Please add analog joystick support!

[binary_search_tree]

The ideal implementation would basically emulate the mouse controls (without the afterburner option). The visible flight-path should be an option that could be toggled on or off. The plane should simply fly in the direction that the analog stick is directed - just like the mouse. If the joystick goes back to center (or the "dead zone"), the plane's bearing should remain unaltered. And the dead zone should be relatively large, so that releasing the joystick doesn't wind up pointing the plane in some random direction.

There's an iPhone/Android app called MiniSquadron that's very similar to Altitude. The controls are great, and its only input device is a touch screen that emulates a small analog pad. It would be great if there was an option for similar controls in Altitude. I think the control scheme described above would do the trick.

(And, for the record, I know about Joy2Key. It can't do what I'm describing. It just moves the mouse cursor around. What I'm talking about involves instantaneous change of direction. For example: Pushing the joystick to the right would be the equivalent of immediately having the mouse cursor at the right edge of the screen. Pushing the joystick up would be the equivalent of having the mouse cursor immediately at the top of screen. There would be no in-between mouse cursor positions. The plane would alter its direction according to it's minimum turning radius - until it was pointing directly upwards.)

[parasite64]

I had already raised this topic before, but alas, no discussion
http://altitudegame.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4730

I've managed to get an analog stick to work with Altitude (I use a PS2 controller), and honestly, I found it very annoying because the way I had set up the controls (I basically created a script which would firstly; set the mouse coordinates to the center of the screen (and so the center of the game) and then adjust the position depending on the X/Y position of the controller's analog stick), if I didn't have my thumb on the analog stick, I'd fly up (just because the nature of the script).

I honestly preferred just using the D-Pad, but I think native support for this would be appreciated!

[binary_search_tree]

I was thinking of doing the same - writing a small utility that translates the joystick's position into mouse coordinates that always lie on the border of the screen. Of course, I'd have to calculate these rectangular coordinates based on the extended radius of a circle whose center is at the screen's center. Larger distances would be swept at the corners of the screen.

But then I realized that this wouldn't be accurate because the plane's position is not fixed. When the plane approaches a bounding area of the playfield, the scrolling of the play area stops, and the plane moves closer to the edge of the screen. That kills my idea.

I would need to peek into a game instance to determine the planes absolute screen position, and then project the position of the mouse cursor somewhere along the circumference of a circle whose center is represented by the plane's absolute screen coordinates.

I don't know how easy that would be. I'd have to monitor changes in the game's RAM usage, or maybe I'd get lucky and find a publically exposed accessor function that returns these coordinates.

A messy proposition, and somewhere along the way it begins to sound like cheating.

[lamster]

Originally Posted by binary_search_tree

But then I realized that this wouldn't be accurate because the plane's position is not fixed. When the plane approaches a bounding area of the playfield, the scrolling of the play area stops, and the plane moves closer to the edge of the screen. That kills my idea.

In mouse mode (which you could presumably maintain by simulating mouse movement events) the plane remains centered on the screen at all times. Having experimented with some of the popular controllers I don't think the proposed control scheme will allow for satisfying, precise control, but if your experiments demonstrate otherwise let me know.

[binary_search_tree]

I didn't know that...That would make things a lot easier.

I use a controller with a d-pad. (a 1994 Sega Saturn USB controller to be specific - my favorite controller ever, perfect for Street Fighter)

[Hawkslayer]

I'd like to see analog controllers basically control the rate of turning from 100% at the max analog range to 0% at center stick. This still allows the planes to have their own rate of turning while allowing one to make precise movements that could be finer than the increments used by the key/button press.

I'd also like to see mapping curves to be able to adjust the mapping in ways that are different than just 1:1