Joystick or Mouse?

EncryptedToast · Post by **EncryptedToast** » Fri, 6. Jan 12, 21:59

I am on the fence about this one and keep going back and forth. My joystick is not great but it's ok, has a throttle and plenty of buttons, twist rudder. It's fun flying with a stick.

But I feel like I am always taking my hands off to use the mouse or keyboard anyway

So, those of you that use a joystick, how do you have it configured? Maybe there are some tips that would help make it feel more natural that I am missing....

Threesixtyci · Post by **Threesixtyci** » Fri, 6. Jan 12, 22:18

I use the joystick and keyboard when I'm fighting/steering.
I use the mouse and keyboard for everything else.

My left hand is always on the keyboard though. And even though I have a throttle wheel I don't use it because it's jumpy and I can't get it to go to zero speed and stay there. So I use the keyboard for throttle and Strafing.

ESDF are my strafing keys, and W, R are my increase/decrease Throttle Speeds. I use my Rudders for rolling....

Then I have all the other stuff I need around those keys... target closest enemy, Target under reticule, Turbo, Instant Acceleration, Instant Brake, match speed, and all that stuff all within finger reach of my left hand.

So, only my Right hand transfers between the mouse and keyboard.

Calithulu · Post by **Calithulu** » Fri, 6. Jan 12, 23:00

I'm with EncryptedToast. I use the joystick for dogfighting but I use the mouse for everything else. I don't use the joystick throttle and I use the WASD keys for strafing instead of the 'hat' on the joystick. Oh, and when manually docking I always use a joystick. It feels easier to line up and dock on close approach.

kylania · Post by **kylania** » Fri, 6. Jan 12, 23:38

keyboard for everything except steering in combat.

NeverSnake · Post by **NeverSnake** » Fri, 6. Jan 12, 23:49

kylania wrote:keyboard for everything except steering in combat.

Same here, the only time I touched my mouse/joystick is if I need to jump into a fighter, usually I just fly with my keyboard alone.

NeverSnake · Post by **NeverSnake** » Fri, 6. Jan 12, 23:49

kylania wrote:keyboard for everything except steering in combat.

Same here, the only time I touch my mouse/joystick is if I need to jump into a fighter, usually I just fly with my keyboard alone.

JDCollie · Post by **JDCollie** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 00:34

All three! (though I use the mouse by far the least; pretty much only for on the fly targetting) I have the sector map, SETA, and strafing among other things all mapped to my joystick. I use the keyboard for most other things outside of combat.

I'm probably weird though -- the first game I ever owned required switching between multiple input devices, (Earthsiege) and since then I've never really been bothered by it.

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 00:49

Mouse and keyboard. The only joystick setup I have is an old Saitek PS2 stick&throttle, which I don't have ports for right now. (I do have a converter, though.. Might see if they would work.)

However, in this game, a joystick is really not necessary. I find myself doing a lot more than just flying around and I enjoy the flexibility of the mouse/keyboard combination. There's nothing to the experience that a joystick would add, IMO. (Though, if I were a heavy combat player, spending more time in highly maneuverable fighters, my opinion might differ.)

IF there were a great many different types of combat controls necessary in order to properly fly combat missions, I would definitely enjoy a joystick/throttle and maybe even rudder controls more than keyboard/mouse. For instance, if it was a high-end combat flight simulator, with all sorts of cockpit controls and fast/furious action, I'd need the convenience of not having to take my hands off the ship's controls. As it stands, X3TC doesn't require that.

ctcc41 · Post by **ctcc41** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 01:05

I was a joystick man back in the days of X: Beyond the Frontier. My trusty old Saitek cyborg was a decent stick for someone who only used one for X and Tachyon: The Fringe. But eventually it developed sensitivity issues and was relegated to a shelf where it gathered dust.

By the time X3: Reunion came along I was a strictly Keyboard and mouse man and remand so until about half a year ago, when I bought a Saitek X52 stick and throttle combo, and a really sweet desk with permanent positions for both of them and my K&M so that everything is permanently at my command.

However now that I have the option of using any control that I please I still find myself using the K&M a lot. It seems like I can maneuver more precisely with them. However using the stick and throttle I defiantly have better velocity control.

Which is the better pair? I really don’t know. Possibly as I re-familiarize myself with using a stick it will re-take the advantage, but I am not sure at this stage that it will. I will say however that setting up your gaming area so that you have easy access to all 4 items beats any combination of two.

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 01:14

ctcc41 wrote:...However using the stick and throttle I defiantly have better velocity control...

I've got the Logitech G700 mouse, which has a very, very nice scroll wheel. "Unlocked" so it is free-rolling, I have very precise control over velocity. Plus, it's programmability and on-board memory means that, if desired, I could map all sorts of features and macros to its many function buttons. Also, it does not have to be placed in a docking bay to be recharged. It comes with a USB cord that converts it to a regular, corded mouse, if the rechargeable battery runs low. I primarily bought it for its on-the-fly adjustable DPI functionality and high precision features. (I'm a 3D modeling enthusiast, so that's somewhat necessary for me. The mouse has on-board buttons for adjusting its sensitivity and that's pretty awesome.)

I highly recommend this mouse. The one caveat is that it has an on-board capacitor that sometimes retains a charge and that can, infrequently, cause it to double-click instead of single-clicking on a mouse-button press. That's annoying, but easily rectified by removing the rechargeable battery, clicking the mouse a few times, then reinserting the battery. It will likely be fixed with newer production runs of this model.

vlasticz · Post by **vlasticz** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 01:19

while flying I use my joystick by right hand and left hand is on the keyboard but when I'm managing and so I have both hands on keyboard as I'm used to use it istead of mouse in X games, though I occasionally use the mouse but that moments I can still count on one hand's fingers

cattafett · Post by **cattafett** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 01:27

keyboard only
grew up with elite then when i got X2 it never occurred to me to try with the mouse
had a go with a mouse/joystick with the X games and it just feels wrong

kgkosio · Post by **kgkosio** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 02:09

I have a CH Combat Stick and Throttle, 29 buttons/multifunction buttons plus a hat switch (times 3) means I do not need to touch a keyboard or mouse during combat, except for initiating boarding.

The mouse has one purpose, it sits over the incoming message icon. I use the keyboard for all in station functions.

The joystick is much more immersive when flying a fighter or other agile craft.

Belteshazzar · Post by **Belteshazzar** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 02:58

Saitek ST290Pro Joystick/keyboard. The Joystick has 6 buttons, (5 face plus trigger) rudder, hat switch and throttle. I don't use the throttle but everything else rocks. By mapping the select key to a face button and using the hat to navigate menus and putting all the most often used buttons on the left side of the keyboard I can play without my right hand ever leaving the joystick. Without it piloting capital ships would be a chore. (I actually used mouse and keyboard in X3:R until I bought my first Elephant and then I just had to move to a joystick.)

Kai Lae · Post by **Kai Lae** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 03:43

Heh. Am I the only one who finds themselves frequently using the joystick AND mouse (joystick for flying, mouse for targeting/other functions)?

A5PECT · Post by **A5PECT** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 04:18

I attribute my mouse and keyboard usage in X to playing too many FPSs.

The only game I play with a joystick is Mechwarrior.

glenmcd · Post by **glenmcd** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 07:08

I'm with KloHunt3r: mouse and keyboard all the way. The only games that I use anything different is racing games where I use a Logitech G27.

EncryptedToast · Post by **EncryptedToast** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 10:39

Wow lots of great info here!

I think I am in love with the Logitech G700, added to my wishlist even if I do end up using the Joystick

Using the hat for something other than view is a good idea, it pans too slowly for me anyway. Off to experiment....

Falconek · Post by **Falconek** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 15:34

Mouse is simply way more precise, than any other pointing device. That's why you can't have XBOX players and PC player in multiplayer on one server. Mouse users would simply obliterate gamepad users.

So, if you want best performance, use mouse. If you want to "feel like a pilot" use joystick.

(Flight sims are different thing: in an aircraft you don't change direction very often, and every maneuver lasts between few seconds and few minutes. Thus it's easier to hold stick in certain position for few seconds, than move a mouse few meters away

Space sims are different thing, because you maneuver much harder than in a flight sim, and most of maneuvers don't take more, than a fraction of a second.)

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Sat, 7. Jan 12, 19:57

Falconek wrote:Mouse is simply way more precise, than any other pointing device.

Maybe in a world like the FPS where the thing you're controlling will stop spinning immediately when you stop moving the mouse--X universe ships aren't like that, though, so the extra precision you get from the mouse doesn't really help you in any way.

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Joystick or Mouse?

Joystick or Mouse?