99 replies to this topic

[Zakatak]

I'm using an X52 Pro, but that is probably outside your price range.

I normally use it for flight sims like A-10C, but I'll give it a go here aswell.

[taxman]

I used Keyboard and mouse for a long time , but then tried expermenting with a steering wheel and pedals then moved to my favourite which is Sidewinder Strategic commander which works with Windows 7 Ultimate 64bt version Sadly could not get it to work with other versions of windows 7 or windows Vista.

Strategic Commander
The Strategic Commander is designed to complement a standard mouse/keyboard setup for Real Time Strategy games. It features a total of 6 programmable command buttons, 2 zoom buttons, 3 shift buttons, a macro record button and a 3-point configuration switch. The device also has three movement axes; X, Y and Z (rotation). Through extensive configuration of the shift and command buttons, it is possible to create a total of 24 different commands per configuration.
The Strategic Commander is a highly ergonomic device, and resembles a large mouse in shape, contoured for the left hand. It has an upper section attached to a base. On the upper section, the programmable buttons mentioned above are located near the tips of the index, middle and ring fingers for quick access. Three buttons are located near the thumb in an arc.
A feature of the device is that the upper section is also a 2-axis motion controller with additional support for rotation. It allows motion in the X, Y & Z axis (corresponding to Forward, Backwards, Strafe left & right, Turn left & right). This made it an ideal companion for FPS and similar games; because you can aim weapons or look up and down with the right hand while simultaneously slewing position with the left hand, and change weapons etc. with the left finger buttons.
Software was included for the device to provide [color="#0645ad"]hotkeys[/color] for a number of (then popular) games. The buttons are also programmable, allowing the device to be used with other games and applications. For example, one interesting application developed at [color="#0645ad"]Carnegie Mellon[/color] used the device as a peripheral for navigating massive [color="#0645ad"]social network[/color] maps.
Linux treats this device as a joystick (with all 3 axis and 12 plus 3 buttons) and can be used as one or using various applets can be used as a "joystick action to key press" device (e.g. Joy2Key)

[MaddMaxx]

Will have to do some serious research as time moves on. The old Precision Pro has seen better days and my last patch job on the trigger just won't hold up under extreme duress I suspect.

A good stick is a must though for Mech Piloting.

[KingCobra]

I use the Logitech Extreme 3Dpro at one time way back i used the microsoft sidewinder thats it for MW2-NOW.
the logitech is very tough and last many years under hard usage.It also has this=http://www.logitech.com/gaming/joysticks/devices/291

[Corvus Antaka]

Saitek X52 Pro

[Eidolon]

Silent, on 06 November 2011 - 09:27 AM, said:

Yeah, they discontinued those old Cyborg designs.

And anyone that is still holding onto their Sidewinder has the holy grail of joysticks.

That's me too! I boxed my Precision Pro up years ago until the day it would be used in awesome mech combat again. There's more than a few of us Sidewinder owners, sounds like

[xR1pp3Rx]

yeah you can still make corn on ebay if you have working ones.. i even seen a new one not too long ago.. but hell youd need an adapter to use it id guess.. its too old for usb id suspect.. i personally like more "road feel" in my stick.. if you turn off the FFb on a PPstick it turns limp like a noodle.

it was my second joystick.. thrustmaster was my first.. and it was a **** fine stick.. but no torso twist capabilities. that thing had real buttons and stuff.. not these cheap flimsy ones on all the latest sticks.. of course.. they dont give them thrustmasters away either.

[Joachim Viltry]

Saitek X52 is my go too these days, HOTAS controls are pretty sweet. config program sucks though, but once you get things set, it is rockin'. used to use a logitech wingman extreme for Mechwarrior 2-3.

[gregsolidus]

X52 Pro,its the best there is.

[Lightfoot]

Logitech Pro or Logitech Force Pro. Inexpensive, 12 buttons/ 6 on stick, throttle, twist/turn axis, 4-way hat.

The reason I recommend it is easy to use deadzone and sensitivity lets you adjust it to any game (so far anyway), since games all set these values differently. Certainly works great in MW4.

[LordxMugen]

The Steel Battalion Controller is THE ONLY WAY to play a game like this

[storm dragon]

Im playing MW4 with an xbox controler it works but can not map both sticks at once or Dpad but boy is it easyer than growing more fingers to use a keyboard. im going stick hunting tho, am i right in thinking any stick thats good on fighter sims will be a good mech one too ?

[GreenHell]

I don't use my Logitech Extreme 3d Pro because it only turns about half-way going to the left. I guess the hardware wore out over the many years I've had it.

[Havoc2]

I was almost in tears when I went to reinstall MW4 a few years ago and my Sidewinder FF Pro jumped about 3 feet in the air when I plugged it in.

Replaced it with a Saitek x52 Pro.

[Lab Rat]

I use a http://www.chproduct...ighter_usb.html and http://www.chproduct...o_throttle.html
Yeah, they may be a bit dated, but they're rugged as hell.
only issue I had was the tendancy to tip the joystick a bit when playing. so I made a small box to put it in and filled it with some weights.
I can't really recommend CH's pedals. They're really not that great. I just programmed one of the hat switches to do torso twists.
That's 176 programmable functions per controller Never have to take your hands off the controls.

[DCM Elektrik]

Kumakichi, on 06 November 2011 - 04:14 PM, said:

Sidewinders just seem to be made for games like mechwarrior. I need to dig out my old sidewinder and sidewinder force feedback 2 sticks. I just hope they work.

Hee Hee. I'm using the Strategic commander for movement and the logitech 3d pro for torso....I'll put my joystick combo against any mouse/kb combo in MW 4 any day

[Stiffish Asp]

Microsoft SIdewinder Force Feedback 2 - still have it, still works, best stick i've ever had. tried a few newer ones for various games, but they all broke down after a few months. not a whole lot of choices these days as games have diverted from their dependency on them.

[Stiffish Asp]

storm dragon, on 07 November 2011 - 09:26 PM, said:

Im playing MW4 with an xbox controler it works but can not map both sticks at once or Dpad but boy is it easyer than growing more fingers to use a keyboard. im going stick hunting tho, am i right in thinking any stick thats good on fighter sims will be a good mech one too ?

yes and no, i bought a flight sim stick and throttle set once and the torso twisting and elevations were just off, it was really weird to play with

[Marxman]

I use a Logitech G940. Pretty awesome for Flightsims but a pita to configure for games like MW4. But when the setup stuff is done its just amazing and challenging too. I use the Rudderpedals for Torsotwist in MW4 and the toebrakes for jumjets.
And there is a whole lot of Buttons and Hat switches to assign all the neccessary functions to. Unfortunatly to make it work in MW4 you have to use ppjoy to emaulate a single controller because mw4 only recognises one controller instead of the 3 controllers as wich the pc recognises the g940. It works pretty well and is not that hard to do but with the emulation forcefeedback isnt supported in the game.

However i highly recommend the g940. Its not exacly cheap but considering the prices of other hotas setups you basicly get the pedals as a freebee.
But the stick has some downsides too. Its mostly that the supporting software is not that good. actually its rather bad, complicated to setup, unintuitive and sometimes is unresponsive.
But again , that aside, once you get it to work the g940is realy realy good.

I had a X52 in the past and its a pretty good system too. too bad i broke mine, but i had never any luck with saitek products. Must be me. Alot of my flightsimfirend use X-52s and othe saitek stuff and are pretty happy with it.
I had the chance to try out the new x65f made by saitek and it seems very robust and has a ton of features. Very well made too. It was nice to fly falcon bms with it but in mw4 i wasnt so impressed anymore.
Its a frocesensing stick. It does not move att all.
It registers the aplied force of your hand in the x, y and in the rotation axis. x and y-axis work pretty well but the rotation axis always seems to interfere with the other axises. Hard to discribe but it didnt work well for me. Might be a matter of getting used to it. You can however dactivate the rotation and use rudderpedals instead.
This might work better but considering the x65f is already quite expensive, buying peadls for it just make it very expensive. But as i said, its robust, looks good, lots of functions and way easier to setup than a g940.

But for players without a flightsimbackground a thrustmaster hotas X or most other joysicks with 4 axis should do the trick. But i realy recommend using a hotas setup no matter wich brand. You just have so much more fuctions and the feeling is better too.

Edited by Marxman, 08 November 2011 - 04:06 PM.

[Catamount]

Sidewinder sticks really were fantastic.

You can't get them new, but I've had the temptation recently to run over to Amazon and pick one up used. A Force Feedback 2 is only about $50-60, and being purely electric (no springs), they're rather reliable.