Gamepad inputs not recognized

[jessica-carreras-26]

• version: 0.8.1.1 (windows x64)
• game: Vampires Dawn v1.33 (German, Windows)
• OS: Windows
• gamepad: Hama Black Force Pad (USB)

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Description

Gamepad inputs are not recognized by EasyRPG Player, even though in the F1-menu gamepad buttons are configured (default settings).

What I tried already

• update EasyRPG Player to latest stable release
• search for related issues
• check gamepad driver and re-calibrate gamepad buttons in windows control panel
• start game classically without EasyRPG player via RPG_RT.exe -- gamepad works flawlessly
• start game via RetroArch using RPG Maker 2000/2003 (EasyRPG) core -- gamepad works flawlessly

[Ghabry]

Hi. Does this Gamepad work in any other modern Windows games? Most AA/AAA games from the last 10 years should be feasible for a test here. (please don't launch the game through Steam because Steam has its own Gamepad-Mapper built-in)

Try your Gamepad on this Website and post a screenshot:

https://hardwaretester.com/gamepad

[jessica-carreras-26]

I don't own games from the last 10 years, so I cannot help with that, sorry. On hardwaretester, all gamepad buttons seemed to react expectedly. For some reason, rumbling is not detected, but in the gamepad's driver settings under windows control, rumbling works flawlessly.

[Ghabry]

I think the problem here is that the controller does not support the "new" (since 2010) XInput input standard.

For simplicity we use the SDL2 (the library we use for rendering and input) Gamepad API. This one only supports XInput controller and DirectInput controllers from a built-in mapper but your controller is likely not in the database. (such a mapper is necessary because for DirectInput controllers its completely arbitrary which button number is e.g. "A").

There are various ways to still make it work:

1. I never used this before but this is likely the least invasive: https://generalarcade.com/gamepadtool/ This tool can generate an environment variable to add new mappings to SDL2 applications. (you set the env var and then run the Player)
2. Use something like https://www.x360ce.com This software can create a Virtual XInput GamePad and translate the inputs from your Gamepad
3. Play with RetroArch as they support DirectInput (thats the old API)
4. Run EasyRPG Player as a "Non-Steam-Game" through Steam. Steam does some magic through "Steam Input" to improve the Controller support (though considering you have no current games I don't expect that you have a Steam account)

[jessica-carreras-26]

In RetroArch, the configuration uses sdl2 as input driver, and xinput as controller driver, with the gamepad working flawlessly. If the gamepad did not support them, that would be rather weird.

Thank you for providing alternative solutions, I'll stick with RetroArch+EasyRPG for now, and would consider the issue closed.

[Ghabry]

@jessica-carreras-26 we are currently moving to SDL3.

Can you quickly check if the SDL3 version available here helps with the gamepad detection:

https://easyrpg.org/downloads/tmp/PlayerHW.zip