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Thread: Some info for a disabled player
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JDspeeder1
Mon Aug 23, 2004 9:57 pm
#1
I’ve been playing since launch and I have some questions about JTL. Since I’m disabled (some of you might remember my pre-launch threads wondering if I’d be able to play at all), I can’t use a standard keyboard. I type using an on-screen keyboard uncreatively called OnScreen (http://imgpresents.com/onscreen/onscreen.htm). It’s a program that puts a clickable keyboard on the screen so I can type with the mouse. In SWG now, I do fine. I just have to find and “Examine” an object to be able to type or hit any of the UI buttons, and I’ll probably be able to solve that problem if I can ever find my copy of Game Commander 3 (http://www.gamecommander.com/). I wonder how well I’d do with JTL, considering my situation. I noticed on the JTL Quick Guide that acceleration/deceleration, yaw, and roll are all keyboard controlled.
Would maneuvering with the mouse alone be enough?
Also, with the mouse controlling the ship’s movement, will the JTL interface ever give me an actual cursor so I can type?
If so, is OnScreen visible while in space? Some programs seem to open “on top of” OnScreen. Luckily, SWG opens “under” it, if I set my resolution to 1024 x 768 and run SWG in Borderless Window mode. If JTL displays differently though, OnScreen might be “covered” when I get in space. Devs, the OnScreen website above has a free demo you can download for testing.
If the answer to these questions is no, I will basically be unable to play in space.
One solution I thought of was to include an option to change the controls to be more like the X-Wing and TIE Fighter games. In those games, you could control all ship movements with the mouse (or joystick). Moving the mouse (or joystick) up-and-down controlled pitch, side-to-side controlled yaw, but holding the right mouse button (or joystick button 2) while moving left or right controlled roll and up and down controlled acceleration and deceleration respectively. The left mouse button (or joystick button 1) fired whichever weapon you had activated, you could change weapons with a keyboard key. This setup worked for me because it let me control everything that was extremely time sensitive (i.e. movement and throttle) with the mouse and put less immediately necessary actions (i.e. weapon changing, power allocation, docking, etc.) on the keyboard where I can operate them with Game Commander. This scheme also allows for more then two weapons on some ships, whereas the current scheme does not.
I think I’m not the only one who would use this scheme, but you could keep the current setup as an option too.
Devs, please respond to this. If things stay as they are, I may be stuck on the ground forever!
Would maneuvering with the mouse alone be enough?
Also, with the mouse controlling the ship’s movement, will the JTL interface ever give me an actual cursor so I can type?
If so, is OnScreen visible while in space? Some programs seem to open “on top of” OnScreen. Luckily, SWG opens “under” it, if I set my resolution to 1024 x 768 and run SWG in Borderless Window mode. If JTL displays differently though, OnScreen might be “covered” when I get in space. Devs, the OnScreen website above has a free demo you can download for testing.
If the answer to these questions is no, I will basically be unable to play in space.
One solution I thought of was to include an option to change the controls to be more like the X-Wing and TIE Fighter games. In those games, you could control all ship movements with the mouse (or joystick). Moving the mouse (or joystick) up-and-down controlled pitch, side-to-side controlled yaw, but holding the right mouse button (or joystick button 2) while moving left or right controlled roll and up and down controlled acceleration and deceleration respectively. The left mouse button (or joystick button 1) fired whichever weapon you had activated, you could change weapons with a keyboard key. This setup worked for me because it let me control everything that was extremely time sensitive (i.e. movement and throttle) with the mouse and put less immediately necessary actions (i.e. weapon changing, power allocation, docking, etc.) on the keyboard where I can operate them with Game Commander. This scheme also allows for more then two weapons on some ships, whereas the current scheme does not.
I think I’m not the only one who would use this scheme, but you could keep the current setup as an option too.
Devs, please respond to this. If things stay as they are, I may be stuck on the ground forever!
Herbsman
Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:02 pm
#2
I think you can bind yaw, roll and all of those keyboard controlled functions to a joystick if it has enough buttons and controllers on it. As for chat, you could get teamspeak or something like it and you won't have to worry about typing. That way you could just be free to enjoy the game. At least I hope so. It would be a shame to see people with disabilities being limited in JTL. My advice, if you don't want to go out and buy a joystick and find out that it doesn't work, is to wait until JTL ships and talk to the people about their experiences with different types of joysticks. I'm sure you will be able to find something that suits your needs. 
JDspeeder1
Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:19 pm
#3
I really appreciate the quick response, Herbs. Unfortunately, I can't use a joystick, I just mentioned it because I didn't want anyone to think I was recommending a control setup that would only work with a mouse. As for Teamspeak, that might work for some situations, but my voice is difficult to understand in person and even worse on the phone (imagine if someone hooked up a helium tank to Vader's respirator and put a clothes-pin on his nose). If I was flying with my guild, they'd be cool about it, but what about strangers?
Herbsman
Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:32 pm
#4
I hope that you can get OnScreen to stay on top of JTL, I am pretty sure that it will seeing as it works in SWG. The devs will most likely have a window mode for JTL as well as SWG. If it doesn't I think you can create a shortcut in windows that will allow you to (alt+tab) with the click of any button on your keyboard for simplicity. Allthough this would be very annoying in space.
As far as keyboard setups goes, I would be very amazed if JTL doesn't ship with a bunch of pre-programmed keyboard layouts. SWG comes with a bunch of the most popular ones and if the one that you like was in a previous starwars space sim then the chances of it being included in JTL must be good. Let's hope so at least 
In the meantime all anyone can do is keep ones fingers crossed and keep this thread bumped in hopes of getting a devs attention.
Oh and if anyone goes to one of those conventions where they're showing off JTL you might wanna drop these questions to someone showing off the game.
Zerorunner
Tue Aug 24, 2004 1:20 pm
#5
Keep bumping this and keep it at the top bud. There has to be some way to have your ships controls all slaved to a mouse, and if there isnt one currently, then the Devs really need to put a way in. See if you cant also PM a correspondant if you dont get an answer here, maybe have them pass this up the food chain to make it gets to the Devs.
JDspeeder1
Tue Aug 24, 2004 1:25 pm
#6
Mattt wrote:
Well I'd imagine the mouse controlling the ship's movement would be toggled, much like you press alt in the ground game to come up with the pointer. This would probably let you select the chat.
I hope so. This would solve 2/3 of my problems. As for remapping the controls to X-Wing style, I thought they might be too different from the standard set to be usable. As for using a multi-button mouse, I don't have one and I'm not sure I could use one.
JDspeeder1
Tue Aug 24, 2004 1:28 pm
#7
Thanks, Zero. I plan to keep at this until I hear from a dev.
yusonge
Tue Aug 24, 2004 1:56 pm
#8
devs respond this is important. i concur with alot of the people that there probably will be multi ways of mapping keys. I jsut wish i could say for certain. Anyways good luck in you crusade to get an answer.
oh and /bump
Decimator02
Tue Aug 24, 2004 2:03 pm
#9
/bump
I highly expect that you will be able to bind keys to simulate some of the previous SW sims, but I hope this thread gets enough attention so that you get an official response.
I highly expect that you will be able to bind keys to simulate some of the previous SW sims, but I hope this thread gets enough attention so that you get an official response.
Yeevle
Tue Aug 24, 2004 2:04 pm
#10
Being a twitch based expansion it is going to be hard. Traditionally twitch is always the person with the fastest reflexes gets the cookie so to speak.
You could always try being the pilot of a yt 1300 or whatever they call those millenium falcon clones. Honestly though, if you have fast reflexes then maybe there is a way to map it to mouse control only, really need a Dev response on that one.
If not then you could try shipwright, we will always need them. You can fly where you want though as long as you are not overt, you could try getting some wingmen along just incase the odd wave of pirates decide to attack.
I don't think the devs responded on the last one though, not in any really helpfull fashion at least.
Zeon_Zaku
Tue Aug 24, 2004 2:12 pm
#11
Bump. Hope the Devs take a look at this soon, this is important.
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