73 replies to this topic

[Namikaze]

Still have my Cyborg evo. It'll take a lot of dusting off and a bit of lube but unless something is really off, if it worked for MW4 it should work here just fine. Having said that, I can play with a mouse too if needed.

[Amish3006]

buckaroo, on 11 July 2012 - 10:15 AM, said:

Piloting the mech is easier with the HOTAS setup, imho. (Don't have to look at the keyboard ever.) I'm half-tempted to go with a joystick/gamepad rather than a throttle, though - the Nostromo has a throttle on it, and a lot more buttons.

I found a Nostromo cheap as heck so I couldn't pass it up. I figured it was worth a shot before I shell out for an expensive setup like a G940.

[Mintiper]

Kalenn, on 11 July 2012 - 10:36 AM, said:

You beat me to it. If you can find the old software you can actually map the face buttons to mouse / kboard inputs and use it for whatever you want! And, it's still got a default driver in windows so if you can find the serial -> USB converter (or buy one) then it works like a boss.

hm i am not sure, but was the controllerport an normal serial port? i remeber it was smaller... normaly called gameport, but i think it was midi or so? (because the connetction was on my soundcard) but i never have found an adapter that works.. ok, its now 7 years ago that i have serched for it.. xD

[Grugore]

I used a Microsoft force feedback with MW3. There was an option to turn off joystick centering and I did pretty well with it.
What we really need is a MWO mouse. Kinda like the WoW mouse. It would have all the controls on the mouse, such as throttle and torso twist. Would be really nice.

Edited by Grugore, 11 July 2012 - 02:42 PM.

[Belorion]

ThinkTank, on 11 July 2012 - 09:16 AM, said:

I've never found using a joystick good for mech games. The problem is with aiming, as you have mentioned. A good mouse is much better for fine control.

I don't think joystick aiming is bad per se, after all isn't that what fighter pilots use? I think its in the implementation of the joystick. They don't make it responsive enough.

eta: actually I take that back, they may use their helmets to aim... that gives me an idea!!!!

Edited by Belorion, 11 July 2012 - 02:55 PM.

[Morhadel]

i played MW3 and MW4 veng and mercs with a joystick. i broke 5 sticks, about 1 per month, until i used a friends M$ Force Feedback 2, it was amazing, so i bought one on eBay for $150 used. you cant find new ones since they stopped supporting them at the end of the 90s. turn the force feedback off and the return to center on medium, smooth as silk. well 10 years later and im finally noticing some dead play in the yoke and then i learn about MWO and i cried over my FF2, that she would never know the joy of leaping into my hand (the FF2 would litterally jump to your hand, when you let go motors went slack and the stick would droop, then when you reached for it the IR sensor would detect you and the stick would stand up leaping into your palm) to destroy an enemy Atlas on MWO. I love this stick. Rest In Peace M$FF2.

[Kalenn]

Mintiper, on 11 July 2012 - 02:32 PM, said:

hm i am not sure, but was the controllerport an normal serial port? i remeber it was smaller... normaly called gameport, but i think it was midi or so? (because the connetction was on my soundcard) but i never have found an adapter that works.. ok, its now 7 years ago that i have serched for it.. xD

Yeah, my bad, it's a gameport. I was also going from memory as my stick is at home and to my mind's eye it looks a lot like a serial port...

In any case, it appears you can still get them (and you can find pretty much anything on eBay).. check here.

[Dragonsnap]

Wrel, on 11 July 2012 - 09:04 AM, said:

"Holy crap, my joystick aim is terrible..."

I must say, when I picked up MW4:Mercs recently and started playing again with my Saitek, my aim was horrible too. Give it a week, it will get much better, I promise!

[Noahbash]

Wrel, on 11 July 2012 - 11:05 AM, said:

I guess I would re-word what I said earlier to say "will there be some sort of tolerated deviation from 'dead nuts aiming right at the target' while attempting to acquire a lock" rather than saying auto aim.

He's right, getting an LRM lock in MW4 was so hard you could lose the lock just by accidnetally hovering your crosshairs between the mech's legs. The smallest deviation from the mechs outline would prevent a lock, and I would imagine they would want a more forgiving system to balance out the "I can't see you, but I've got a lock thanks to my Jenner buddy."

[Vanguard319]

I used to be a master sniper in MW4 using a joystick. I had also used a mouse, but found the stick to feel more intuitive to me. I also found that I could move and fire much easier with a joystick than a mouse. (I could practically make a medium mech dance.)

[Monsoon]

My old Sidewinder for MW2 was awesome, I had that thing configured perfectly and had little problem aiming.

Personally, I find running and dodge, while torso-twisting harder to do without a joystick then I find it easier to aim with a mouse.

And as stated, it's just more fun with a Joystick, especially if it's of the force feedback variety!

[Skadi]

wargonglok, on 11 July 2012 - 09:19 AM, said:

Aiming is worse. but joystick is more fun, how old is your joystick?

i cant take this post seriously.

[donkeybas]

Wrel, on 11 July 2012 - 12:25 PM, said:

Well. It seems that the LRM lock / joystick problems that I was experiencing with MW4 won't be a problem after all.

Previously, in MW games, you targeted the enemy, centered your sites on them, and held it there while the lock built and then you were able to fire the guided missiles. Poking around media on this site, I watched this whole video:



It appears that in this footage of the Catapult, he pilot simply had to be in range and target the enemy. Once within the stated 650 meters, you weren't required to center your sites to build a lock. The pilot fired away and the missiles directed themselves right to the enemy. Unless something happened that I didn't see?

I guess that solves the problem of fighting lower-end joystick technology while trying to be precise. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

If you look closely, the target was in his HUD, so he achieved a lock. But the recticle itself was used for direct fire.

I would think what someone would want to do with a joystick, if they did not want to aim with it, is hotkey it so you could use the joystick to control throttle and general movement (wasd), jump jets, rotating legs, etc, and use the mouse to control the weapons and torso traverse.

[Jiyu Mononoke]

I will probably use my Mouse and a Razor Nostromo with the programmable key sets and macro sets. accurate on the right, functionality on the left.

[Duke William]

So it will be easier to aim generally with a mouse, but what about other function? Say rotating your torso. I always used a joystick in the old MW games, and I have a hard time seeing how a mouse and keyboard will be enough!

[wargonglok]

Look up "how to build your own trackir" it is an infrared headtracking kit that while normally costs 120 it can be built for 40 all you need is a ps3 eye camera. an old floppy disk, and a whole lot of moxie , that's why i love these light mech matches. sorry got all Duncan here.

anyway you could aim with that. that also covers torso movement. for me i got flight sim pedals to rotate my legs and a throttle to power them. i probably won't even need a joystick.so if joystick aiming is bothering you try that.

[Duke William]

wargonglok, on 12 July 2012 - 08:51 AM, said:

Look up "how to build your own trackir" it is an infrared headtracking kit that while normally costs 120 it can be built for 40 all you need is a ps3 eye camera. an old floppy disk, and a whole lot of moxie , that's why i love these light mech matches. sorry got all Duncan here.

that looks pretty freaking awesome!

[Loam]

Like anything you get better with practice. I used a Microsoft sidewinder for MW3 & 4 and when trying go back to the mouse it felt strange.

[SkyDragon]

I have to admit when I found out about MWO, my first reaction was to rummage through my closet in search of my old joystick

Sadly, I wasn't able to recover the joystick... >.>
... On the bright side however, nothing jumped out, bit, scratched nor attacked me while I was back there so I will count myself lucky...

Personally, I would like to try a joystick out, but I have a feeling a gamer mouse with some thumb buttons might be a more precise tool to be used for a controller..

Edited by SkyDragon, 12 July 2012 - 03:29 PM.

[Jake Stark]

True back in the day I have fond memories of playing MW and Flight Sims with a CH Joystick. Also back in those days the joystick was easier to calibrate. It takes a second hand program you have to install just to zero and adjust dead zones now days, that playing with Joysticks are a big pain. Even in games like DCS A10, I can't seem to get the right feel with my AVBR-01.

With that said, I now prefer a mouse, as others have mentioned because of the finer control.