlled is set to the other stick, which is Z and JoyR. But also NOT for seperate joystick like two U360.

Then I do NOT change the current code, but instead I see I can add a shooting code, so it looking for the next port as well as the second joystick.

I look I can get it works with seperated joysticks in the configuration.

[nuka1195]

when i press "1" to start, it exits, can you do a debug build, so i can post a log.

[Space Fractal]

I just going to upload (both debug and nondebug) a another version (06) which I have added a another control type:

"Dual Analog (2 ports)".

That one should works with 2 analog U360 sticks. But untested, but it should. Even the config should work.

[nuka1195]

hi,

I like the new changes, but, when i press start, the program exits. the debug build did not produce a log that i can find.

can you do a build with out the keycode changes, just so i can test the dual anolog(two ports)

[nuka1195]

in fact just letting it sit there after launching, it will exit on it's own.

[Space Fractal]

suddently, it works fine here.

try to delete the config (Config.txt), so it reset to defaults.

The only I can see it might been a OpenGL issue? I have compiled with DX as well in the just uploaded version (which can been slowere in some systems).

If its a soundcard issue, try to rename music (bass) and/or sound folders (blitzmax own engine) to see these cause the problem.

Here it just play without music and/or soundFX.

I also forgot to say the debug file is actuelly only works compiled from editor. Here it would tell which command it stopped on.... and for some reason it only output to the terminal in the Linux version of BlitzMax and not in Windows.

[FrizzleFried]

I get the same effect...

I have no config.txt?!

OK...I went in to CONFIG (tab) and saved,  now I have a config file...same problem though...crashes if I try to play and if I let it sit,  just after the high scores it crashes to desktop.


OH...and I get no sound at all during attract...should I?

[nuka1195]

jeez, i feel stupid.

I didn't copy your builds into the exiting gridwars folder, so i was missing all the need files you didn't include.

dual joysticks work great.

[nuka1195]

just want to say thank you, this makes the game so much better.

I appreciate your patience and sorry for false bug reports.

[Space Fractal]

FrizzleFried might have same problem. Else I change the main thread where version 5.4 can been found (I guess 4.1 should been workable since support files should not have been changed at al).

Thanks for reporting elsewice. That happens when I diddent link to the full exe with all support files, so it can been misforstood.

It now linked in the first post to avoid confusion.

[nuka1195]

just got my best score by far and now i'm on the leader board

[Space Fractal]

good game playing  .

[nuka1195]

last post on this, but i notice the video and audio settings do not have all the same settings that the original has. is that something that can be added back in?

[Space Fractal]

Here I have not a clue which difference there was in the original and new.

I do have removed the option button, which was same button as TAB (so no need to show that).

It also dosent show the second joystick when Dual Analog 2 Ports is used. This because second stick use the same settings as first stick.

Many settings could have been changed to use F3->F6, why it was removed from the settings. But I haven seen any more settings here, so I do not know more about it.


Loke like Mark Incitti (original author of this game) have created another simular game with same graphics style, but this time it absolute not a direct clone of Geometry, even they share many things. It really nice game too. But since it shareware, the source code is of course not included here.

[nuka1195]

I'm talking about these. i think the joystick configuration works as expected now.

they can be manually edited.

[Space Fractal]

they might have removed out due to new effects. For the videos settings, use F3 -> F6 for the same as started in the readme file:

F3 - cycle through available grid types (20!)
F4 - cycle through number of stars  (0-1000)
F5 - toggle particle gravity
F6 - cycle through particle styles


for the soundset:
No reason to do that. It simply there if it exist a sounds/user and use these sound if it find that folder. It does however not load from the main sound folder if a sound is missing in the user folder. Here I can add a check around it in next version.

[NickG]

Hi SpaceFractal, I appreciate your contributions to the scene.  Sorry to be a beggar; any chance you could look into the possibility of coding rotary (spinner type /mouse axis) aiming controls for this Blitzmax game Quantasm and/or for Gridwars?

[Space Fractal]

There are no source code included in the downloaded file for Quantasm, so no change. Request that to the author instead.

I could add another control screme to Grid Wars, but I also dosnent have such a joystick. You mean joystick for movement and a spinner (mouse) to turn?

[NickG]

Ahh, no source code, shucks.  I like what you have already done, but in forum past some (including myself) have hinted an interest in spinner (or other rotary control) for aiming.  This would be like the keys for movement + aim mouse centered option.  Ideally, the possible improvement you could make is to enable the ability to rotate the aiming reticule around the ship using a single +/- axis with an adjustable sensitivity or velocity.  This would allow spinner aiming and a new way of playing for those who do not have a spinner.

 Another option that would make this game totally awesome, but may be even more difficult to do is to enable a dual mouse control scheme or similar.  If you have played with the many control schemes much you may have noticed the advantage of controlling the ship with mouse: speed control - you can go very fast or kind of slow.  The sensitivity of the other dual analog modes that I have tried doesn't allow the ship to move that fast.  So It would be pretty cool to control the ship movement with speed adjustment-ability ala the mouse movement option, but still be able to use an analog joystick or mouse for aiming.  Know what I mean?       

[Space Fractal]

Im are not 100% sure what you mean? I need to known 100% before I add anything.

I could elsewice add a mouse movenet with joystick shoting. I have to say this type of games is designed to use with a dual joystick and not directly a spinner.


For the dual mouse: not possible in BlitzMax.

[mcfreak]

I also missed the point that I had to download the original game first and then put your files into that folder.  I downloaded from here and then copied your files and it works great.

http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/grid/GridWars54.zip

[NickG]

well if thats simple to do I would really appreciate it.  Mouse movement seems to be more sensitive to acceleration than the original analog joystick movement.  However in the authors original releases, with mouse movement the keyboard is the only option for aiming  Having the capability to move the ship with th mouse (or a trackball) and aim in more that 8 directions -as in keyboard aiming- would make the game very exciting.  So it would be insane/great if one could choose mouse movement plus analog joystick for aiming.   

Edit: really, it would best if one could attain such speeds as the mouse control allows but using an analog joystick axis instead, however the sensitivity is not end-user customizable to 100% speed in the original game, is it?

[Space Fractal]

See what I can due later. Look like it a "Hybrid Mouse/Joy".

Only problem is the bomb button, which I do might mapped to any mouse and joy buttons to been used.

[BobbyG66]

I am getting a "Bass 2.2 required" error.
I do have the Bass.dll file in the same directory as the program.

What causes this?

[Space Fractal]

You might have a old version of bass. Try that one from 4.1 or 5.6 and replace that.
I look the control screme later, since I have other work to do first.
Otherwice please pm the dll to mee so I can check it.

[urbecrisch]

Can someone please give me a little better (more clear) instructions on how to make this wok with dual joys (U360's).  I have all the Grid War versions mentioned here in a folder but not sure where what goes where. and how to config the settings.  I need a little dummy down version for myself (the dummy )  Thanks.

[Space Fractal]

I Just changed the first post how to download and patch correct in the correct way.

In the game after the patch:
 - Start the game.
 - Press TAB to go into settings.
 - Go into controls settings.
 - Select "Analog Dual (2 ports)" as control method.

And it should now works.

[nukedawg]

Wonderful job Space Fractal on adding dual U360 support to Gridwars 2 but I have one issue that I must be missing somewhere.

I have both my U360's working great but it seems I have no way to set the "bomb" key. Originally I played with the keyboard and SPACE was the bomb key but now it seems that setting to Dual Analog (2ports) it is looking for "joystick buttons". 

My setup is 2 U360's for moving but my cab buttons are controlled by a Mini-IPAC.

Is there a setting or something that can be changed so I can set the bomb button to the CTRL, ALT, SPACE or even the C key and still keep the 2 port dual analog??

[Space Fractal]

fixed in next release. All named buttons can now been used as bomb.

Normally U360 have 8 button encode, which should been used, since some games prefer one player on keybard and other on joystick. Hence I diddent do anything like that.

But otherwice it fixed in next release. I also looking if I can add the Mouse/Joystick now, but I release this version.

[Space Fractal]

DONE.

I also added "Move: Mouse & Aim: Joy" as well, but it not tested, but should work.

NickG, I hope you like this new version. Sorry for the delay.

[nukedawg]

DONE.

That did the trick! Thanks for the speedy update! I am already beating my old hi scores now

 

[wwwombat]

I've kept an eye on Grid Wars 2 for my cabinet and now that it has dual U360 support I thought it was time to fire it up again.

However the old issue I have with the game still exhibits itself... I am running this on an Intel Dual Core 3.00GHz with an 8600GT grpahics card on a 1920x1200 LCD monitor (@ 60 Hz).

I get insane flickering of the screen no matter what internal resolution I set it to (and when I do do this the navigation through the configuration becomes insanely slow).

From piecemeal evidence I've seen around the web (and there's not much about) there was some suggestion about turning anisotropic filtering off but this doesn't seem to have (much of an) effect.

I know the game (I have it for Wii and NDS) and the cabinet does play similar items like Echoes (although I'd like a U360 option for this as well) and Geometry Wars Evolved as well as advanced PC games like Call Of Duty 4 and Unreal Tournament 3 without drama  but I cannot get this game to be playable without this strobe effect.

Any thoughts?

[Space Fractal]

The game itself is a Pure OpenGL 2d application and is not multiply threaded and is running in 32bit color depth and 60hz.

There exists a DirectX version in BlitzMax driver, but most case OpenGL is noticy faster, a least here (even I use a 8600 graphicscard my self). But your driver might not like that driver.

Otherwice it look like it a OpenGL graphicsdriver issue, since it play perfect here with less specs.  Do you have newest version and also newest version of Direct9x (there exits many of them)?

But I see I can add some graphics options to set the driver and as well depth in the next version, since DirectX can been faster for some.

[Katana Man]

Is this the demo or full version of Grid Wars 2?   If it's the demo, does your patch work on the full version?

EDIT:  Nevermind, I see that it's freeware.  Awesome!

[Space Fractal]

Yep, its freeware and is discounted by the original author (Mark Incitti), due to a threat from Microsoft. Mark Incitti have release a similar game (AtomHex), but have very different gameplay than this game, but have similar graphic style.

[wwwombat]

The game itself is a Pure OpenGL 2d application and is not multiply threaded and is running in 32bit color depth and 60hz.

There's the clue to my flickering etc. problems. I had my desktop set to 16-bit whilst I was fine-tuning some Visual Pinball problems. Set my desktop back to 32-bit color depth and the strobing effect is now gone when I start up Grid Wars 2. Now I just need to set the left joystick to move and the right to fire and I'll be good to go.

[Space Fractal]

I hope people still like this game and there is comply of month since I updated the unofficiel patch. So I have a little update today.

[Space Fractal]

Finally fixed the sound issue in Vista and adding costume mp3 track support.

[nuka1195]

thank you

[ids]

Any hope of supporting U360's if they're not among the first 4 joysticks?

Any hope of being able to configure which stick is move and which is shoot?

Sorry, don't mean to sound like I'm complaining - awesome work, and greatly appreciated!


Thanks

[Space Fractal]

Im looking on that.....

[EDIT]
I hope blitzmax can handle it, so test the new exe, since I can test it by my self. But I have just adde the possible to choice from port 0 to 7 now with user selectable of the fire joystick.

[nickynooch]

I've got 2 U360's and I cant figure out the config for the life of me.  In the joystick settings do I use config 0,1,2, or 3?

I keep trying different stuff and it seems that in 0 and 1 in recognizes the first joystick, in 2 in recognizes the second for config.  I just cant get it to do both at the same time!

Any ideas?  Maybe I am just not doing something right.

Thanks!

[Space Fractal]

not sure what you mean?

You should use "Dual Analaog (2 ports)" as type controller and select port 0 for movement joystick (left click) and 1 for fire joystik (right click) or what the ports the joystick may use.

[nickynooch]

I guess it is just having an odd time with setup.  Somehow I got both working once, but the wrong way (player one shot and player 2 moved).  I guess something must be weird with my setup or something, but I have 2 U360s as my only 2 joysticks, so it should work, but oh well.

Both joysticks look good in the setup.  I'm going off of memory but in the setup contoller 0 shows up as the left joystick and controller 1 shows up as the right joystick.  But when I start the game it moves and shoots at the same time with the left joystick.  Right was pretty much worthless.  Also it starts with it shooting up and to the right automatically.  Dunno what that is about.

I'll test more and play with it.  After spending a couple hours though, I think I may give up.

Thanks for the help though!  Hope this doesn't sound like I'm griping, because I totally am not.  Just getting frustrated trying to fix it.

[Space Fractal]

I think I known what it happens. You have a swapped setup? Also fire on port 0 and movement in port 1?

If yes, there is a bug in the loading code, which I got fixed very soon (please know I did NOT created this game, only the controller patch).

Sorry for the confuction and the bug should now been fixed in 5.04.11.

Hopefully it works in the new version....

[headkaze]

You might want to check out JoyID's from here. It should allow you to make sure you have the joysticks in the correct order when you run a game.

[Space Fractal]

Headkaze, its was a bug.

If fire joystick was set to port 0, it would auto change to port 1 after the config was loaded, which it should not (why I did do that?). It even didn't checked the movement joystick might have allready set to port 1, so then same joystick controlled fire and movement. Its should never been happens and have been checked that in the config in code.

Yes normal it should not been played in swapped order, but when I also patched it with a selectable ports for each joystick, it should not suddenly change.

I have and should fixed that one in version 5.04.11 (just one line code did that).

[nickynooch]

Well it is still shooting in the upper right corner for some reason, and moving VERY slowly in the upper right corner.  It doesn't seem to matter where I map the "center" in the box on the config, but not that big a deal, just a minor annoyance.

However, something I really need help on.  The space bar is the only way I can start the game.  Is there another way to start it?  I can't find a way to map the "start" button to my joystick.
Thanks!

[Space Fractal]

1. For starting game, by now I think XPadder is your friend. Its a cool utility to remap joystick buttons to keyboard. By now these are hardcoded to the bomb button on keyboard (Space as default) and 1 key. In next version joy bomb button would also been used to start the game.

2. You can adjust the center under the config by pressing on the joystick sqaure and hold down SHIFT button and adjust the deadzone a little bit by using arrow keys (to around 0.1 or 0.2).
 
This should prevent stopping the ship moving when centered.

[Space Fractal]

bomb key should now been fixed in v5.04.12 so you can start the game using that and works on pots fire and movement joystick.

For more precision what I meant to fix the deadzone issue to prevent the ship move slowling can been done here:

[nickynooch]

Thanks man!  I gotta try out the latest.  Even though I haven't gotten it working 100% for me yet (it may though when I test it out tonight) I have to commend you on the work you are doing to make this cab friendly.

[nickynooch]

Tried the update and now the "y" axis is showing up yellow-orangish on the config when I try to config my 2nd joystick.  It seems that with the 2nd joystick now it only recognizes up and down.  I tried to reconfigure, but no luck.  The previous version worked great except for the centering (which the shift thing may work) and the no-start button thing.  Any ideas in the config what I am doing wrong?

[ugglight]

i like game BlitzMax,thanks the patch

[PsychoMikey]

This game is so AWESOME! It's running super smooth and it's a blast to play.

I use the trackball for ship movement and my left joystick for shooting. Going of the stick for the bomb button is not ideal but it makes for intresting gameplay. Since everybody has the same handicap it's ok for high-score playing.
Only thing that would make it even more awesome is to add is a 2 player mode and coin insertion to make it more arcade. But since the core development is not continued (as far as i know) that's just wishfull thinking.

Very nice job on the update though!

[drventure]

+1
I still go to GridWars 2 (Space fractal's patch) about once every 2 to 3 days. It's the very definition of "in your face blastem arcade" games.

I'd love to see a 2 player version as well, but that's pretty high expectations.

I wish I could run it full screen 1920x1200 but I've never been able to get that to work correctly.

Still, great game!

[Space Fractal]

I cannot test why it fail on that resoulution. Its support 1080p fine, which is the max resoulution I can use. Howover of course I dont plan to expand this game other to fix some controls and being arcadecab.

Howover the game might crash when change resoulution, but should keep it when you restart the game.

[drventure]

Yeah, I noticed the patched ver tends to crash out when you change some settings. Hasn't been a big deal, but I did wonder about that.

[drventure]

Just an update on this

First, finally got gridwars running fullscreen 1920x1280. Awesome, though it does change the nature of the game a bit (lots more space for running around).

Also picked up AtomHex, also by Marc Inciniti.

Very cool game. i wish it had a soundtrack instead of just the sound effects, but, the effects are very well down, graphics are spot on and the game play is very challenging, lots more elements to it than gridwars.



Haven't played with them on the cab yet, but neither seem particularly suited to cabinet play. Not from a controls perspective, but they just don't seem like cab type games.