On Foot Controls for HOTAS players?

[Filmgeek47]

Longtime ED player finally making the jump to Odyssey. I play exclusively in VR in a home built cockpit with a VIRPIL Hotas setup. Curious what most people are doing for on foot bindings as my initial setup of using the joystick axes for look rotation feels really awkward. If I plug in an Xbox controller can I use that just for on-foot?

Really just want to know what most people have settled on.

 

[Sysmon]

I switch to keyboard on foot. Have considered an Xbox controller.

S

 

[metatheurgist]

I use a DS4 for foot. Just feels more right.

 

[Darth Wonko]

Longtime ED player finally making the jump to Odyssey. I play exclusively in VR in a home built cockpit with a VIRPIL Hotas setup. Curious what most people are doing for on foot bindings as my initial setup of using the joystick axes for look rotation feels really awkward. If I plug in an Xbox controller can I use that just for on-foot?

Really just want to know what most people have settled on.

I'm also using a VIRPIL HOTAS setup. But, for on foot, I use KB and mouse. I've got a really nice XBox controller, and have considered switching to that, but KB/M works really well with my setup.

 

[He$$eeTant]

As a 100% VR user ive grown used to not looking at my HOTAS, I know what each button does and can reach them intuitively with out a second thought so I try to keep consistency of button action from Ship to SRV to Cmdr. Now outside of the FPS on foot I am reasonably ok with this approach, still not 100% but good enough to do simple collection missions and to explore planet surfaces.

That said I’ve pretty much given up hope of ever effectively fighting on foot. Like most I am an ageing gamer and pretty much grew up with computer games. For me games like Doom introduced us to keyboard FPS and taught straffing to the masses. Then the fighting genre such as PS1 Tekken gave us fast action but with muti key combos. Then Grand Theft Auto introduced us to multi format game play - On foot, cars, planes, helis, bikes etc all from a single control mechanisms which all felt rather natural and connected. These all fed in towards the Call of Duty FPS series of games where fast passed action shooting (many key actions) met fantastic graphics.

Now you have EDO a formidable VR space sim that has decided it wants to also add a COD worthy FPS. it’s not seamless like GTA, it’s 2 games in one that require - if your VR - two control mechanisms so for me right now I leave that side alone, I doubt frontier will fix it so I expect as some point I will just switch to pancake mode full time to just get on and do the FPS bit with an Xbox controller and keyboard.

 

[Filmgeek47]

Thanks for the info folks. I’m not averse to K+M except that my cockpit’s only got space for a keyboard trackpad combo. Don’t think trackpad and FPS are a good mix. I’ll try an Xbox controller and see how I get on with that.

 

[Stumpii]

At the moment I am converting from K+M to HOTAM (throttle and mouse). Is HOTAM a thing???. I use the throttle in GW2 and NMS and find it more useful than the KB. Mini stick for moving, mouse for look and shooting. As many utility buttons will be on the throttle as possible, but not all mapped yet.

 

[Pigletslastand]

I use my xbox controller..can't do on foot stuff with HOTAS that comfortably

 

[CMDR Bao Bao]

I’m HOTAS in space and SRV but switch to an Xbox controller on foot. I find it works really well. The controller switch also helps give a different feel to the on foot play which I like. I also have my keyboard and mouse right there in case I need more buttons.

One thing to be aware of is, in true ED fashion, you’ll have to customize your buttons. The default setup doesn’t include some basic functions of menu navigation and what not, but you can fix it in the key bindings menu.

 

[William J Smith]

My hotas is mounted on a board that sits on my lap while flying
During the transition to foot.. the hotas is placed to the side and I resume mouse/keyboard as I use for all FPS games
Unless its only a short duration on foot thing.....

Bill

 

[Darth Wonko]

Thanks for the info folks. I’m not averse to K+M except that my cockpit’s only got space for a keyboard trackpad combo. Don’t think trackpad and FPS are a good mix. I’ll try an Xbox controller and see how I get on with that.

What's your setup? I've got a cockpit from Obutto and I did a little customizing to make it work with KB/M

 

[Filmgeek47]

Xbox controller seems to work pretty well. Think it’s a winner for me.

 

[Asmodeus]

HOTAS for flying and driving keyboard and mouse for walking.

 

[Fizzatron]

I have a trackball mouse which sits to the right of the flight stick that I use to look around and I use the Thrustmaster HOTAS left throttle for walk & strafe. The rest are the buttons that are configured to work the different things like select weapon, jump etc.. on both the hotas & mouse. The bindings allow you to use the Thrustmaster buttons as modifier keys for the extra buttons on the trackball mouse. It's actually working out pretty good once you get accustomed to it, though I'm still tweaking it as I go when it comes to figuring out the most efficient way to pull up menus, select and throw grenades etc..

 

[Dragsham]

Hotam
Works for me but I'm left handed.
Throttle is mounted left on my seat side. Stick on right (don't use it on foot) and the mouse is key.
It's not ideal and I doubt it's good emuff vs kbm in a pvp fight on foot. But it does me ok for pve

 

[andrewg_oz]

I'm currently using my Thrustmaster Hotas with the mini stick on the throttle for forward/back/left/right movement, the twist on the stick for turning and pitch on the stick for looking up/down. Works well for doing things like biological sampling. When doing more FPS-like stuff at bases I switch to a mouse for looking, keeping the throttle for movement. The extra switches at my fingertips on the throttle are always useful.

 

[Greytalon]

I have my mouse set up next to the joystick, instead of KB I still use the throttle (plenty of buttons/switches for most on foot stuff) and feels a bit more intuitive than the stick

 

[Straker]

I use the thumb-analogue stick on my CH-Throttle for walking along with a mouse that sits to the right of my CH-Combatstick. I almost never touch my keyboard unless I need to text chat. While I don't use VR, I could easily transition due to my not needing to take my hands off my throttle and easily switch to mouse for on-foot aim. I have everything bound. While the CH gear is not that premium, it has one of the best layouts I've seen as I don't have to take my hands off to press other buttons and switches.

 

[Gordon Freeman IV]

Longtime ED player finally making the jump to Odyssey. I play exclusively in VR in a home built cockpit with a VIRPIL Hotas setup. Curious what most people are doing for on foot bindings as my initial setup of using the joystick axes for look rotation feels really awkward. If I plug in an Xbox controller can I use that just for on-foot?

Really just want to know what most people have settled on.

Or just use mouse and keyboard like the rest of us. VR in odyssey is not good. Just get a normal setup and youre set. M&K is better anyway for any precision activities like PvP or AX.

 

[KingTurtle]

OP, for on FPS combat you are going to have to switch to something else unless you can get used to dual joystick grips. The problem is that the NPCs in combat like to run to the sides to try and flank you. This is especially difficult for us HOTAS users since we are not used to repeated quick camera movements given our ship's turn speed. You basically want to use the other joystick and put the on foot head movement (where to aim) binds to your twist axis (left and right) and pitch axis (up and down). There are a few videos of a Star Citizen players doing it for ship combat, but one of them actually uses it for on foot combat as well.

In the future I hope Frontier will add some type of virtual keyboard to the galaxy map, so at least for the ship gameplay we don't need the keyboard and mouse.