Elite Dangerous Flight Control Question....

[Sithtiger]

Hi, like some of you, I played Elite back on the C=64 and absolutely loved it. Elite was ahead of it's time back then and it was the game that made me fall in love with space combat sims.

Anyway, I used to play with a joystick back then (Thrustmaster), but now I'm used to playing games with a mouse and keyboard. I have a 360 gamepad, but I only use for games like the Batman Arkham series, and other games in that genre.

My question is to those who've played the Alpha and Beta and I'd like to know which control method would you guys suggest. I also have a 360, but I really don't like using the gamepad, save games like the Batman Arkham series as I said above.

What I don't want it to feel like is is a PC gamer trying to play Battlefield 3 or 4 with a gamepad. I can't hit the broadside of a barn with a gamepad with a FPS, but with a mouse and keyboard, I'd say I'm at the very least and average player. I know I used to love playing Elite with my joystick, but I've read that ED doesn't feel like that.

TL;DR: Which control method is best for a PC gamer?

 

[VR jefranklin18]

I would say as ED is first and foremost a simulator, a joystick is a must. I bought a cheap Thrustmaster Hotas-X (£40 from Amazon) and it is (for me) definitely the way to play.

Some swear by KB + Mouse, I just swear at them

 

[Matt]

I found the mouse to be troublesome - there are fixes coming in the Standard Beta which is nice. I am very much looking forward to these updates!

I am personally *NOT* going to even entertain the idea of buying a joystick or a gamepad just for Elite Dangerous and find it quite amusing that people are even suggesting that people get an arcane multi-controller setup like a separate throttle and joystick just to play.

Everyone has different lives. If you have space for a dedicated desktop and place to put all that extra gumpf required, great - I guess go ahead and buy all the extra goodies you want.

Personally I play games maybe once a week on a laptop at my dining room table. When I am done the laptop is folded up and put away - getting extra kit just for the odd go at Elite seems utterly pointless.

I suspect I am not in a unique position and I hope Frontier take people like us who prefer the keyboard and mouse seriously.

 

[Ixnatifual]

The developers consider the current mouse control implementation lackluster, so expect this to improve. Seems the joystick crowd is pleased so far. Personally I bought an X52 Pro HOTAS for Elite and Star Citizen and am just waiting for the games to come out.

 

[Bussiebaer]

Also use an X52 Pro, bought it for Freespace 2, Descent, the old Wing Commander Games...
It's fun to play Elite with it, can't imagine the same fun with a gamepad or Keyboard and mouse. But that is just me, others may see this different.

Would be great if Frontier release some sort of demo (the single player missions would be sufficient), so everyone could test his favorite imput device before spending money on the game.

 

[Sandmann]

I started with a mouse and KB, as I'm an original Elite player and expected that to be comfortable for me. While I could fly it, it felt "clunky" so I went to an aftermarket PS3 controller that I happened to have lieing around. It improved the game somewhat but I still felt very confined (having fat fingers doesn't help with tiny little joysticks and buttons). I caved in after a week and bought an X52 HOTAS and have NEVER looked back... in combat my hit rate went through the roof, and general flying tasks such as docking that before would get me nervous are now simple.. I can make the ship dance sideways and backwards now if I want.

Can't recommend a good quality joystick/throttle combo (aka HOTAS) highly enough for this game. The Saitek X52's and X52 Pro's are very popular (even the devs use them), the Saitek X55's are great if you can afford that much. The CH Flight Stick is another very popular stick, and if you want something on a bit more of a budget try the Thrustmaster. There's plenty of threads on here comparing them.

 

[Bird Man]

If you have the spare cash, the space and the desire to enjoy the game at the absolute maximum level of immersion, you have to go with the HOTAS setup. As someone in this thread pointed out, it's not for everyone. It won't fit reasonably into everyone's home or lifestyle. It is more expensive and it does take up more space but if you intend to play Elite dangerous and/or Star Citizen (along with a host of other space games that are on the horizon like EVE: Valkyrie and No Man's Sky) for a significant amount of time and really make the most of them, I would get a HOTAS. Once you start playing with one, you tend not to find the mouse and keyboard acceptable for flying anymore.

 

[HeavyGroovez]

Mad Catz FLY 5 joystick and Voice Attack here. Not an expensive setup at all.

The game has a preset built in for the FLY 5 which is nearly spot on.

Using a stick with a throttle and hat control and all the triggers and switches to hand in conjunction with VoiceAttack makes for a super immersive experience.

Mouse and keyboard just doesnt come close IMO.

 

[Vernum]

Not sure what is the best controller, they all seem competitive enough, but the most immersive one to me is by far the joystick.

 

[Monarch Black]

I use a Nostromo gamepad for the left hand and a Thrustmaster T.16000M joystick in the right and it works really well -- plenty of buttons to config everything you will ever need. Use the stick for pitch, roll and yaw. Use the stick's hat button for power config (and menu navigation) and other stick buttons for weapons and headlook toggle (don't use the buttons on the base or the throttle slider). Use the gamepad for throttle, strafing, and all the other binds needed (use the bottom pinky button as ctrl, so have two sets of every button on the pad and joystick using that as a modifier to bind with or without holding down -- that's like 46 buttons at your fingertips without having to move your hands).

 

[Stodgy]

Started with KB+M and got pretty good. The trick is to remember that you are playing a flight sim and don't try to play it like an FPS.

Got an X52 a few weeks ago. It's more fun and immersive than KB+M even though I'm not as good with it.

 

[Meritz]

Logitech Rumblepad 2 works just fine for me, but I'm thinking of upgrading to a HOTAS down the line if I can find the right mix of price and functionality. Those dual analog sticks on a controller sure come in handy, hard to give up...

 

[Airhead]

Cheapo option

In my experience a joystick is necessary although I have limited experience of console controllers.

I get on fine with the Logitech 3D pro which can be picked up pretty cheaply:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R1.TR8.TRC0.A0.H0.Xlogitech+3d&_nkw=logitech+3d+pro&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Might take a bit of getting used to (took me about 3 hours to optimise the setup/buttons for me) but worth it in the end. I fly right-hand on stick, left hand buttons and throttle (rear of the joystick base) with most of the non-joystick functions mapped to the right side of the keyboard. Just one thing that caught me out in the beginning is the relatively small throttle range means you have to be very gentle when docking - small movements of the throttle can be fatal in the wrong place.

I have no idea how this is going to work once EVA is implemented. I have never been a big fan of FPS games and I can't see how I'm going to control movement + aim with this setup unless I learn how to use a mouse left-handed.

 

[Monarch Black]

In my experience a joystick is necessary although I have limited experience of console controllers.

I get on fine with the Logitech 3D pro which can be picked up pretty cheaply:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R1.TR8.TRC0.A0.H0.Xlogitech+3d&_nkw=logitech+3d+pro&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Might take a bit of getting used to (took me about 3 hours to optimise the setup/buttons for me) but worth it in the end. I fly right-hand on stick, left hand buttons and throttle (rear of the joystick base) with most of the non-joystick functions mapped to the right side of the keyboard. Just one thing that caught me out in the beginning is the relatively small throttle range means you have to be very gentle when docking - small movements of the throttle can be fatal in the wrong place.

I have no idea how this is going to work once EVA is implemented. I have never been a big fan of FPS games and I can't see how I'm going to control movement + aim with this setup unless I learn how to use a mouse left-handed.

You could always learn to use the joystick lefty instead. I find that easier. One reason I use the T.16000M is because it is reversible. Two screws, flip a switch, and righty stick becomes lefty. Got it because I thought joystick + mouse (with a lot of buttons like a Razer Naga) might be a good option in that other crowdfunded game. Depending on the EVA control, my current left hand Nostromo and switching right between joystick and mouse might also work well. Have to see in the future.

 

[Airhead]

The weird thing is I am left-handed - but only for writing (and one or two other things)!
Maybe I need to push back against the right-hand dominance fascism in the world.

Using the 3D pro left-handed isn't an option - it's right only in design. The molding and button placement makes it very awkward for a leftie (which in this case, I am not).

 

[Jack Booted Thug]

Mouse + Keyboard for me.

 

[Slopey]

Definitely a Joystick with some sort of throttle, preferrably a HOTAS setup. X52 sort of thing, but anything will do depending on your budget.

And TrackIR - it's essential.

And VoiceAttack - it's so cheap that there's no reason not to get it.

 

[1500]

Flight Stick by far.

 

[Gwyvern]

I would say as ED is first and foremost a simulator, a joystick is a must. I bought a cheap Thrustmaster Hotas-X (£40 from Amazon) and it is (for me) definitely the way to play.

Some swear by KB + Mouse, I just swear at them

*thumbs down*

Dont worry OP, elite is certainly not an elitists (no pun intended) playground, mouse and keyboard is certainly a reasonable combination, ive even seen some people pull off amazing feats with absolute mode (which I personally cant aim with what so ever) and they will be adding more mouse customization options on the 29th.

As for gamepad, it is what I (and many others) are currently using, and I (and many others) love it, maybe if its not quite accurate enough for you, get a $5 playstation ORB stick extender (which should fit on a 360 controller) so don't feel intimidated by your controller, even some of the Devs play with their 360 gamepads.

I hope you find the control system that fits your desires and budget (for us Americans, the cheapest online HOTAS option is the one mentioned by the quoted poster on amazon, but it will cost us around $70 thanks to international shipping)