From a1b524da2909c020b987b93e01c51abc60caa08c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Cyd <cyd@falloutshelterarcade.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:10:26 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] Test doc: Steam Input steals the pad on 480; abort key; steam
 env baked in

Reproduced A/B on the dev box: with RP412STEAM=1 the wired pad
disappears from XInput because Steam Input intercepts Xbox controllers
for AppID 480. One-time client setting fixes it (disable Steam Input
for Spacewar, or globally for Xbox controllers); PadRIO hot-connects
within 3s once released. Our own AppID will configure this
server-side.

environ.ini in the dist now ships RP412STEAM=1 (the packer regenerates
the file, which was wiping the hand edit each round); machines without
Steam credentials fall back to TCP cleanly.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 docs/STEAM-3-MACHINE-TEST.md | 23 +++++++++++++++++++++++
 pack-dist.ps1                |  1 +
 2 files changed, 24 insertions(+)

diff --git a/docs/STEAM-3-MACHINE-TEST.md b/docs/STEAM-3-MACHINE-TEST.md
index 14d1551..69f6180 100644
--- a/docs/STEAM-3-MACHINE-TEST.md
+++ b/docs/STEAM-3-MACHINE-TEST.md
@@ -43,6 +43,29 @@ appid file is missing.
 6. Everyone lands back in the lobby room. A can launch again —
    different track, same lobby, no restarts.
 
+## Controllers: disable Steam Input (once per machine)
+
+Steam Input intercepts Xbox controllers for AppID 480 the moment the
+game initializes SteamAPI, hiding them from XInput entirely - the pad
+works everywhere else and is invisible only in-game (reproduced A/B on
+the dev box). Fix, either scope:
+
+- Per game: Steam Library -> Spacewar -> Properties -> Controller ->
+  Override for Spacewar: **Disable Steam Input**.
+- Global: Steam -> Settings -> Controller -> uncheck **Enable Steam
+  Input for Xbox controllers**.
+
+PadRIO re-probes every 3 seconds, so the pad hot-connects the moment
+Steam releases it - no restart needed. (Our own AppID will configure
+this server-side; test machines need the client setting.)
+
+## The abort key
+
+The ampersand key (Shift+7) is the arcade mission-abort. It ends YOUR
+mission on the spot - score banked, back to the lobby room. If the
+host presses it, the race ends for everyone (members return to the
+room too). Every "crash on keypress" so far has been this key.
+
 ## Notes and knowns
 
 - All pods use engine ports 1501/1502 by convention under Steam; the
diff --git a/pack-dist.ps1 b/pack-dist.ps1
index fd8a8b0..5a849c9 100644
--- a/pack-dist.ps1
+++ b/pack-dist.ps1
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ L4GAUGE=640x480x16
 L4PLASMA=SCREEN
 L4MFDSPLIT=1
 TARGETFPS=60
+RP412STEAM=1
 "@
 
 Set-Content -Path "$dist\start-windowed.bat" -Encoding ascii -Value @"