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General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: BaconCatBug on September 06, 2017, 08:58:50 am

Title: Any suggestions on optimising Sidewinder+Keyboard controls?
Post by: BaconCatBug on September 06, 2017, 08:58:50 am
Basically I am looking to re-play FS2, but I only own a Sidewinder (with a old game controler port!) so don't have that many buttons to play with on the joystick itself. I got Primary Fire, Seconday Fir, Next Hostile and countermeasures as buttons 1-4. I got 5 on the base and the PoV hat to play with on the joystick itself.
Anyone got suggestions on how to optimise it so I am not swapping to the keyboard all too often?
Title: Re: Any suggestions on optimising Sidewinder+Keyboard controls?
Post by: Grizzly on September 06, 2017, 04:52:46 pm
Assuming that you're right handed...

I'd not go with next hostile but with the "closest hostile" (bound to R by default) as that has a double function as the "Oh god who is shooting at me" panic button. Not something you want to look for in a firefight. "Next Hostile" is a key I never use, as there's alt-H which targets the next hostile automatically.

Primary, Secondary, Countermeasures are solid choices. For the fifth button, I'd recommend the "Switch secondary fire" key. It's bound to / by default, so it's out of the way of the rest of the controls you'd normally use, and switching trough your different missiles is something you end up doing often.

If you can find a way to remap the POV hat to do shield quadrant management rather then look behind you (Which isn't as important in FS2 as you have a radar and aforementioned R key), that would help, as shield management is vital in a firefight and it's out of the way of targeting controls you will also need to use in said firefights. Now that I have a way-too-fancy X52 I have a POV hat bound to that and it's super useful.
Title: Re: Any suggestions on optimising Sidewinder+Keyboard controls?
Post by: Novachen on September 15, 2017, 01:45:09 pm
Actually that depends on difficulty also.

On lower difficulties the key for "Equalize Shield" is enough for the fifth one.
On higher difficulties you have to use the ETS instead for proper fighting, so you should think about to use your POV for the ETS. "Assign more Energy to Weapons", "Assign more Energy to Shields", "Assign more Energy to Engine" and "Energy Equalizing". If you have a similar play style than mine, you could even use the "Maximaze Weapons/Shields/Engine Energy" functions. Even IMO this needs much more proper management on your part.

The ability to hit your burners is a much more important thing than to strenghten your rear shield quadrant on higher difficulties... because it goes down pretty fast anyway. The whole game is about, how to avoid, that you get hit in the first place.

But if you play only on Medium or even less... well i actually only use the POV on this difficulty for just that.. to look around  :lol:
Title: Re: Any suggestions on optimising Sidewinder+Keyboard controls?
Post by: deathspeed on September 15, 2017, 11:45:28 pm
Here (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=76947.0) is a thread on a similar topic.


Do you mean you have only Button #5 on the base, or five buttons on the base? My retired gameport Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro has five on the base, but one is a shift button, essentially doubling the number of buttons to 16. 

My current Sidewinder FF2 has four on the stick and four on the base.   
 - On the stick, I have Primary Fire, Secondary Fire, Countermeasures, and Target Next Live Turret.
 - On the base, I have Afterburner, Cycle Primary, Cycle Secondary, and Equalize Shields.
 - The hat is mapped to more targeting functions - Next Hostile Bomb or Bomber, next Subsystem, Ship in Reticle, and Next Ship on Escort List.

It seems like I am always playing around with them, though, and sometimes I will have totally different mapping for certain mods, especially if they use Glide or directional thrusters.
Title: Re: Any suggestions on optimising Sidewinder+Keyboard controls?
Post by: BaconCatBug on September 18, 2017, 10:26:56 am
Yeah the 5th button is the "shift" button but I've always used it as a normal button.