Mouse controls uplayable.

[michaelfife]

Well kudos and respect to all you mouse jugglers out there for learning how to make it work for you. Personally, I find the mouse controls unusable.

Here's the thing: this is a joystick game. Really. You pilot spaceships. There isn't even an autopilot. You fly, supercruise, hyperspace and dock all by the seat of your pants. You've been waiting for this game for years? So you know what its about right? Its about PILOTING spaceships! And what do PILOTS use to do all their PILOTING with? (Hint: its not a mouse)

Anybody who is even remotely serious about this game needs to get a joystick. End of. A gamepad, which incorporates a joystick (often two), would be a bare minimum. Ideally, you need a hotas setup, which starting at around 40 quid isn't bad at all really. Not for someone who's been waiting for this game for a couple of decades and is therefore in early middle age, with a bit of spare disposable income.

 

[Obsidian Ant]

I posted this in another thread - but I put together a quick tutorial video to help you guys with mouse and keyboard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scCQOq2KjIU

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

What I figured out just this evening - you need really good mouse. No, big gaming mouse won't do. Low res old mouse won't either. It easily could be some casual median size 800-1000 dps res mouse.

Also you need good typing skills.

 

[Obsidian Ant]

What I figured out just this evening - you need really good mouse. No, big gaming mouse won't do. Low res old mouse won't either. It easily could be some casual median size 800-1000 dps res mouse.

Also you need good typing skills.

I use this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker®-Precision-Programmable-Buttons-Cartridges/dp/B00AAQRNQ8/

 

[tooterfish]

Anybody who is even remotely serious about this game needs to get a joystick. End of.

Well getting hold of a decent HOTAS is actually an exercise in frustration at the moment, at least in the UK.

New stock is snapped up as soon as it touches the floor, and the second hand market is just crazy. Saitek x45s are going for £70 on ebay. £70... for something that's a minimum of 10 years old! You're talking £100 for x52s (not pro!).

I'm waiting for the market to stop being so ridiculous, I'm not paying RRP+ for a second hand product. If I can make mouse piloting work in Arma, I can make it work here!

 

[Asp Explorer]

Its about PILOTING spaceships! And what do PILOTS use to do all their PILOTING with? (Hint: its not a mouse)

Anybody who is even remotely serious about this game needs to get a joystick.

Got to be careful there - in some other Space Games you could be garroted with a Microsoft Inport Bus Mouse for apostasy by saying a joystick is the only way to play

Mouse is King for some people. Personally I'm HOTAS all the way too

 

[ZaphodBeeble]

Well getting hold of a decent HOTAS is actually an exercise in frustration at the moment, at least in the UK.

I paid £140 and £18 import duty to get an X52 Pro about a month ago. It took 2 weeks to come from the states.

 

[Andrew Sayers]

Personally, I find the mouse controls unusable.

I've long complained that mouse combat is frustratingly difficult. I had the opportunity to make that complaint to Mike Evans' face at LaveCon last weekend, and he talked a bit about how he's been improving mouse configurability (although if memory serves, there's no timetable yet beyond "won't be ready for the first standard beta release").

In the mean-time, I take heart in the fact that mouse docking is substantially easier than any other input mechanism - line up your ship, move your mouse a little to the left so you're rotating at the same speed as the station, disable rotational correction and fly in with the keyboard

 

[michaelfife]

I paid £140 and £18 import duty to get an X52 Pro about a month ago. It took 2 weeks to come from the states.

I paid £120 for mine from Box.co.uk. this was just as it was becoming obvious that it was the controller of choice at Frontier Towers. I got it about 3 months before PB became available. I play other sims tho...

I wonder if Saitek will take the hint and produce another batch of x52 pros... Maybe we should get Frontier to ask them nicely!

 

[Lindonius]

I couldn't get to grips with the mouse at first so I was playing with a cheapo xbox clone joypad for a while. Due to frustration with the anlogue sticks sensitivity and after reading this thread.......

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21770&page=2

I went back to keyboard and mouse and haven't looked back since.

K&M is a very viable way to play ED, BUT you do need to mess about with the configurations and PRACTICE with it to get it to work.

Here are a couple of videos that will help you to configure your mouse settings.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4y8FDDVKT4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep0mgKcRjRM

And here are a couple that demonstrate just how good you can be using K&M..........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1c9I80Rsac
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJDQE3jjBCk

 

[Mu77ley]

Bit miffed - waited over a decade for this, I paid the better part of 100 quid, download the game today and the mouse controls are basically unplayable.

It seems like no matter what settings I pick, I am either moving (yaw) incredibly incredibly slowly, or its so super-sensitive & skippy and jumpy that I cant get the reticle on target because it is all over the place even if I move the mouse the tiniest amount.

I have tried flight assist on vs off (I was unable to tell the difference), and I have tried flying in the blue zone but the yaw is still incredibly slow. I am not going to buy a joystick or a controller either. I have fiddled around with the (multiple) sensitivity and deadzone sliders about 200 times but its not really working in any combination.

Unplayable.

Anyone know who I can contact about getting a refund?

So you've waited 10 years, but then don't have the patience to put a little practice in and get used to the controls. Instead you give up after a couple of hours and demand a refund?!

Extremely odd behaviour if you ask me...

 

[Vargur]

To the OP.
I played with mouse/kb for a long time in Elite and it worked perfectly, but you have to experiment a bit with setting up your controls to how they work best for you. Everyone has their own setups really.

One thing to look out for is that you don't define your movement axis twice.
When you choose one of the mouse control options (e.g. absolute roll/pitch ) in the drop down menu, don't define your movement axis again, otherwise your one movement input will have 2 movement outputs making your ship uncontrollable.

Some other tips to setting up good mouse control.

Use the scroll wheel for throttle, and set it to 10% increments.
This opens up WS for vertical thrust, and AD for lateral thrust.

For precision aiming, define a key for 'roll to yaw'.
This turns your mouse into pitch/yaw so you have a steady aim.
Set it back to pitch/roll for flying.

And practice often, you'll get better.

 

[Lindonius]

To the OP.
I played with mouse/kb for a long time in Elite and it worked perfectly, but you have to experiment a bit with setting up your controls to how they work best for you. Everyone has their own setups really.

One thing to look out for is that you don't define your movement axis twice.
When you choose one of the mouse control options (e.g. absolute roll/pitch ) in the drop down menu, don't define your movement axis again, otherwise your one movement input will have 2 movement outputs making your ship uncontrollable.

Some other tips to setting up good mouse control.

Use the scroll wheel for throttle, and set it to 10% increments.
This opens up WS for vertical thrust, and AD for lateral thrust.

For precision aiming, define a key for 'roll to yaw'.
This turns your mouse into pitch/yaw so you have a steady aim.
Set it back to pitch/roll for flying.

And practice often, you'll get better.

Ooh great tips! Gonna use the scroll wheel for throttle thing myself.

 

[Jexter]

Can't say I've experienced any of the OP's problems regarding mouse and keyboard, which I've been using since day one. I tried a 360 controller, overall it was OK but it lacked the precision I find absolutely necessary in combat.

And although flightsticks may be a hundred times more fun and immersive to play ED with I sort of suspect these too are lacking a bit in the precision department. Not having actually tried one that is

 

[michal_80]

Hello Matt, I'm in the same boat. Please keep me updated on your refund quest (PM is fine if you prefer).

 

[page3]

I also downloaded Elite Beta. I also found it unplayable with the mouse.

As my computer is an iMac I have already had to splash out for a copy of Windows. But what the heck, the Apple mouse while excellent for applications was always going to be terrible for gaming. So, I just ordered an xbox 360 controller and we'll see how that goes. Would never dream of trying to get a refund!

 

[ASQ_dak]

Hello Matt, I'm in the same boat. Please keep me updated on your refund quest (PM is fine if you prefer).

You also waited 10 years and then only played with mouse and keyboard for a few minutes?

Elite is not an instant gratification game (although I knew what to expect and was instantly gratified upon playing). It has always been about the challenge and developing some real skill. That ultimately makes it one of the most rewarding and fun game series that I have ever played.

A few posts up there is great advice about setting up yu mouse config and learning to practice, some tutorial videos and links to other threads. If you care about improving yourself and skills then do the homework and the practise. Like anything worth doing you need to put some time into it to get good at it - hold on in there and good luck.

 

[ASQ_dak]

I also downloaded Elite Beta. I also found it unplayable with the mouse.

As my computer is an iMac I have already had to splash out for a copy of Windows. But what the heck, the Apple mouse while excellent for applications was always going to be terrible for gaming. So, I just ordered an xbox 360 controller and we'll see how that goes. Would never dream of trying to get a refund!

Quite, I agree with you. Who would play for a few minutes and instantly seek a refund rather than thinking, this is a big game with lots of challenges and experiences to have and worth investing the time in? I admit I'm a joystick user most of the time (I would not dream of not investing in a joystick for a game like this) but on a quiet evening I have used just mouse and keyboard. The first 10 minutes or so were a bit confusing, but I set to absolute pitch/roll like some people here advocate and played with sensitivity and deadzones. Then, the important bit, I practiced for a little while to get used to it!

 

[Togg]

As most here know, i'm a through and through HOTAS driver.. I've had a CH HOTAS for going on 14 years now, but for ****s and giggles, I decided to take my Anaconda out tonight with just a Mouse/Keyboard. it took me nearly the full amount of time allocated to get out of the station without wrecking. but it got easier, much easier.

its not so much that mouse controls are bad (they are actually pretty damn good) its that Elite doesn't fly like other games. give it some time and learn the GAME, the piloting will eventually come to you.

Landing my Anaconda back in the station safely was a lot easier than getting out.

so if I, a devote HOTAS owner can fly with the M/KB then anyone can. course i'll never do it again cause for me nothing screams "Its JUST a Game" like flying with a mouse.

 

[danjo]

i use the mouse - the joystick is just rubbish for me