MostlyHarmless, on 11 June 2012 - 08:47 PM, said:
Great job sir, your work is appreciated!! I would say the Steel battalion controller is missing, but I'm back and forth on it. While there are drivers now to run in in windows 7, its an older design that really can only be seen as a DIY's budget dual stick controller. I call it a diy solution as it is not supported by any company but by individuals who, while are very helpful from what I've seen, are doing it in their free time. Even then in the past two weeks I've watched the ebay listings (I had been working on a comparison study myself) have doubled to over $150, often without the pedal box at that price. This is from under $50 for one missing pedals and under $100 for a full unit average just a few weeks ago. I'm sure that there are still deals to be had but at this rate you might as well wait for the Hawken controller if you are dead set on dual sticks, or left handed.
The Steel Battalion controller is definitely on the list of controllers I'm considering adding. Basically, I left out a bunch of sticks that aren't in production unless they directly relate to newer products. Examples on the list are the X45, which provides contrast to the X52s, and the Cougar, which provides contrast to the Warthog.
Omitting sticks that are not in production and don't really relate to any currently available sticks was a tough decision. There are some great sticks in that category, and I'm certainly debating adding them. That list includes the Microsoft controllers, with their saturn rings and optical sensors; Suncom sticks with their saturn rings and onboard functions; the aforementioned Steel Battalion controllers; and the predecessor to the Cougar, the Thrustmaster Top Gun set.
ThunderHorse, on 11 June 2012 - 08:52 PM, said:
You bring up a lot of great points but I would like a add a few of my own research points. I am greatly considering the G940, provided it has excellent MWO support.
Comparing the G940 to the CH Products equipment (since you compare them based on price point), I would have to say the joysticks are a draw. Both are great in many ways. Each have lots of buttons. Logitech has hall sensors and force feedback (FFB), the latter of which I don't really care about. Unwanted centering can be avoided by taping the sensor on the stick (it's all over the web) to prevent unwanted stick movement when releasing the stick.
The throttles are a different story altogether. I used the CH Throttle back from the days of MW2 and I can say I hate the linear slide of the throttle. It's very unrealistic and the overall aesthetic of CH Products looks and feels cheap. The construction and function of the CH equipment, however, is top notch. I never had a hardware problem with my old CH Throttle. It just looked and felt like poo when sliding. I have not used the G940 in game but have monkeyed around with display models a bit. I love the button placement, sliding motion, adjustable sliding tension, and 8 throttle base buttons. I can only hope that the unit performs as well in-game.
With the pedals I have similar experiences as the throttles. I owned an old CH Pedal setup, back when only the foot pedals would tilt (think like gas pedals in a car, no forward and back sliding motion). Once again a sturdy, if cheap-looking product. Hardware worked well, just didn't like how close the pedals were placed. Seems to be the same complaints everyone has about the new CH pedals. Most suggest skipping them for the Saitek pro flight pedals. Logitech's pedals have 1 major complaint. That is, if the potentiometer fails, you're in trouble. However, spiking issues have also bred YouTube videos detailing fixes. My only concern is that if the pedals were to irreparably fail I would want to be able to replace them. This brings me to my last point.
The Logitech G940 system is viewed in Windows as 3 separate joysticks, though they are all daisy-chained together. This means that compatible games must support multiple controller inputs. MWO will do this if it supports the G940. Furthermore, should the pedals fail per my example above, one should be able to plug another set of USB pedals into their computer and proceed with (hopefully) a minimum of fuss. This hypothetical situation would apply to both CH and Logitech setups.
Forgive my long-windedness, but I felt so moved by Thomas' excellent research that I had to put my 2 c-bills' worth in. Please let me know what you think of my rambling. I'm trying to make the best-informed decision I can. If the wife is going to kill me, I figure it better be for a damn fine set of hardware!
First off, thank you for your contribution! Your points are logical, and I find myself agreeing with you on many of them.
I had heard of the tape mod for the G940, and that certainly fixes a lot of the complaints about the system. I'm not a huge fan of force feedback centering at all. I can't see a way that it's more accurate than a well-designed spring setup, unless you deactivate the centering altogether - in which case you're left with a very accurate stick that simply doesn't return to center. For me, the CH stick takes it simply thanks to it's rock-solid buttons and switches(as mentioned, I'm kind of weird about this) and proven reliability. The one good thing about CHs obstinate refusal to update their product line is that you can be fairly certain of what you're getting even if you haven't bought a stick from them in ten years.
I certainly agree that the Logitech throttle, potentiometer issues notwithstanding, definitely trumps the CH stick in many ways. Throttles that move in an arc as opposed to sliders are completely up to personal tastes, so I didn't factor that in(point in fact, I need to flesh out the rudder section a lot more). While I can appreciate the expanded capabilities of the Logitech throttle, I wish it were available as a standalone unit, and I wish it were produced with a hall sensor. Really, I've been burned enough times by Logitech pots to make me very gunshy of that setup.
Reliability again forces me to give the nod to CH over Logitech where pedals are concerned. Frankly, I don't relish the thought of cracking open a set of pedals to clean out crappy pots after a year, especially if it's that or spend money to have it shipped back for warranty repair. That being said, CH pedals could be a LOT better for all the reasons you stated.
The comparison between the G940 and CH setup really runs down to individual tastes and needs. What's important to you? That question should be the deciding factor between those two setups.
It's worth mentioning that the CH software allows multiple CH controllers to function as one. That is, it showed up in DirectX as a single controller. CH and I believe Thrustmaster both have this ability, and this allows those systems to thrive both in new games, and older games.
I've stated elsewhere that if CH were to at least revamp and redesign their throttle and pedals, they'd have the killer HOTAS right up until you hit Warthog money - and they've even give that great setup a run for it's money based on the fact that Thrustmaster, for whatever reason, doesn't have a current set of pedals that they can tie into the Warthog for single device emulation. As it stands, the Saitek pedals are a great alternative to CH, although you have to pay quite a bit more to get the good ones.
18
If I had known I would have thought twice about buying.
