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I usually play on Linux PC. I switched to Proton because I was eager to see some upcoming changes, like support, on the public_beta branch. And while this works[1] I was once more flabbergasted how complicated it is to set my desired display resolution of 5760×1200. I’m using a multihead setup with several displays and as usual the game engine would not let me _simply_ set that. Even in windowed mode (I mean I get that this won’t work with fullscreen).

There are several ways to work around this, especially with Proton, but I was looking for the prefs file I know from Linux. I found it in the end in the file compatdata/1781750/pfx/user.reg (that’s like the Windows registry but as plain file read by Wine) where the values are stored as dword under [Software\\StarGoat\\FlyDangerous]. In hex. 

"Screenmanager Resolution Height_h2627697771"=dword:000004b0
"Screenmanager Resolution Width_h182942802"=dword:00001680
"Screenmanager Resolution Use Native_h1405027254"=dword:00000000

So 0780 and 04b0 are in the end 5760 and 1200. And sure enough, on the next game start I get _my_ desired resolution:

Sadly when I change settings in the game this gets overwritten again – so keep a backup around and drop it in again. This may even be added to a script – let’s see how long until this gets on my nerves and I automate that.

For the interested: This is how the same thing looks on the native version in the file ~/.config/unity3d/StarGoat/FlyDangerous/prefs

<pref name="Screenmanager Resolution Height" type="int">1200</pref>
<pref name="Screenmanager Resolution Width" type="int">5760</pref>
<pref name="Screenmanager Resolution Use Native" type="int">0</pref>

Why games|engines in 2023 still seem to have ideas about screen layouts is frankly beyond me.

Update: really eases the pain here as well. See also https://SimPit.dev/games/fly-dangerous/ how to use that with Steam.

[1] Headtracker quick test recordings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13L0GlQyf_Q / https://tube.tchncs.de/w/fTYSUc9fTBmnTLHp2fpW4n

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Scribbles to run a X52Pro as two virtual gamepads via moltengamepad

Put this in ~/.config/moltengamepad/gendevices/x52-pro.cfg

[events="superset" vendor="06a3" product="0762" driver="hid-generic"]

# 06a3:0762
# Options file is license as WTFPL http://www.wtfpl.net/
 
name = "x52_pro_controller"
devname = "x52_"
exclusive = "false"
change_permissions = "false"
flatten = "false"
rumble = "false"
split=2
1.device_type = "gamepad"
2.device_type = "gamepad"
 
# btn_east = "cross", "The cross (X) button"
 
# Event mappings
 
# 1.key(288) = "cross", "Primary fire button"
1.btn_trigger = "left_trigger", "Gun Button Step 1"
# 1.key(302) = "right_trigger", "Gun Button Step 2"
1.btn_trigger_happy15 = "bbb", "Gun Button Step 2"
 
1.btn_thumb2 = "a", "A button"
1.btn_top = "b", "B button"
1.btn_top2 = "x", "C button"
1.btn_thumb = "y", "Safety fire button (Fire 2)"
1.btn_pinkie = "guide"
1.btn_base2 = "button_16"
 
1.abs_x = "left_x", "Left stick X axis"
1.abs_y = "left_y", "Left stick Y axis"
1.abs_rz = "right_x", "Right stick X axis (Z axis)"
1.abs_z = "right_y", "Right stick Y axis (Throttle axis)"
1.abs_hat0x = "leftright", "HAT POV up"
1.abs_hat0y = "updown", "HAT POV right"
1.btn_trigger_happy4 = "right_thumb", "POV2 up"
1.btn_trigger_happy5 = "right_shoulder", "POV2 right"
1.btn_trigger_happy6 = "left_thumb", "POV2 down"
1.btn_trigger_happy7 = "left_shoulder", "POV2 left"
 
2.btn_trigger_happy3 = "left_trigger", "Scrollwheel click"
2.btn_dead = "right_trigger", "Mouse button (click)"
# 2.btn_trigger_happy15 = "x", "I button"
 
2.btn_base = "a", "D button"
# 2.btn_base2 = "b", "E button"
 
2.key(719) = "left_shoulder", "Function button"
2.key(722) = "left_thumb", "Function page up"
2.key(723) = "left_thumb", "Function page down"
2.key(726) = "right_shoulder", "MFD select button"
2.key(724) = "right_thumb", "MFD select button up"
2.key(725) = "right_thumb", "MFD select button down"
 
2.abs(004) = "left_x", "Left stick X axis"
2.abs(003) = "left_y", "Left stick Y axis"
2.abs(040) = "right_x", "Mouse X"
2.abs(041) = "right_y", "Mouse Y"
2.btn_trigger_happy8 = "up", "Throttle POV up"
2.btn_trigger_happy9 = "right", "Throttle POV right"
2.btn_trigger_happy10 = "down", "Throttle POV down"
2.btn_trigger_happy11 = "left", "Throttle POV left"
2.btn_trigger_happy17 = "start_stop", "Start/Stop"
2.btn_trigger_happy18 = "back", "Reset"
 
# Aliases
 
# 1.btn_trigger = "primary"
alias primary a
alias secondary b
alias third x
alias fourth y
 
alias start start_stop
alias select back
alias mode guide
 
alias thumbl left_thumb
alias thumbr right_thumb
 
# right shoulder
alias tr right_shoulder
# right trigger
alias tr2 right_trigger
# left shoulder
alias tl left_shoulder
# left trigger
alias tl2 left_trigger

Run this with moltengamepad --num-gamepads 2 --mimic-xpad and press button on the joystick _first_ and on the throttle _second_ so they get assigned in the correct order.

This should result in two gamepads _and_ the X52Pro so even really braindead games that do only support gamepadS should be able to read this at least in any way.

AntiMicroX showing X52 Hotas mapped to two virtual gamepads

If the game does support only one gamepad consider binding joystick _buttons_ to keyboard presses (e.g. with AntiMicroX instead).

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All that balloon talks going on and I can only think about my odyssey on the weekend to find lumpy 10l of Helium.

We usually buy this in an industrial bottle because the one-time bottles you can get for birthday parties are… meh. In costs, litres and waste of the empty can (litre litter).

The 10l bottle is enough for years and several birthday parties and can be refilled.

So I was puzzled when I went for a refill on Saturday just to find out that my usual dealer doesn’t have any. I was told that their dealer holds deliveries back to provide hospitals first at the moment. This is also going on for ~1.5 years by now.

In the end I found another local dealer who had some in stock but to what cost! 10l for ~122 EUR!

I never bothered to check where Helium is coming from but it all makes sense. It’s basically natural gas and it’s coming from the same deposits that are all in bad supply due to various reasons and it’s used a lot as coolant e.g. for medical equipment.

I guess the next birthday parties will see way less balloons 🎈

Due to circumstances we may have had a very tiny birthday celebration with 4 people in the car today.

Usually I wouldn’t lit a candle in the car but an exception was made.

Picture: a car dashboard with colorful plates and mini cakes.

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Deliver Us The Moon by KeokeN InteractiveKeokeN Interactive (Deliver Us the Moon)
Deliver Us The Moon is a Sci-Fi thriller set in an apocalyptic near future where Earth's natural resources are depleted. In an effort to solve the energy crisis, global powers created the World Space Agency and secured a promising new source of energy on the moon.

Played Deliver Us The Moon on Linux PC. What a ride. Took me 6h 21m to complete and I only left the keyboard twice briefly. The story had me hooked from the very beginning 🤓

Got it on GoG, installed it with Lutris and played it without a hitch or single crash [of the game *cough].

Can recommend. Thrilling, casual puzzles, some sneaking around and very thick atmosphere (without much oxygen at times).

The cat found the heating mat for my office chair. I use this because the room is hardly isolated and it makes no sense to bring the whole room to office temperatures in the freezing winter months.

The mat has 3 different heat settings and is designed for car use, obviously. The important part is the pressure sensor so it stops heating when nobody is sitting on it.

The cat weights enough to trigger that and enjoys it as comfortable spot to nap on now 😜

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Geheimnisvolle Welt des Mittelalters by Karolin KüntzelKarolin Küntzel
Wie sah eine Ritterburg von innen aus? Welche Kleidung trugen die Menschen? Mussten die Kinder damals auch zur Schule gehen? Dieses Sachbuch ab 8 Jahren nimmt Kinder mit auf eine aufregende Reise in die spannende Welt des Mittelalters! Atemberaubende Bilder und packende Texte erwecken die geheimnisvolle Epoche wieder zum Leben.
Geheimnisvolle Welt des Mittelalters

Eyed that for a while already and got this yesterday. It’s a children’s book about medieval times with illustrations by @kristinagehrmann@mastodon.art

It’s not like most children’s books and also has chapters about uncomfortable topics, like the plague, and is apparently not full of Holywood bs.

ISBN: 9783817423545