Author Topic: Help choosing binds for my Hotas, please?  (Read 1330 times)

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Help choosing binds for my Hotas, please?
Hi, long-time lurker and occasional player here. I played Freespace 1 when it first came out - but on a friend's computer, as we could not afford a machine good enough for it. Now I'm an adult, with at least some disposable income (although a lot less than I'd like), and have saved up over the last few years and built a ...moderately kickarse machine. I also did a lot of research, and currently have a Defender Cobra M5 (Image) and a CH Throttle Pro (Image #1, Image #2) as my input, while I save up for something even better and wait for it to come out. Using Universal Control Remapper or Joystick Gremlin, I can have FSO see them both as one device, with a total of 31 buttons (6 4-way hats, as I'm not going to be using the 8-way functionality on those that have them - I keep hitting directions I don't mean to, when I do that - a trigger that I'm going to be ignoring the dual-stage function of, and six buttons, one of which I'll be using as a shift button), and 6 axes. Including the shift functionality, that is a potential total of 59 digital inputs (31 - 3 (trigger for primary weapons, shift key, and one other for secondary weapons) * 2) and six axes (three axis on the joystick - X, Y, and twist, three on the throttle - throttle main axis, and two on the ministick at my thumb. Technically I have another axis, the throttle on the stick, if I need to use it for something). All buttons can either be bound as simple buttonpresses, or as macros for quick commands, such as distributing power or sending commands to squadronmates. If I really need to, I have a 3-way mode switch, so technically the buttons can be tripled, although practically there'd be a few I wouldn't give new functions to, just so I can fly in any mode.

But the sheer amount of interface commands that Freespace offers is intimidating me - I don't know what to bind!

Any suggestions on what commands are the most important? What should be its own button, and what should be a shift-key command? What should be grouped up into a 4-way hat of all related commands?

I'm planning on playing FSPort, then FS2O, then trying various mods. But at present I'd most appreciate help with bindings for FSPort and FS2O - I figure once I've done that, I should have enough experience to make the changes various mods will no doubt require.

Any help would be appreciated - thanks!
« Last Edit: January 15, 2017, 03:39:21 am by RecklessPrudence »

 

Offline deathspeed

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Re: Help choosing binds for my Hotas, please?
You might check out this link for some suggestions.  It can be overwhelming at first, even with a more basic joystick.  :) 

As you play you will learn which commands you use a lot, so don't be afraid to experiment and change things up.  For instance, I had never considered this until I read it somewhere in these forums, but on my non-HOTAS stick I use the hat switch for some of the targeting functions (next subsystem, next bomb, target in front, nearest hostile) since I rarely change views.  But while playing Diaspora I bind my thrusters to the hat switch.

I also once accidentally bound Jump Out to my primary trigger; I have no idea how I did it but it made for a short mission.


Good luck!!
« Last Edit: January 15, 2017, 07:07:20 am by deathspeed »
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Re: Help choosing binds for my Hotas, please?
Thank-you very much - I'll go through that and crib from the best-sounding ones. And yeah, I beat binding Jump-out there did make for a pretty quick mission - hopefully it wasn't anything important!

  

Offline deathspeed

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Re: Help choosing binds for my Hotas, please?
And yeah, I beat binding Jump-out there did make for a pretty quick mission - hopefully it wasn't anything important!

LOL no, it was more like "wtf?"  It took me longer than i to care admit to find the issue. i was in the process of creating an FSOpen log when i finally decided to check the binding that I was certain I never touched.
Maybe someday God will give you a little pink toaster of your own.