JOYSTICK PROBLEM FIXED

[amylander]

Hi everyone, first post here, long-time lurker. I, like many others, have been pulling my hair out trying to get my joystick recognized in CloD Blitz. After trying every "fix" I could find in the web without success, I tried something I used in iL-2 1946, and BINGO. My problem, (and probably yours, if you're reading this) is that I have too many controllers connected to my system, and it's not feasible to plug and unplug them for every different sim I fly. To wit, my "Simpit" has no less than 9, yes 9 controllers attached to two USB hubs, plus 3 Saitek panels. These include TM HOTAS Warthog stick and throttle, Saitek Yoke/throttle quad, two separate Saitek throttle quads, a CH throttle quad, CH Pro Pedals, and two Saitek trim wheels. Why so many? Because I like to use the right controllers for the aircraft I'm flying. That's it. I can't stand to fly a Spitfire with a yoke and a 6 axis quadrant on my right hand. I'd also hate to fly a B-17 with a joystick and a 3 (or 1) axis throttle on my left. I'm just picky that way. So the problem seems to be that the sim only recognizes a limited number of controllers, and then it stops looking. Just like in iL-2 1946, where the limit was 4 controllers. Windows orders, and assigns numbers to your controllers every time you reboot your system, or plug/unplug USB controllers. After Windows 7, these numbers are reassigned in a seemingly random way after each reboot. This is why all of your controllers had to be re-mapped and reconfigured after every startup. Not practical at all. You spend more time doing that than actually flying. On my setup, it's completely unworkable. You can't assign the controller numbers, windows does it, and it does it differently every time. This is a huge problem. Until I understood this, I had basically stopped flying sims after WIN7 because of this issue. And I've been flying flight sims since 1990.
Enter this little gem of a program by Brian Kendall: DEVREORDER https://github.com/briankendall/devreorder
In a nutshell, what this program is is a DLL that starts with whatever sims/games you choose (or your whole system) and lets YOU decide what number/order your controllers are assigned, and this is the important part - YOUR ASSIGNMENTS STICK! They remain the same after each reboot, no matter what you plug or unplug, and you decide the order they are recognized in for each different sim, or for your whole system if you only want one configuration. There are 32 and 64 bit dinput8.DLLs, that you copy into the folder with the game's executable file, along with an .ini file (just a text file that you type in the ordering you want). If this sounds complicated, I promise it is not. It's super-easy. Type your controiller priority into one file, then copy and paste that and the right DLL into the game folder. That's it. Read the directions carefully first, but it really is that easy. There is an example .ini file for you to use, just change the controller names to yours, and rock and roll.
For the sake of completeness, before doing this, I plugged my warthog stick into a MOBO USB port, rather than a hub ( that didn't help, and I really don't think it matters one way or the other with DEVREORDER.) I also used the last method of installing DEVREORDER, where you use it to affect your whole system rather than just one game at a time. It's easier to just use the one game at a time install, so you may try that first. Really just copy and paste, where the whole system method takes a little doing with your system diinput8.dll file, but again, no big deal. - note - there is one issue with TrackIR you can read on the "issues" tab on the download site. Just makes one small change in the installation (makes it easier) to avoid the TrackIR issue. This is only if you do the 'whole system' method.
As I said, I have used DEVREORDER in iL-2 1946 to overcome the 4 controller limit in that sim as well. DEVREORDER won't make the sim recognize more controllers than before, but the key thing is that you get to prioritize which of your controllers are first in line to BE recognized, and that makes all the difference. In CloD Blitz, put your joystick first, say rudder pedals second, throttle third, and then I've got an elevator trim wheel fourth. After that, it's just gravy. I'm not sure what the limit in CloD Blitz is, I'm guessing 6 or so. But if your joystick is number 7 in line, the sim will never even see it. You can prove this to yourself by unplugging everything else except your stick, starting the sim, and seeing that CloD Blitz likes yous stick just fine, as long as it can see it. I've been using DEVREORDER for maybe 9 months or so, not the first hiccup of any kind in it's operation, no viruses, no nothing. once you put it in, it is literally transparent. You don't even need to start it, or think about it ever again, except to say"I'm so glad to have found that little program!" Thank you Brian, thank you, THANK YOU!
Good luck, and I'd love to hear how everyone gets along.
Regards,
Ghostrider9667/Andrew

[RoadHouse]

Well you sure did a lot of work to post this. Thanks for the effort will check it out.

[69th_Spiritus]

Thanks for posting your efforts, glad you are up and running.

[amylander]

Thanks guys, hope it helps. One recommendation I’d make is this - don’t use the “whole system” installation method because a) you lose the flexibility to have different controller priorities in different games, and b) I experienced the aforementioned TrackIR issue, which is easy to fix, but it does whack your TrackIR.

[RAF74_Buzzsaw]

Also please see this post:

https://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23995&highlight=Devreorder

[jacrowd]

Finally downloaded cliffs of dover blitz-starts and everything!! It seems as though one needs a college degree to set it up. I would think that some controls are defaulted-like-joystick flt controls-triggger button and throttle and hat switch. Not so in this one. Is there something I did wrong or a patch or something needed? I have a thrustmaster joystick that works just fine in one of the best com flt sims made (Microsoft flt sim 2 Europe Series). Dual booted to 10/XP just so I could continue to play it. I am sure that there are no Win 10 flt sims are in the pipeline as most millenials think WW2 is a spray on lubricant or something. Of course no instructions were provided with game.

[69th_Spiritus]

Like I said in the other thread, enough with the generation bashing. As a millennial myself, I'm tired of it.

Regarding controls, I'd recommend deleting any default commands and going through the controls and seeing what you would actually use the most. There are tons of threads about controls.ini files on ATAG, BoX, and ACG forums. I'd start there.

[jacrowd]

Thank you for the tip

[Spotter]

In my humble, and experienced opinion, COD: Blitz, has some pretty piss poor coding, that doesn't allow for HOTAS right out the box. Inexcusable in today's multi-controller flight sims.
So now I'll spend a couple of hours making a file for my X52-Pro HOTAS, test it out, and see if that gets me where the game should have been from the start.

[69th_Spiritus]

Point at options, click on it. Point at controls, click on it. Then under the drop down tab, point at which secetion you want/need and click on it. Then at the top, you can point and click on either the Keys/Axes depending on if you want to set something up for buttons or sliders or a joystick/rudder/throttle.

Once you are finished, save as and name it, and save it inside the proper folder, not anywhere else. Then apply. If you want to back it up, then open those folders up and copy/paste it.

[amylander]

Um... It IS as easy as I said. Copy and paste a file, name the controllers you want in the sim. Think you can handle that? If not, I don't know what to tell you.

[Wulfgaar]

i have a x56 Rhino Joystick and in in Windows Config is all ok.
but wen i start IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover Blitz and go im options/control,
the joystick opions are blank.
i can not chane any options.
Please fix it.

THX

[Artie40776]

I'm having problems with my controls too .. I set up the stick and buttons as I want them and when I get into the game and flip my top hat switch for a view I set up .. it shuts off my engine and I lose the settings ? everything in the options control pages look fine .. very weird

[69th_Spiritus]

DD_Artie, sounds like you have a button assigned to two different controls.

[Pumpkin]

I just (finally!) put in a water cooler, and of course I didn't get all the damn USBs in the same spots AND CloD forgot every damn thing we've ever been through 🙄 Kind of BS for 2020!

[Thomas3D]

Originally posted by Wulfgaar:

i have a x56 Rhino Joystick and in in Windows Config is all ok.
but wen i start IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover Blitz and go im options/control,
the joystick opions are blank.
i can not chane any options.
Please fix it.

THX

I ALSO HAVE the Logitech X56, it is not listed in the joystick options, please correct it...!!!!!!!!!