Joystick Opinions On The VKB Gladiator NXT Evo?

[krazmuze]

Sounds over-complicated to me.

My OTA stick is locked in X-axis and the Y-axis springs are removed - so is "a throttle" - the thumb switch on the stick (C1) has two of its bindings for speed - one way gives 75% throttle (blue zone in SC) the opposite way is 50% (blue zone in normal space). Then again I don't fly combat (well not often) and the main use of the stick is in flight sims hence no x-axis and no centre-sprung Y axis.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai6pdUK4jrU


this guy covers HOTAS vs. HOSAS better than I am (thanks to google for reading what I am writing and reading to pitch me videos!) Hosas for thrust override then use throttle as your set speed "cruise control". HOTASAS as he called it - he is not using NXT so he said ED has disadvantage of digital throttle steps if doing HOSAS- but with the NXT base wheel it can be analog throttle no need for a third controller.

When you are cruising your car you are not constantly adjusting your cruise control every time you want to pass someone or get stuck behind a trucker- you override cruise control using other controls. But like he said if just into space exploring (or aircraft sims) then HOTAS setup is fine (which you can configure NXT for as you have).

 

[nemolomen]

I guess by base throttle wheels you means those wheels visible on the front.
Do be hones, I have zero idea how do you use those as throttle. It looks so ... ummm... awkward and uncomfortable. Alien! Unnatural.
My throttle is constantly moving - faster, slower + I use those flap things to accelerate, break. Depends what I do.
For boost, I have a button - ring finger.
Thrust right/left/up/down is another mini stick - index finger while hand is resting on the throttle. The rest (P, Y and Roll) is taken care by the R stick. I had to change something in the conf because the default X, Y, Z, twist l/R, actions made absolutely no sense.

If my throttle was a stick, moving on X Y and to everything between... what for? How would I be hitting buttons with my left hand on my R stick base if I cant take it off the throttle stick. Where are the flaps I can pull to speed up/break?
(I am sure, I am missing something)

Greetings @Uname654...

Way back a few posts, you asked about the VKB Gladiator NXT EVO.

I recently purchased one. It is, by far, the best gaming money I have ever spent.

I've played EDO with keyboard and mouse (right and left handed), joystick (Logitech Extreme3D) and keyboard and mouse, HOTAS (Logitech X-52 Pro, used) and keyboard and mouse and now X-52 Throttle and NXT EVO w/Space grip and keyboard and mouse.

This joystick, so far (I've only had it 3 or 4 months and I use it daily for EDO), is great. Its customizable, I've replaced the X/Y springs with the weaker springs included. I've taken off the preinstalled height platform (it comes with 2 different ones) so the outside edge of my hand rests on the plastic. I've gotten used to the spring tension in the twist/rudder axis, which at first seemed a little tight for my weak arm muscles.

I have largish medium sized hands and I can reach all the controls. The base sits very well on the desktop. The rubber feet need to be cleaned about once per month just to keep them from getting slippery (depends on ones environment more than anything and mine is rather unkempt...).

And all of that is nice, but the best part is no drift, I use the joystick to set my heading and, SCO aside, its stays pointed there...its easy for me to hold at a particular position in all 3 axes (X, Y, Z twist)

Runner up feature is that its cheaper than a Virpil...but the quality is there.

 

[krazmuze]

The rubber feet need to be cleaned about once per month just to keep them from getting slippery (depends on ones environment more than anything and mine is rather unkempt...).

Got a fluffy dog, had a heck of a time cleaning my base pads to attach velcro tape. Get one clean the next one got floofed. Using a lapdesk so needed velcro tape, but try that as those pads are quick to pick up everything.

One tip they had in their OTA setup video is increase the deadzone to 4%. That might have been old video as it was defaulted to 3% not 0% already. This was just to account for the OTA adapter since the angle gives it a little more sensitivity to that.

 

[the100thmonkey]

If my throttle was a stick, moving on X Y and to everything between... what for?

Combat, for a start. Elite's NPCs are rather stupid - all they do is point at you and shoot; they don't try to manoeuvre into an advantageous position. If you want to break free from the jousting you need to be using your translation thrusters to out-manoeuvre them. A boost with laterals across their yaw axis allows you to get up close and personal, if you do it right, without them getting a bead on you.

How would I be hitting buttons with my left hand on my R stick base if I cant take it off the throttle stick.

It takes time to slow down. You can turn flight assist (FA) off, at least momentarily. Additionally, you probably won't need to do that if you take the time to get your mappings right.

Where are the flaps I can pull to speed up/break?

Thruster control helps here too - you want to be able to boost without zooming past the enemy and ending up jousting again. Using the lateral and vertical translation thrusters when you boost bleeds the energy out of the forward thrust, resulting in you not going as far forwards. You basically get a massive boost to your manoueverability. If you do it right, this allows you to get 'ahead' of your opponent, forcing them into manouevres that give you opportunities for high damage attacks, such as targeting their power plant.

You can also activate your cargo scoop, which completely retards the forward velocity boost while not nerfing the thrusters - it just caps your speed.

(I am sure, I am missing something)

I suppose you're still thinking in only four degrees of freedom instead of six.

 

[kofeyh]

Just a quick fun note, I picked up two VKB NXT Evo sticks (an omnithrottle adapter for the left stick) and a set of pedals a while back, specifically for Star Citizen. Instead I've basically just used them for Elite 99.9% of the time because I returned to the game, lmao.

I have been surprised how well dual sticks work, vs stick and throttle.

 

[krazmuze]

Just a quick fun note, I picked up two VKB NXT Evo sticks (an omnithrottle adapter for the left stick) and a set of pedals a while back, specifically for Star Citizen. Instead I've basically just used them for Elite 99.9% of the time because I returned to the game, lmao.

I have been surprised how well dual sticks work, vs stick and throttle.

are you in the OTA is fixed throttle stick or a 6dof thrust stick preference? I am thinking not even using the analog throttle wheel on base now (could not figure out how to do left wheel as reverse right wheel as forward) so I just use the left digital toggle wheel as 25% step throttle (make sense to me as a car shifter) to hit the important points and do 6dof thrust on the stick. Eventually moving to faoff after I fully figure out what I want for mappings.

 

[kofeyh]

are you in the OTA is fixed throttle stick or a 6dof thrust stick preference?

OTA just helps my brain with thrust up/ down on left stick. It is dual stick, with both having all axis in use (so both are 6dof); yaw via pedals. SC probably has better stick management as it's easier to set curves in-game, but dual stick is pretty baller for Elite as well.

 

[Uname654]

I am sold... but so are the sticks. Out of stock

Combat, for a start. Elite's NPCs are rather stupid - all they do is point at you and shoot; they don't try to manoeuvre into an advantageous position. If you want to break free from the jousting you need to be using your translation thrusters to out-manoeuvre them. A boost with laterals across their yaw axis allows you to get up close and personal, if you do it right, without them getting a bead on you.
.....

R hand X yaw, Y pitch, "Z" twist roll. + the hat like button on the L hand throttle. (left index finger - T16000 - aka "Throttle mini stick")
I can go at selected speed (throttle position) in direction "A" while moving also up/down/left/right at the same. In other words, pointing at NPC, while moving at or any other direction.

Those flaps aka throttle paddles are really useful for speeding/breaking. How would you get the same functionality with another stick.

I also do not see why bother with jousting with NPC's. They always flip and come back asking for more
Sometimes I just follow them around and keep on shooting. When they flip the direction, I'll just do the same and stay on their tail. (FA off, scoop maneuver).
This is why button 2 is not Fwd/reverse but mapped to open/close cargo scoop. Mixing that up with boos button is always fun.

 

[krazmuze]

Those flaps aka throttle paddles are really useful for speeding/breaking. How would you get the same functionality with another stick.

The picture made your use of the word flaps (despite this being a spacecraft not an aircraft) make sense now, you was referring to the flaps on your stick that you assigned as digital thrust fore/aft.

The left toggle wheel will give you that same functionality, but the downside of that wheel and your "flaps" is you are only getting digital burst. Likewise if you also used a digital HATS on the stick.

What I have done instead is assign that left toggle wheel to 25% throttle steps (not thrust steps) so you can hit the important throttle numbers and also use the analog throttle wheel for whenever need a precise setting. Throttle then becomes just a hands free cruise control and then you put the thrust fore/aft on the stick as the cruise control hands on overrride, release stick it returns to cruise.

It gives you hands on for combat (throttle cruise at 50%), landing (throttle cruise at 0%) to override what the throttle is set to using fore/aft thrust making all the janking you are doing with 6dof thrusters much more intuitive as they are mapped to a 6dof analog stick. You want a controlled thrust vector at 45deg left fore - easy stick movement. With fore/aft paddles your left stick movement would have to replicate whatever your firmware and game decides to do for the fore thrust digital movement to do that 45 deg left fore vector.

Your complaint was there is no zero throttle detent, but this gives you an even better result. The wheels set your cruise speed which your 6dof thrust springs stay centered on. So instead of just a zero throttle detent you can make that thrust centering happen on any of the 25% steps or any of the continuous throttle positions you have the wheels set to.

I guess I got somewhat lucky, I missed their black friday sale but they said it might be slow delivery as they was busy - but I got it in a couple days. I guess I cleaned out the warehouse.