9 votes

DOSbox help for a noob - mouse doesn't work at all

First, forgive me for I am a first time DOSbox user. My O/S is Windows 10 home 64-bit

I went to old games and grabbed Doom & Doom II. I use to play these quite a bit and remember them fondly. I did the easy setup which added DOSbox 0.74 and the game. It loads up and runs just like I remember with the keyboard, just no mouse.

I did searching online, but the only solutions seem to be making sure autolock=true in the config file, and using cntl-F10 to capture the mouse. Toggling cntl-F10 does seem to grab the mouse in that the cursor disappears, but the mouse still will not function in either full screen or windowed mode.

I seem to be missing something obvious, but for the life of me I just don't see it. I'm reasonably computer savvy, but feeling stupid at the moment.

Any advice would be appreciated. TIA

Edit: Forked over the 5 bucks and went with the Steam version. Works perfectly.
Thank you everyone for your advice.

10 comments

  1. [6]
    Thoughtninja
    Link
    It's been a long time but there may be a setting in both Doom's options menu that enables mouse verses keyboard for movement and firing. I'd have to check mine when I'm on my lunch break to be sure.

    It's been a long time but there may be a setting in both Doom's options menu that enables mouse verses keyboard for movement and firing. I'd have to check mine when I'm on my lunch break to be sure.

    2 votes
    1. [5]
      Wickawild
      Link Parent
      Not sure what updating they have done for these games but growing up these games never used a mouse. IIRC it was all keyboard playing these games

      Not sure what updating they have done for these games but growing up these games never used a mouse. IIRC it was all keyboard playing these games

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        PelagiusSeptim
        Link Parent
        Keyboard may have been the default back then, but mouse look was available even when doom first came out

        Keyboard may have been the default back then, but mouse look was available even when doom first came out

        3 votes
        1. Wafik
          Link Parent
          Not even. When installing the original Doom it would give you the option to select what input method you wanted to use. There was no default and the instruction book recommended using the mouse.

          Not even. When installing the original Doom it would give you the option to select what input method you wanted to use. There was no default and the instruction book recommended using the mouse.

          3 votes
      2. Thoughtninja
        Link Parent
        Doom has had mouse support even from the very beginning surprisingly. My earliest memory of playing it was with mouse and keyboard the year or year after it came out at my cousin's house. This...

        Doom has had mouse support even from the very beginning surprisingly. My earliest memory of playing it was with mouse and keyboard the year or year after it came out at my cousin's house.

        This talks about it more.

        2 votes
      3. All_your_base
        Link Parent
        Keyboard+mouse was definitely the way to play. Faster, more precise, exquisite hand/eye aim and fire control.

        Keyboard+mouse was definitely the way to play. Faster, more precise, exquisite hand/eye aim and fire control.

  2. [4]
    nostromoo
    Link
    Poking around I found this: https://classicdoom.com/hosted/lpalin/moderndm.htm. Might help? Also there's things like GZDoom that might suit better.

    Poking around I found this: https://classicdoom.com/hosted/lpalin/moderndm.htm. Might help?

    Also there's things like GZDoom that might suit better.

    2 votes
    1. meatrocket
      Link Parent
      Seconding GZDoom. Doesn’t change the games themselves, just adds stuff like widescreen support, full mouselook, etc., all of it configurable and optional as well. Since you already have the WAD...

      Seconding GZDoom. Doesn’t change the games themselves, just adds stuff like widescreen support, full mouselook, etc., all of it configurable and optional as well. Since you already have the WAD files, you can just grab it from the link and run the games from inside it. https://www.zdoom.org/downloads

      1 vote
    2. [2]
      All_your_base
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Thank you for the link. I read up then tried playing with those, but current O/S doesn't recognize them. Also, those are more for DISabling mouse action (specifically vertical). Maybe I can embed...

      Thank you for the link. I read up then tried playing with those, but current O/S doesn't recognize them. Also, those are more for DISabling mouse action (specifically vertical). Maybe I can embed them in the DOSbox.conf and run them that way. Disabling vertical may at least affect the mouse to where forward motion works, but I am not confident.

      GZDoom is not in oldgames, but I'll do some searching around.

      On a side note, I just remembered that I played Heretic (uses Doom engine) on Steam a little over one epidemic ago and mouse support was fine. Maybe Steam has Doom/II/Quake/II.

      Edit: Yep - Steam has 'em for 5 bucks apiece.

      1. nostromoo
        Link Parent
        Ah, that's probably a much easier solution!

        Ah, that's probably a much easier solution!

        1 vote