Looks Promising

darrent · Post by **darrent** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 4:54 pm

Hi,

This software looks promising. But i cant find my msff 2 install disk

is this required if you are using windows xp?

Regards

Darren

Post by **RussDirks** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:31 pm

Not really. WinXP has all the necessary drivers built in. However there is one nice thing about installing from the CD and that is you get an extra page on your game controllers property sheet to test your joystick forces. Not essential, but comes in handy some times.

If you can't find your CD, you can probably get it off the net. Try www.driverguide.com (requires sign in).

Panther · Post by **Panther** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 6:50 pm

Hi,

after a first short checkride I think this software really can enhance and valorize the flightsim experience with FS2004.
If the remaining 9 rides hold what the first one promised, I will buy the software - although because in most cases I only have a small amount of time playing FS2004, I think 10 free test flights are too little to really tell what FSForce is capable of.

I still have a concern about my joystick (MS FF2): I'm running the joystick under WinXP. Under Win9x, it was possible to adjust the overall strength of all FF effects by the MS Game Controller Software.
The Microsoft Game Controlller Software which came with the joystick as well as the software on the microsoft support homepage (Sidewinder Software Version 3.02) doesn't support WinXP.
On the other hand the Sidewinder FF2 driver which is part of WinXP is not able to adjust the overall strength of the FF effects.
So those effects are generally much weaker than for example under Win9x with the game controller SW installed and stronger effects preset (this is the same with other FF games under WinXP, not only for FS9).

Is there any way to generally strengthen all FF effects of the MS Sidewinder FF2 under WinXP?
Maybe by FSForce itself or by a registry entry, configuration file entry or by another tool?

Regards,
Panther

FaxCap · Post by **FaxCap** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 9:51 pm

Panther wrote:Is there any way to generally strengthen all FF effects of the MS Sidewinder FF2 under WinXP?
Maybe by FS Force itself or by a registry entry, configuration file entry or by another tool?

The e:mail I exchanged with a MS FS2004 team member all became clear
when I heard MS had dropped out of the "joystick" market. They gave me
the usual MS song & dance about how they thought dropping the FF2 force
levels would "improve the stick's subtlety".

In a perfect world the company who made the FF2 sticks for MS would buy
FS Force from Russ and start selling the FF2 themselves!

FaxCap

Panther · Post by **Panther** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 11:01 pm

Thanks for your answer, FaxCap.

So there is no solution to be expected from Microsoft.

Interesting how an insufficient driver implementation suddenly becomes a feature - 'improve the stick's subtlety'

- maybe I will post here again to tell you the time and date I stopped laughing.

Nevertheless, maybe there is another way to change the FF intensity preset of the Sidewinder FF2. Does anyone know?

Post by **RussDirks** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 11:09 pm

I'm running WinXP with MSFF2, and under Game Controller / Properties, I've got a page that allows me to set FF intensity to High, Med, Low or Off. I only got that, though, by installing the 4.0 drivers that came with the joystick. If you no longer have those drivers, you can get them at driverguide.com

FaxCap · Post by **FaxCap** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 2:15 am

Even under Win 2000 Pro I had to have the 4.0 drivers installed.
I didn't care much for the amount of feedback and thought I would just
have to live with it. What really p*ssed me off was the complete lack of
the Self Center function. There were a few times flying different aircraft
when the stick would actually fall over if I let go! These were not MS
aircraft I must admit. Then on other aircraft when I had the FF setting at
the highest level some areas of the aircraft's flight envelope would
produce huge forces.

I'll take FS Force any day over the stock garbage!

FaxCap

howie · Post by **howie** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 4:29 am

Could someone please post the necessary software for the MS FF2. I went to the "driver guide" site but couldn't find the correct file.

Thanks a lot,
Howard

Post by **RussDirks** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 4:52 am

Here you go ...

http://www.dirks-software.ca/downloads/MSFF2_4.zip

Panther · Post by **Panther** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 7:11 am

Hey Russ,

thanks a lot for the tip with the 4.0 Version of the MS drivers!

I looked for them myself before as I heard there might be an unofficial driver release which works under Windows XP, but only found the 4.0 version which is solely for the FF Wheel and not for the FF2 Stick.

Especially with the stronger forces, after a thorough test round with different AC types I think the FS2004 FF effects have improved a lot with FS Force. I have some real-world flying experiences myself (in glider piloting and a few opportunities to steer different small prop planes) and I think this addon really adds a valuable amount of realism to the flightsim.

Needless to say, I just placed my online order for FS Force.

Regards
Martin

howie · Post by **howie** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 7:46 am

Russell,

Thanks a lot for the link for the drivers. Is this the program that will also provide the means to program the buttons on the FF2? I can't locate my original disk and MS no longer supports the product, so I cannot install the program to be able to program the functions.

Thanks again,
Howard

FS FORCE

Looks Promising

Looks Promising

Please post software

FF2 4.0 Drivers work!