rec.autos.simulators

Against overwhelming odds, and through sheer persistence and
determination, I was able to sneak the Sidewinder gameport software V.
3.02 past Windows XP and install it.  As currently configured, the
Sidewinder gameport wheel now  works reasonably well even in its alien
XP USB environment. Some buttons work and some don't, and the mouse
cursor is still jerky in the options screen, but that's OK by me since
all I really want to do is accelerate and steer and not much else. I
tested and calibrated the wheel in Control Panel and everything works,
but the NFS Porsche Unleashed program does not recognize all buttons,
only some of them.

However, not having used FF before, I'm not sure if I'm getting force
feedback or not. When I push the FF button on, the wheel whips around
briefly with a quarter turn backlash and noticeably stiffens. However,
when actually cruising, I don't feel the gravel surface and tire
burning and the bumps and all the other good stuff that force feedback
is supposed to give me. I've even tried crashing the Porche into
concrete walls, and I don't feel the wheel vibrating like its supposed
it. I know how a *** feels and this wheel is not vibrating, its
just stiffening <g>. Is it just me or is it my oddball gameport/XP
combination that is denying me these wonderful FF special effects?

My next move is to get a MS FF USB joystick. Are they any good for
auto sim?

Finally, I'm 54 - am I too old for this?

Thanks, all for the wonderful responses.

ftt

You're really playing with fire here...

The driver model that the 3.02 software uses is not really supported in
Win2K/XP, and I can't help but think it's going to cause you grief somewhere
else.

The 3.02 software uses the old VXD driver model, which is a no-no under
2K/XP.

However, just for technical sake, I would be interested in how you got it to
install at all.  This is the first I've ever heard of anyone being
successful at it (for good reason) :)

At a minimum, I would expect it to cause you problems (possibly) with
shut-down, APM, sleep, hybernation and APCI.

And who knows what else... :)

-Larry

If you're breathing, which you obviously are, you're not too old

Beers and cheers
(uncle) Goy

http://www.theuspits.com

"A man is only as old as the woman he feels........"
--Groucho Marx--