Fighting with the controls- worth getting a joystick?

Moonlight Fox · Post by **Moonlight Fox** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:31 pm

After playing this for a few days now and adjusting the controls as much as I can.. I left with just one issue. I having trouble using the keyboard to aim at hostile craft. (I've made a post in the suggestion board regarding this issue and a possible solution..I just don't know how to implement it)

My question is: I'm pondering getting a stick or pad with twin thumbsticks. For those that have access to a joystick or other analog input device, does it make manoeuvring your craft a lot more precise? By which I mean, when you move the stick just a little little.. does it just nudge the pitch / roll just a little..or does it start going towards the full pitch/roll in the way the the cursor keys do? Does the control from Yawing work in the same manner?

My ideal setup would be to have a three axis joystick.. map the pitch to forward and back, map yawing to side to side movement and map rolling to twisting. If all three were properly analog then it means I should be able to match the rotation of the station and aim dead at it's centre. It would be great!!
To be honest I don't even know if stick like that exists.. the last joystick I had was for my N.E.S. .. and that thing was just a simple digital thing. I'm sure a flight stick would have it but I don't really want to be spending too much on one.
Failing that, a pad with a pair of thumbsticks on it would probably do the job.. one side being pitch/yaw and the other being roll/throttle.

Your views, opinions and ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.

Commander Mysenses · Post by **Commander Mysenses** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:08 pm

I use a Saitek ST290 Pro (£19.99 PC World).
I had it set up like you described for a while, but went back to the more traditional Roll/Pitch (and yaw on the twist), but YMMV.
You can set up the hat buttons as you wish from within Oolite.

JohnnyBoy · Post by **JohnnyBoy** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:22 pm

I'm very much used to controlling the ship entirely using the keyboard.

The most useful extension of my control skills is the ability to make the targetting crosshairs go exactly where I want them while I'm using the rear-mounted military laser on my ship.

Moonlight Fox · Post by **Moonlight Fox** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:19 pm

Commander Mysenses wrote:
I use a Saitek ST290 Pro (£19.99 PC World).
I had it set up like you described for a while, but went back to the more traditional Roll/Pitch (and yaw on the twist), but YMMV.
You can set up the hat buttons as you wish from within Oolite.

Well that certainly sounds promising!
That particular stick looks really great. The only thing I'm a little concerned about is the official site states that it's only compatible with XP & Vista. I'm running Win2000. A quick check on google does yield some results for Win2000 drivers for it.. however I have no idea how good they are. Hmm.. decisions, decisions..
I think I might try it, my local place is selling them for £13.35

Aldarion · Post by **Aldarion** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:25 am

I too would like to know if there is a way to tweek the keyboard flight controls. I wasn't thinking so much about a fine and cource switch as I was about just smoothing the initial response of pressing a control key so that the ship doesn't jump so much when you just barely bump the key.

"I use a Saitek ST290 Pro (£19.99 PC World)."
I just bought this same joystick and mine is a piece of ahh... it performs very poorly. Lots of dead space between directions, poor 'feel', and now the trigger sticks and just keeps shooting when I touch the trigger (this after only 6 or 800 kills). So back to Wally World it goes, and I get to relearn how to use the keyboard.

Aldarion

Website · Post by **DaddyHoggy** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:50 pm

Having tried, keyboard, joystick and twin stick analogue gamepad I've now settled on the gamepad - lots of buttons for ECM, injectors, targetting and firing the missiles and I use one stick for the traditional roll and pitch and the other for yaw control which I like a lot.

However, YMMV and to each there own.

s8404755 · Post by **s8404755** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 1:19 pm

I have a Logitek ATK3 and it works perfectly. 11 buttons (5 of which on the top of the stick) and a throttle means I rarely need to touch the keyboard in-flight.

JohnnyBoy · Post by **JohnnyBoy** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:25 pm

I'd like to try a game pad. Which model do you have DaddyHoggy and does it work with a Mac?

Website · Post by **DaddyHoggy** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:28 pm

I have a Thrustmaster Firestorm Dual Power (model TH 2960529).

It's USB and works under 98SE (driver needed), XP (no drivers seemed to be needed) and Ubuntu (7.04 and 7.10 - no drivers seemingly needed) - cannot tell you if it works on a Mac though - sorry.

JohnnyBoy · Post by **JohnnyBoy** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:04 pm

Thanks DH. I've just done a quick search of "Gamepad for Mac" and the "Logitech Rumblepad" comes up a fair few times. I'll go over to www.123MacMini.com/forums/ and see if anyone has any other recommendations.

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:55 pm

Pfft, don’t believe these people. Mouse control is vastly superior for fine aim.

flimflam_machine · Post by **flimflam_machine** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:48 am

I'm with Ahruman, I'd definitely try controlling the ship with a mouse before splashing out on a joystick.

At present, I'm finding combat almost insultingly easy. To be fair I do have a fairly tricked out Cobra with fore and aft military lasers, extra energyunits, shiled boosters etc. I find that I can destroy most things at long range before they can really wear down my shields very much. A precision targeting reticule for mouse control would be good, is it available (OXP upgrade maybe?)

In fact, I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of challenge provided by Tigers and SuperCobras. My last hit (medium) on a hardened Cobra was over before they got within 5km. Multiple Mantas and Wolfs are a bit more of a problem because they seem so fast, but also because the OXP seems to slow my compter down to about 6fps. I'm currently at >300 kills and wondering where to go.

Combat advice: if you're up against multiple pirates, take out the easy targets first. It's all about the number of guns you're up against, so use your missiles as equalisers at long range if need be.

LittleBear · Post by **LittleBear** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:54 am

Could give Renegade Pirates or Militray OXP a go. These have some seriously tough opponents in them.

ClymAngus · Post by **ClymAngus** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:38 pm

flimflam_machine wrote:
Combat advice: if you're up against multiple pirates, take out the easy targets first. It's all about the number of guns you're up against, so use your missiles as equalisers at long range if need be.

Interesting, I find the "mongal" tactic useful against swarms. If your getting womped by 5-8 pirates who just happened to be floating round the jump point, witchfuel inject away until only 2 or so are showing on your IFF. (usually) The others will stay out of range whilst the other 2 will speed hell for leather for you. Giving to plenty of time to stop, turn round and flip a coin for which one you turn into scoopable items first.

If they do decide to leave follow at a distance, firing the odd shot to get their attention. If they happen to meet up again with the main group, just repeat the tactic from the top.

NOTE: always leave yourself enough fuel to REALLY get out of there if you need to.

Well it works for me anyway.

I'm tempted by a joystick (logitech mainly) but the keyboard is fine for the minute. Maybe for Chirstmas.

Website · Post by **DaddyHoggy** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:13 pm

@Ahruman - is the mouse control a new option? I don't remember having the option to use the mouse in 1.65