kat5200 - Super Breakout mouse issue

[fiudr]

I just got kat5200 set up. I'm using my Xbox 360 controller for most of the games, and just using the keyboard to select options. That's working fine for most games. But for Gorf and Super Breakout, the controller doesn't work well. I tried messing around with input settings but haven't had much luck getting it to the point where they are playable.

 

So I set up a separate profile for Super Breakout using the mouse. But the mouse stops moving to the right after about 30 seconds - at first I can move left to right, but then it stops about 2/3 to the right like it's hitting an invisible wall. Any idea what could be causing this?

 

I also can't figure out how to delete a profile. Is that possible?

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by fiudr

[fiudr]

Testing more and it gets worse. First it stops around 3/4 to the right after playing for about 15 seconds. Then the more I move the mouse, the more it gets pushed to the left until I can't even move at all and it's stuck to the far left side. No idea why this is happening.

 

I also have issues with the 360 controller in other emulators. ColEm for ColecoVision detects the 360 controller, but as soon as any game starts up, it just moves all the way to the far right. No idea if my 360 controller is just screwy or what. I haven't used it for a long time and it's essentially like new with virtually no use.

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by fiudr

[fiudr]

Really stuck here. I can't get the mouse to work right, and it's the only way I can get breakout playable. The mouse works for a moment and gets stuck more and more to the left until I can't use it. I've tried every setting I can imagine and nothing is changing this behavior.

 

[mr_me]

What's the operating system?  I don't use kat5200 so the only thing I can recommend is a different emulator.  Sometimes when emulators capture mouse movement it gets stuck when the system mouse hits the edge of the system screen.

[fiudr]

Windows 10 64-bit.

Weird because all games run great with my Xbox controller but Super Breakout and the mouse don't get along and I've tried everything.

 

 

[mr_me]

I can only suggest using the Altirra emulator because it's what I use.  You can try asking in the atari 5200 sub-forum.

[eegt97]

19 hours ago, fiudr said:

Windows 10 64-bit.

Weird because all games run great with my Xbox controller but Super Breakout and the mouse don't get along and I've tried everything.

 

 

There is a bug with using the mouse with kat5200, it isn't just you, it will be fixed with the next version, whenever I can get done with it. 

[fiudr]

5 hours ago, eegt97 said:

There is a bug with using the mouse with kat5200, it isn't just you, it will be fixed with the next version, whenever I can get done with it. 

Thanks for the reply. Glad to hear it's not just me and it will be fixed.

 

[MrMaddog]

Super Breakout works better set as a Trackball game & Gorf needs to be set to Simulated Analog.

 

Yeah, KAT5200 does need to have the mouse fixed...

[mr_me]

Does the Super Breakout cartridge support the atari 5200 trakball?  I know Missile Command works with the trakball and I think Centipede and Pole Position cartridges do.  Did any other 5200 cartridges support the trakball.

 

I thought "simulated analog" in kat5200 was for using digital controls (eg dpad, keyboard) for games that used analog control eg. Gorf.  That setting shouldn't be required if using an analog thumb stick.  You can try lowering the analog sensititivity and possibly deadzone settings when using an analog thumbstick.

 

Using an emulator to play a joystick game like super breakout or gorf with a mouse, the emulator has to simulate a joystick with mouse input.  But trakball games should be different.  Does Atari 5200 Missile Command work with a mouse in kat5200?

Edited January 28, 2020 by mr_me

[MrMaddog]

On 1/28/2020 at 7:51 AM, mr_me said:

Does the Super Breakout cartridge support the atari 5200 trakball?  I know Missile Command works with the trakball and I think Centipede and Pole Position cartridges do.  Did any other 5200 cartridges support the trakball.

 

Here's a list of all supported Trakball games on the 5200: https://atariage.com/controller_page.php?SystemID=5200&ControllerID=8

 

The AtariAge version of Tempest also supports the Trakball...

 

Quote

I thought "simulated analog" in kat5200 was for using digital controls (eg dpad, keyboard) for games that used analog control eg. Gorf.  That setting shouldn't be required if using an analog thumb stick.  You can try lowering the analog sensititivity and possibly deadzone settings when using an analog thumbstick.

Simulated Analog is used for games like Gorf & Star Wars that require a non-centering joystick.  Using the Xbox thumbstick which does automatically center, it's hard to keep the ship exactly where you want it because it keeps moving to the middle of the screen. 

 

The option should be off when playing games like Pac-Man so it can be a centering joystick.

 

Quote

Using an emulator to play a joystick game like super breakout or gorf with a mouse, the emulator has to simulate a joystick with mouse input.  But trakball games should be different.  Does Atari 5200 Missile Command work with a mouse in kat5200?

 

A mouse is like an upside down trackball so it should work well with Trakball games.  It doesn't work well with Kat5200 right now but does with Altirra (last time I've used it).

 

Kat5200 will also let you emulate a Trakball using the Xbox thumbstick, which is recommended for Galaxian & Missile Command since auto-centering thumbsticks act funny in those games.

 

Right now I'm using an Xbox controller even for Trakball games (still feels like using an analog joystick but much quicker) but someday I like to get a real trackball controler for my PC to play that stuff.

 

[mr_me]

I found out that unlike other trackball controllers, the Atari 5200 trakball only emulates an analog joystick and does not output quadrature signals like other trackballs.  Therefore a cartridge like atari 5200 missile command only needs to support the analog joystick.  Therefore all cartridges that support analog control automatically support the trakball although it's not necessarily a good idea to use it in all cases.

 

This means an emulator like kat5200 or altirra has to emulate an analog joystick with mouse input in order to control games with a mouse.

[MrMaddog]

Ok, I played around with Altirra this weekend...

 

Yes the 5200 Trak-Ball does output analog joystick signals, the emulator still has to simulate the motion of the trackball itself.  That's why emulators have the Trakball as a seperate controller and only some games work well with it.

 

While you can emulate the joystick with the mouse in Atirra, it's not a good idea it doesn't move well in all directions.

 

Ironically, using a mouse as a joystick to play 5200 Missile Command in Atari Vault (w/ the DLC) works just fine...