[Sharezjek]

Is there a way that I can play using a (PS2 or other) controller?

I have an adaptor that I can use to connect my PS2 one into my computer
but I'm not sure how to configure it to work in the game.

Any help would be great 

[Mongoose]

You should be able to bind a PS2 controller with a USB adapter to FS2's controls just fine, provided it's detected by Windows (which I'll assume you're using) and selected in the Audio/Joystick tab of the FS2_Open Launcher, or the Joystick tab of the Setup window if you're using retail FS2. Once you have it selected there, just go to the in-game Options menu, select Control Config, and start assigning the buttons/axes to what you want them to do.  

As it turns out, I fooled around in-game with a PS2 controller once, and I was able to come up with a control scheme that worked reasonably well, though it obviously doesn't have enough buttons to handle every single ship function.  I had the yaw/pitch and bank/relative throttle axes controls set to the X and Y axes of the controller's two analog sticks, and I believe I had primary and secondary weapons set to two of the shoulder buttons.  The afterburner and countermeasures might work well on the other two shoulder buttons.  That would leave the four face buttons for the most commonly-used targeting controls (ship in reticule, attacking ship, nearest bomb, etc.), and the D-pad and Start/Select buttons for whatever else you could think of.  Just play around with the controller until you get something that works well for you.

[Sharezjek]

Thanks Mongoose I'll give it a try.
I'm getting a new joystick in a couple of days but i wanted to use a controller in the interim.

[Wobble73]

I use the PS2 controller all the time, works fantastically. Target nearest enemy on X, fire primary weapons on triangle, fire secondary on square, countermeasures on circle. bottom right trigger is afterburner, top right trigger is target in reticule, left triggers are other targeting controls. Left joystick is bound to pitch and yaw and right joystick is roll and thrust.

I find using this controller much easier to play than using my Saitek Cyborg joystick. So be aware that once you use this you may never go back to using the joystick.


[edit] Forgot to add, d-pad is for the POV hat switch, type thing,  [/edit]
 

[S-99]

The ps2 controller. Somehow a marvel to other people. I actually don't like the thing so much. Third party ps2 controllers have a much more comfortable design. You can map the controller for easy gameplay with fs2. Just keep in mind you'll still be using the keyboard for other functions that you can't put on the gamepad.

The gravis xterminator was the best for playing fs2 on a gamepad though.

For the ps2 gamepad, based on what you can get away with mapping functions to a gamepads buttons and axi's, there a certain way i do it.
The left joystick is for bringing your fighter up and down, and turning left and right. The secondary joystick was for rolling left and right. L1 for firing primaries, R1 for secondaries. L2 for matching speed, R2 for afterburners. Square for targeting next closest hostile. Triangle for targetting next closest friendly. Circle for switching your secondaries, X for switching your primaries. Select is warp out. Start is pause.

I believe it went something like that. Basically i mapped out the gamepad after i mapped out the game for controlling it with keyboard and mouse. That way i could use one or the other, or just use the gamepad with the custom keyboard configuration to supplement it when i need the extra features. The problem with the ps2 gamepad is that it doesn't have that many buttons, and the secondary joystick isn't used for that much. That's why i prefer the gravis xterminator. It has more buttons, no secondary joystick, and with the xterminator button and axis layout, i can do more with it than a ps2 controller button layout. One thing that is awesome about the xterminator is the 2 undertucked digital click buttons, and the higher up analog L and R buttons in the usual L and R button configuration. The way the controller was physically designed truly meant that you could easily have a finger on all of the L and R buttons at all times based on the way the controller was designed.

[Wobble73]

While I agree the Gravis Exterminator is a great pad to use, (I still own one), I stopped using it when support for gameports was dropped and I lost my usb adapter for it. I especially loved how you could use the shoulder "buttons" to roll and the slider for thrust. However the Gravis does not have more buttons, it has 11, where as the ps2 pad has 12. 

[JediMasterTim]

14 counting start and select.

I've tried using a PS1 controller a few times and it seems to work well.  I prefer to have all of my keys on hand though, so I stick with keyboard.

[Wobble73]

14 counting start and select.

Count again!  

Four main buttons, X, O, Triangle and Square
Four shoulder buttons
Two joystick buttons
Start and select

Where are the other 2?

[captain-custard]

if you press the analog stick down , there is one , well on my rumble pad there is any way

[Wobble73]

if you press the analog stick down , there is one , well on my rumble pad there is any way

Read again,


TWO JOYSTICK BUTTONS!!!!!
 
 

[captain-custard]

ok but you still have 2 axis on each joystick so that can be mapped to four more positions , if your using the one analog for left n, right up and down  then you can map the four left /right etc and stil have two axis left on right joystik..; if you use the mode button that cabn give you an option change aswell...... but tis is way to hard to explain

[S-99]

While I agree the Gravis Exterminator is a great pad to use, (I still own one), I stopped using it when support for gameports was dropped and I lost my usb adapter for it. I especially loved how you could use the shoulder "buttons" to roll and the slider for thrust. However the Gravis does not have more buttons, it has 11, where as the ps2 pad has 12.  

You people can't count

The gravis xterminator has a total of 11 buttons. This includes all of the top buttons on the controller and the 2 on the under side. Not to mention separate from the buttons it has a throttle, 8 way pov, a joystick, 2 analog left and right flippers, and an 8 way dpad. The controller also has support for secondary functions wherever you want them. You also can't forget mapping keys where you want them, any controller has this ability, this really changes interpretation for me of how many buttons a gamepad has based on what you can map to it sort of like mapping keys to the dpad or a key for a certain axis on a joystick.

This is way better than the ps2 gamepad.

Oh man, having a throttle in fs2 is really great. I use it for full speed, full stop, and whatever other manual speed i need to go. After that you just need a map speed button.

The key mapping software for the gravis xterminator was great too. It allowed me to map every direction on the 8 way dpad to a different targetting functions in fs2. I used the 8 way pov for switching around my primaries and secondaries. I forget what i used the usual buttons for. I originally bought this gamepad just for fs2 back in the day. Then a friend came over and destroyed the gamepad. What you can do with this gamepad is really cool.


This is the other pad i'm curious about getting. No one has pictures of the underside of the controller though.

[Wobble73]

While I agree the Gravis Exterminator is a great pad to use, (I still own one), I stopped using it when support for gameports was dropped and I lost my usb adapter for it. I especially loved how you could use the shoulder "buttons" to roll and the slider for thrust. However the Gravis does not have more buttons, it has 11, where as the ps2 pad has 12.  

You people can't count

The gravis xterminator has a total of 11 buttons.

And you can't read!   

[Sharezjek]

Wow I started a flame war 

Anyway, I got the controller set up and it works fine.
Should have my joystick tomorrow though.

[Wobble73]

Wow I started a flame war 

Anyway, I got the controller set up and it works fine.
Should have my joystick tomorrow though.

Nah, just everyone wants to contradict me today for some reason. Glad you got it set up, which control scheme did you choose?

[Davros]

Nah, just everyone wants to contradict me today for some reason.

No they dont...

[Wobble73]

Nah, just everyone wants to contradict me today for some reason.

No they dont...

 

[S-99]

I'm going to order the gravis xterminator and the eliminator aftershock. Kensington ended up buying gravis. And kensington no longer pumps out joysticks
I'm going to be taking real good care of those gamepads.

[William Wolfen]

I myself have given FS a try with my cloned Xbox 360 controller, and have found that the controller would work great, if only i could attain the necessary level of control to actually aim my guns with that little tiny stick!   

So for now, i have resigned myself to sticking entirely to my joystick, as big a pain as it is to drag around with my laptop.

[Ziame]

I play FS2 with keyboard or mouse because I don't like joystick handling in this game. X-series have a perfect handling for me