Author Topic: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of  (Read 2721 times)

Offline ColtTauron

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After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« on: May 10, 2023, 02:17:21 PM »
Hi gang it's dicho..

Saved up for several months to get a high end pc, controllers, etc.. and was keen to get started playing again.  Then life landed on me with very much both feet.  Moms cancer scare (she's 80) and dad's continuing failing health (small dose of dementia, really bad diabetes), and a SURPRISE... hey man we know we gave you a great review and good raise a month ago but your services are no longer needed (along with the rest of my department so it wasn't just me), job search, finding a new job, continual doctors appointments, getting life back to a routine, and so on I FINALLY carved out some time today to at least attempt to get all set up and going. 

Got my oculus set up and in game and managed to get a C47 up and flying around.  Problem 1.  Throttle is reversed, problem 2, joystick would not calibrate so I had to fly it around with a bit of left pressure to keep her level, problem 3 I could not map a controller no matter what I tried with my headset.  BUT I did manage to get her up and back on ground without any missing parts which I consider a win and yes I did pick the 47 because I remembered her being very forgiving to a neophyte.

Sooo.. old friends.. and yes I'll get my dichotomy name recovered soon but I wanted to get this out there before it slipped my mind or I had another dose of my daily emergency from the folks to deal with (not squeaking.. I consider it an honor to be here and take care of them in their later years and I'll be DAMNED if either one of them have to do assisted living as long as I'm alive.  They did a lot for me through my life and a man with honor remembers that and acts accordingly in my opinion).

Soo.. can I just map my controllers in the 2 d game on the desktop because everything I tried in VR was like 'ya no buddy we're not going to do that'.  Can you calibrate your joystick in VR.. I tried and it wouldn't take.  And why the heck is my throttle backwards?

All said and, as frustrating as the journey has been (there's been a lot of Saturdays where I only had the mental energy to reddit, movie, and veg) it was really good to get that think off the 'ground' and back down 'safely'.  No missing parts and all. 

I've got my job down working from home to where I really only have to put in 4 to 5 hours a day and my direct report know it.  We laugh about it daily. I'm smoking the rest of my department in production and sales so he doesn't give a rat diddly as long as my numbers look this good and they will.  Even got a healthy raise last week so I think they want to keep me around and this company isn't run by snake oil salesmen (thank God for foresight... I figured the last gig was a temp job no matter what they told me in meetings so I had apps and resumes a plenty running around on indeed and linkedin).

Anyhoo.. if you guys got some fixes in mind for me.. appreciation as always. 

Dang it felt good to be 'up' again despite the technical issues. 

Offline Drano

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2023, 02:44:57 PM »
Heya Dicho! Thing with the controllers. Easiest one is your throttle. Clipboard/map controllers/. Click on the throttle, check the advanced box. Check the reverse controller box. Click OK and click OK again. That should get your throttle straightened out.

As for the rest of it. In AH there are two separate sets of files (.jsm) for each controller you have in the settings folder. Sroll down towards the bottom. For VR they have a vr_ prefix before the same name. Something like chproductsusbthrottle.jsm and vr_chproductsusbthrottle. Something like that. I'm at work just now and not at my home PC or I'd know exactly. What you can do to cheat a bit is to make a copy of all the "regular" set of those files (ones without the prefix). Rename them, put them in the settings folder and overwrite all of your existing vr_ files. This will put back all of your assignments in VR but you'll still have to calibrate the axii. Make sure you have everything calibrated in windows or whatever you use like CH or logitech first. As long as they all work outside of AH, they should work inside AH but still need to be calibrated in AH. I usually calibrate each axis separately in AH making sure I click OK after each.

I've unfortunately had issues with all of my settings just going poof for no apparent reason (which annoys me to no end in the middle of a FSO frame!) and have put together a zip file of a known good set of all my .jsm files so that if it happens I can just unzip that to the settings folder and be closer to being back in business after calibrating the axii. It's a PITA actually but it works!
"Drano"
80th FS "Headhunters"

S.A.P.P.- Secret Association Of P-38 Pilots (Lightning In A Bottle)

FSO flying with the 412th Friday Night Volunteer Group

Offline JimmyD3

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2023, 03:54:26 PM »
Great to see you back dichotomy, look forward to meeting you in game.  :salute
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Online The Fugitive

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2023, 03:59:01 PM »
The throttle setup is just like Drano said. Click that reverse controller box and save it and your good to go.

Another thing to do is to set a button on your controllers to act as the "left click" and "right click" button mouse button. It is a lot easier to move your head around to "point" the ball at what you want to click and then just click the controller button instead of chasing the mouse around your desk each time.

The controls can be setup like Drano said. Do all of your setups and save them in 2D. Then exit the game, navigate to the setting folder and copy each file with the >jsm. paste them to your desktop and rename each one by adding the VR_ to the front of each. Copy them back into the settings folder and allow the computer to over write each as you drop them in.

Once you have your controllers mapped make a copy of your settings folder and save it someplace like your desktop. That way if you run into trouble you can just put the setting folder back in to replace what ever got messed up. Like Drano said there are some player who lose their setting randomly and this is a quick fix.

Welcome back !!

Offline ColtTauron

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2023, 04:15:02 PM »
Thanks guys... I'll revisit this in the morning and try to do just that.  I really like the idea of setting things up in 2d while I get used to it visually as opposed to 3d.  Really wish now that I'd saved my old AH files.  Getting used to the buttons and where they are instinctively is going to be a challenge. 

Any word on HTC?  Seems from the outside looking in they're kind of in a holding pattern just taking what the game makes them.  This is a great game, possibly to my mind, the best one ever.  I'd love to see them upgrade the graphics and the engines to keep it that way. 

Offline Drano

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2023, 06:45:32 PM »
HTC it's down to just HT these days. And there's another thread about him. He just had surgery on his ticker. So, yeah... Kinda taking what life is giving him!

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

"Drano"
80th FS "Headhunters"

S.A.P.P.- Secret Association Of P-38 Pilots (Lightning In A Bottle)

FSO flying with the 412th Friday Night Volunteer Group

Offline ColtTauron

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2023, 05:58:42 AM »
Damn... I knew something was up with him but didn't know the details.  This is a GREAT game.  If he could get some geeks to upgrade it I could see it living for the foreseeable future

Offline Eagler

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2023, 07:43:37 AM »
Welcome back!

AH has enough visuals for me

Sure the eye candy looks great in dcs if you have the system to show it but AH is just the right combination of detail and functionality that allows just about any system to run it at enjoyable frame rates imo

Concentrating on getting the right map setup/size for the number of subs would go farther for more enjoyable gameplay than prettier images imo

Eagler
« Last Edit: May 11, 2023, 07:48:02 AM by Eagler »
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Offline Dichotomy

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2023, 12:06:21 PM »
Points I won't disagree with,  and ya I recovered my name today while I was on hold, I'm just saying that newer players demand more 'realism' and better graphics than AH has right now but yes different terrains and maps would, as I recall, a welcome change. 

I also wrote out on controller maps where I wanted my stuff assigned to.  When I get done with this meeting at 1 I'll get that done.   
JG11 - Dicho37Only The Proud Only The Strong AH Players who've passed on :salute

Offline oboe

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2023, 12:36:11 PM »
Welcome back, Dichotomy!

Hitech has added a handful of new maps recently which you might appreciate:

'etoma'
'3Points'
'Atoll'
'Badlands'
'crags'                 
'blacksea'

Offline Dichotomy

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2023, 05:53:09 PM »
Thanks Oboe.. tried to map all my controllers today and, once I got them on the buttons I 'thought' I wanted them on I was like 'no no no... I no likey this' so we'll try again tomorrow.  Not in a rush let's just hope another tragedy isn't around the corner.  Got to send Dale an email this weekend and see if my old handle is still okay to use or up for grabs of if I'm going to have to settle for 'ColtT' or 'LaneAlbus'. 

Fingers crossed for no more roadkill to fall on me guys LOL. 
JG11 - Dicho37Only The Proud Only The Strong AH Players who've passed on :salute

Offline nopoop

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2023, 06:55:41 PM »
Just go to the O club and change your handle. If no one is using it, its yours.

But there is but one nopoop..
nopoop

It's ALL about the fight..

Offline Dichotomy

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2023, 04:39:54 PM »
okay I 'think' I've got my settings right for VR *fingers crossed* did a couple of flights in a goon to test them out in 2d then did as instructed above to get them into VR but what happens if I make a change in VR?  Will need to copy that file if it doesn't crash back into my desktop folder and it will hold.  Just waiting for my headset to charge up to take my first real maiden flight in VR.  Probably goon it again then try a few rounds with my beloved 'Dora'.

Edit:

I did my first full on 'flight' in VR where most of the buttons were where I remembered setting them.  Goon first off course.  Just a simple fly around the base and a landing.  It went well. Then upped a Dora.  'where the hell are my drones dammit?  I want to try to shoot something' got distracted and ate some trees. Well fudge.  Figured out the drones and went up again.  Got two 17's and a Pony before I ran out of ammo. LOVE the reticle moving with my head.  I can see how some people could find it distracting but it seems to help my aim.  Now if I could just quit 'bouncing' when I get in range. That as always a problem.  I'm not complaining though.  Out of the 4 planes I upped I landed 3 of them and even did a refuel and rearm for the hell of it.  The BEST part was I was in the cockpit for about 45 minutes and not a hint of 'simulator sickness' which is what knocked me out of the game the first time.  I got to where I couldn't even play offline for 15 minutes without getting a blinding headache and nausea so bad I had to lay down.  All I got was a little eye strain and I'll be putting my order in for prescription lenses Monday to address that situation. 

It's taken a long time guys and I'm so grateful to all of you for your patience and continual advice I can't express.  Month or so offline, some time in the TA, then see if JG11 will take me back :)
« Last Edit: May 13, 2023, 06:21:02 PM by Dichotomy »
JG11 - Dicho37Only The Proud Only The Strong AH Players who've passed on :salute

Offline Drano

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2023, 06:56:57 PM »
When I had a RiftS I could use the pause tracking command to freeze my head position in the right place for shooting. It doesn't work anymore but that I have a G2 in WMR. Hitting that command now screws up the game and puts a spinning hourglass in the headset. Dunno what it is, assume that command means something to WMR that wasn't a thing with Oculus.

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"Drano"
80th FS "Headhunters"

S.A.P.P.- Secret Association Of P-38 Pilots (Lightning In A Bottle)

FSO flying with the 412th Friday Night Volunteer Group

Offline Dichotomy

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Re: After about 16 months I'm back.. sort of
« Reply #14 on: May 13, 2023, 07:17:12 PM »
LOL.. got the same thing today just trying stuff out.  My next challenge is going to be remembering what the heck I set to what button.  Took me 4 tries to find autopilot level in which I shut off my engine, deployed my gear, pulled up the map, and shut the dang engine off again. 

I DO need to figure out how to turn the oculus handsets off and just use my mouse though.  The handsets are a pain in the butt and run the risk of spilling my beer (that has happened twice).  A buddy of mine and I designed and built this 'desktop' that fits into the cupholders on my chair https://imgur.com/B2lyHyG. Black covering is the soft side of velcro and I've got the 'teeth' in the bottom of my controllers.  So.. getting out of it to clean up a spilled beer or evacuate my bladder is a bit of a pain in the posterior  :rofl  That said the controllers, a keyboard, and a mouse, fit very nicely.  Gotta toss some 'teeth' side of velcro on the bottom of my pedals because they slip around too much on that old rotten rug under my chair.  Seriously looking forward to remodeling my loft late this year. 
JG11 - Dicho37Only The Proud Only The Strong AH Players who've passed on :salute