HOTAS or Flightstick Mental Adjustment?
- Thread starter Emanon
- Start date
The X55 Rhino took some getting used to, mostly because I'm not accustomed to controllers actually being the right size for my hands. As for flying with it, I just had to get back into my Mechwarrior mindset for aiming. What I don't want bound to my flight stick/throttle, I have bound in Voice Attack along with some redundancies to make life just a little bit easier during combat.
Well the photographs appear to show a throttle but the write up is not very clear as it refers to a hand rest?? I will see what else I can find.
Once you've played around with it some, and tweaked the various buttons, etc.. to your liking, you'll find that a HOTAS is about as natural as breathing. Before long you won't even notice you're making adjustments to course, speed, etc.. as you fly, and you will spend less and less time looking at buttons trying to remember what one fires missiles, etc...
Much like driving a car, really. Once you've had time to train yourself to the various quirks, etc.. muscle memory kicks in and you'll be flying like a pro without even trying. Just give yourself time to make the adjustment from the gamepad, and don't let yourself get frustrated. It'll come to you before you know it.
Much like driving a car, really. Once you've had time to train yourself to the various quirks, etc.. muscle memory kicks in and you'll be flying like a pro without even trying. Just give yourself time to make the adjustment from the gamepad, and don't let yourself get frustrated. It'll come to you before you know it.
I spent a few days tweaking the controls for the Thrustmaster T-Flight stick, and spent a lot of time toying around with it in game (including doing some of the tutorials dozens of times)
In the end, I went back to mouse and keyboard. No matter how much I fiddled, whether that be through in-game settings or even the little resistance dial on the stick itself, I could never get it to "feel" right to me. I always felt as though it was too "slow", or not as precise - I'm aware that it's probably just bias from decades of experience gaming with a mouse and none with a joystick, but I just couldn't get over it
In the end, I went back to mouse and keyboard. No matter how much I fiddled, whether that be through in-game settings or even the little resistance dial on the stick itself, I could never get it to "feel" right to me. I always felt as though it was too "slow", or not as precise - I'm aware that it's probably just bias from decades of experience gaming with a mouse and none with a joystick, but I just couldn't get over it
The hand rest is that platform on the bottom of the joystick.
Cheers for the tips, I was going to buy a Sidewinder to practice with and had totally forgotten about the training mode - doh !
I think I'll be giving Voice Attack a go with my T-16000M seems there are no throttles out there (especially the CH Pro Throttle)
I think I'll be giving Voice Attack a go with my T-16000M seems there are no throttles out there (especially the CH Pro Throttle)
In that case the picture definitely shows a throttle - I have ordered one anyway if it isnt any good I will send it back.
Coming into this a bit late, but I can sympathise with the OP 100%.
I was using a PS3 controller (via cable rather than bluetooth) for ED from shortly after public release. I had become quite natural with it and could land ridiculously smoothly at stations in one gliding movement. Pitch and roll on left thumb, yaw and vertical thrust on right thumb, landing override for lateral thrusters instead of yaw, throttle on lower shoudlers, weapons on upper, plus ancilliaries mapped to all of the other buttons. It felt lacking though as there simply aren't enough buttons to go around - using one of the buttons as a "shift" key was a bit hit-and-miss (quite a few simply wouldn't work for some reason) and power distribution was still on keyboard.
Deciding I could do with more buttons, plus some "muscle feedback" about throttle position (instead of having to constantly look at the bar), and with people raving about HOTAS controllers, I grabbed a TM HOTAS X which arrived last Friday. Got into game that evening expecting to rock the universe, tried out the tutorials first "just in case" and discovered I was utterly crap, to the point that I was wondering why I'd spent the money and was considering going back to the PS3 controller (occasional 3rd-party-driver blue-screens be damned).
I am, however, very glad that I didn't. I have become much more proficient with my new controls (not *quite* as good as I was with the PS3 controller) and I can only assume that the confidence and skill will build further .. it's only been four days play after all (and I didn't get online Monday night). The only time I use the keyboard now is for typing messages and for hitting "ESC" to get the menu up. I have every control I need bound to various buttons (lower button next to the rudder paddle on the throttle is my "shift" key) and everything is feeling really natural.
I'd recommend, if you're not sure what controls you need, use someone else's template as a guide but really go with what feels natural to you - I really couldn't get on with vertical thrusters on the throttle thumb buttons so I've got mine mapped to the rudder paddle (right being up) with the same landing-gear override for lateral thrust instead of yaw (stick twist) as I had with the PS3 controller - I simply don't use the laterals in-flight.
Various combinations of boost, FSD, subsystems, nav panel, sys panel, hardpoints, scoop, shield cells, gear, map, silent running, etc. are all on the throttle controller buttons. Stick is pitch/roll/yaw, primary/secondary fire, target ahead, target hostile (via shift), select fire group (on that handy front-right-side button), pips on the hat, along with menu selection on the hat and select/back buttons on the top buttons. Works really fluidly and I can get to everything I'm currently using, nearly without any thought.
It's a fab controller, loads of buttons, the minor deadzone on the stick isn't an issue once you get used to it and it's definitely the right way to fly. All I need now is to get an EDTracker for looking around (head look via the stick just feels "odd") and I'll be very very happy
Cheers,
QQ
I was using a PS3 controller (via cable rather than bluetooth) for ED from shortly after public release. I had become quite natural with it and could land ridiculously smoothly at stations in one gliding movement. Pitch and roll on left thumb, yaw and vertical thrust on right thumb, landing override for lateral thrusters instead of yaw, throttle on lower shoudlers, weapons on upper, plus ancilliaries mapped to all of the other buttons. It felt lacking though as there simply aren't enough buttons to go around - using one of the buttons as a "shift" key was a bit hit-and-miss (quite a few simply wouldn't work for some reason) and power distribution was still on keyboard.
Deciding I could do with more buttons, plus some "muscle feedback" about throttle position (instead of having to constantly look at the bar), and with people raving about HOTAS controllers, I grabbed a TM HOTAS X which arrived last Friday. Got into game that evening expecting to rock the universe, tried out the tutorials first "just in case" and discovered I was utterly crap, to the point that I was wondering why I'd spent the money and was considering going back to the PS3 controller (occasional 3rd-party-driver blue-screens be damned).
I am, however, very glad that I didn't. I have become much more proficient with my new controls (not *quite* as good as I was with the PS3 controller) and I can only assume that the confidence and skill will build further .. it's only been four days play after all (and I didn't get online Monday night). The only time I use the keyboard now is for typing messages and for hitting "ESC" to get the menu up. I have every control I need bound to various buttons (lower button next to the rudder paddle on the throttle is my "shift" key) and everything is feeling really natural.
I'd recommend, if you're not sure what controls you need, use someone else's template as a guide but really go with what feels natural to you - I really couldn't get on with vertical thrusters on the throttle thumb buttons so I've got mine mapped to the rudder paddle (right being up) with the same landing-gear override for lateral thrust instead of yaw (stick twist) as I had with the PS3 controller - I simply don't use the laterals in-flight.
Various combinations of boost, FSD, subsystems, nav panel, sys panel, hardpoints, scoop, shield cells, gear, map, silent running, etc. are all on the throttle controller buttons. Stick is pitch/roll/yaw, primary/secondary fire, target ahead, target hostile (via shift), select fire group (on that handy front-right-side button), pips on the hat, along with menu selection on the hat and select/back buttons on the top buttons. Works really fluidly and I can get to everything I'm currently using, nearly without any thought.
It's a fab controller, loads of buttons, the minor deadzone on the stick isn't an issue once you get used to it and it's definitely the right way to fly. All I need now is to get an EDTracker for looking around (head look via the stick just feels "odd") and I'll be very very happy
Cheers,
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Similar experience to OP. I started with a ps4 controller but found i couldn't get the fine aim control I needed for tougher fights. Switched to a flight stick and keyboard and hated it for the first hour or so, now I will never go back!
One other bit of advice - tighten up the stick tension with the twist dial under the base to the highest setting until you're used to it - I found I was too "twitchy" to start with because it's a big change using your arm muscles instead of thumbs for flight control.
After a couple of days, dial the tension control back a few turns. It suddenly feels smooth as butter and you'll really love it!
QQ
After a couple of days, dial the tension control back a few turns. It suddenly feels smooth as butter and you'll really love it!
Well, I survived ! T-16000M + keyboard is working for me. Took a bit of setting up and tweaking to get roughly where I want and it's nice to have a slide throttle rather than use the gamepad bumper buttons plus I've put landing gear and jump drive buttons where I need them too, so no more L or J on the keyboard. Still a bit shaky on my flight path into the station but not had to claim insurance
This old man is personally glad to see the xbox generation figuring out that a game pad isn't "all that" and that computer games with more than a handful of needed buttons are fun
I almost cried when X:Rebirth shipped with game pad controls but they had broken joystick ones. Sure it was an awful game, buggy and a failed port, but that series was the last of the "joystick" games outside of hard core flight sims.
I almost cried when X:Rebirth shipped with game pad controls but they had broken joystick ones. Sure it was an awful game, buggy and a failed port, but that series was the last of the "joystick" games outside of hard core flight sims.
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I got used to my Hotas config simply by using this config, and printing it out and placing it just above my KB so the constant visual reminder will help set a mental memory.
I love it, as freak as it is. Worse is when you don't move and the in game hand flexes. Or when you try and grab the in game joystick, while yours is slightly farther away. Good stuff that!
As for getting used to the HOTAS. Just keep flying. It'll come natural before long.
This old man is personally glad to see the xbox generation figuring out that a game pad isn't "all that" and that computer games with more than a handful of needed buttons are fun
I almost cried when X:Reunion shipped with game pad controls but they had broken joystick ones. Sure it was an awful game, buggy and a failed port, but that series was the last of the "joystick" games outside of hard core flight sims.
I'm a mere 25, but I fully agree with this. Have some rep.
The more buttons, the better!
In the profile editor I just mapped the key press for sys up and sys down to each direction of the wheel and it works. If I press it in it opens my left console as well, done the same way. I can take a screen grab later if you want (im at the office atm).
^this^
Ultimately you will discover that setting it up for you by using trial and error is the best way to discover your comfort zone for a HOTAS. Then practice, practice, practice.