but basically it boils down to the game still registering you pressing your controller, while you are sending fake keyboard inputs to it
different wine version swapped xinput/dinput for me yet again, so i might make some patch or something if possible
I've only ever used the in game controller, not any external program.
So when pressing a button, i wasn't just sending like, "C" key to the game, say, but also a potential "Confirm/Cancel" command with the controller, interrupting the combo chain
Yeah, that would make sense
in general XXL2 PC's controls are so jank it actively pushed me away from doing PC runs, and that's why my main classic runs were done on real PS2
real jank is og

today i could run PS2 again with superb quality, using hacks on the PS2 to force a clean output in component cables. Or get that transcoded with my DVD recorder...
at least it's good for Xbox controllers. XXL2 will please absolutely no setup out of the box
And XXL1 stayed playable start to finish, even if you could only control 1 camera axis while tilting your stick the wrong way... or no camera at all for Xbox, like i did as a kid
You're right, part of it is the right stick just refusing to work for some reason

Man... no camera is just pain

probably expecting a different, discontinued joystick part like XXL1
as a kid i simply didn't get the memo about controlling the camera in newer games, i had most games do it good enough automatically ( Mega Madness for instance )
xxl1 has a great camera controls too, outside of the main camera movement controls
quick center + a button to keep camera centered
Mega Madness is actually very smart with it's "turn around" technique, it probably helps the PS1 to give it a moment to unload and load new tris, and most importantly, depth-sort them correctly.
what does quick center + a mean