The Joystick/Controller discussion thread

[dioogio]

Probably been said already a dozen times. Why have you left CH sticks off the list??


Edit: do you work for Saitek by any chance?

 

[Dave1235]

Total noob here...

I plan on getting the cheap thurstmaster, when the shops get some in.

But is there a "dummies" guide to setting up a joystick?

I tried but there were no presets in the game settings?

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16140

Here is the one someone posted for me ages ago. Its a good starter setup, pretty sure the game gives you a basic setup too, auto detects when stick plugged in.

Map flight assist off to toggle in the options menu and its what I used for quite a while.

You can also use a key as a "shifter", when in the game option menu (in controls) press both buttons for an option (I use 10 as the shift) and you get two uses out of a button, so for me 5 is thrust up now, and 10+5 is deploy heatsink.

 

[neXib]

Sort of doing allright with the 360 controller, but it's so easy to overaim something for combat, and I'm kinda tempted by taking it up a notch with assists off too. What I'm wondering is how much time you take to get used to say an X52 Pro. Haven't used a flightstick before, and I'm on the casual side, playing 2-3 hours here and there so far.

 

[Von Adder]

I'm trying to map an old Cyborg X joystick and it's a bloody nightmare! It's recognised as a "generic joystick" in the menus, and the generic mapping is atrocious on the Cyborg X! Any advice on mapping this thing would be awesome!

 

[Antmax]

I just got a MS force feedback 2 and CH pro throttle combo for $80 and love the FFB2 to the point that I ditched the X52. ED doesn't have any force feedback functionality but you can control the center spring strength, damping and drag via a simple utility. There is no awkward notch transition across center like you get across most modern sprung based sticks. With the powered spring and the above sliders you can get a real feel like there is a ship behind your hands and can go so far as to have a floppy sick you center yourself to needing muscles like Arnold to use it lol.

Button placement could be better but the ch throttle makes up for that with 4 hats that can be programed as buttons. I'm not entirely happy with the analog thumb stick on the CH which lacks some precision due to orientation feeling slightly off. It's hard to get perfect vertical.

I also miss the center detent I added to my x52 which made full range much easier to use than the CH. Not sure how to add one because the throttle slides horizontally, not rotating around a pivot which makes adding a detent difficult.

 

[BBcokeley]

joystick issue

Have this issue with the panel switching, it goes to the left panel and next click centre panel, then third click it exits (missing the right hand panel for systems, faction side, progress etc), a quick restart of the launcher and the client fixes this but it also seems to happen sometimes after a SC or a jump to a new system, very odd..
my stick is thrustmaster-x hotas only had this problem since 1.02-3 but its still present.

 

[einis]

anyone got problems with the hotas x? i knew this would happen, it felt suspiciously good for the money but only after 10-15hrs of use the slider is malfunctioning. my ship started tilting to the right, so i had to rearrange it for vertical thrust, now i get a 1-2 speed going for the roof when docking. i can sometimes jiggle it left-right to remove it, but its hard to tell if its there or not while flying in open space.
the anoying part is having to return it for a replacement and not know if a new unit will get the same or a different problem.

 

[Bantha]

I used to play Elite on the speccy 30 years ago, using a joystick and keyboard combination.
Over the years I've been playing PlayStation games, and have developed a good understanding with the analogue stick controllers, which is what I started Elite Dangerous with - a PS3 pad set up to emulate an xbox pad through MotionJoy. Whilst this was more familiar for me, the lack of a sensitivity option was an issue. I found the pad way too sensitive, one slight nudge and WHOOFF! I'm off at full speed rolling and pitching way too fast. I found that gimballed weapons were a necessity, not just something nice to have. Lots of fights lost...
So I reluctantly bit the bullet and purchased the X52 Pro, and Oh My God! Took a couple of days to get used to a joystick again after all these years, but this is amazing! It's like a new game! I now have absolute complete control of my Eagle, to the point that I have removed two gimballed mounts and replaced them with fixed. My manual aim with this joystick is actually better than gimballed. I keep one hardpoint as gimballed of course, to reach those hard to reach places, but I get much more success when I use the force ☺
So, my advice to anyone struggling with the option of what controller to use is, buy a joystick. I appreciate everyone has different budgets, and believe me I thought long and hard before paying £150 for a plastic joystick, but it has taken this game to a new level it really has. I'm loving it.
I got interdicted by a human player pirate a couple of hours ago. Great fight, but he's dead now. It would have been me if I was still on the pad. That's the difference.
See you out there Commanders

 

[R0bster]

Flightstick. Which one should i get?

Ok i have this game but am looking for a decent flightstick to use within the £30 - £40 range. Ideally it would have a flightstick and throttle and not one of those wee flappy bits on the base of the stick for the throttle but a full sized one.

 

[anikaiful]

Using Smack-box 360 controller myself (the only good thing microsoft has come up with, ever, aside some keyboards). It's quite... unprecise in a hurry, but it can be very precise otherwise. Would like to try a HOTAS of some sort, but they're not exactly super cheap.

 

[spectat0r]

Total noob here...

I plan on getting the cheap thurstmaster, when the shops get some in.

But is there a "dummies" guide to setting up a joystick?

I tried but there were no presets in the game settings?

The presets show up when the stick is plugged in

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Ok i have this game but am looking for a decent flightstick to use within the £30 - £40 range. Ideally it would have a flightstick and throttle and not one of those wee flappy bits on the base of the stick for the throttle but a full sized one.

Thrustmaster T. Flight HOTAS X is cheap enough, and has a full-sized throttle

 

[sdolf]

I can confirm that the standard XBOX ONE controller works fine.

My Razer Sabertooth Elite didn't (standard xbox360 with extra programmable buttons). Configuration save issues etc. Refer to https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=88187 if interested, if not, refer to the moon, the stars or the TV guide.

 

[Scala]

Hi!!!

Need a new joystick! Between these two, which is the best?
- Joystick LOGITECH Extreme 3D Pro
- JoyStick THRUSTMASTER T-Flight Hotas

Thanks in advance!

 

[Konspiratsia]

I'm using a logitech extreme 3d pro I needed to readjust roll from generic joystick settings

 

[NEUTRAL]

Using Smack-box 360 controller myself (the only good thing microsoft has come up with, ever, aside some keyboards). It's quite... unprecise in a hurry, but it can be very precise otherwise. Would like to try a HOTAS of some sort, but they're not exactly super cheap.

You could use two low-cost joysticks, one for each hand.
Options would be the Thrustmaster T.16000M, and/or Logitech Extreme 3d Pro

Both have twist function, and loads of buttons on them.
Get two identical sticks or not, the choice is yours

 

[Soulstain]

Anyone on here using an x65 could you let me know your thoughts? I presently have the x55 Hotas. I absolutely love the throttle but not enjoying the stick. It squeaks, groans and sticks. I've watched videos of how to fix it and tried using graphite lube to little avail. I found a supplier who still has x65's in stock. I heard it was a better build quality and much more enjoyable to use. Apparently the price hurt it's sales. Any help would be appreciated.

updated - I put Vaseline on the shaft of my X55 which I saw in a YouTube vid. Joystick is like butter now!!!!! No sticking, no groaning. I'm back to loving my HOTAS. I won't need that X65.

 

[JR1911]

Been using a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro for about a week. Very good joystick for its price. Might get an X52 or X55 later on.

 

[Cidcaldensfey]

I've never used a hotas for anything but Mechwarrior Firestorm league stuff. I bought the X55 specifically for Elite Dangerous and have been having a blast with it. I did switch the xaxis though to yaw and the twist to roll on the joystick. I feel my configuration though gives me a ton of control, quite able to remain in blindspots of NPCs at least. Haven't had the opportunity to try it on players yet since I just got it in the mail.

 

[Markus]

How to get my joystick running

Actually i got my extreme 3D PRO, adventure !

I put it into the USB (the game was actually running) but nothing happens. Played with mouse and keyboard so far and i checked the options/keys but found nothing.
There was no softare or something in the package. Can someone help ?

 

[KillaALF]

Close the game and restart it, your joystick should then be available in the control menu.