Newcomer / Intro Sorry to ask About Hotas but........

[Ridley]

please don't hate me for this post
I'm sure the whole which Hotas thing has been to death, I've spent quite a bit of time researching it but still cannot make a decision.
Currently I am playing KB&M but considering switching to HOTAS (I am only about 2 hours into the game).
I know there is lots of personal opinion and experience but I think I have made a decision and then I read Amazon reviews and there are the reviews with 5 star that maybe haven't had it a long time and then the views that knock it on reliability after a couple of months.
Even the Warthog has mixed reviews.

So, what would you suggest as the best HOTAS considering sufficient buttons for ED and long time reliability, I think I would like twist on the stick as well. I suppose I could consider the cougar flight if anyone has any experience of these to boost the buttons etc.?

 

[Maenden]

If you're uncertain you could just go for a joystick first.
I've got a Thrustmaster T16000M - which has the twist function.
I still use the keyboard for throttle settings.
I've got keys set to 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% throttle which cover most things I do.

 

[Arnak]

Hi,

The very first question is how much are you willing to spend?

That will dictate your choice of stick if your budget is low.

The ratings on sites such as Amazon always vary, I would go for a stick with the best overall ratings and a good warranty, at least if you have a stick from a major retailer you can get it replaced. )

Yes, the twist functions is ideal for ED and plenty of buttons plus a throttle.

If you can afford it then a programmable mini keypad is also very useful at least IMHO.

I'm still using a Saitek X52 Pro which has been replaced once under warranty but has now been fine for 3 years.

 

[sinisalo]

I use a Cougar. I actually have two, both modded. One has the Evenstrain mod and one has the Uber 2 NTX mod.

It does not have a twist feature for yaw. Otherwise it is excellent for any type of flight game, especially ones like Elite. It has plenty of 'sufficient buttons', and double actually since there is a pinky shift to allow every button to have two commands assigned if needed.

I've been using it since 2002. A stock Cougar can have issues, usually sloppy gimbals and poor quality pots. A modded one fixes both of those issues. There are lots of good choices you could make, but if you have any specific questions about the Cougar I'll help.

 

[Para Handy]

T-Flight HOTAS-X is perfectly useable for Elite and is cheap as chips so good for someone to try and decide if they want to go forward to a more expensive option.

(I have one that is over 5 years old and still works fine on my secondary PC.)

I do a lot of flight sim stuff so have a full CHPro setup - expensive and no twist.

If you want a decent system you could of course take a chance on Logitech having increased the build quality of the Saitek stuff - if you buy from Amazon (e.g https://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Saitek-Flight-Control-System/dp/B079Z3DSBK ) you can return for refund if you don't like or it quickly breaks.

 

[Ridley]

Thanks for the replies, I need a little time to digest that before any decisions, but your input is appreciated.

 

[Mxpower76]

I see the T16000 mentioned a lot so I think it's popular around here. My X52 started glitching out so I replaced it with the T16000. I've been using it almost daily for about a year without issue. Lots of buttons and not too expensive.....well below Warthog price. I'd say it's a good unit so far. If it fails I think I'd get another one.

 

[McGyverCP]

There are a lot of choices between different brand names and even different models within those manufacturers. I currently have a Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One that I am in the process of configuring for the game. I got it online at Best Buy for a reasonable price. The Drivers and setup in Windows 10 was a bit of a pain at first, as it seemed that the right hand (Windows 10) had no clue the left hand (Stick Drivers etc,) was there. After some search online, I found what I was actually doing wrong and Windows now likes the joystick instead of trying to reject it like a bad organ transplant.

Another thing I noticed is that for the Higher End setups, it seems the manufacturer (Thrustmaster in this case) will offer downloadable setup configurations (the WartHog is one) where as the Hotas One is more dependent on what the game already has put together. Programming it can be a bit of a pain, but there are a couple of YouTube videos that help out with this.

Which ever setup you decide to use, I wish you many hours of great space travels...This game is IMHO probably the best Space Sim I have played in Many years.

Take Care and Check Six Commander! o7

 

[Sylow]

My HOTAS is the Logitech X-56. And it's a very hesitant recommendation.

On one hand, i think it's button arrangement and layout is perfect for ED. It beats any other HOTAS i ever tried. (And that includes the Warthog of a friend. ) Some people claim it's only good for people with huge hands, but i can handle it quite well with my rather average sized hands. It's true that it's a bit stiff, but I don't mind, I used some spare pieces of wood to add mounts for my HOTAS to my table. I screwed it down, it does the job fine. Also the pricetag is "fair". It sure costs more than some HOTAS systems, but it also provides more buttons and more accurate controls. While VKB or Vipril charge more for just one part of their HOTAS than the complete X-56 set costs.

After all that praise, the warning: The X-56 was designed by Saitek. It had huge quality issues. I had more than one replacement of the X-56 within its warranty time, and a few weeks ago it broke down again. By now the HOTAS is built by Logitech. They claim to have improved its quality. They especially claim to completely have reworked the twist mechanic, which was very failure prone. I haven't opened it yet, as i don't want to void my warranty. I can for sure say that the twist feels more stiff but also seems to be more accurate than on the Saitek version. So my current impression is positive: those things which gave me issues seem to have been changed. But there's no way for me to know yet, how the thing handles long term.

The reworked version is only out since a few months. Up to now, i haven't read of breakdowns of the new version, while the old version even had a history of coming broken out of the box. So maybe quality was improved, but it's nothing i can confirm. If you trust Logitech that they improved on it's quality and are ready to spend more money than the most basic entry level of HOTAS costs, then it's actually a great choice. But if Logitechs statemet of having fixed the quality issues is not true, you might be looking at a broken HOTAS much too soon.

 

[Popalu]

T-Flight HOTAS-X works fine, it is cheap and shows you what can be achieved in game, buy one, test it out, if it is all fine, you can always upgrade to a better model later on, like I did, once you outgrow it and need more buttons, but an Hotas-X and VoiceAttack software means you don't need loads of buttons

 

[Rock Hunter]

Another voice for the T-Flight HOTAS-X here. It may be basic compared to other HOTAS systems but it works extremely well for ED.

You can assign a shift button to allow extra button bindings which really opens it up. Also, considering the very basic price it’s actually very well made. I have mine boxed and ready to be used if, or when, my X-55 stops working. I was slightly concerned from some reviews that the leads between the throttle and joystick when apart wouldn’t be long enough to allow my keyboard to sit between them but it had plenty of room and worked brilliantly.

Like Sylow I’d like to recommend my, older version, the X-55 as it has everything I could wish for, is extremely comfortable and allows me to play in VR with everything mapped to buttons on either the throttle or stick. However, despite mine having no issues at all so far, I’m very aware of the issues Saitek have had. I don’t know how old mine is as I picked it up from a friend who’d used it with IL-Sturmovich for a few years - hopefully I’ve been lucky and got decent example. It’s certainly good enough to make me think I’d replace it with the X-56 or whatever may be the next version if Logitech show they’ve got the quality issues under control.

The good news is that pretty much any HOTAS will make a big difference to your ED experience.

 

[Zeeman]

How much you want to spend, OP?

CH Pro Throttle, Virpil WarBRD and Virpil T50mk2 grip, and VKB T-Rudder pedals are pick, but I hope you have a large credit limit on your platinum Amex...


For more reading, though, check out the very well hidden Hardware sub-forum. Because, you know, the hardware used to play ED is off topic to ED...

Z...

 

[Swordfish_01]

Using the Logitech Extreme Pro , as so many others do in this game. I dont recommend any brand of Hotas/joystick, but I do advise you to use one. This game begs for a Joystick set-up, just so much better, and easier.

 

[Slange Lands]

please don't hate me for this post
I'm sure the whole which Hotas thing has been to death, I've spent quite a bit of time researching it but still cannot make a decision.
Currently I am playing KB&M but considering switching to HOTAS (I am only about 2 hours into the game).
I know there is lots of personal opinion and experience but I think I have made a decision and then I read Amazon reviews and there are the reviews with 5 star that maybe haven't had it a long time and then the views that knock it on reliability after a couple of months.
Even the Warthog has mixed reviews.

So, what would you suggest as the best HOTAS considering sufficient buttons for ED and long time reliability, I think I would like twist on the stick as well. I suppose I could consider the cougar flight if anyone has any experience of these to boost the buttons etc.?

Did you know that many of the top PvPers in Open use kb and mouse? The mouse was designed for computer screens and it is incredibly accurate for rails. I am currently using a Thrustmaster 16000 joy and throttle, but due to being frustrated with my railgun aim I am in the process of converting to mouse and throttle. The mouse is actually more comfortable for my hand than the joystick. It also does not seem less "immersive." In addition, flying FA off with a relative mouse and throttle is much easier than flying FA off with a joystick and throttle. My mouse has 17 buttons.

 

[Ridley]

How much you want to spend, OP?

CH Pro Throttle, Virpil WarBRD and Virpil T50mk2 grip, and VKB T-Rudder pedals are pick, but I hope you have a large credit limit on your platinum Amex...


For more reading, though, check out the very well hidden Hardware sub-forum. Because, you know, the hardware used to play ED is off topic to ED...

Z...

Yes perhaps a bit pricey but maybe if I stick with Space and Flight sims, I used to be a big MS Flight Sim enthusiast a few years ago, Im really trying to get into ED but struggling a bit at the moment with progress so such an investment will have to wait. Thanks for the hardware link.

 

[Ridley]

Okay so it seems to be a toss up between Logitech X56, which certainly looks the business or the T 1600 FCS do either of these have Twist? Otherwise what do you use for rudder, I don't think I want pedals, at least not just yet.
The X56 is just ahead on the number of buttons it has, its just if its reliable enough.
The Hotas X does look good value though.

 

[Ridley]

Did you know that many of the top PvPers in Open use kb and mouse? The mouse was designed for computer screens and it is incredibly accurate for rails. I am currently using a Thrustmaster 16000 joy and throttle, but due to being frustrated with my railgun aim I am in the process of converting to mouse and throttle. The mouse is actually more comfortable for my hand than the joystick. It also does not seem less "immersive." In addition, flying FA off with a relative mouse and throttle is much easier than flying FA off with a joystick and throttle. My mouse has 17 buttons.

Yes, I watched a few videos on KB&M and decided that was the way I would go, the mouse I can deal with but I struggle remembering all but the basic keys on the KB. I doubt I would ever be a good PvP'er though and am thinking of going the trade, mining or exploration route. My thinking that speed will not be so critical and hopefully I can remember a few more keys when buttons on a JS or Throttle.

 

[Ridley]

There are a lot of choices between different brand names and even different models within those manufacturers. I currently have a Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One that I am in the process of configuring for the game. I got it online at Best Buy for a reasonable price. The Drivers and setup in Windows 10 was a bit of a pain at first, as it seemed that the right hand (Windows 10) had no clue the left hand (Stick Drivers etc,) was there. After some search online, I found what I was actually doing wrong and Windows now likes the joystick instead of trying to reject it like a bad organ transplant.

Another thing I noticed is that for the Higher End setups, it seems the manufacturer (Thrustmaster in this case) will offer downloadable setup configurations (the WartHog is one) where as the Hotas One is more dependent on what the game already has put together. Programming it can be a bit of a pain, but there are a couple of YouTube videos that help out with this.

Which ever setup you decide to use, I wish you many hours of great space travels...This game is IMHO probably the best Space Sim I have played in Many years.

Take Care and Check Six Commander! o7

Thanks, TBH Im struggling a bit atm. Spent some hours couriering data for a few grand at a time, then took on a delivery which needed 4 trips to complete, got through three trips succesfully then got hit by a pirate on the final leg and lost the chance to complete the mission. Most of the available data trips now are too far for my basic sidewinder and I cannot plot a route, I have to assume they are beyond the jump rate of my ship, but there are less available missions and I guess I need to move on.
I know I could try combat and jumping on with the police to help shoot a wanted pilot but havent really got my head round combat yet, struggling even with the tutorials tbh.

P.S. Moderators, can you not allow my posts un-moderated yet, it should be clear I'm not a troll by now. Thanks

 

[Para Handy]

Thanks, TBH Im struggling a bit atm. Spent some hours couriering data for a few grand at a time, then took on a delivery which needed 4 trips to complete, got through three trips succesfully then got hit by a pirate on the final leg and lost the chance to complete the mission. Most of the available data trips now are too far for my basic sidewinder and I cannot plot a route, I have to assume they are beyond the jump rate of my ship, but there are less available missions and I guess I need to move on.
I know I could try combat and jumping on with the police to help shoot a wanted pilot but havent really got my head round combat yet, struggling even with the tutorials tbh.

P.S. Moderators, can you not allow my posts un-moderated yet, it should be clear I'm not a troll by now. Thanks

First off - have you got the Galaxy Map set to use "Fastest Route" (smallest number of jumps) or "Economical" (go around the houses to use minimum fuel)?

Second - fit a better FSD in outfitting as soon as you can afford it: E is worst (cheapest) A is best (most expensive).

Lastly - be patient, you will soon have money rolling in faster than you can spend it.

good luck

 

[Ridley]

First off - have you got the Galaxy Map set to use "Fastest Route" (smallest number of jumps) or "Economical" (go around the houses to use minimum fuel)?

Second - fit a better FSD in outfitting as soon as you can afford it: E is worst (cheapest) A is best (most expensive).

Lastly - be patient, you will soon have money rolling in faster than you can spend it.

good luck

Thanks, having died again and started from scratch as I had too many outstanding fines, I now have fastest route selected, have upgraded the FSD to a 2A and ditched the SRV for now to take more cargo racks.
Things are going a lot better finally, though I would like to get back to the SRV once I find how to use it to good efffect.