[jr2]

*snort* technical details!  not!  is too!  zzzzzzzz
Here's an idea:  You can use your mouse at the same time as the joystick, right?  Put the mouse in your right (or left if ur a lefty) hand for accuracy, and use the joystick in the other hand while dogfighting... just remember, if you have to use the keyboard, prolly best to use the mouse hand to do it so that you keep turning.  Anyone want to try that for a few hours and see if it works?  (I don't have a joystick)  I think, after a whiles of practice, you could outmatch any other combination of controls.  (I use my keyboard turning controls + mouse)
PS oh, and I like my sensitivity settings on high; it takes a while to get used to, but it usually gives you an advantage, IMO.

[aldo_14]

Err, I was talking about EXPERIENCE, not a breakdown of technical details.

You can save your shots all you want and then hit the enemy once, while two of his cronies blast you to hell. Woo 100% accuracy. It means absolutely nothing.

errrmm, excuse me but was i ASKING for your backward opinion?

You know you're already under a threat of a ban for responding like that, right?

[Herra Tohtori]

Here's an idea:  You can use your mouse at the same time as the joystick, right?  Put the mouse in your right (or left if ur a lefty) hand for accuracy, and use the joystick in the other hand while dogfighting... just remember, if you have to use the keyboard, prolly best to use the mouse hand to do it so that you keep turning.  Anyone want to try that for a few hours and see if it works?  (I don't have a joystick)  I think, after a whiles of practice, you could outmatch any other combination of controls.  (I use my keyboard turning controls + mouse)
PS oh, and I like my sensitivity settings on high; it takes a while to get used to, but it usually gives you an advantage, IMO.

It works. I have tried it. The only problem is to get used to joystick on left hand. But it works.

Anyway, with mouse it's best to use some rapid fire weapons such as Mekhu, Subach, Maxim and Tempests because you can sustain your aim and control the firing way better and keep the targeting reticle on lead indicator better than with joystick. Whereas with joystick I prefer to use Kaysers and Promethei, which have relatively low fire rate but pack more punch in one shot, so I use single fire or short bursts on them. That doesn't require keeping the enemy long in the reticle at time, it only takes good trigger timing. Good primary layout also helps a fair deal.

In overall, mouse is excellent in long to medium range, but in close quarters joystick is in overall better.

[BlackDove]

Err, I was talking about EXPERIENCE, not a breakdown of technical details.

You can save your shots all you want and then hit the enemy once, while two of his cronies blast you to hell. Woo 100% accuracy. It means absolutely nothing.

errrmm, excuse me but was i ASKING for your backward opinion?

Nobody cares what you were asking for.

[Goober5000]

You know you're already under a threat of a ban for responding like that, right?

He was already warned, eh?  Banz0red for two days then.

[Turey]

He was already warned, eh?  Banz0red for two days then.

 

[Polpolion]

uh oh, strike two...




Anyway, Joysticks aren't too difficult. From my experience, a lot of them are different in they way they handle, so you need to be playing on them for a while to get fluent with them. Also, you need to have the keys bound just right, otherwise many things will be difficult. What good is the countermeasure button when it's on the opposite side as the afterburner button? Very little. Also, with some of the joysticks that have +10 buttons, it might get a bit difficult to remember the functions. Like other fun stuff, you start out sucking, and you have to work it to get really going.


EDIT: woops, I mean you start out doing badly, and you need to practice to get better.

[BlackDove]

I found the former description much more vivid and truer to the reality of other functions.

[Slime]

Joystick + Perseus = No more hits on your ship. Ever.

I personally like the feel of the joystick and the atmosphere it creates. Especially the maneuverability is better than with the keyboard mouse, or at least with me, and I've been using joysticks for some time. I had so much fun with my ex-MS SW FF 2 (Please don't make me spell it out..), as it had settings for FS 2. Every time a supercapital ship shockwave hit me, wheeeee, there goes my hand! But the truth is, something what you're not used to is hard. And with something you master, it's a different story.

[Dysko]

I also think that a joystick adds "atmosphere" to FS.

Even if I have on my joystick only the "Fire primary" and "Fire secondary" button, out of 12 available buttons

[Centrixo]

yep 220 odd kills with a joystick is good, i like to get dizzy with a joystick sometimes .

[Unknown Target]

I keep the stick on my lap and the mouse on my desk on the right. So I dogfight with the stick but when I have a bogey in my sights I switch quickly over to the mouse

[Centrixo]

lol i wasnt thinking like that unknown target!

[CaptJosh]

See, I find it impossible to use the mouse or keyboard when playing. An analog joystick gives me far better control for both attack and evasive. If I could spare the funds right now, I'd have a Saitek X-52 so that all my needed controls would be on my stick and throttle, but for now I have to use my old Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro.

[BlackDove]

Saitek X-52 is a piece of **** for this game.

You have arguably one of the best joysticks (3rd or 4th) to utilize.

[CaptJosh]

How is it bad to have ALL my controls on one device? Well, except the jump out. That could get embarrassing. I'm tired of having to take my hands off the stick to hit keyboard controls. My Thrustmaster Top Gun Afterburner II was better, even though no force feedback, because it had more controls. Unfortunately it's on the other side of the country from me right now.

[BlackDove]

Oh no, the controls are great once you bind them all correctly. It's probably a great joystick for joy riding and immersion.

However if you're trying to fly to the best of your abilities, that huge throttle will cut them down pretty fast, especially as the fight drags out.

Only the people with the highest mastery of FS2 will understand what I'm talking about though.

[jr2]

Doesn't the Saitek X-52 have 2 joysticks?

[Herra Tohtori]

No, the smaller one is throttle lever, which is rather useless in FS2 anyway given that most of the time you are either matching speed with something or flying as fast as you can, or staying still at zero speed. Analog throttle/speed control is not really very useful in games like FS2 IMHO. It gets important in more complex physically accurate flight sims where you actually need many analog axes to map to controls, throttle, propeller pitch, flaps and fuel mixture. I personally nearly never actually use the throttle, I just hit full throttle, zero throttle, match speed or afterburners.

[BlackDove]

See, this is exactly something the average player would say.

Though that's not all that bad, at least you're using those four. I've seen people use... less... -_-