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Left-Handed Joystick Recommendations?


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#1 Voodoomancer

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Posted 23 May 2019 - 12:49 PM

Hi all,

I play MWO using a left-hand joystick and a right-hand mouse. My beloved Logitech Attack 3 joystick is starting to fail me - it has spent so much time in the FULL SPEED AHEAD position that it no longer reads at 100% there. My birthday is coming up, and the only thing I really want is a new joystick.

So... can anyone recommend a good replacement *left-handed* joystick? I'd love force-feedback if MWO supports it; I'd like twist functionality if MWO supports it; I *need* as many buttons as possible on the actual stick because I don't have the co-ordination to use keyboard or buttons on the base. The Attack 3 has 4 buttons on the thumb section plus a single trigger, and I use those constantly but almost never use the 6 buttons on the base.

#2 Rizzi Kell

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Posted 23 May 2019 - 03:12 PM

thrustmaster t16000 is the one i use.
it is good to handle.

#3 Yohann Sebastian

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Posted 23 May 2019 - 05:01 PM

Saitek ST290 Pro works well. Left Hand, 5 thumb buttons + 4 pos. hat + trigger. Can twist stick to steer mech legs (even gradually, not on-off). I changed the main spring to a lighter one.

#4 Voodoomancer

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Posted 24 May 2019 - 08:19 AM

View PostRizzi Kell, on 23 May 2019 - 03:12 PM, said:

thrustmaster t16000 is the one i use.
it is good to handle.

Can you assign the different positions for the 8-way hat switch to different functions (like different weapon groups)?

#5 Voodoomancer

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Posted 24 May 2019 - 08:25 AM

View PostYohann Sebastian, on 23 May 2019 - 05:01 PM, said:

Saitek ST290 Pro works well. Left Hand, 5 thumb buttons + 4 pos. hat + trigger. Can twist stick to steer mech legs (even gradually, not on-off). I changed the main spring to a lighter one.

Can you assign the twist function to the 'Mech *torso* twist and the regular side-to-side to legs? That is the way I would really like to do it - I currently use left & right for leg direction, and have the torso follow my mouse. Being able to torso twist separately from aiming would be very interesting indeed.

Edited by Voodoomancer, 24 May 2019 - 08:25 AM.


#6 Voodoomancer

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Posted 24 May 2019 - 08:30 AM

Rapid-fire posting here, but:

Thanks for the suggestions. It looks like the Thrustmaster T16000M is the only option that's available brand new, the Saitek ST290 Pro is only available used.

I may end up buying a used Saitek anyway, and if it works then I can let my kids use the Thrustmaster, and having my 8- and 10-year-old playing MWO with me will make the birthday gift even sweeter.

#7 Yohann Sebastian

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Posted 26 May 2019 - 10:18 AM

View PostVoodoomancer, on 24 May 2019 - 08:25 AM, said:

Can you assign the twist function to the 'Mech *torso* twist and the regular side-to-side to legs? That is the way I would really like to do it - I currently use left & right for leg direction, and have the torso follow my mouse. Being able to torso twist separately from aiming would be very interesting indeed.


I think you could do that, but for some forgotten reason I set it up with twist controlling legs. Very intuitive, worked well. I also set left/right on the stick as a fast torso twist, using Joy2key. Also used Joy2key to make the forward/back stick digital for throttle. Any forward stick movement gave full throttle since you don't need anything less. Minimized stick movement. Was great when I played with a copilot.

#8 ocular tb

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Posted 26 May 2019 - 02:08 PM

Saitek ST290 user here as well. What I like about this one is that the hand rest can be removed so its a smooth stick with no hand contours. This makes it comfortable to use in the left hand compared to those that are shaped for right hand use.

To make it a bit less fatiguing to use I cut the centering spring shorter by about 1 1/2 coil and use some vaseline on the ball/centering cam..

I use it as an analog thottle and to turn (I still use a mouse to aim/torso twist and fire weapons). The buttons on the stick are set for JJs, night/thermal vision, targeting, arm lock, push-to-talk (sometimes MASC, when needed), and the hat switch is used for command wheel and consumables.

I think when I first set this up back in 2013 the twist on the stick did work but I found it was too prone to inadvertent inputs when doing other actions so I disabled it. Whatever works for you though. Hope this helps.

#9 Rizzi Kell

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Posted 27 May 2019 - 01:10 AM

Yes, i use the coulihead for my consumables aktivate stealth toggle max.zoom, works realy well, use the stick mostly for moving the mech, i aim with mouse, i use the other 3 Buttons for jumjets, MASC, and lockon target

#10 Alreech

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Posted 27 May 2019 - 10:03 AM

I went from a Saitek ST 290 to a Mad Catz V1 Stick (some times labeled as Cyborg V1 Flight Stick).
It has the same button layout as the ST 290 (5 Thumb Buttons), an additional button for the pinky and a twist axis.
But Mad Catz is dead, and unlike the X52pro Logitech did not start producing this stick.
Maybe you can get still a new stick of that type from a retail store shelf.
Same applies to the Mad Catz Pacific AV8R Stick for PlayStation 3 / Aviator for X Box 360 (both have a switch for PC users)

At the moment the best buy is the Thrustmaster T16000.
It only has 3 Thumb buttons and a Coolie hat, but uses Hall Sensors on the XY Axis instead of potis.

If you play other games like Elite Dangerous or Star Citizen you can add a throttle and even pedals to that stick.
The Throttel may be even work in MWO because it has an analog lever that can work like a twist axis.

On the Mad Catz Stick I use the Coolie hat for Heat Vision / Nigh Vision and Score Board / Battle grid.
3 of the Thumb buttons I use for firing groups 3, 4 & 5 (mostly for Toros mounted weapons or Sniping)
I don't use the twist axis for torso twist, because it's affecting the aim.
I don't use the throttle either for speed control because I'm using the stick (forward / back) and throttle decay.
Jump Jets are controlled by the trigger
Pinky switch is for VOIP
Thumb Buttons 4 & 5 are for target overlay and Com Rose

Edited by Alreech, 27 May 2019 - 10:05 AM.






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