Serious question. Are some people just incapable of flying with a mouse?

[Deleted member 110222]

I've been trying for weeks now. I just can't do it. If I try flying with mouse, no matter the setup, I just end up going spinning in circles.

For those of you demi-gods who can fly with a mouse, would you say there's a certain mindset needed?

This isn't me being salty. I've got the X52 out and I'm happily flying like someone who earned his license again. Moved on, all good, such is life. Just means I'm going to have to deal with a very messy desk... XD

I'm just thinking, are some people simply not able to fly well using a mouse? In the same way that some people just can't drive a car fast and clean around a track IRL? (I also can't do that)

 

[Mo Ronik]

I've never tried it. I built this system just to play ED on and waited till I got my HOTAS before installing the game. Before ED I didn't even know what a HOTAS was as I'm not a life long gamer. My only gaming experience prior was on Sega Genesis from the way back times and some DOS games.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

I've been trying for weeks now. I just can't do it. If I try flying with mouse, no matter the setup, I just end up going spinning in circles.

For those of you demi-gods who can fly with a mouse, would you say there's a certain mindset needed?

This isn't me being salty. I've got the X52 out and I'm happily flying like someone who earned his license again. Moved on, all good, such is life. Just means I'm going to have to deal with a very messy desk... XD

I'm just thinking, are some people simply not able to fly well using a mouse? In the same way that some people just can't drive a car fast and clean around a track IRL? (I also can't do that)

I assume you've turned down your sensitivity and experimented with the other settings?

 

[verminstar]

When I was a pc gamer, I despised mouse and keyboard and simply programmed an xbox controller instead...never had issues with a controller but had constant issues with MnK. They useful fer twitch shooters and the like but their usefulness ends there.

I even have an old Hotas stick, used it fer a few days, now has a thick layer of dust from being put into storage a long time ago.

Now Im a console only gamer, I hopefully never have to look at a mouse and keyboard ever again, and no setup needed fer the controller...win win in my book ^

 

[Deleted member 110222]

I assume you've turned down your sensitivity and experimented with the other settings?

Literally everything.

Nothing works for me LOL.

Give me a joystick and throttle though and suddenly I can aim fixed for days.

 

[Krash]

I played ED first, decided I wanted a HOTAS, it came a few weeks later but by that time I was already used to KBM flying. I tried the HOTAS anyway and promptly died. Maybe I gave up on that too quickly. Demi-god. haha.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

Literally everything.

Nothing works for me LOL.

Give me a joystick and throttle though and suddenly I can aim fixed for days.

Well, then just go back to the joystick and throttle, then.

I mean, what's the sudden obsession with KB+M?

 

[Julio Montega]

I started Elite with a joystick and went with M&K
when being mobile on my laptop.
I found out that i had to make the mouse
use the axis for pitch and yaw, and put roll to "q" and "e" on keyboard.
It helps me alot in FA:On, but rolling in FA:Off is tricky on M&K.

 

[Krash]

I started Elite with a joystick and went with M&K
when being mobile on my laptop.
I found out that i had to make the mouse
use the axis for pitch and yaw, and put roll to "q" and "e" on keyboard.
It helps me alot in FA:On, but rolling in FA:Off is tricky on M&K.

The benefits of the KBM combat pilot are marginal at best and hard to quantify. We might get better aiming with a mouse, but how much better is it? A few millisecs difference, all things being equal? Fly with what you enjoy.

 

[Julio Montega]

The benefits of the KBM combat pilot are marginal at best and hard to quantify. We might get better aiming with a mouse, but how much better is it? A few millisecs difference, all things being equal? Fly with what you enjoy.

Exactly, and i enjoy my simpit with VA, headtracker an Hotas most,
but gathering materials or doing some relaxed missions on laptop is fine, too.

 

[Deleted member 110222]

Well, then just go back to the joystick and throttle, then.

I mean, what's the sudden obsession with KB+M?

"I have multiple personality disorder, so don't expect consistency from me. I'm effectively several people in one body. - Keeping this in signature for your benefit. "

From my signature. I think this is to blame. I woke up this morning not caring about M&K at all. I've since written another Post-It note and stuck on my wall.

Unfortunately, I have to let a personality do something before I know that something is a problem.

 

[Devari]

You don't even need a mouse. I've been playing Elite with just a keyboard for over two years now. Once you practice enough that you can use the num pad keys for pitch/roll accurately the keyboard can replace a joystick rather well. I started out with a joystick and eventually got a HOTAS but then had several months without my usual home setup and had to play entirely with a keyboard. I decided I would take the time to go to SagA as I figured I wouldn't need precise maneuvering like I would in combat and could manage well enough with the num pad. What I found out was that after the thousand or so jumps it took to reach SagA I got good enough from fuel scooping maneuvering that I could use the keyboard nearly as well as a joystick for most maneuvers. In fact, in some cases it can actually be an improvement over a joystick. The main reason for this is that you get almost instantaneous full deflection of the controls pressing a single key which can be faster than using a joystick. This can be helpful for evasive maneuvering and even occasionally with interdictions if you're flying ship with a good yaw rate. In most cases however the tradeoff between more precise joystick control vs. more rapid full deflection control input via. the keyboard still usually favors a joystick for evading an interdiction. The other benefit is that it's also easier to combine more complex combinations of control input for 6DOF maneuvering using the WASD and num keys than you can achieve with a HOTAS setup using joystick twist and throttle controls for yaw and lateral movement. I can actually combine simultaneous roll/pitch/yaw/lateral maneuvering with upwards or downwards thrust with the keyboard which isn't readily achievable with even a good HOTAS setup unless you devote several additional buttons to maneuvering controls.

The main limitations with the keyboard-only approach is that it is still more difficult for using fixed weapons although this was not much of an issue for most of my ships as I use gimballed weapons the vast majority of the time (although I have recently been using a Guardian plasma charger with my Krait fairly well with the keyboard only). The other issue, particularly relevant with laptops, is that unless you have n-key rollover you can sometimes find yourself "locked out" of important maneuvering buttons if you press too many keys at the same time. Many gaming keyboards and even gaming laptops don't have true n-key rollover which can be rather annoying if you're flying entirely with the keyboard. Still, the ability to play the game from a laptop without other controllers available is generally worth the trade-offs if you travel frequently or don't always have access to a full desktop setup.

 

[Stealthie]

I've been trying for weeks now. I just can't do it. If I try flying with mouse, no matter the setup, I just end up going spinning in circles.

For those of you demi-gods who can fly with a mouse, would you say there's a certain mindset needed?

Can't see why it'd be an insurmountable problem.

I can see how using various DPI, mouse-acceleration and sensitivity setting would make is stupid-hard but, like with anything, you need to set it up at a "beginner" level to start with and then dial-up the responsiveness as you get familiar with it.

Personally, I prefer to use a joystick cos I like to feel like I'm flying a spaceship and not a spreadsheet.

 

[Old Duck]

Serious question. Are some people just incapable of flying with a mouse?

I play on PS4, so the answer is YES

 

[Werewolf13]

Flying with a M/K is for me a non-starter. Try as I might - can't be done. So yes there are those not suited to using a M/K for flight. Every other type of game - yes - M/k.

Been flying flight sims since the original MS Flight Sim - darn near 40 years? Used a joystick and graduated to a HOTAS. Only way to go for a flying game IMO. Good on ya OP for getting the X-52; great stick.

All that said: it's controllers that the console guys use that mystify me. Think PRIMAL SCREAM! No way. Tried 'em. THEY SUCK! Then again all three of my daughters and one son all used/use one and totally fail using a joystick.

I think it's generational. I grew up with a joystick, kids grew up with a controller. What ever one is comfortable with I guess.

 

[Zagz]

I have been playing with KB and mouse since release. I'm probably an adverage pilot but I have no problem. However, in order to make it possible, I had to tweak and change a lot of my settings.

The first month was hell because as many said, I was rolling all over the place.

After spending hours in the binding menu, I can do pretty much everything I want and dogfighting, I am able to combine flight assist toggles to a certain degree.

My binds are as follow:

W - up thrust
S - Down trust
A - Roll left
D - Roll Right
Q - Right thrust (strafing left)
E - Left Thrust (strafing right)

mouse (MUST BE SET TO YAW instead of default ROLL)

mouse 1 primary
mouse 2 secondary
mouse 3 headlock
mouse roll - firegroups
mouse 4 thrust forward continuous
mouse 5 thrust backward continuous

I might be off on the terms, it`s been so long...


It kinda plays like a first person shooter when you`re underwater. I have no problem with aiming and rarely use gimb or turrets as I prefer beams in most cases.

The default settings are and should never be used as is. That`s not how your brain works, at least for the majority of gamers out there.

I tried using my Xbox one controller and while it`s fine and fun, especially when using my SRV, I always go back to KB/Mouse. I am curious about the HOTAs but I am actually wondering if it`s really going to do a difference.

As I said earlier, flight assist off is where mouse becomes a bit dodgy... it`s too sensitive but for a quick strafe attack in my mid run, it works well.

 

[nanite2000]

I've been playing ED with K+M for over 2 years now, and found it to be absolutely fine.

• Make sure you have Relative Mouse Movement ENABLED. It is impossible to control otherwise.
• Set X-Axis to control 'Yaw' (rather than the default 'Roll').
• Bind A+D keys to Roll anti-clockwise/clockwise respectively.
• Bind W+S keys vertical thrusters.
• Bind Q+E keys to horizontal thrusters.
• Bin R+F to forward & reverse thrusters respectively.

I takes a few hours to get used to it, so make sure you do all the tutorials using your new keybinds to feel comfortable.

 

[Muetdhiver]

I can but I hate it.

The hotas feels much more immersive.

 

[Thatchinho]

Uni, just to double check... you have tried using Relative x-axis haven’t you?

 

[Unknown Zombie]

I have to use M+K when playing on my laptop. I can do it, but it sucks. I much prefer using a gamepad.

When having to use the mouse I usually play with relative off because I absolutely hate having to repeatedly swipe my mouse across the mousepad just to make my T-10 do a 180° in supercruise.