Request to add a second mouse on the ao486 core

[wark91]

Hi,

The second mouse is used in some games like "The Settlers 1" when you want to play two players.
I saw it is done for miniming core.

Thanks !

[ToothbrushThreepwood]

Is this implemented for the minimig on mister? I knew it was implemented for the minimig on other systems like the TC64, and I was hoping it would get implemented on the mister some day, but didn’t know it had been. When did that happen?
In that case you can just play the amiga version of the settlers. Implemting two-mouse support for the pc version on the ao486 core might be a bit more tricky than on the minimig, since the settlers pc version used the ps/2 port for mouse 1 and the com-port for mouse 2, iirc.

[Coffea]

I wouldn't even want to try getting this to work on real hardware *side-eyes the evil 486DX50 under her desk*

[wark91]

Sorry I made a mistake. It is a mouse wheel added miniming core on Mister lately.
I didn't know The Settlers is also available on Amiga.

[ToothbrushThreepwood]

The pc-version is port of the original amiga version from 68k assembly to x86 assembly language - so they’re identical except for the music. You’ll like that version as well.

However, with the ao486 getting buffed up by FPGAzumspass these days, it’s probably capable of running The Settlers 2, which supported the same two-mouse split screen multiplayer. So your request for two-mouse input on the MiSTer still has a point
I guess it’ll come in due time - until then you can use software emulators like dosbox, winuae or retroarch that all support two-mouse input.

[Caldor]

I played the Settlers 1 a lot on my Amiga back in the day, and did manage to play it on my PC as well later on, two player split screen.

I remember it was a bit problematic to get two mouse working at the same time. Not really sure what I did to make it work, but it did and we could even use the VESA mode, which the Amiga did not have. It was specific for the DOS version.

But also, in DOS I could use Game Wizard to speed up the game, which comes in very handy in The Settlers.

[ToothbrushThreepwood]

I played the Settlers 1 a lot on my Amiga back in the day, and did manage to play it on my PC as well later on, two player split screen.

I remember it was a bit problematic to get two mouse working at the same time. Not really sure what I did to make it work, but it did and we could even use the VESA mode, which the Amiga did not have. It was specific for the DOS version.

But also, in DOS I could use Game Wizard to speed up the game, which comes in very handy in The Settlers.

It’s amazing how determined the devs were to make the PC version of The Settlers 1 support 2-mice input like it had on the amiga original, when the PC hardware was so much trickier to do it on than the amiga.
The Settlers 1 & 2 on PC supported a second mouse for player 2, but only a serial mouse connected to a free com-port. Player 1 was controlled by the mouse through the regular system driver (typically a PS/2 back then, but could also be a primary serial mouse). I think both games had their own internal “driver” to pick up and translate the inputs from the free com-port. I remember my dad bought a clunky PS/2-to-com-adaptor that looked more like a plumbing device, but it worked.
Even today, if you want it to work in emulators, you need to forward the raw input to the emulator’s com-port. I haven’t tried it, but I think somebody made it work with two usb-mice (multimice library, I think it was called), so you don’t have to dig out your old serial mouse from the attic.

Edit:
A bunch of games on Amiga (and other non-PC systems) supported two-mouse multiplayer, but on PC, The Settlers I & II were the only ones to do it.
So it makes sense to add a support for a second mouse on the MiSTer, for the Mimimig (and maybe other cores too, like Atari ST) to use as an additional mouse input. The core should natively support the input, so the input just needs to get to it. So this should be doable (the software emulators for Amiga and ST seem to support it, but I haven’t tried it).
On the ao486 it’s probably not worth trying to convert a USB input to serial mouse timings on an emulated com-port just for split-screen multiplayer in Settlers I & II.

[Caldor]

Someone suggested in another thread to add SNAC support for AO486, to make it capable of having a COM2 port. I am thinking that would allow for using two mouse at the same time, since this is how the DOS machines did it for Lemmings, Settlers and Settlers 2? If it was done that is.

[ToothbrushThreepwood]

Someone suggested in another thread to add SNAC support for AO486, to make it capable of having a COM2 port. I am thinking that would allow for using two mouse at the same time, since this is how the DOS machines did it for Lemmings, Settlers and Settlers 2? If it was done that is.

I don’t know SNAC, but that sounds awesome. Com-ports would open up compatibility for a ton of old stuff.
Are you sure Lemmings supported 2-mouse 2-player on PC? I never tried it myself back in the day, and google seems to suggest it only supported it on amiga and atari ST.

[Caldor]

Someone suggested in another thread to add SNAC support for AO486, to make it capable of having a COM2 port. I am thinking that would allow for using two mouse at the same time, since this is how the DOS machines did it for Lemmings, Settlers and Settlers 2? If it was done that is.

I don’t know SNAC, but that sounds awesome. Com-ports would open up compatibility for a ton of old stuff.
Are you sure Lemmings supported 2-mouse 2-player on PC? I never tried it myself back in the day, and google seems to suggest it only supported it on amiga and atari ST.

True... its only Amiga that supports it for Lemmings. Is it possible with the Minimig emulator to use two mouse?

[ToothbrushThreepwood]

Someone suggested in another thread to add SNAC support for AO486, to make it capable of having a COM2 port. I am thinking that would allow for using two mouse at the same time, since this is how the DOS machines did it for Lemmings, Settlers and Settlers 2? If it was done that is.

I don’t know SNAC, but that sounds awesome. Com-ports would open up compatibility for a ton of old stuff.
Are you sure Lemmings supported 2-mouse 2-player on PC? I never tried it myself back in the day, and google seems to suggest it only supported it on amiga and atari ST.

True... its only Amiga that supports it for Lemmings. Is it possible with the Minimig emulator to use two mouse?

You mean the minimig core?
I haven’t tried, but I think so. I don’t think the amiga cared if it had a mouse or joystick plugged in, so if you just provide the input to the core I’m guessing it should work. Or you can just use joystick for player 2 in Settlers 1 on the amiga as with most multiplayer games on it. Getting the linux side to handle the second mouse input is the only challenge on the minimig.
The minimig on the TC64 supports it (but the C64 doesn’t, so you have to wait to connect the second mouse until after booting up, or the C64 will recognize the input as keyboard keys being pressed and refuse to boot until they’re released).

[Caldor]

I don’t know SNAC, but that sounds awesome. Com-ports would open up compatibility for a ton of old stuff.
Are you sure Lemmings supported 2-mouse 2-player on PC? I never tried it myself back in the day, and google seems to suggest it only supported it on amiga and atari ST.

True... its only Amiga that supports it for Lemmings. Is it possible with the Minimig emulator to use two mouse?

You mean the minimig core?
I haven’t tried, but I think so. I don’t think the amiga cared if it had a mouse or joystick plugged in, so if you just provide the input to the core I’m guessing it should work. Or you can just use joystick for player 2 in Settlers 1 on the amiga as with most multiplayer games on it. Getting the linux side to handle the second mouse input is the only challenge on the minimig.
The minimig on the TC64 supports it (but the C64 doesn’t, so you have to wait to connect the second mouse until after booting up, or the C64 will recognize the input as keyboard keys being pressed and refuse to boot until they’re released).

Yeah, the TC64 is a bit special in that regard. Also something about the C64 joystick ports did not have enough power for an Amiga mouse, so that was a bit of a problem. I guess they solved it in an update or something.

But with the MiSTer I suspect the problem with be to make two USB mouse not get detected as the same mouse.