BoS Needs to Recognize Joysticks & Controllers by Name, Not Number

[SharpeXB]

Currently BoS (and RoF) only recognizes joysticks or game controllers by their generic Windows assignment number; joy1, joy2 etc.

The problem with this is that every time any device is disconnected from the PC, even if the joysticks and controllers remain connected, these joystick numbers will change. Windows recognizes mouses, some keyboards and maybe other devices as "joysticks" which makes any change to any devices problematic.

Even the devices that remain connected are renumbered.

Also it's also possible that Windows updates can reassign the numbers. They can change spontaneously with no action at all it seems. And the joy #s don't replicate the order in which devices are connected so simply replugging them in isn't a solution. Possibly Windows 10 is more prone to reassign than W7 was.

The only recourse is to just redo all the assignments in the game and it gets incredibly tedious doing this repeatedly especially since there are so many complex assignments, each plane with its own flaps control etc.

 

Other games and sims have the ability to recognize the controllers by name "Logitech 3D Pro" or "CH Pro Throttle" obviously because Windows knows this name. BoS should be changed to work like this as well to spare it's players all the work of constantly reassigning controllers.

 

An improvement in this regard is desperately needed.

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

True, i have to do it after uprgade to win8.1, but i did found a dirty workaround by finding and replacing with place holder Joys entrys in one file located in INPUT directory

Edited October 15, 2015 by tomcatqw

[SharpeXB]

True, i have to do it after uprgade to win8.1, but i did found a dirty workaround by finding and replacing with place holder Joys entrys in one file located in INPUT directory

I saw that solution. The trouble is you have to redo each one individually. It's easier to just use the Settings Menu in-game.

[SharpeXB]

Looks like this is a Windows 10 issue.

 

http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/index.php/topic/8282-need-solution-windows-keeps-changing-joystick-numbers/

[TG-55Panthercules]

Looks like this is a Windows 10 issue.

 

http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/index.php/topic/8282-need-solution-windows-keeps-changing-joystick-numbers/

 

Well, only partially a Windows 10 issue.  

 

I had a terrible time in RoF when I was testing several different FFB joysticks a while back trying to find a good one.  I was setting up separate profile/control settings for each different type of stick (since obviously their button and controls layouts were different), thinking all I'd have to do was load in the new profile for whichever stick model I was testing, but of course every time I would change to another joystick the device numbering would change and all my settings would be trashed and have to be redone (this was on Windows 8.1).  Your suggestion to have the game recognize controllers by name instead of number would have really helped me with that, so I hope it is something the devs could at least consider.

[SharpeXB]

It was always the case with Windows I think that it assigned those numbers. And if you kept them connected they would stay assigned. I ran RoF and BoS for years without ever having to remap them. Now Windows 10 is the only new element in the equation and now the stick numbers can change by themselves sometimes with every restart. I tried every fix with no success.

http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/18442-bos-keeps-reassigning-joystick-numbers/page-1?do=findComment&comment=289425

 

Star Citizen has the same trouble

http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/index.php/topic/8282-need-solution-windows-keeps-changing-joystick-numbers/

 

1CGS needs to change the mapping menu to be like DCS where the controllers can't get lost because the game remembers their name.

 

BoS and RoF are unusable for me now so I'll be over on DCS until this is fixed.

Edited October 17, 2015 by SharpeXB

[TG-55Panthercules]

Well, sounds like another reason to be glad I haven't "upgraded" to Windows 10 yet - at least my assignments are staying stable on Win 8.1 as long as I don't unplug anything.

 

If I can just keep MS from sneaking in a covert upgrade even though I've told it not to every way I can find to do so, I should be OK for a while longer.

[SharpeXB]

I got a reply from Microsoft support to try reinstalling the USB Controllers Drivers in device manager. So I'm going to try removing all of them and reinstalling. Let's see if that works.