in the dosbox.conf at the joystick section change timed=true to false (or vice versa, I don't remember the default).

Nope, didn't work.

use a fixed number of cycles

There was also this joystick patch for the game

Oh, you mean that thing that made it worse? I tried that and it didn't help. What's this about fixed cycles now?

robertmo wrote:

use a fixed number of cycles

Tie Fighter CD works fine with variable cycles. Tie Fighter doesn't like extra axes, so use joysticktype=2axis. Timed= had to be set to the correct value too, but I can't remember whether the correct value for Tie Fighter was true or false. When you start the game, it asks you to calibrate the joystick. Make sure you do that.

Ok that worked the first time. But after I turned the computer off and turned it back on the problem still persists.

ripa: how is it possible that tie fighter works with joystick and variable cycles? (all games i tried were decalibrating more the more cycles were changed)

robertmo: timed=true can work with cycles=auto. timed=false tends to need fixed cycles counts.

(timed=true => use the system timer to decide when to release an axis)
(timed=false => a specific amount reads to decide when to release an axis)

oh indeed (just checked), just the other way:

timed=false can work with cycles=auto. timed=true tends to need fixed cycles counts.

(timed=false => use the system timer to decide when to release an axis)
(timed=true => a specific amount reads to decide when to release an axis)

so how about setting timed=false as default cause right now it is true that is default

or actually renaming them would be better cause i think it is named the wrong way right now 😀

There are two types of games - one counts the port reads until the axis bit flips. This type of games works with autocycles guessing when timed=false.

The other type reads the port now and then, and looks at the system timer when the axis bit flips. These games need timed=true with cycles guessing active.

I suggested changing timed= because that solved joystick problems with TIE Fighter DOS Collector's CD for me. Whenever I would look at a cap ship, the joystick would become quite erratic. Changing that setting fixed it up.

I'm at a loss if you're still having problems.

Also note that you need to recalibrate the joystick in the game every time you change the timed= value.

Yeah I don't get it. It worked the first time, but after trying it the next day, it just goes back to being crazy. And it's really begging to piss me off.

robertmo: timed=true can work with cycles=auto. timed=false tends to need fixed cycles counts.

Wait, is there an option in the config file called cycles?

Any help, or thoughts, or ideas, no matter how crazy, would be most appreciated. This page has over 300 views, and nearly no responses. So let me make this clear. I WILL TRY ANYTHING!

Wait, is there an option in the config file called cycles?

Yes.

Any help, or thoughts, or ideas, no matter how crazy, would be most appreciated. This page has over 300 views, and nearly no responses. So let me make this clear. I WILL TRY ANYTHING!

What of the above suggestions have you tried and more importantly, HOW did you try them?

I have set the config settings to time=true by opening the file, I also set the joystick type to 2axis, but neither worked for more than one time. I tried the lucasarts cd patch, but that seemed to make it worse. I'm not sure what all this chatter is about the variable cycles, because there is no option under the joystick for me. I have also tried updating my joystick drivers.