What type of controller will you be using for Elite Dangerous

Pyros

P
Doctor_Demento said:
Jenner. He is using a gamepad for simplicity's sake. He also has a Saitek X52 Pro system to test the actual game play with. In fact most of the team has the X52's. They also have Alienware computer systems. :)

http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/07/31/how-i-game-chris-roberts-ceo-cloud-imperium/
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Indeed - for ED, during the KS, it was comented that in one of the gameplay videos devs were using Xbox controllers (raising the "consolitis" red flag). Ashley confirmed it was a matter of simplicity and real state, not any actual gameplay preference.
 

Jack Booted Thug

J
I'll be starting with keyboard and mouse and see how it goes.

I wonder if the original Elite control configuration will be possible.

<> roll
xs pitch
a fire
space speedup
/ slow down


haha I remember it like it was yesterday.
 

Variform

Variform
Alexander R said:
Been thinking about this a bit and I'll likely try the 360 controller first. If it doesn't feel right though the next option may be a dedicated joystick like this:
Click to expand...

Ah, the FLy 5. I been looking at that one lately. I am in the market for something like that. I have an ancient Wingman, but it does not center properly anymore. Besides that, too few buttons.

For ED I am thinking I might need a joystick for combat. I have been playing space games with mouse and keyboard, which can be done. But I feel maybe I am making it hard on myself.

So I'll be using m&k and a joystick, likely.

The Fly 5 seems nice but just this week I came across one in a store and I tried it a bit. It is too light. My old Wingman feels like it has a lead plate at the bottom. Joysticks need to weight a lot if youa sk me. The Fly 5 is a little on the light side.

It is nicely customizable though. The height of the handle is adjustable and easy to do so as well. Some other tweaks need that little tool you get with it. It is easy to store since the handle detaches and u can fold the rest inward so it is smaller. I like the double lever that you can hook together to make it just one. I like how on the front there are 2 buttons because you will be using the throttle lever a lot, so it seems handy to have a few vital functions programmed under these two.

What I also noticed as I held it was the amount of movement needed on the stick but I couldn't test it in a game.

I'd wait with buying anything right now. Saitek might release a Fly 6 perhaps or something to replace this one. I'll buy something after the release cause I want to try to dogfight with just m&k.
 

FS3DPete

F
I'd be a little wary of the Fly.5 stick. It's probably something where YMMV, but I find it to be a little flimsy for my hands, and there's a little play in the control stick when trying to exercise control authority in a game, meaning I either have to apply control inputs carefully and slowly, or I use my full range of reactions, and risk breaking it (and I'm apparently not alone in this, a reviewer once commented that there was some looseness in the control stick that no amount of adjustment and tightening could resolve).

I believe it was the same reviewer who stated that the Thrustmaster HOTAS stick (I don't remember which one though) used resistance-based input (as in modern fighter jets), as opposed to the conventional movable control stick. That's far sturdier and I would probably respond better to that than I do to something that feels like it might break in my hands if I'm too rough.

Then again, I'd probably only feel comfortable with a control stick that's bolted to the desk.

I'm far more gentle with XBOX style controllers, but their range of movement is greatly reduced (obviously) and all it takes is a gentle nudge of the thumbs when I need to exert control authority.

TL;DR: Your mileage may vary, but the Saitek Fly-5 is a little loose for my tastes.
 

Variform

Variform
Thanks for the heads up on that! I don't know much atm about these gadgets. The system you mentioned, unknown to me but it seems the way to go. Now I gotta research all that hehe.
 

OneoftheLost

OneoftheLost
For those looking for a joystick on the cheap!

thrustmaster-t16000-thumb-200x256.jpg


The Thrustmaster T.16000m. I cannot reccomend this stick enough. Hat switch, rudder control, 16 programable buttons, left-right handed control, and its a mere 40 bucks! if you are on the cheap, get it now!

Ahem, enough gushing. I'll be using that stick, but I imagine I will use the keyboard and mouse as well. It just depends how I'm feeling. Some days I'm too lazy to plug in the stick. :p
 

Variform

Variform
Yes I looked at that stick earlier today. But I like the throttle control on the left side. Tell me though, it is not a HOTAS, whatever that stands for but how is the movement. Do you have to move it a lot to have it 'catch on'?

I don't want it to feel like the gear shift in a car. And... how heavy is it. It needs to be heavy.
 

OneoftheLost

OneoftheLost
Variform said:
Yes I looked at that stick earlier today. But I like the throttle control on the left side. Tell me though, it is not a HOTAS, whatever that stands for but how is the movement. Do you have to move it a lot to have it 'catch on'?

I don't want it to feel like the gear shift in a car. And... how heavy is it. It needs to be heavy.
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Ooh, good questions! Its heavy. You certainly feel it, hence why I sometimes prefer a mouse. However, I'm used to heavy sticks, like this one and the Logitech ones. Never tried a Saiteck, but they look fairly light.

The movement is quite smooth, as for 'catching on', I suppose it depends on the game? I fly a lot of WW1 flight sims (Rise of Flight, First Eagles 2, Over Flanders Fields) and you do have to push the stick forward pretty far to 'nose-down' however, that is realistic with the flight mechanics, and I havn't really flown other types of games. (i.e. space sims. :p) Never tried using it in FFE or otherwise.

So I really can't answer. One of the inherent problems with joysticks, they are really personal, and the 'feel' of the stick depends on the person.

@Cody

I can never tell if you are being sarcastic or not, (oh the joys of internet communication.) so I'll assume that you don't know the reason for HOTAS. In a nutshell, its literally placing buttons on the top of a stick. This is so a combat pilot can shoot or jettison fuel tanks or what have you without taking his hands off of the flight stick. Take some of the earliest WW1 aircraft machine guns, they actually had to take one hand off of the stick to operate the weapon.
 
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Minti2

Deadly, But very fluffy...
Minti2
OneoftheLost said:
Ooh, good questions! Its heavy. You certainly feel it, hence why I sometimes prefer a mouse. However, I'm used to heavy sticks, like this one and the Logitech ones. Never tried a Saiteck, but they look fairly light.

The movement is quite smooth, as for 'catching on', I suppose it depends on the game? I fly a lot of WW1 flight sims (Rise of Flight, First Eagles 2, Over Flanders Fields) and you do have to push the stick forward pretty far to 'nose-down' however, that is realistic with the flight mechanics, and I havn't really flown other types of games. (i.e. space sims. :p) Never tried using it in FFE or otherwise.

So I really can't answer. One of the inherent problems with joysticks, they are really personal, and the 'feel' of the stick depends on the person.

@Cody

I can never tell if you are being sarcastic or not, (oh the joys of internet communication.) so I'll assume that you don't know the reason for HOTAS. In a nutshell, its literally placing buttons on the top of a stick. This is so a combat pilot can shoot or jettison fuel tanks or what have you without taking his hands off of the flight stick. Take some of the earliest WW1 aircraft machine guns, they actually had to take one hand off of the stick to operate the weapon.
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Argh! now you have given me another problem(a good one i think?)
Yours and Drews description of the Thrustmaster T.16000m sounds great but i was almost convinced of getting the X52 pro(more expensive mind)

both sound great, is there anyone out there played with both and can give a verdict of pros and cons? i know its probably unlikely, but any advice for someone like me (whos not used a J/S since the eighties) would be great in helping me chose :)
 
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OneoftheLost

OneoftheLost
@ Cody

haha! I figured you did, judging by your postings in the Oolite forums, but I can never be sure. ;)

@TLG

Ooh. That is a tough one. I will say this, the X52 is insanely popular for a reason. I've never owned one, but I have friends who swear by the things. If you've got the money, I can't see you going wrong. I love my T16000, but it is a cheaper joystick, and it shows in the slider. Most games use the slider for determining speed, but its pretty finicky, and its hard to adjust it in-flight without a bit of practice. (I.e. increasing your speed by smaller increments is quite hard.)

I think in the end, you may be better off with an X52, the T16000 is great for the price, but it may not be up to professional standards. Then again, I can't imagine spending so much on a JOYSTICK. Some people have all the money. ;)
 

Minti2

Deadly, But very fluffy...
Minti2
OneoftheLost said:
@ Cody

haha! I figured you did, judging by your postings in the Oolite forums, but I can never be sure. ;)

@TLG

Ooh. That is a tough one. I will say this, the X52 is insanely popular for a reason. I've never owned one, but I have friends who swear by the things. If you've got the money, I can't see you going wrong. I love my T16000, but it is a cheaper joystick, and it shows in the slider. Most games use the slider for determining speed, but its pretty finicky, and its hard to adjust it in-flight without a bit of practice. (I.e. increasing your speed by smaller increments is quite hard.)

I think in the end, you may be better off with an X52, the T16000 is great for the price, but it may not be up to professional standards. Then again, I can't imagine spending so much on a JOYSTICK. Some people have all the money. ;)
Click to expand...

ah cheers mate for an honest assessment, think you may have pushed me back to the X52 then, will mull it over and read a little more reviews on both. Agree money wise there is a big difference but as i am planning to play for a serious long time it may be a good investment......thanks again. :)
 

Commander Mick

Commander Mick
Rog said:
Umm... wandered through a Maplin store earlier today, and they had a fair few joysticks on the shelves at not too daft prices.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/productsearch?criteria=joystick

Probably available cheaper elsewhere though.

Pretty sure I've got an old but little used MS force feedback joystick lurking in the bottom of a box somewhere, will have to hunt it down.
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We don't have any Maplin stores in Australia. At least not where I am.

We do have Electronic Boutique who computer games, console games, and consoles, but no Joysticks. Only Console Controllers.

JB HI-FI who sell a wide range of electrical goods, including game consoles, computers and games for them both. No Joy-Sticks.

Target who see a wide range of goods, including clothing, toiletries, kitchen ware, gardening, sporting goods, confectionary, toys, televisions, dvd & blue-rae players, cd players, computers, consoles games for them both, but no Joy-Sticks.

K-Mart who sell almost all the same stuff as Target, but no Joy-Sticks.

Aldi which is really more of a supermarket for food goods only, but they also have a small section for other goods as well. We have often been able to very cheap wide screen televisions for about $900 AUD and computers for about $700 AUD and I may get my next computer from there as well.

I might try Ebay, but they aren't a real physical store you can walk into like the other I mentioned above. They are only online. So, I wouldn't really be able to have good look at it or test it before I buy order one through them.
 

Variform

Variform
I noticed the Speedlink Black Widow on that website. It is a cheap stick and throttle. The reviews of it on Amazon are mixed. I like the design, but it has only 7 buttons. And for ED that might barely cover the essentials.

Maybe we can discuss how many buttons is a minimum here? I haven't used a stick in ages so I haven't played any flight sims too. What do people usually program their buttons for?

In ED I assume similar situations arise... You need buttons for firing missiles, switching targets, maybe switch to incoming missiles? Maybe switch to friendly targets? Don't know what for...maybe send a standardized message, attack my target?

So what else would you guys bind to your keys. The Logitech Extreme 3D has plenty of buttons. The vibration function on the Speedlink doesn't work well according to reviews. I guess that one falls away. The Thrustmaster HOTAS X comes into view then. I haven't found many more inexpensive combo's.

When I remember X-Wing Vs. Tie Fighter, my old Wingman's throttle felt really flimsy. It had no resistance, which I actually like. I prefer to speed up and down by using just two fingers. I don't know how handy it is to have a dogfight and then feeling the lever resist you. So maybe the Thrustmaster is out too.
 

Philip Coutts

Volunteer Moderator
Philip Coutts
I was setting up my xbox 360 wireless controller at the weekend to play Batman and just to remind people you need a wireless receiver to plug into a usb port on your pc in order to use a wireless controller (sounds obvious doesn't it!) even if you are using the re-charging kit. Either that or you need to buy a wired controller.
 
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