Hard Light Productions Forums
General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: peterc10 on July 11, 2006, 02:58:21 pm
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Ive being trying to revive the Freespace 2 game for many months by getting new palyers. The SCP means the game is of good enough standard but one problem is the joystick.
I have had three people wanting the game, i gave it to them but they did not have a joy stick. They are near impossible to get, when my one broke it took me over 3 hours to find one, going from town to town.
Maybe they should download the joystick of Limewire, :lol:
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You usually have to order a good one anymore.
Freespace 2 does have mouse support though.
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Keyboard, ALL THE WAY! :D
Honestly, I'd suggest getting a joystick from online. Faster, usually easier, and sometimes cheaper. :)
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I have always used a keyboard in FS2. It works just fine if you get used to it.
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*cough cough cough* Mouse?
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mice are more accurate, but there is nothing like the feeling of flying with a big stick in your hand...
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I always thought of the word Joystick in a funny way.
"Hey! Let's go play Freespace with our Joysticks!"
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Well, that's because you have the mind of a 13 year old
:p
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As far as I have noticed, FreeSpace 2 is very difficult to master with a joystick. LucasArts's space sims are far more playable with a joystick. I use keyboard and mouse for FreeSpace.
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Well, that's because you have the mind of a 13 year old
:p
Considering I thought if it way back when then yes. That comment came from the mind of a 13 year old. :p
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mice are more accurate, but there is nothing like the feeling of flying with a big stick in your hand...
:wtf:
WIIeirdo :P
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I have an extremely good joystick.... and it was in the first store I looked in...
How is that hard to find, I ask you?
(It is Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, BTW)
And FS2 was easy to master using a joystick, at least for me.
It's called control customization.
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Keyboard all the way. Absolutely.
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I just bought an extreme 3d pro - was one of a fairly wide selection of Joystick and HOTAS setups in the first shop I looked in (Harvey Norman - a big Furniture/electrical shop i.e. not a specialist). Joysticks aren't hard to find around here.
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I had an Extreme 3D Pro also. It has a super-good form, very good sturdy base and kick-ass button layout, but it burned itself out in about 6 months or so. It started having anomalous axis behaviour - rudder stopped working properly, and so did the Y-axis... After plugging it in it calibrated just fine, but after using it a few minutes something alwaysd happened to it, making the elevator only turn a few degrees when I pulled the stick all the way backwards - ie. the Y-axis only worked on small portion. Same happened to rudder's right half - when I twisted the stick to right, the rudder - or, in control panel, the axis indicator - only moved a short way and then stopped there.
Crappy electronics it had, I bet. Monday piece... if you notice anything like this on your Logitechs, return it immediately. I thought it was my computer (hey, I was younger that time and didn't know better) and didn't return the stick, and now I have an unusable Extreme 3D Pro stick here.
Though, it still has one good axis - throttle. I sometimes plug it on and use the throttle lever as elevator trim in IL-2 Sturmovik:FB... :p
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I've always used the mouse and keyboard, here the joysticks (and every game, btw) are way too expensive to buy.
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I've always been a keyboard person too - since back in the day when I couldn't afford a good stick. I'm waiting for ZB to turn up and tell us how good it is to play FS with an abacus. ;)
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abacus?
I use and always have, keyboard and mosue.
Yeah, go play with your Joooy-stick..
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I have always used a keyboard in FS2. It works just fine if you get used to it.
Same here.
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Keyboard the what now? :eek2:
I just grabbed a $8 PS2 converter. Stick, throttle, all the buttons you need. Soon as they release the X360 wireless adapter, I'll use a wireless X360 controller instead.
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I use a Gravis Xterminator Joypad, with an analogue thumb control, eleven buttons (including triggers) POV control, a digital pad, and two sliders it's great! I still have some controls on the keyboard (usually some targeting controls and wing commands) but I'm sure that I could set it up even better than I have.
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I use a Gravis Xterminator Joypad, with an analogue thumb control, eleven buttons (including triggers) POV control, a digital pad, and two sliders it's great! I still have some controls on the keyboard (usually some targeting controls and wing commands) but I'm sure that I could set it up even better than I have.
I have one of those, I think, but to be honest I thought it was pretty awful - unweildy, uncomfy, unergonomic and imprecise - so I ended up buying a PS2 adaptor instead. Albiet I never bought it for FS2 anyways.
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It's not that bad with a bit of practice, I have used PS1 pads and PS2 pads (not for Freespace but for other PS games) and yes they feel a little more natural. But with practice you can get used to it, I'm very used to it now.
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I've always used the mouse and keyboard, here the joysticks (and every game, btw) are way too expensive to buy.
Which part of the world is this?
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I've always used the mouse and keyboard, here the joysticks (and every game, btw) are way too expensive to buy.
Which part of the world is this?
Check his profile, he's from Brazil!
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I've always used a keyboard but now I use a joystick with it. I wonder has anyone ever done a custom setup, like create/modify their own keyboard or rip the controls out of a military vehicle (eg. aircraft, helicopter, etc), or even perhaps gone out of their way to do something very different?
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I play with my Saitek X52 HOTAS...I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I have a fully customized control setup, so I rarely even have to touch the keyboard. I think I have about 100+ functions mapped to my X52 for FS2 alone...
Plus...It's shiny!
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Saitek makes really cool joysticks. I mean, they have LIGHTS!!! I have a Saitek evo Force.
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Pretty, pretty, shiny, shiny.
The beauty of the x52 is its versatility with functions of the toggles, axis, rotaries, and HAT controls. i have one mode properly mapped, and i'm trying to get the second and third working like true setups. :lol:
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Saitek makes really cool joysticks. I mean, they have LIGHTS!!! I have a Saitek evo Force.
I can full-heartedly repeat this statement with the exception of me owning a Saitek Cyborg Evo. It's very, very precise stick. Looks cool too, and is quite affordable.
And there is the positive side of looking like it's glowmapped... ;7
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I also used to play fs2 with the gravis xterminator. That gamepad had everything on it, it was so nice, i eventually got an ace using the gamepad as opposed to racking up aces all the time with the mouse. The thing i most loved about the xterminator was it's shoulder buttons, and the digital clickers on the underside of the controller(very similar to the n64 z button...except two of them). I had a very hard time looking for a controller similar to that, the only thing to do about it is get another xterminator. My friend broke mine :D
Now i use a madcatz pro 360 controller on fs2, very nice controller, it even has a joystick invert switch and turbo, and redesigned shoulder buttons compared to the normal xbox360 controller.
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I've always used a keyboard but now I use a joystick with it. I wonder has anyone ever done a custom setup, like create/modify their own keyboard or rip the controls out of a military vehicle (eg. aircraft, helicopter, etc), or even perhaps gone out of their way to do something very different?
I have a friend whos uncle bought one of those plane sim arcade machines, removed the parts, installed a computer inside, souped up the monitor from CRT to LCD, and installed some other Space-Sim games. I dont think he has installed FS2 yet. He usually plays Tachyon: The Fringe on it
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Mouse support bleh... Its wayyy more fun with a joy.
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As far as a custom set up, I use to play FS2 with voice commands... But then stopped cause my landlord started looking at me funny. :wtf:
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Hmm...Voice command...? What commands can you issue with it?
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The problem with using a mouse is that when you want to keep turning you have to pick it up, move it, and drag it again. My joystick broke, but I never used it anyway. One of the buttons fell out.
Landlord?
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Well, that's just the nature of the mouse. Perfect for anyone who sucks with a joystick though. It'll turn a person into an ace really fast with all that ****ing dragging and repositioning. Using the mouse to play i haven't found it a problem...you just sort of do it, it does not get in the way of maneuvering your craft or gameplay at all. I'm just interested in getting a joystick again because i use to be good with one, and now i suck with one.
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I have always used a keyboard in FS2. It works just fine if you get used to it.
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I've still got a MS Sidewinder somethin-or-other for FS. Hasn't been used for > or < 12 months tho :doubt:
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In my case, it's a Top Gun Afterburner from Thrustmaster, a cheap HOTAS setup, but still way too much fun when playing games like FS2 or Crimson Skies.
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No way, joystick rules!
I have a wingman force 3D, and the little manouvers are so handy. There's one + over the keyboard.
All main combat things can be done with your right hand. Fire, fire missiles, fire CM's, look all around, target in front of you... and you get a few spare buttons after that. THe other hand targets, afterburner, equalize shields, etc.
With Keyboard, you have to have one hand steering, the other doing everything else.
On the other hand, I really haven't customized my controls a ton. Maybe I should try moving the around a bit.
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I have a wingman force 3D, and the little manouvers are so handy. There's one + over the keyboard.
cool, i have the older version of that stick, it kicks ass for freespace, but until i get a gameport-usb adapter i have to use my saitek st290pro....
or i could go and get back to my own custom control....i was working on getting a AH64D Longbows cyclic to work as a pc joystick.....it was a spare part that the army threw out.....it shalt kick ass once i am done with it!
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The Saitek is a decent mid-range joystick to use. I hear pretty good things about them. They have many buttons and can easily be programmed for.
If you want a quality joystick, go with something from CH. They are really expensive compared to other joysticks, but you get what you pay for. They will last for years and are very durable.
All in all, it is best to avoid cheap, plasticy joysticks you find in stores. If you have the money, go for CH. The next best alternative would be Saitek.
Oh, and, *ducks incoming slasher beams*
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I'm a mouse and keyboard kinda guy. What can I say? It's a carry-over from the old days of X-wing, TIE Figther, etc. when a joystick was beyond my economic means.
BTW, does anybody know a way to increase the mouse sensitivity beyond maximum? Is there a multiplier somewhere in a table file, or something like that? I hope so, because the max setting isn't quite cutting it for me.
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Joysticks are a freakin pain. Eveery time I atteempted to buy or use one, it never worked, I could never get the axis's comfigured p[roperly, and they always broke after a few months..
Anyways, that being said, Keyboard and mosue for FS2 works perfectly!
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I hold my ground...
I find the Logitech Wingman Force 3D to be an awesome entry-level joystick...
The quarks about it? It's hard to get a precise target with the joystick, due to the fact that it's a little bit loose... the force feedback works well though... I think that it adds a little to the game... it helps me react faster when I feel a hit on my rear shields and I pull up, versus having to hear and look at my shield gauge to see where I'm being hit from.
I suggest something force-feedback (some flight-sim joysticks) with X (left, right), Y (up, down), R (rotate left/right), and T (throttle) control... make sure there are buttons on the base and on the stick itself...
I have 7 buttons on my joystick... this is how I have them setup...
1 (trigger) Primary Weapon
2 (top right) Countermeasure
3 (top left) Escort target
4 (bottom right) Secondary Weapon
5 (bottom left) Target Attacker
6 (base far) Afterburner
7 (base near) Equalize Shields
It works for me, as I can work with both hands easily... customize your keyboard too so you can change things there as well.
You should find Logitech, Saitek, and CF joysticks at CompUSA's or similar stores...
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I've played for years with just a keyboard (mouse? why would I need a mouse?) what's more I just used the four arrow keys for movement, even before I got a laptop. Shielding was achieved with shift+arrow keys (although mostly just 'q' in practice.) I don't feel like a fighter pilot, though. I feel like a pilot out of star trek, tapping on the control panel :sigh: Therefore my new Thrustmaster Top Gun Fox 2 Pro USB Joystick is on the way. I'll have to relearn the game, but I hope it'll be worth it in the long run. It looks like a good joystick... hope it is. anyone know anything about the joystick model/series?
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I use keyboard and mouse.
I bought a joystick once just to get freespace2:colossus and I tried it out, but every time I it the afterburners or fired the maxim It was all over the place. :hopping: :mad: :mad2:
I just return and kept the game. :nod:
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Love the keyboard and mouth. :D (wiff hankeychief)
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My joystick,a Logitech Wingman(I know FS thanks to the demo provided with it!!)is used in pair with the keyboard.It's more realistic in my opinion.If you do everything with the joystick,you aren't flying a spacecraft.
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You can play with a keyboard?
But how can you do fine maneuvers? :confused:
I just use a stick.
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Keyboard is easy. Just takes a while to get used to. If you play Descent, you'll know how easy it is. :)
But mouse is easier. :D
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You just... hit the arrow keys... and move in that direction, and move around rapidly to dodge and move so that the enemy is in your crosshairs to aim. It's like playing the piano, except not. Because I can't play the piano. :(
To be honest, using a mouse never even crossed my mind, even though I used one for Freelancer (like MS gave you a choice ::))
As for complex maneuvers... well, dodging and targeting enemy ships always seemed to work fine, but I am getting a joystick for a reason.
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Keyboards are fine, you do fine manuvers by tapping the key, rather than jamming it down. As for mice... how do you do that? :wtf: Don't you run out of mouse pad pretty quick?
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Yeah you do run out of mouse pad
its more accurate IMO but give slower rotation time
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I've been using an ancient 3 button joystick for as long as I can remember. Gameport ftw!
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Actually i usually don't run out of mouse pad. Like i said earlier, the mouse is a different interface device as is the keyboard, gamepad, and a joystick.
Each interface device operates quite differently from one another. Yoiu could imagine the joystick as the center pinnacle of interfaces for fs2 with it's great range of motion. The keyboard with it's sensitivity controls by tapping the keys. And the mouse with running out of mouse pad?
The mouse works fine, if you all think it's so ****ty and run out of mouse pad syndrome. Why don't you go ahead and find it, you'll find it's much easier to control than the joystick and a lot more accurate, even easier to pull off complicated maneuvers with. As for running out of mouse pad...do you ever run out of mousepad playing an fps or using the windows desktop? Mouse sensitivity is set by the user's preference in mouse speed and whatever, which is also a deciding factor on the use of the mousepad as well. But here whoever thinks that i need to maneuver my ship with the mouse by doing 5foot sweep. No, no where near close, have the sensitivity set reasonably that you're not needing to drag your mouse off the pad, and i think you'd be all good. I haven't had a single problem outmaneuvering anything, even in an ursa...but fs is crazy like that making you do something like fly a huge bomber and be forced to take down some dragons or something.
Have a good mouspad to boot like a ratpad, but however, in no way is the mouse a piece of ****, and as far as i'm concerned, it's much easier than a joystick, and has increased accuracy with all of the field of motion limited to the mousepad with a lot of dragging :p
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Actually i usually don't run out of mouse pad. Like i said earlier, the mouse is a different interface device as is the keyboard, gamepad, and a joystick.
Each interface device operates quite differently from one another. Yoiu could imagine the joystick as the center pinnacle of interfaces for fs2 with it's great range of motion. The keyboard with it's sensitivity controls by tapping the keys. And the mouse with running out of mouse pad?
The mouse works fine, if you all think it's so ****ty and run out of mouse pad syndrome. Why don't you go ahead and find it, you'll find it's much easier to control than the joystick and a lot more accurate, even easier to pull off complicated maneuvers with. As for running out of mouse pad...do you ever run out of mousepad playing an fps or using the windows desktop? Mouse sensitivity is set by the user's preference in mouse speed and whatever, which is also a deciding factor on the use of the mousepad as well. But here whoever thinks that i need to maneuver my ship with the mouse by doing 5foot sweep. No, no where near close, have the sensitivity set reasonably that you're not needing to drag your mouse off the pad, and i think you'd be all good. I haven't had a single problem outmaneuvering anything, even in an ursa...but fs is crazy like that making you do something like fly a huge bomber and be forced to take down some dragons or something.
Have a good mouspad to boot like a ratpad, but however, in no way is the mouse a piece of ****, and as far as i'm concerned, it's much easier than a joystick, and has increased accuracy with all of the field of motion limited to the mousepad with a lot of dragging :p
Ooh, I want a deathmatch now. ;7
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The mouse grants more agility in combat,but you have to move and stop,move and stop,move and...
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Exactly, but i don't find it near as bad as it sounds. Then again, that's user preference, you eventually grow to not mind the mouse dragging eventually.
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Does anybody use the little red thing on the IBM???
I do... :nervous:
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Does anybody use the little red thing on the IBM???
I do... :nervous:
What, the OFF button! ;7
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I used to get my ass kicked on PXO by joystick users due to the limited mouse pad space.
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You're using the wrong mouse mat.
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I was using the wrong mouse too. The ball used to get clogged with gunk. Those were the days :).
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I was using the wrong mouse too. The ball used to get clogged with gunk. Those were the days :).
To be honest I only played one PXO match and I was such a noob back then. I think I used an Artemis with Piranha & Cyclops in a 1 on 1 dogfighting game (ROFL I know). Coupled with the constant "pick & drop" with my mouse it didn't help any. Amazingly I actually survived quite long until I decided to quit for lunch...lol.
I'm still playing FS2 with keyboard & mouse to this day. I want to get a joystick though. Mainly because I really want to try out IL2 properly.
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Did you manage to hit anyone with the Cyclops?
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No, the guy didn't stay in my sight long enough for me to get a lock on.
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..you'll find it's much easier to control than the joystick and a lot more accurate, even easier to pull off complicated maneuvers with.
Like maneuvers involving controlled three-axis turning while shooting?
I'd say you're quite a badass mouse pilot if you can do that :)
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There's where I hate PS/2 Keyboards, I can do some three-axis manuvers while shooting, but others are ignored.
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Speaking of keyboards...you guys ever had those son of a ***** keyboards that don't let you hold down more than 3 buttons at a time? And when you hold down more you're system goes BEEP!
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I like those keyboards where if you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete twice it restarts your computer. I'm an impatient person, you know.
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I like those keyboards where if you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete twice it restarts your computer. I'm an impatient person, you know.
The problem with that is you then have to wait for the system to reboot, I'm impatient too!! :)
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I have a new respect for all joystick pilots... It's so hard!!! I started the main fs2 campaign over... I only killed 3 of the hercs in the first mission :( Stupid wingmen! i would have gotten to them! My aim is so off, my instincts are gone. I'll learn, though. I hope it's worth it. :D
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Like maneuvers involving controlled three-axis turning while shooting?
I'd say you're quite a badass mouse pilot if you can do that :)
What you mean 3 axis turning while shooting? You mean going up down left right and while rolling your craft and so on? Dude, you don't need just a joystick to pull that off with fs2 letting you bind those controls to whatever you want.
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Well, I don't know about you, but personally, no matter how I map them, I find the outcome very counter-intuitive as a means to control a ship in 3D space -- I can do the turns, but not nearly as precisely and swiftly as with a J/S. Still, I use the mouse/KB combo, as learning to aim properly with J/S would take years of practice (too lazy to do that).
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Speaking of keyboards...you guys ever had those son of a ***** keyboards that don't let you hold down more than 3 buttons at a time? And when you hold down more you're system goes BEEP!
This is extremely annoying and every keyboard I have used has this problem to some degree, even my expensive G15s. :no: It's generally a lot better on USB keyboards than PS2 ones though.
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I think my USB keyboard/mouse wireless combo lets you hit like 5 keys at a time... its not helpful though. I usually just use my joystick as I can do most stuff I want to do with it...
My joystick lets you go in like 12 different things at a time. The twist handle is very useful, as I can do a 3-axis dogfight while running 80 m/s, avoiding the two Loki on my tail, firing my subach as primary slave, firing dual-tempests, equalizing shields, and launching CMs as necessary.
Yes, I do all those things at the same time, alot! The Myrmadon is a very good fighter!
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I just pick up any odd no name brand keyboard, and that usually fixes the three button problem with a mini test in an fps. Stay away from emachines keyboards, they're always the three button pieces of **** just like they were 8 years ago. You ever try to play doom3 where you're running around holding the back button and strafe button while trying to jump, and switch a weapon? On my emachines keyboard i was able to go as far as holding the back button, strafe button, and jump...as soon as i try to switch that weapon i get a huge beep from my system speaker instead. For a good high quality keyboard i just grabbed one of those imac usb keyboards(the small version, not the huge honking one). They're of good construction, hefty, and have great buttons, and generally sort of quiet too, while letting me hold down more than 3 buttons.
And the hockey puck mouse? Well, i just recently took a whole bunch of broken computer components into the forest to smash them up and throw them into trees to illegally dispose of a bunch of ****. One of my favorite games is hockey puck mouse vs. The hockey puck mouse was today fighting the pentium 2 motherboard mounted in it's case with the side panel off. The hockey puck mouse unsocketed the processor, and on the 3rd swing of the mouse i hit the case and shattered the mouse. So motherboard mounted in case won the match. And the reward for the motherboard mounted in case was a big old toss into a pine tree where it has somehow stayed(i'm not going to stand under that tree). In alaska playing games with old hardware is always fun. :D
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:lol:
The G15 is better than most I have used but it still won't let me use the enter key, the up arrow, either the left or right arrow, numpad 8, numpad 4 or 6 and numpad 0 all at the same time. This doesn't matter for FS but in the Descent games I can't do tricord circle strafing in certain directions and fire at the same time. Using the down arrow instead of the up one strangely works fine though.
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.... Mouse and keyboard? You mean you can do that??? :eek:
How does it work compared to the joystick? I've always used the joystick...
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I've always used a joystick since 2000 for FS2 and I always have known you could fly with a mouse or just the keyboard but I never once actually tried it. In fact, I sort of assumed that everyone just used a joystick! :lol:
I have a logitech Extreme Pro. I had a force feedback one, but the power supply broke. As far as accuracy, I'd say the force feedback one was the least accurate. They all use the same moters that provide the force feedback with keeping the stick upright, and it doesn't always work. Plus you have that whole afterburner effect. If it had a rumble effect, like what's in Xbox controlles, instead of the jerk the handle force feedback, it'd be better. Get a stick that has 3 axes.
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Having played for less than a week with my shiny new joystick, I have to say I'll never go back to my once-beloved arrow keys. Except for plane trips of couse. People get annoyed when I take my laptop out sometimes, I can't even imagine what I'd get if I brought out a joystick. They'd probably think I was trying to take over the plane via remote control or something.
:ick: Pssssh. As if a 747 could stand up in a dogfight against the Shivans.