Hard Light Productions Forums

General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: rhraziel on May 19, 2011, 10:42:17 pm

Title: What do you use?
Post by: rhraziel on May 19, 2011, 10:42:17 pm
What joysticks does everyone use? I have a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro that I'm pretty happy with.

What's the consensus on force feedback joysticks? Do they work well in FS?
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Kolgena on May 19, 2011, 10:53:48 pm
aaaaaaaand the banner ad is now trying to sell me Logitech joysticks.

OT: I use a mouse. Too cheap to buy a stick.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: SirCumference on May 19, 2011, 10:56:24 pm
When I use a joystick it's usually an old Thrustmaster Top Gun USB joystick. It's got  buttons and a top hat, no force feedback. Works fine. Most of the time I just use a keyboard though. I suppose when I start getting into the higher difficulties I'll need to rely on the joystick more.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Astronomiya on May 19, 2011, 11:21:40 pm
Saitek X52 Pro HOTAS.

When I use a joystick it's usually an old Thrustmaster Top Gun USB joystick. It's got  buttons and a top hat, no force feedback. Works fine. Most of the time I just use a keyboard though. I suppose when I start getting into the higher difficulties I'll need to rely on the joystick more.
Not necessarily true.  QuantumDelta, the best pilot here, uses a keyboard exclusively.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Droid803 on May 19, 2011, 11:24:22 pm
eh, some old InterAct USB joystick.
Says RaiderProDrigital, probably not very good, but it works. Got a bunch of buttons, a throttle and a hat, but I only use the triggers+hat (everything else on keyboard).

Personally, I hate force feedback - stupid vibrator feeling/noise is fake, distracting, and annoying. Glad that mine don't have it.
When they can make **** shake like my fighter is actually getting hit, then maybe, but if my joystick is just twitching in my hand? Stupid.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Nohiki on May 20, 2011, 02:27:36 am
Saitek cyborg evo :)
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Nuclear1 on May 20, 2011, 02:40:31 am
phear my keyboard
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: headdie on May 20, 2011, 02:42:55 am
phear my keyboard

+1

also mouse if I need to fine tune my aim
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Colonol Dekker on May 20, 2011, 02:49:08 am
phear my keyboard

 
 
All the way :yes:
+1
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: MatthTheGeek on May 20, 2011, 02:58:33 am
Mouse ftw. Ask QD how he feels when I fly a Pegasus with Morning Stars and Tempests ;)
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Destiny on May 20, 2011, 03:41:49 am
Mouse and keyboard, can't say I'm a hotshot.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Dilmah G on May 20, 2011, 04:08:43 am
Saitek X-52 Pro. Like a boss.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: rhraziel on May 20, 2011, 07:49:45 am
Wow, more people use mouse and keyboard than I would have thought. It's hard to find joysticks these days unless they come in some kind of "flight system".
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: General Battuta on May 20, 2011, 07:58:48 am
Keyboard all the way since '99, no mouse no stick, no items, Final Destination
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: headdie on May 20, 2011, 08:04:40 am
I have experimented with joysticks a few times but it never seemed to work out for me
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Veers on May 20, 2011, 08:10:54 am
Mouse/Keyboard. - My joystick died a long time ago, may it rest in peace (and from the outside, in one piece.)

I'm looking for a new joystick, but I cant afford anything atm (not even basic). And the selection isnt THAT good either... You do adapt after a while though, so I am quite happy
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Dilmah G on May 20, 2011, 08:25:16 am
I have experimented with joysticks a few times but it never seemed to work out for me
Actually I think for a game like Freespace I've finally come to the conclusion that a stick isn't so important - the mechanics of it are really more similar to an FPS than a flight sim and so I don't think you'd be missing much without a stick. However, I still wouldn't dream of using a k/m setup for a proper sim. :P
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: SpardaSon21 on May 20, 2011, 11:11:02 am
Logitech RumblePad2 gamepad.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Mongoose on May 20, 2011, 11:17:31 am
I don't really think a joystick is necessary from a pure control standpoint, but from an immersion standpoint, I couldn't even imagine sprawling my fingers across a bunch of keys to fly my awesome spaceship around and pew-pew things. :p
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: General Battuta on May 20, 2011, 11:18:45 am
I don't really think a joystick is necessary from a pure control standpoint, but from an immersion standpoint, I couldn't even imagine sprawling my fingers across a bunch of keys to fly my awesome spaceship around and pew-pew things. :p

i have bad news about real life fighters
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Mongoose on May 20, 2011, 03:08:22 pm
Exactly.  Real life sucks.  Childish fantasies are A-1 supar.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: General Battuta on May 20, 2011, 03:14:42 pm
Exactly.  Real life sucks.  Childish fantasies are A-1 supar.

Well real life fighters ARE flown with stick and throttle, just...also with a bunch of keys.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: SypheDMar on May 20, 2011, 03:22:53 pm
Keyboard all the way since '99, no mouse no stick, no items, Final Destination
Battlefield, noob.

Left-handed mouse with keyboard.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Mongoose on May 20, 2011, 04:15:02 pm
Exactly.  Real life sucks.  Childish fantasies are A-1 supar.

Well real life fighters ARE flown with stick and throttle, just...also with a bunch of keys.
Then where's your stick and throttle? :p
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Spoon on May 20, 2011, 04:21:08 pm
Hah, people still use joysticks in this day and age?

How silly.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Mongoose on May 20, 2011, 05:19:04 pm
ino, rite?
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: MatthTheGeek on May 20, 2011, 05:49:30 pm
My thoughts exactly.

Real men fly with their brain.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: rhraziel on May 20, 2011, 07:24:31 pm
I remember playing Quake 2 back in the day when you were a total noob if you used a joystick. There was one guy in the server who was turning real slow so we asked him if he was using a mouse. He said "Mice are for birds, I've got a sidewinder". That is still an inside joke with me and my friends to this day.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Dilmah G on May 20, 2011, 09:34:55 pm
Exactly.  Real life sucks.  Childish fantasies are A-1 supar.

Well real life fighters ARE flown with stick and throttle, just...also with a bunch of keys.
Well to be fair, aircraft are flown with stick/rudder/throttle, but they're operated with switches and some buttons and levers, depending on your aircraft. From an F/A-18F pilot: 'Anyone can fly a hornet, but not everyone can operate one.'

Hah, people still use joysticks in this day and age?

How silly.
Have fun landing short circuit in a crosswind with your mouse and keyboard. Wing down top rudder, what's that?!  :eek:

Okay, no, but seriously, k/m for FS I can understand, k/m for anything requiring actual stick and rudder competence, I cannot.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: jr2 on May 20, 2011, 09:50:33 pm
So, how about the joystick (http://is.gd/4mfW9q) in my sig?
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Dragon on May 20, 2011, 09:58:21 pm
CH Fighterstick, Pro Throttle and Pro Pedals. Full HOTAS.  :)
And to boot, Logitech G110 Keyboard, which has 12 additional buttons which I mapped to wingmen commands. And I'll be getting either G500 or MX518 mouse in a forseeable future (I'm now using MX500). Not for FS though, mostly for ArmA II and RTSes.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Thaeris on May 20, 2011, 10:45:38 pm
I've heard some say otherwise, but I've not yet had to solve the issue, as I've been some time since even touching FS... I'm still of the opinion that FS has really shoddy control inputs, at least with regards to the stick and the mouse. They work, but I've played other games where the mouse/stick controls are absolutely wonderful. FS, to say the least, cannot make that claim. Now, certainly, we all love FS here, but there's a huge number of other games and sims out there which feel very proper with a joystick. I've never been able to use the lowest deadzone settings with a stick in FS, as there's nothing I can do about the "inherent noise" the sim seems to generate. With my stick's own external software set so that no noise should be picked up, FS still finds a way to implement minor "ghost" control inputs when and where there shouldn't be.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Sushi on May 20, 2011, 11:58:19 pm
So, how about the joystick (http://is.gd/4mfW9q) in my sig?


;7

Scripted mouse is best mouse.  :D
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: SirCumference on May 21, 2011, 12:04:37 am
I've never been able to use the lowest deadzone settings with a stick in FS, as there's nothing I can do about the "inherent noise" the sim seems to generate. With my stick's own external software set so that no noise should be picked up, FS still finds a way to implement minor "ghost" control inputs when and where there shouldn't be.

Really? I usually turn the dead zone down all the way when using a joystick, but I've never had this happen.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: KyadCK on May 21, 2011, 06:10:23 am
Logitech extreame 3D pro, weapons/targeting controls on the stick with ship control on the base. havent needed to touch the keyboard for anything but chat and AI orders since i set it up

0 deadzone will pull a direction (in my case, down and right) but in the end it doesn't matter since you shouldn't be sitting still long enough to notice this anyway and if your planing to maxim a turret from 3k your hand will end up on the mouse

edit: where's the poll?
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Shade on May 21, 2011, 06:32:13 am
I use an old and battered CH Fighterstick. It has seen heavy use over the years, and something like half the buttons have stopped working properly by now, so I'll probably have to replace it soon - It's getting to the point where I'm missing shots because of random buttons not working 100% of the time.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Trivial Psychic on May 21, 2011, 08:17:02 am
I actually have 2 sticks, but one is expensive enough (X52) that I don't trust my 3 yr. old daughter to not damage it.  Instead, I'm using a Saitek Cyborg EVO that I picked up for $5 at a value village this past September... no box, no manual, no driver disc.  No Box... no problem.  No manual... pdf download.  No driver disc... duh!  It serves me well without concern of a major investment getting smashed to pieces (plus, it doesn't take up as much desk space when I'm not using it).

The last stick I used heavily was a Logitech Extreme Force 3D, which must have failed 3 times during the manufacturer's warranty period, due to the FF overheating and dying.  Ever since that, I've always said that any FF-enabled flight stick should have dedicated cooling fans.

I had a few other simpler sticks that I used during an absence from FS several years ago, but one in fact broke off while I was playing Rogue Squadron 3D.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Dilmah G on May 21, 2011, 08:23:57 am
I think the Cyborg Evo may actually be a better stick for FSing than a HOTAS setup like the X52. I've found recently that the X-52's handle makes it incredibly hard to use some of the buttons whilst dogfighting which negates about half the advantage of using it. Which is a pain when you're supposed to be testing a mod. :P
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Trivial Psychic on May 21, 2011, 08:56:55 am
Well, for the EVO, I had to remove the adjustable palm rest... it was just getting in the way.  My main complaint for the X52 was the low-tension spring... something which was apparently rectified in the X52 Pro.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: jr2 on May 21, 2011, 09:47:46 am
If the parts are interchangeable, call Saitek and order a Pro spring.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Trivial Psychic on May 21, 2011, 06:33:03 pm
My X52 is now more than 4 years old.  I doubt they'd provide any free support at this point.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Mongoose on May 21, 2011, 07:43:08 pm
Well, for the EVO, I had to remove the adjustable palm rest... it was just getting in the way.  My main complaint for the X52 was the low-tension spring... something which was apparently rectified in the X52 Pro.
What sucks for me is that the palm rest is too far down to actually support my palm, even at its highest setting.  I don't think it was made for my small hands and stubby little fingers. :p
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: jr2 on May 21, 2011, 07:58:22 pm
My X52 is now more than 4 years old.  I doubt they'd provide any free support at this point.

You'd be surprised.  I called them regarding a button that had come off of my X-45, requesting how much it would cost me to buy a replacement... I had my shipping info in there so that they could figure out how much shipping.  They never answered.

About a week later I had a free button in my mailbox.  :jaw:  :yes:
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Zacam on May 22, 2011, 10:53:47 pm

I use an X52-Pro myself. I modified it to remain the larger primary tension spring form the shaft (leaving the secondary inside spring in place).

It's been rocking me wonderfully for years now without issue.