Newcomer / Intro What sort of controllers are best used with ED?

Elorius

Elorius
I have not bought ED yet but I'm very seriously considering doing so after falling slightly in love after watching the tutorial videos and doing some research on the net. I haven't played something flight sim like for 15 years though and wonder a bit about what sort of controllers people use for games like this today. Back in the days I used a flight sim joystick with lots of keybindings on it but are those even around anymore?

What does other people use? Playing a flight game with mouse and keyboard used to be a pretty disastrous experience, but as I said it was a looong time since I did it last time and games have evolved the last 15 years.
 

Loriath

Loriath
I tried the mouse and keyboard and could not get used to it. Tried the Gamepad and found it imprecise and very difficult for me (not a Console player at all).

Joystick feels best. Had a Thrustmaster HOTAS X which was nice and had all the buttons I needed. But I broke it; caused a HALO jump from my desktop and the parachute failed to open :p so I replaced it with an X52 Pro and love it. Even better than the Thrustmaster.

You can get a quite good stick in a Logitech 3D stick for a decent price, the HOTAS X if you can find it in stock is great stick as well. If you have an XBOX controller or the like, try it. Then decide.
 

Dommarraa

Dommarraa
Fancy joysticks are called hotas nowadays, they are well supported, and lots of threads about them. To truly be a combat ninja, they are the best bet, but are by no means necessary to be very good at the game.

Xbox controllers work well. David brabben uses one.

Mouse plus keyboard is probably the most common configuration

Some of us old schoolers use just the keyboard. I am perfectly adequate at combat, and enjoy the ability to sit on the sofa with my laptop
 

Lithari

L
I personally use keyboard and mouse, i found gamepads just wrong, joysticks felt wrong to me....keyboard and mouse works great for me.
 

Elorius

Elorius
Thanks for the helpful replies everyone. I'll definitely look into a HOTAS. Is that a brand name, or what joysticks themselves are called nowadays?
 

Loriath

Loriath
Elorius said:
Thanks for the helpful replies everyone. I'll definitely look into a HOTAS. Is that a brand name, or what joysticks themselves are called nowadays?
Click to expand...

HOTAS is an Acronym for Hands On Throttle And Stick. Its generally a 2 piece setup A Joystick, and a throttle. Some are separate components that are plugged in separately (usb) or 2 Pieces that have one plug to the PC and a cable between. Some (Like the Thrustmaster HOTAS X) look like a one piece unit, but can be separated.

If there is no separate Throttle then its a Joystick/Flightstick. Some Joysticks have a Throttle slider, such as the Logitech 3D Extreme, but are not really a HOTAS.

Here are some Examples:

Joysticks
Logitech 3D Extreme
Saitek Cyborg Fly 9

HOTAS
Saitek X52/X52Pro
Thrustmaster HOTAS X
Thrustmaster Warthog (Can purchase just the stick, or a combo with Throttle, or just Throttle.)
 

Cybrdroyd

Cybrdroyd
I currently use the Logitech extreme 3d pro joystick. It does the job well, it has 14 programmable buttons and small throttle lever on the base. Plus it has the twist action for rudder or strafing, whichever you choose, and it has a 4 position hat. It does everything I need it to, and the controls are really precise. I paid about $40 for it, so you can't beat the price. Its USB and its digital.

I am currently researching HOTAS setups and I'm not so sure I can do all that much better. Considering the X52 HOTAS which is on the low end of the price spectrum, but it seems to get the most accolades on youtube. I definately want to get the TrackIr for head tracking. I'm handicapped and have very small hands so I am not so sure a hotas setup will work for me. I had the Saitek X45 back in the day, I found it to be big and cumbersome, and the spring in the base was not smooth like my logitech. It's all a matter of personal preference. I think I would opt for ease of use verses realism. The logitech is easy for me to use, even though its not as realistic as the big and heavy hotas sticks. I'd buy the logitech first and see if its a good fit for you. If you don't like it you can always return it, and the investment is much smaller.
 

Bristolian

B
I knew from the very start that I couldn't use the keyboard and mouse combination so I researched HOTAS controllers. In the end I decided on the Saitek X52 pro flight control system and I'm really pleased with it. There were a couple of features that swung the balance:


  • Yaw control when twisting the joystick which I've been finding very useful. Obviously a number of joysticks have this functionality
  • Adjustable joystick for my smaller hands. The adjustment here raises your hand so it's closer to the controls at the top of the joystick.

The only downside to all this is that it's expensive, not Warthog expensive, but it's a considerable investment.

I also use Voice Attack and the ASTRA Voice Pack which make things a little more fun :)

I've included the links as resources for more information. I hope this is allowed and doesn't breach any forum rules.
 

Engadine

E
Can't go wrong with a Thrustmaster HOTAS-X with Voice Attack (Astra Pack).

Although I'm seriously considering adding TrackIR 5 to that :)
 

EvulKlowne

EvulKlowne
As you see opinions vary a lot. It's just something you need to try and find out for yourself.
I myself I have tried 2 different joysticks (Logitech extreme 3d pro and Thrustmaster Hotas X) and I found them both to have terrible center accuracy and limited in number of buttons compared to keyboard (G15) and mouse (G700s).
 

Ancipital

Ancipital
Engadine said:
Can't go wrong with a Thrustmaster HOTAS-X with Voice Attack (Astra Pack).

Although I'm seriously considering adding TrackIR 5 to that :)
Click to expand...

You can, the HOTAS-X is awful and shoddy, inaccurate and prone to deadzone problems. Voice Attack has bags of latency and is very approximate- hilarious when people still excited by the novelty of it all boost into the side of a station though :D VA has a place for people who want to launch macros to rework power/request docking, but I'd really suggest not using it for time critical stuff, or stuff that can get you killed if it has a special moment and executes a random incorrect command.

TrackIR is nice though, I'll agree there. The angle of the sensor makes it a lot nicer than the ps3 eye/FTNoIOR route. Just avoid the bundle with the "Proclip", as it's flimsy and prone to snapping. The basic TrackClip works just fine, and is cheaper.

For HOTAS, I guess I'd suggest a a TM1600M (the cheapest Hall Effect stick) and CH Pro Throttle as a non-scary option; you can always buy the throttle later, if it's a lot to spend upfront. Otherwise, if you want a HOTAS "set", an X-52 Pro is OK, an X-55 is better and more robust. If you're feeling rich, a CH Fighterstick, Pro Throttle and Pro Pedal setup is absolutely killer- durable and reliable. Another good but expensive option is the Warthog HOTAS with a set of pedals (the CH ones are pretty solid).

I'm using an X-55 with CH Pro Pedals and TrackIR 5. It's insanely nice- though I did need to lubricate the X-55 stick a bit and swap springs to make it as smooth as I wanted. However, that was quick and easy, and now it works like a dream. The X55 config that ships with ED works well, and I was able to tweak it over time as I understood the game and wanted slightly different things. Integrating TrackIR control and the pedals was really easy. Happy to explain either to anyone who needs to do that, also how to tame the X-55 stick.
 
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Ancipital

Ancipital
Loriath said:
I see a lot saying they are looking at TrackIR. Might I suggest the EDTracker? Made by some people here on the Forums. Its a Build your own device, but you can also buy them already built. Less than 50 British Pounds.
Click to expand...

It's tres cool- though make sure you build/get one with the magnetometer (sp?), so you don't suffer drift.

I still prefer trackIR, but that is a much more expensive option. EDTracker is to be applauded, and works well.
 
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