Can't get my MS FFB Sidewinder (joystick) to work

I would love to replay EoC, but cannot get the game to recognize commands from my MS Sidewinder joystick. I end up sitting outside Hoffer's Wake beating my head against the keyboard trying to figure out what's gone wrong.

I'm still on Windows XP (yes, I resist change:)) and I've used the exact joystick before on this very game. I'm almost certain I'm missing something small. Any advice?

Hi Shane,

Long time no hear! I hope things are well with you.

I am not sure of a solution, but all I can offer is the basics...have you set the 'control style' in the options/controls/ link from the main menu? You just set a joystick config there and should be good to go. Likely you just have it set on keyboard. Or, perhaps you already dealt with all this and the issue is more serious...

Welcome back, Sir!

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There is no safe distance

Good to see you guys! How I miss the old gang... we should send out emails and have some sort of ten year reunion.

I'm doing very well Cambragol, and hope you both are as well.

As to the joystick problem, I did have the control style set to joystick, but still nothing. Sad thing is I've done this twice before... when I first bought my Sidewinder I spent a couple of days trying to get to to work with EoC. I finally stumbled upon some small thing I changed that made everything good.

After about three or four years, the trigger wore out. Unbelievably, when calling Microsoft about getting parts, they sent me a brand new one (the next generation of the Sidewinder). Once again I spent a couple of days trying to get it to work since I'd forgotten what I'd done the first time.

And so here we are; third time around. Return to Zero. All that jazz... Perhaps this time I'll write the solution down and put it in the CD case, eh?

Will post updates in the rare chance it could help someone else (or myself in 2016).

Have you tried setting something else as the default joystick in the windows control panel and then back to your joystick?

I also vaguely remember the microsoft joystick getting their own software for calibrations and macros that gave me nightmares with some old games eons ago.