Can analog stick controllers work on PC XL version?

[eno]

First time posting here. Long time follower of Wipeout Series. Fusions controls were off, Fzero can't come close. Wipeout1-4 are great.

I just ordered the PC version of WipeoutXL. I should see it in about 3 days so I want to get a controller for it. I do have some old serial microsoft controllers with some weird type D pad but I would like to use a PS2 style controller. I work at a large retail store that caries PC controllers. What should I get for this game. Any tweaks or updates for it for Xp Pro? Does the game work well on new systems? Can you crank the resolution up on it?

I run a 20k 3dmark2001 rig, so will I run into any issues like I see for others you think?


Man if the rumors are true about a new Wipeout, if they make it right this time I will buy whatever system it comes out on. Fusion was a joke, I wanted so much for it to be the upgraded XL or 3 version but turned out to be dumbed down in the controls, no way to make yourself fly or pitch up or down with any real affect.

[Lance]

.
hi, eno, welcome to the WipeoutZone :)

i've run XL on my PC and could only get 1024 x 768 as maximum resolution on a monitor that allows 1280 x 1024. i have a system from late 1999 that will run the Star Wars pod racer game at 1280 x 1024 and is fairly smooth in its framerate and control at that resolution. so there may be some built-in limit on XL. we need more data from other people with different computers to be sure of this.

sorry i have no data on controllers; i just used the keyboard
.

[eno]

You use the keyboard to play Wipeout????? HOly Schnikes, I pray that a controller will , even a D pad would be better than a keyboard IMO.

We should start a sticky thread with everyones setup and what works and doesn't work, to see easily what kind of systems one must run in what config.

[Lance]

.
i don't do it anymore; now i can play it on the console. way better
.

[eno]

Well the purpose of me buying it for PC is to have smoother graphics and the same gameplay as all the titles I have played in the past. I don't own any console now except Gamecube and I hardly even use that. I mainly play Counter Strike. But Wipeout is the best ever so I want to see it on my PC.

[Lance]

.
it looks great on the PC, but you can't use it to compete for best times on official records tables because the speed of the game varies depending on the computer being used, and also on any slowdown software being used to keep the game from running too fast. the only certain standard is to play the correct version of the game on an unmodified machine it was designed for. of course, there is no problem at all when just playing for the pleasure of playing the game.
.

[eno]

I have two computers. The main is extremly powerful the 2nd is a 1.6ghz/512mb/Ti4600 rig. I can underclock all of it and I could use the storage hard driver to install W98se onto it, then could use my old game port microsoft sidewinder for it. Do you think that is worth it or just run it on my 2nd machine without any OS change. I run Xp Pro on both computers.

[Lance]

.
my PC version ran at approximately the same speed as the console version when i ran it on a 500MHz Celeron on win98SE using the original equipment Intel 810 AGP board. i would certainly use the second machine. as to the change in OS, i think WOXL may require DOS, though i'm not sure. i understand that there is a method to run DOS-requiring programs on XP, but i don't know what it is. i have only limited experience with XP, and currently use Millennium. however, the method has been mentioned once or twice by forum member FoxZero, if i remember correctly.

even on your second machine you will probably need a slowdown program to keep the game from running uncontrollably fast on Phantom class. the game does allow the use of ramp emulation in software, which would theoretically slow it some, but the quality of the graphics will suffer. i am really not the best-qualified person to answer your questions, but so far i seem to be the only one doing so. ;) that will probably change soon
.

[science]

xp still has a dos shell, doesnt it?

[Lance]

.
no. everything i've heard or read says that XP is built without DOS. if this is the case, i'm wondering how it runs DOS-requiring applications. it even uses a different disk formatting system; instead of FAT32, it uses NTFS, or something like that. any disk partitions made for separate OSs would have to be formatted separately, if possible.
presumably Rob, among others, might know.
.

[eno]

Lance FYI. I got the game today and it did install onto Windows XP pro. I just had to right click on the setup.exe file and go to compatibility and change it to 98/ME.

Now I am trying to get this old serial Sidewinder Game pad to work. Gonna search the forums for work arounds on controllers and XP.

[eno]

I GOT IT TO WORK< IT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED IN WIPEOUT. ITS SO DAMN CLEAN LOOKING THE OLD CONTROLLER THAT I ALREADY HAD WORKS NOW WITH IT. WOW !!!! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW HAPPY I AM. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!

[Lance]

.
excellent! glad you got it to run well.
i had fun tonight as well, though it was partying with neighbours, a change from my usual NewYear
.

[G'Kyl]

.
no. everything i've heard or read says that XP is built without DOS. if this is the case, i'm wondering how it runs DOS-requiring applications.
.

Just browsing through some older threads...
XP uses a combatibility mode to run DOS and Win9x programs. Something like an emu, only remotely though.

Ben

[Lance]

.
yes, i checked it out on my neighbor's XP using system after eno's success. i believe you're correct about it doing an emulation of some sort. perhaps it taps into some kind of directX type program module
.