Yeah that's what I was thinking.
From early Basics, like Evan is using, it appears you need to peek the hardware directly too.
https://books.google.com/books?id=VUKL2rKYb8UC&pg=PA194&lpg=PA194&dq=basica+joystick+-usb&source=bl&ots=h_p5yrMnSE&sig=47scRcoIksn5gFLF3kmJXmRlf5Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj65t7g4JTcAhWSON8KHdGXD1YQ6AEIUjAL#v=onepage&q=basica%20joystick%20-usb&f=false

QBasic and GW have calls but this post, which Evan initiated, offers this solution, which is also direct.
(I assume your code has something like this in it, Evan)
http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?62192-GW-BASIC-joystick-programminghas the JoyX and JoyY calls.

Evan hasn't said what doesn't work; I don't know if he is not seeing results from these methods.
The joysticks have 555 timers in them for the analog measurements.
If this is the case, probably either the cables are broken or the 555s are toast.

Anyway, I can only guess here, but since no drivers are involved, yeah, its probably the joysticks.
Especially if some known good code is being used to test.
In either case, yeah, Evan, it would be good to test with a known good joystick too as you requested.

On 7/10/2018 10:35 AM, J. Alexander Jacocks via vcf-midatlantic wrote:

Most older "PC Game Port" joysticks require no drivers, for a standard
2-axis analog, up-to-4 button stick.  Anything like that should "just work".

Evan wouldn't want a flight stick/racing wheel/etc. that would need
drivers, for the extra buttons and axes.

Thanks!
- Alex

On Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 9:36 AM Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic <
vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:

Bob/All,
In IBM systems one typically needs the drivers, controller card, and
joystick to all be designed to work together.  Also, the software often
expects one of a few model joystick to be available.  So, in Evan's case he
needs to look at the software and documentation of the program that will
use the joystick to see what kind of joystick it's looking for.  It may be
that the original IBM PC "Game Control Adapter" is an option, in which case
you'd need something compatible with that.  May be easy and you can get
away with a serial port joystick.  And so on.  From there, find something
compatible, install the drivers into autoexec.bat and config.sys and go
from there.  Newer machines often pair a soundcard like SoundBlaster with a
Microsoft joystick.

Evan may have working joysticks that "don't work" because the drivers are
not yet loaded.

Bill

On Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 8:38 AM Bob Aviles via vcf-midatlantic <
vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:

 Hi,
  I have an IBM joystick, look at the picture and tell me if it works on
your systems.

Bobby    On Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 1:20:45 AM EDT, Evan Koblentz via
vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:

 I'm having issues with the VCF supply of Kraft joysticks, and there is
no time to fix them before HOPE. Does anyone have a tested and
fully-working / known-good IBM (or other non-Kraft) joystick which I
could borrow? I need it by Friday in order to test it at the museum this
weekend. Dean said he may have one, but in case he doesn't....

My backup plan is to program for keyboard control instead of joystick
control, but that's not nearly as much fun.