Ability to bind Additional Mouse Buttons + Alt Key

crash_handler_stub/WatchDogTimer.cpp

@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ class WatchDogTimer::Impl
     std::mutex m_mutex;
     std::atomic<bool> m_exiting;
     bool m_running = false;
+    // Touched only by the checker thread: Alt kill-switch arming state, reset when no hang is active
+    bool m_kill_armed = false;
+    bool m_hang_reported = false;
 
 public:
     Impl(std::chrono::milliseconds timeout) : m_timeout(timeout)
@@ -77,6 +80,12 @@ class WatchDogTimer::Impl
             if (check_for_time_out()) {
                 handle_time_out();
             }
+            else {
+                // No hang in progress (or it recovered) - the next hang requires a fresh
+                // Alt press before it can be killed
+                m_kill_armed = false;
+                m_hang_reported = false;
+            }
             std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lk(m_mutex);
             m_cond_var.wait_for(lk, check_interval);
         }
@@ -91,12 +100,20 @@ class WatchDogTimer::Impl
 
     void handle_time_out()
     {
-        if (GetAsyncKeyState(VK_MENU) & 0x8000) {
+        // Only treat Alt as a kill request if it was pressed after the hang began: Alt can be
+        // held as a regular game binding, so an Alt that was already down when the game stopped
+        // responding must be observed released once before it arms the kill switch.
+        bool alt_down = (GetAsyncKeyState(VK_MENU) & 0x8000) != 0;
+        if (!alt_down) {
+            m_kill_armed = true;
+        }
+        if (alt_down && m_kill_armed) {
             xlog::info("Crash of not responding process has been requested");
             crash_observed_thread();
         }
-        else {
-            xlog::info("Process is not responding! Hold the Alt key for a few seconds to kill the process and generate a crash report that will allow to debug the problem...");
+        else if (!m_hang_reported) {
+            xlog::info("Process is not responding! Release the Alt key if it is held, then hold it for a few seconds to kill the process and generate a crash report that will help in debugging the problem...");
+            m_hang_reported = true;
         }
     }
 

docs/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ Version 1.4.0 (Lupin): Not yet released
 - Add `Sort` options (by name or by UID, with an optional `Group by type` toggle) to the editor's Select Objects and Show/Hide Objects windows
 - Add `camera4` console command for static camera in single player
 - Add `camera5` console command for tripod (follow player) camera in single player
+- Require a fresh `Alt` press to kill an unresponsive process
 
 [@is-this-c](https://github.com/is-this-c)
 - Allow players to join between levels
@@ -46,6 +47,9 @@ Version 1.4.0 (Lupin): Not yet released
   - Add detection of manually loaded levels
   - Highlight an active level in a server's rotation via background color instead of text color
 
+[@AL2009man](https://github.com/AL2009man)
+- Add support for binding controls to additional mouse buttons and `Alt` keys
+
 ### Bug fixes
 [@GooberRF](https://github.com/GooberRF)
 - Fix team balance not properly randomizing the distribution order of equal-scoring human players
@@ -68,6 +72,9 @@ Version 1.4.0 (Lupin): Not yet released
 - Disable weapon cycle selection, if `Mouse 3` is pressed
 - For `Run` games, rename `Score` column to `Deaths`, and compare `Loads` in `std::ranges::sort`
 
+[@AL2009man](https://github.com/AL2009man)
+- Fix brief game freeze whenever an `Alt` key is pressed
+
 Version 1.3.0 (Bakeapple): Released Apr-22-2026
 --------------------------------
 ### Major features

game_patch/input/input.h

@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 
 #include "../rf/player/control_config.h"
 
+// Custom scan codes for extra mouse buttons (Mouse 4 and above). Placed in the extended
+// range (0x80 | scan) at slots no physical keyboard emits, so they cannot collide with
+// real key presses.
+static constexpr int CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_BASE = 0xF5;
+static constexpr int CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_COUNT = 5;
+
 rf::ControlConfigAction get_af_control(rf::AlpineControlConfigAction alpine_control);
 rf::String get_action_bind_name(int action);
 void mouse_apply_patch();

game_patch/input/key.cpp

@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@
 #include "../rf/player/player.h"
 #include "../rf/os/console.h"
 #include "../rf/os/os.h"
+#include "../rf/ui.h"
 #include "../multi/alpine_packets.h"
 #include "../os/console.h"
+#include "input.h"
 
 static int starting_alpine_control_index = -1;
 
@@ -114,7 +116,12 @@ FunHook<int(int16_t)> key_to_ascii_hook{
 
 int get_key_name(int key, char* buf, size_t buf_len)
 {
-     LONG lparam = (key & 0x7F) << 16;
+    // Extra mouse buttons (Mouse 4+): stored as custom scan codes
+    if (key >= CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_BASE && key < CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_BASE + CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_COUNT) {
+        int n = snprintf(buf, buf_len, "Mouse %d", (key - CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_BASE) + 4);
+        return n > 0 ? n : 0;
+    }
+    LONG lparam = (key & 0x7F) << 16;
     if (key & 0x80) {
         lparam |= 1 << 24;
     }
@@ -509,6 +516,26 @@ FunHook<void(int, int, int)> key_msg_handler_hook{
     },
 };
 
+// Records the pressed key into the selected binding row when the controls panel is
+// waiting for input (scan code from the key queue, or -1 to check mouse buttons).
+// Stock RF rejects Left/Right Alt and any scan code its internal key name table has
+// no name for, which blocks Alpine's extra mouse button scan codes — accept both
+// directly; everything else keeps stock behavior (including the Esc/PrtScn/Pause
+// blacklist and mouse button handling).
+FunHook<void(int)> options_controls_record_binding_hook{
+    0x0044FE60,
+    [](int key) {
+        bool is_extra_mouse_scan = key >= CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_BASE
+            && key < CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_BASE + CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_COUNT;
+        if (is_extra_mouse_scan || key == rf::KEY_LALT || key == rf::KEY_RALT) {
+            rf::ui::options_controls_assign_binding(key, -1);
+            rf::ui::options_controls_stop_waiting_for_key();
+            return;
+        }
+        options_controls_record_binding_hook.call_target(key);
+    },
+};
+
 void key_apply_patch()
 {
     // Handle Alpine chat menus
@@ -539,4 +566,7 @@ void key_apply_patch()
 
     // Num pads need a patch to support `PgUp`, `PgDown`, `End`, and `Home`.
     key_msg_handler_hook.install();
+
+    // Allow binding Alt keys and extra mouse buttons in the controls options panel
+    options_controls_record_binding_hook.install();
 }

game_patch/input/mouse.cpp

@@ -420,6 +420,16 @@ CodeInjection static_zoom_sensitivity_patch2 {
     },
 };
 
+// Feed extra mouse buttons (Mouse 4+) into RF's key system as custom scan codes.
+// The controls binding UI picks them up from the key queue like any key press.
+void mouse_handle_xbutton_wm(int rf_btn, bool down)
+{
+    int extra = rf_btn - 3;
+    if (extra < 0 || extra >= CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_COUNT)
+        return;
+    rf::key_process_event(CTRL_EXTRA_MOUSE_SCAN_BASE + extra, down ? 1 : 0, 0);
+}
+
 void mouse_apply_patch()
 {
     // Handle zoom sens customization

game_patch/input/mouse.h

@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 
 void mouse_apply_patch();
 void consume_raw_mouse_deltas(float& out_pitch, float& out_yaw, bool apply_scope_sens);
+void mouse_handle_xbutton_wm(int rf_btn, bool down);

game_patch/os/os.cpp

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <cwctype>
 #include <patch_common/FunHook.h>
 #include <patch_common/AsmWriter.h>
+#include <timeapi.h>
 #include <xlog/xlog.h>
 #include "../rf/os/os.h"
 #include "../rf/multi.h"
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@
 #include "../multi/multi.h"
 #include "os.h"
 #include "win32_console.h"
-#include <timeapi.h>
+#include "../input/mouse.h"
 
 FunHook<void()> os_poll_hook{
     0x00524B60,
@@ -89,6 +90,19 @@ LRESULT WINAPI wnd_proc(HWND wnd_handle, UINT msg, WPARAM w_param, LPARAM l_para
         }
         return DefWindowProcA(wnd_handle, msg, w_param, l_param);
 
+    case WM_SYSCOMMAND:
+        if ((w_param & 0xFFF0) == SC_KEYMENU)
+            return 0;
+        return DefWindowProcA(wnd_handle, msg, w_param, l_param);
+
+    case WM_XBUTTONDOWN:
+        mouse_handle_xbutton_wm(2 + HIWORD(w_param), true);
+        return TRUE;
+
+    case WM_XBUTTONUP:
+        mouse_handle_xbutton_wm(2 + HIWORD(w_param), false);
+        return TRUE;
+
     case WM_QUIT:
     case WM_CLOSE:
     case WM_DESTROY:

game_patch/rf/ui.h

@@ -288,6 +288,11 @@ namespace rf::ui
     static auto& options_controls_bindings_down_on_click = addr_as_ref<void(int x, int y)>(0x00450130);
     static auto& options_controls_current_gadget = addr_as_ref<int>(0x0063FFE8);
     static auto& options_controls_waiting_for_key = addr_as_ref<bool>(0x00640060);
+
+    // Assigns to the currently selected binding row and clears the same scan code /
+    // mouse button from all other bindings (pass -1 for the unused parameter)
+    static auto& options_controls_assign_binding = addr_as_ref<void(int scan_code, int mouse_btn_id)>(0x0044FFD0);
+    static auto& options_controls_stop_waiting_for_key = addr_as_ref<void()>(0x0044FC00);
 
     // multi -> create game
     static auto& create_game_map_list_up_on_click = addr_as_ref<void(int x, int y)>(0x004451F0);