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Force Feedback in NFS SE and NFS II SE?

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First post, by God Of Gaming

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Has anyone been able to get it to work? I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I bought a Logitech Wingman Formula Force wheel after reading a post here on vogons that it's belt-driven and that it has win98 drivers, review of the wheel here http://archive.arstechnica.com/reviews/4q99/l … hffwheel-1.html

I'm using ws330enu.exe driver/software for it, which seems to work perfectly fine under win98se, and according to the review, the wheel is based on the Immersion's i-Force technology, which those 2 games should support, they even have iForce.dll in their game dirs. NFS SE according to the manual was made before force feedback wheels were available comercially and the devs used prototypes, but they explained how to enable it using the included jcu.exe, which I did, selected generic force feedback wheel and force feedback enabled options in it, but still no ffb effects can be felt in-game. I thought maybe as an early game that was made for force feedback its a fail on their end, but NFS 2 SE being released later should work perfectly, yet when I go into the game controls settings of NFS 2 SE, and click on the force feedback option, it says "device not found". FFB works great in NFS 3 hot Pursuit btw.

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Reply 1 of 24, by ShakirBB

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I got force feedback working with Need for Speed II Special Edition (NFS II SE) using this setup:

Configured "nfs2se.conf" inside the ".nfs2se" directory hidden in my Home directory after first launch.
Changed "#Joystick0AxisValueShift=8448" to "Joystick0AxisValueShift=6336" to narrow the dead zone at the center of the X axis (Axis 0). 8448 was too narrow for me.
Changed "#Joystick0Axes=0,12,13,14:0,1,1,1" to "Joystick0Axes=0,1,2,3:0,-1,1,1".
"#UseSpringForceFeedbackEffect=0" can be changed to "UseSpringForceFeedbackEffect=1" to activate the steering wheel spring effect, but I found it irritating at default settings.
Effect strength is adjustible in the force feedback options menu. You can feel collisions, gear shifts and loss of traction.

I have never experienced force feedback with Need for Speed Special Edition (NFS SE) or NFS II SE in any version of Windows from 95 through 10.
I am also saddened to know they did not work with your Logitech Wingman Formula Force and Wingman Software version 3.3.0.
Looks like i-Force 2.0 devices like yours do not guarantee backwards compatibility with i-Force 1.0.
Maybe the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel is the only controller whose drivers can produce force feedback in both games.
I hope PCem gets USB pass-through so I can test these with Windows 95 OSR 2.5 and 98 SE.

Reply 2 of 24, by God Of Gaming

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Yeah I ended up with the same conclusion that I need to find the original microsoft sidewinder ffb wheel, havent gone around to doing that yet, though. BTW I remember getting rumble vibration working on a gamepad in NFS2SE long ago, but that's boring, I was interested in trying it with proper force feedback. I guess I should sell this wingman wheel, its really nice but no point keeping it if it cant be used with retro games like nfs 1 and 2. NFS 3 and above can be played on winXP with a more modern wheel like a G25 or whatever so I dont need it for them.

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Reply 3 of 24, by chinny22

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Thats my favorite wheel, I own 2 of them! (also mostly for NFS3, 4 and Porsche
Definitely the best Logitech wheel for pre XP The later ones were more lightweight and more plastic, even the Momo wheels.
But if your not into Win98 I guess later wheels are better (not sure haven't looked)

Reply 4 of 24, by God Of Gaming

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it's not that I'm not into win98, I am, its just, those early ffb games like nfs1 and 2 dont seem to work on the formula force and probably require a microsoft sidewinder, and as for nfs 3 4 and porsche, those work on winXp where a newer wheel can be used instead. Its probably a similar case with other win98 racing games. So, Im not too sure if theres any point in keeping the Formula Force, its nice because of the belt-fed ffb but its selling feature would be the win98 driver... on winXP you can probably use a thrustmaster T300RS that is belt-fed too.

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Reply 5 of 24, by God Of Gaming

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I see a microsoft sidewinder force feedback wheel locally and is cheap, but its the updated USB model, I wonder if that will work, or I need the original gameport model?

BTW I decided to keep the logitech wingman formula force after all, as it turned out EAX in NFS 3 and 4 is broken with wdm sound drivers and really need vxd to sound as it should

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Reply 6 of 24, by svfn

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So did you manage to get it to work? It is this red one right? If FFB does not work with these games, is non FFB mode unplayable?

Thinking about getting it for retro purposes since it's serial + USB, wondering if it is worth it or should I get another model?

SS7: K6-2/350 | FIC PA-2013 2.1 | 32MB PC-100 | 3dfx V3 2000 AGP | AWE64 CT4520 | Win98SE
On MobyGames

Reply 7 of 24, by God Of Gaming

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Non-FFB is certainly playable, but not much of a reason to run the game on a retro PC then, you can do that on a modern PC with a modern wheel and DOSBox. Seems like FFB in NFS 1 and 2 won't work on anything other than a microsoft sidewinder ffb wheel. I've been looking out for one of these... One showed up locally but was USB, so I passed it as Im not sure it would do, I don't wanna risk it, I'm looking for the original gameport version to be sure it will work. The red logitech formula force (yes, same as in that pic) is a good wheel for win9x otherwise, should be perfect for nfs 3 hot pursuit, 4 high stakes/road challenge, and 5 porsche unleashed/2000

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Reply 8 of 24, by svfn

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God Of Gaming wrote on 2019-12-26, 13:09:

Non-FFB is certainly playable, but not much of a reason to run the game on a retro PC then, you can do that on a modern PC with a modern wheel and DOSBox. Seems like FFB in NFS 1 and 2 won't work on anything other than a microsoft sidewinder ffb wheel. I've been looking out for one of these... One showed up locally but was USB, so I passed it as Im not sure it would do, I don't wanna risk it, I'm looking for the original gameport version to be sure it will work. The red logitech formula force (yes, same as in that pic) is a good wheel for win9x otherwise, should be perfect for nfs 3 hot pursuit, 4 high stakes/road challenge, and 5 porsche unleashed/2000

I tried with ws330enu, ws365enu, ws420 and it does not detect either. I also tried with the NFS2SE source port on win 10, not detected either but not surprising since there are no official 64-bit drivers for this wheel, which is a shame. I think it's because its actually a serial device and not HID USB device.

I am just curious with ws330enu, does it detect your shifter paddles? and does the brake/gas pedals run on separate axis or combined?

Also have you tried Logitech Gaming Software (instead of the older Wingman Software), namely lgs460enu? It is supposedly the last version to support LWFF on win98/ME. Mine did not detect the wheel so I could not open the profiler, I wonder if it's because I disabled my serial port..

But anyway, aside from NFS games, I am looking for other i-Force 2.0 supported games to play.

There's a ton of information on this wheel here: http://alison.hine.net/gpl/controls/logiiff.htm

And More utilties:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050830061523/ht … are/gadgets.htm

SS7: K6-2/350 | FIC PA-2013 2.1 | 32MB PC-100 | 3dfx V3 2000 AGP | AWE64 CT4520 | Win98SE
On MobyGames

Reply 9 of 24, by God Of Gaming

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Yes, I first tried lgs460enu and had some trouble with it, it wasnt working properly, and then switched to ws330enu, and that worked great for me, and yes using the serial port. That worked nicely for NFS 3. I haven't used it in a while so I cant remember if the pedals were separate axis, but the pedals on this are pretty shit, I should try to see if I can take the pedals from another wheel and mod them over onto this one

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Reply 10 of 24, by B24Fox

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I got two MS Sidewinder FF USB wheels, and NFS 2 SE doesn't work with force feedback (or at least - I didn't manage to get them to work)
NFS3 works tho.. kinda glitchy, but works.

My setup was WinXP with the MS S.W. v4.0 software/drivers for Win98 (which surprisingly, work fine on XP).

Reply 11 of 24, by B24Fox

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Found 3rd party win7 / 10 driver for the Logitech "WingMan Formula Force [E-UA2]" wheel, in case anyone needs them:

https://github.com/timschumi/logitech-wmff-driver#readme

(haven't tested them yet)

L.E.
Here seems to be another one, from someone else (also adapted from a Saitek driver):
https://blog.ardill.com/2016/12/logitech-form … rivers-for.html

Reply 12 of 24, by sonik

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ShakirBB wrote on 2018-08-23, 07:06:

I got force feedback working with Need for Speed II Special Edition (NFS II SE) using this setup

Hi!
Good tip about using linux inside a VM with zaps166's NFSIISE port.
I've got it to work this way with a G27 and FFB.

And I found that the windows version of zaps166 port DOES have FFB support on windows. I can get it to work with a Flightstick (Sidewinder FFB). And it DOES NOT WORK with the g27.
Searching about it looks like the game tries to use an effect that is not supported on windows if the device only have FFB on a single axis (a racing wheel). Game expects a dual FFB axis device.
I have no knowledge to fix it on the source. I asked zaps166 and he/she will look it.
It might be possible to fix on windows by having a app to sit between the game and the joystick. This can be done with vJoy.

Reply 13 of 24, by B24Fox

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So... It's been 2 years, and a lot has happened.
Also lately I've been really starting to wonder if this hobby is actually a sane thing or not..
But anyway..
6 steering wheels later (coz if something's worth doing, then it's definitely worth obsessing about 🙄 ) , I can finally put this topic *ahem*obsession, to rest:

Force Feedback in NFS II SE under Win98SE, ONLY natively works with the "Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel" (Gameport version).
Not with the USB version. And not with the Logitech WingMan Formula Force [E-UA2] (nor SERIAL or USB).

And it does so "out of the box" with no special drivers installed or anything like that.
Microsoft SideWinder Software v3.02 is the latest that properly supports Gameport peripherals, and that is what I used. And it just WORKED!

You only have to be mindful to also have the MIDI port/protocol turned on, not just the gameport. (In my case, with integrated audio, I turned it on in the BIOS).
Otherwise FF will not work. ... Also sometimes FF can still be moody, and not work simply out of spite and to piss you off... but all you have to do, is unplug the gameport, and plug it back in while in the "Game Controllers" menu. That usually fixes it.

A pleasant surprise with the gameport version of this wheel, is that compared to the USB version, FF does not glitch AT ALL in NFS3.
With the USB version FF will randomly let the wheel loose, and only come back to normal when you hit something. Or other times starts pulling in one direction for no reason.
The Logitech WingMan Formula Force has waaay less of this problem; and it's linkage is indeed tighter and has less play, which makes the FF much more believable and direct.
But the only one that was 100% glitch-free, was the Microsoft Gameport version.

Will also test with NFS 1 SE when I have the chance, and will post the results here.

All the best to everyone! : )

Reply 14 of 24, by God Of Gaming

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useful info there, Im almost at the point of testing it myself, built a 1997 win95 pc, bought a gameport microsoft sidewinder ffb wheel, and, yeah, pretty much waiting to also set up a PC with a datapath capture card so I can livestream my attempt at using ffb in tnfs se and nfs2 se... btw interestingly, on a generic winXP laptop with a generic logitech usb gamepad I get working ffb in nfs2se... well, rumble vibration as far as the gamepad is concerned, but the game itself sees it as ffb, the ffb options in the menus are avalable and all, so weird

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Reply 15 of 24, by B24Fox

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That is very cool to know!
Sadly I only have the "WingMan Gamepad Extreme [G-ZA-PHI]" and the "WingMan Action Pad [G-UB3A]". And none of them have vibration.
Will try with an original Xbox controller that i have, and maybe try to install it as a Logitech. And see how that goes 😜

Reply 16 of 24, by God Of Gaming

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yeah its weird, logitech gaming software 5.10.127, logitech rumblepad 2 gamepad, and game has ffb enabled with ffb strenght slider and all that stuff, gamepad vibrates.... logitech driving force gt wheel on exact same system also working with the same logitech gaming software 5.10.127, well, nothing.... and of course wingman formula force on win98 with logitech wingman software 3.30, again absolutely nothing... cant wait to try out the sidewinder and see what all the nfs ffb fuss is about

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Reply 17 of 24, by B24Fox

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God Of Gaming wrote on 2023-04-08, 14:29:

... cant wait to try out the sidewinder and see what all the nfs ffb fuss is about

now, don't get your expectations up, TOO much 😜
It is fun (definitely not saying that it's not), especially since NFS2 is so iconic, and FFB with it is an extremely rare experience! But it's pretty early FFB, and also it's limited to only a few type of effects.
NFS3 is much more "polished"in that sense.

P.S.
Have you tried NFS2 with other FFB/Vibration Gamepads?

Reply 18 of 24, by luedeia

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Hello everybody. I clearly remember using, in 1997, the American Anko AVB Force Feedback Racing Wheel (GC-FBW1) in that game and the force feedback worked perfectly on Windows 95 . No I remember if I used the Serial or USB input (I think it was Serial). PC Pentium 233 mmx , Voodoo 1 , 32M RAM. I think there is something in Windows 98 ( I don't know if it has to do with Directx ) that prevents the FFB device from being detected in this game..

Reply 19 of 24, by B24Fox

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luedeia wrote on 2023-04-16, 15:41:

Hello everybody. I clearly remember using, in 1997, the American Anko AVB Force Feedback Racing Wheel (GC-FBW1) in that game and the force feedback worked perfectly on Windows 95 . No I remember if I used the Serial or USB input (I think it was Serial). PC Pentium 233 mmx , Voodoo 1 , 32M RAM. I think there is something in Windows 98 ( I don't know if it has to do with Directx ) that prevents the FFB device from being detected in this game..

which game are you specifically reffering to?