1000h+ help transition from K+M to HOTAS+Vive

[Fendalton]

I've played this game for over 1000 hours on Keyboard and Mouse, I got a Vive for other games but figured I would use it for Elite as well.

How hard is the transition from K+M to Joystick? I play multiple FPS games as well, and have for 10 years (Run a G502 mouse and G510 keyboard). I've never played with a Joystick before and don't want to invest in one if it makes me completely hopeless and becomes a waste.

Do you literally have to have every command bound if wearing the Vive + Hotas? How do you chat to other players?

I play in both FA on and FA off.

 

[Ren Garris]

Get a rudder too. Twists are for dorks.

And buy Voice Attack. Well worth the money.

But yes, pretty much all my commands are bound to my warthog. But since you're the author of your commands, just do what makes sense to you.
Chatting is a fail in VR unless your can touch type. Or you can use voice macros through VA to get most of your chat out.
*but cant you use some kinda windowed thing on the Vive? Maybe chat will work out for you*

What kinda stick are you getting?

 

[Ian Skippy]

I've played this game for over 1000 hours on Keyboard and Mouse, I got a Vive for other games but figured I would use it for Elite as well.

How hard is the transition from K+M to Joystick? I play multiple FPS games as well, and have for 10 years (Run a G502 mouse and G510 keyboard). I've never played with a Joystick before and don't want to invest in one if it makes me completely hopeless and becomes a waste.

Do you literally have to have every command bound if wearing the Vive + Hotas? How do you chat to other players?

I play in both FA on and FA off.

It takes time to build muscle memory, same as when going from cello to fretless guitar. VR with keybound+moyse sounds super lame to me though. And yes, you bind everything you need toit, thats what makes it a HOTAS. galmap is a bit annoying, rest is way better than k+m chatting is done by opening voicecomms or peering through the vr set.

 

[sb413197]

It takes time to build muscle memory, same as when going from cello to fretless guitar. VR with keybound+moyse sounds super lame to me though. And yes, you bind everything you need toit, thats what makes it a HOTAS. galmap is a bit annoying, rest is way better than k+m chatting is done by opening voicecomms or peering through the vr set.

Works fine for me although I use an 11 button gaming mouse and have all the key positions set up so I don't have to look at the keyboard. EXCEPT silent running and landing gear...those are mapped in hard to reach spots because they have messed me up...

CRUCIAL: map roll to keyboard and pitch/yaw to mouse. ACCURACY X 1000000

 

[Charlaje]

I’ve just got a oculus and last couple days were dedicated to rebinding all my keys.

I’m a K/M player, last year I tried a HOTAS but I found that it didn’t have the precision I had with mouse pitch/roll. I also had a cheap head tracker with trackIR but it was dumb that I had to turn my head around but keep eyes forward... ditched that as well.
Once I got past the awe of the VR headset I realized how hard it would be to play without hotas.

Voice attack is the way to go. I still have mouse pitch/roll, fire and throttle. In my left hand, low and behold, a PS3 controller! I use both hands on the controller to maneuver ship in and out of station as I have left/right thrust, up/down, yaw as well as roll on the thumb stick. Once I’m out of the station right hand goes back on the mouse and left hand on PS3 with hat buttons bound to power distributor and left stick to yaw. I drive the srv using the controller exclusively, as it is like any car games.


Still a work in progress but so far so good

 

[Charlaje]

I’m pitch roll on mouse but yaw on kb lol I found most people has the option ‘roll into yaw’ turned on in options which is what messes it up.

 

[Ren Garris]

It takes time to build muscle memory, same as when going from cello to fretless guitar. VR with keybound+moyse sounds super lame to me though. And yes, you bind everything you need toit, thats what makes it a HOTAS. galmap is a bit annoying, rest is way better than k+m chatting is done by opening voicecomms or peering through the vr set.

What the Bos said... Post again when you're ready to tackle the galmap. Or take a cruise around the VR pages for some tips.

 

[Fendalton]

Get a rudder too. Twists are for dorks.

And buy Voice Attack. Well worth the money.

But yes, pretty much all my commands are bound to my warthog. But since you're the author of your commands, just do what makes sense to you.
Chatting is a fail in VR unless your can touch type. Or you can use voice macros through VA to get most of your chat out.
*but cant you use some kinda windowed thing on the Vive? Maybe chat will work out for you*

What kinda stick are you getting?

Oh really? I thought that the twist was the way to go instead of pedals. I've been reading other threads on here about what people use, but the in game chat never really got mentioned.

Looking at the X52 pro as it's only $50 more than the standard currently in my country.

Edit: Just seen the X56 which is "Designed for VR and the re-emergence of space combat sims" although that's bound to be a marketing gimmick.

 

[Schmack]

It's an easy transition. Put your keyboard to the side though, else you'll instinctively reach for it. Once you learn your layout, you'll not have issues unless you put something too far to reach like on the TM 16000 buttons on the base, with no real tactile difference.

I use the default HOTAS setup under ED controls, and it works even for the SRV. You just have to consider it like flying.

Get a cheapy ship and fly it around. You'll get the hang of it in just an hour or less.

 

[Schmack]

Get a rudder too. Twists are for dorks.

And buy Voice Attack. Well worth the money.

But yes, pretty much all my commands are bound to my warthog. But since you're the author of your commands, just do what makes sense to you.
Chatting is a fail in VR unless your can touch type. Or you can use voice macros through VA to get most of your chat out.
*but cant you use some kinda windowed thing on the Vive? Maybe chat will work out for you*

What kinda stick are you getting?

Rudders don't work in space

Would have to be rear thrusters. Twist works fine. I like having my feet clear so I can adjust in my seat if I need to without having to have them on some control just for that one move.

 

[Knightshark]

Rudders don't work in space

Would have to be rear thrusters. Twist works fine. I like having my feet clear so I can adjust in my seat if I need to without having to have them on some control just for that one move.

Rudder pedals are good for lateral and vertical thrusters, with yaw on twist.

 

[Worminator]

Oh really? I thought that the twist was the way to go instead of pedals. I've been reading other threads on here about what people use, but the in game chat never really got mentioned.

Looking at the X52 pro as it's only $50 more than the standard currently in my country.

Edit: Just seen the X56 which is "Designed for VR and the re-emergence of space combat sims" although that's bound to be a marketing gimmick.

I have been using the X56 for a a few months now. Plenty of keys to bind everything and using the two mini analog sticks for the Galmap and lateral/vertical thrust is nice. It took about a week to get used to the switch positions in VR but I can now safely hit the keys quickly without looking at it.

My only complaints have been the yaw/twist is kind of tight and the stick itself seems to be made for someone with large hands. Also I had issues with phantom button presses until I plugged it into a powered hub.

The X56 had some quality issues from when Mad Catz bought Saitek. I haven't encountered any of that yet but do some research or check Amazon reviews and you'll see. Hopefully Logitech has addressed some of those issues since they now own it. I sorta wish they would do a Pro X56 I would snatch it up.

 

[777Driver]

Rudder pedals are good for lateral and vertical thrusters, with yaw on twist.

I find for precision: yaw on pedals, lateral thrust on two brakes, works perfectly. Never been a fan of twist action sticks.

 

[Quiquag]

Something to help you with mapping...Elite supports shift keys. eg: Joy11 + Joy 1

I have a button at my thumb as my default shift button, no other mapping, but doubles the functionality of my other buttons.

Example: Joy 1 (trigger) = fire primary. Joy 11 + Joy 1 = Target Ahead.

It becomes very natural, very quickly. I still use KB + Mouse when I'm playing on my laptop, but only for hauling cargo or transporting ships, never for anything close to combat related.

 

[Viking84]

Whatever setup you choose I'd recommend flying without the VR headset for a while to get used to your new controls. When you put the headset on you need to be 100% comfortable with your setup.

Personally I have a Warthog HOTAS, and Saitek rudder pedals. Great combo, and of course you feel like you are actually flying something rather than playing a game as you would with a mouse

 

[furrycat]

Is your joystick so precise and well-engineered that you can pitch or roll it without inadvertently twisting the handle, and twist the handle without inadvertently moving it? And are you so well co-ordinated that even with such a good stick you can separate twist and deflection 100% of the time?

If so, twist away. For the rest of us there are pedals.

 

[Aris_]

for combat thou twist is more usefull since you can follow the trg easier and easier to learn than pedals, pedals are good investment for an atmo simulator but to reach same level of usefulness requires a lot of time sink

keep in mind feet need training for small corrections vs wrist and curves play a vital role on rudder calibration

im on the learning curve myself but small correction easy made with twist take twice the time in rudders and for combat this is not good

 

[Quiquag]

I have the option of using twist or not with my HOTAS, I much prefer it. Never had an issue with accidental twist....

 

[[VR] Frank_G]

I have the option of using twist or not with my HOTAS, I much prefer it. Never had an issue with accidental twist....

The problem is, that you never move the stick without twisting, so you need a large deadzone. A large deadzone means longer ways of moving the stick, before input occurs. That will result in less precision. A rudder pedal delivers very precise input, so does a stick with only two axis. If setup right, a HOTAS / rudder combo can provide decent input methods for both FAon and FAoff, without the need to adjust input curves.

 

[theEmohawk]

OP - best advice you've been given so far is to fly with the new HOTAS without the Vive while you build your muscle memory.
I use X52 Pro with my Vive and it's great, but I'd flown with it for over a year before getting a Vive. Advice with the Hotas setup, use the pinky switch as a shift button to double the number of controls you can map to other hats, buttons etc.

As for the twist vrs pedal debate - the convenience of not needing to keep my feet in a fixed position means twist yaw all the way for me. Sure there's a little accidental twist when moving the stick, but you quickly start making unconscious micro-adjustments.