Issue #36: direct-axis RELEASE EDGE -- centering an axis now releases its channel

Night-2 (RajelAran): 'the game is not seeing axis release for turn --
the mech may keep turning when control is released.'  Root cause: the
direct-mode axis write was gated on raw != 0, so an axis returning
INSIDE the deadzone just stopped writing and the channel LATCHED at
the last deflection -- fatal on channels with no keyboard spring (the
Turn composite in the twin-stick profile).

Fix: per-binding previous-value tracking (pad + joystick paths); the
outside->inside transition writes 0 exactly once, then the centered
axis leaves the channel to other inputs (composition preserved; slew
bindings excluded by design -- a lever stays where slewed).  Plus the
#24 rule, axis edition: a pad/stick that DIES while deflected releases
its direct channels (throttle keeps the last lever position -- safer
than an all-stop mid-fight).

Verified: build + 45s glass mission with an idle XInput pad (no
spurious writes, no regression).  The deflect-release cycle itself
needs a human hand -- awaiting RajelAran's next session.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

engine/MUNGA_L4/L4PADRIO.cpp

@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ PadRIO::PadRIO():
 	memset(previousKeyHeld, 0, sizeof(previousKeyHeld));
 	memset(previousJoyButtonHeld, 0, sizeof(previousJoyButtonHeld));
 	memset(previousJoyHatHeld, 0, sizeof(previousJoyHatHeld));
+	memset(previousPadAxisRaw, 0, sizeof(previousPadAxisRaw));
+	memset(previousJoyAxisRaw, 0, sizeof(previousJoyAxisRaw));
 	memset(channelValue, 0, sizeof(channelValue));
 	memset(lampState, 0, sizeof(lampState));
 
@@ -439,6 +441,19 @@ void
 				}
 			}
 			previousPadButtons = 0;
+			//
+			// Issue #36 (the #24 rule, axis edition): a pad that dies while
+			// DEFLECTED must release its direct channels too -- otherwise
+			// the mech keeps turning/aiming on a dead controller.
+			//
+			for (int a = 0; a < bindings.padAxisBindingCount; ++a)
+			{
+				if (previousPadAxisRaw[a] != 0.0f)
+				{
+					channelValue[bindings.padAxisBindings[a].channel] = 0.0f;
+					previousPadAxisRaw[a] = 0.0f;
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if (padIndex < 0 && (lastPadProbeMilliseconds == 0 ||
@@ -672,6 +687,18 @@ void
 				//
 				channelValue[binding.channel] = raw;
 			}
+			else if (previousPadAxisRaw[a] != 0.0f)
+			{
+				//
+				// RELEASE EDGE (issue #36): the axis just came back inside
+				// the deadzone -- write 0 ONCE so its deflection lets go
+				// (channels without a keyboard spring, e.g. Turn, latched
+				// at the last value forever).  After this single write the
+				// centered axis leaves the channel to other inputs again.
+				//
+				channelValue[binding.channel] = 0.0f;
+			}
+			previousPadAxisRaw[a] = binding.slew ? 0.0f : raw;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -756,7 +783,21 @@ void
 			const BTJoyDeviceState *state = slotState[binding.device];
 			if (state == 0)
 			{
-				continue;		// detached: leave the channel alone
+				//
+				// Issue #36 (the #24 rule): a stick that detaches while
+				// deflected releases its direct channel once.  (Throttle
+				// keeps its last lever position -- freezing the lever is
+				// safer than an all-stop on an unplug mid-fight.)
+				//
+				if (previousJoyAxisRaw[a] != 0.0f)
+				{
+					if (binding.channel != PadBindingProfile::ChannelThrottle)
+					{
+						channelValue[binding.channel] = 0.0f;
+					}
+					previousJoyAxisRaw[a] = 0.0f;
+				}
+				continue;
 			}
 			float raw = state->axis[binding.axis];
 			if (binding.deadzone > 0.0f)
@@ -797,6 +838,15 @@ void
 			{
 				channelValue[binding.channel] = raw;
 			}
+			else if (previousJoyAxisRaw[a] != 0.0f)
+			{
+				//
+				// RELEASE EDGE (issue #36): outside -> inside the deadzone
+				// writes 0 once -- see the pad-axis twin above.
+				//
+				channelValue[binding.channel] = 0.0f;
+			}
+			previousJoyAxisRaw[a] = binding.slew ? 0.0f : raw;
 		}
 	}
 

engine/MUNGA_L4/L4PADRIO.h

@@ -119,6 +119,20 @@ protected:
 		previousJoyButtonHeld[48];
 	unsigned char
 		previousJoyHatHeld[16];
+	//
+	// Direct-axis RELEASE EDGES (issue #36, night-2: "the mech may keep
+	// turning when control is released").  A direct-mode axis write was
+	// gated on raw != 0, so an axis returning INSIDE the deadzone simply
+	// stopped writing -- the channel LATCHED at the last deflection (fatal
+	// on channels with no keyboard spring, e.g. the Turn composite).  Track
+	// the previous post-deadzone value per binding: the outside->inside
+	// transition writes 0 exactly once, then leaves the channel to other
+	// inputs (the composition model is preserved).
+	//
+	float
+		previousPadAxisRaw[12];		// parallel to padAxisBindings
+	float
+		previousJoyAxisRaw[24];		// parallel to joyAxisBindings
 	float
 		channelValue[PadBindingProfile::ChannelCount];
 	float