New Install Issues

[xmech]

Hello,

Running Vista 64 and discovered a new layer of protection in my OS that held me up for a time. By right clicking on the MechVM app, I discovered that Vista had blocked it from operating (at all). Once I enabled it installed fine using DOS version of MW2.

I've noticed several oddities and errors that I thought I'd call to your attention.

1. When I turn the music down to zero volume, that setting is retained when I zone or exit the game, yet music is restored to the default volume level anyway. If I move the slider up and back down, music volume resets - temporarily.
2. The Y key and Z key inputs from my keyboard are reversed when I type at the Sibko Roster screen.
3. The graphics are simply awful. Basically all I am seeing are colored polygons. Is there a setting or a executeable in the VM that a need to set/run to fix this?
4 and 5 relate to the Joystick. I managed to find a default joystick setting the game liked (MS Sidewinder (Ch Pro Mode)) which in turn allowed it to see mine (Thrustmaster T-Flight Stick X) and when I callibrated in game (before first training mission), it read the inputs properly. Problem 4: During that first mission although it took time to figure out what was happening, I finally caught on that something in the interface was switching the input streams from the rudder and the throttle (That was confusing!). I'm not talking about inverting axes, but the rudder inputs were controlling the throttle of my mech and the throttle control on the joystick was controlling the torso twist. To test this, I then went into custom setup and switched the settings in the game for these two and then the rudder controlled torso twist and the throttle properly controlled speed. There is clearly an error in one of the mapping files for the joystick. Problem 5: The program seemd to be reading far more signals/inputs than my movements can acount for. My joystick is quite solid and I could sit it on my heavy desk, with the stick naturally centered, and watch the mech dance around erratically. Is there a way to calm the inputs or settle down the input stream?

Thank you for making this VM available to the larger community and supporting it. Also the advice on which version to purchase is itself highly valuable.

[Skyfaller]

For the joystick axis problems, edit input.map after making a backup of the file.

For the graphics problems, can you post a screenshot so we can see what is bothering you? Please consider that the game was released in 1995.

Sorry, no idea about the other problems.

[xmech]

Here is what I've learned and tried.

On the input.map edit, all that did was undo the reversing of the rudder and throttle config changes I had made in the game to correct the problem.

Based on the number of problems, I decided to abandon MechVM and go straight DOSBOX-.74 to see what happened and compare. In DOSBOX the keyboard error with Y and Z keys no longer occured so that was a MechVM issue. After several attempts to get the joystick detected and the erratic extraneous joystick movements worked out, I determined that DOSBOX was better than MechVM, but not good enough to play.

Then I tried an install using a frontend, D-Fend Reloaded and configured the joystick through its panel (auto detect, flipped axis 3 and 4, and timed inputs for the axes). Using this setup, I was able to us the joystick as designed with the exception of the hat switch. Given that the joystick itself, rudder, and throttle work, there are no extra jerky moves from extra joystick inputs, and the keyboard inputs are correct, I consider this a win. Not tried to configure the joystick buttons yet.

Hopefully this will give 64-bit users who have problems with the game another avenue to explore.

BTW, I used SlySoft's CloneCD 21-day trial to make the disk image.

Have fun out there. xmech