Joystick recommendation (and avoidance) thread

[mcnabb100]

I don\'t have one for personal use but my robotics team has used the same logitech attack 3 for 2 years now without any problems. I think we may need to replace it this year though, just to have more controls.

[OtherDalfite]

Not at all. Go ahead

Great! So is it the CH or Saitek? I was checking out the Saitek in a Currys Megastore today, looks a very decent unit. The three levers on the quadrant unit included look to be overkill, though...until we get individual engine throttles, anyway!

I have the CH version.

[Feragorn]

I use the Saitek Av8r, the Xbox 360 version. There are a few issues with the computer binding of the buttons for it normally, some of the buttons don\'t bind properly so I was forced to use Xpadder to bind them. But the axes work fine, and the throttle is fine also. So I\'d give it a 7/10 review, since it performs well, but button binding is a pain, especially having to use Xpadder. I tend to just use my keyboard for buttons, and the joystick for axis control.

The Aviator (PC version) I have works beautifully for flight sims and KSP. I\'ve not had any issues keybinding it. I wish I could move the camera with the 8way hat switch though, that\'d be cool.

[alphageek]

Stick?? StickS!!

Left hand stick = translation controller

Right hand stick = attitude controller

That\'s how NASA rolls (pitches, yaws, and translates also)!

[Monkthespy]

Can someone reupload DrSinns Saitek X52 profile? It would nice if someone did.

[leopardenthusiast]

I tried my Logitech Attack 3 with some spaceplanes. Damn thing works GREAT most of the time, but for some reason it kept giving me somewhat random unwanted input in KSP. I also can\'t figure out how you\'d get it working with both planes (roll + pitch) and rockets (yaw + pitch) without changing the setup every time you wanted to use the one you DIDN\'T use most recently.

[Anariaq]

I will not recommend Saitek Pro Flight Yoke, it has to many problems to be recommended.

point 1 when you apply roll and then try to pitch, the spring system will make the yoke stick. Seems they did not change anything on the Saitek pro flight cessna yoke. The only different is that the cessna yoke can have 90 degree of travel to both side of roll.

point 2 there is a build in deadzone. Meaning whatever you do, you can not remove the deadzone. Really bad Idea, specially when you are trying to make small movement. it is ca. 2~4 degree movement of the yoke in roll before it actually add any movement. And also pitch has approx 1~2 cm travel before there is any movement applied.

point 3 Maybe this is only on mine, but the throttles dos not have same value in travel, so if I try to fly with 2 or 3 engines airplanes I will get approx 10% in difference, even though the sticks is at the same place.

My Saitek yoke right now is heavily modded, just to be useful. Have changed the original controller with leo bodnar joystick controller ( 10 bit ) just to remove the deadzone. Have removed the spring system and added my own mod to remove the stickiness with highly advanced rubber bands

[haltux]

I am quite surprised that so many people recommand Logitech Extreme 3D Pro. I had several of them long time ago and to me, they are great but expandable. Their precision quickly decrease with time, and after some tens of hours of use you have to throw them away.

Maybe they improved them recently.

I use now a Saitek AVR8 for quite some time, I am really happy with it. However, it looks better for WW1 piloting than for rocket piloting :-)

[Phoenix Aerospace]

When? I got mine around \'06, and it\'s still working perfectly.

[Vostok]

I recently contacted support for the Saitek AV8r_02 for xbox/PC, and discovered that only one of the two throttle sticks is functional. The left hand throttle stick is, in fact, a dummy stick. So, be aware of that, any potential buyers.

[TerranCmdr]

^I\'ll verify that myself later.

I have the AV8r for PC, and it works beautifully. I\'ve had no problems at all with binding, save the fact that I had to flip a couple axes. I love the faux-toggle switches, I use them for RCS, SAS, landing gear, etc. and have them labeled accordingly.

I use the big red button as the staging button, feels very official with the flip-up cover.

Also, I was able to bind the 8-way hat to view rotate.

Can definitely recommend this stick for KSP.

[haltux]

Strange. On my AV8R both throttle are definitely working independantly as well. I guess they wanted to cut cost while keeping the same physical joystick structure. The two throttles can be physically locked together, so having only one of them working is not that bad.

Honestly I used the second throttle only once or twice (in rise of flight, for throttle + fuel mixture). In KSP I can\'t see any use of a second throttle.

[TerranCmdr]

I haven\'t found a use for it yet either.

I think mine is the first-gen, maybe in the later models they disabled the second throttle altogether.

[colmo]

Strange. On my AV8R both throttle are definitely working independantly as well. I guess they wanted to cut cost while keeping the same physical joystick structure. The two throttles can be physically locked together, so having only one of them working is not that bad.

Oh bugger, better disambiguate the various versions of the Av8R in the OP :/ - Edit: Done - note added.

Edit: I\'ve examined the manuals for the PC (no longer available), PC/PS3 and Xbox/PC versions, and several sites selling them, and it appears the throttle sticks on the PS3 version bind to L2 and R2 on the PS3, indicating both are functional. Not definitive, would need confirmation.

Honestly I used the second throttle only once or twice (in rise of flight, for throttle + fuel mixture). In KSP I can\'t see any use of a second throttle.

I can see a second throttle axis being useful for pitch trim (useful as fuel use affects balance), if KSP can be made to allow allow that.

[haltux]

I can see a second throttle axis being useful for pitch trim (useful as fuel use affects balance), if KSP can be made to allow allow that.

Yes, you are completely right. I was actually using 2nd throttle for trim in FSX, and that became quickly nearly mandatory. I somehow forgot that, as recently I was more into pre-trim aircraft simulation :-)

[Monkthespy]

Love the Saitek X52, plenty of buttons, and a lot of nifty features. You can even play KSP entirely on it (excluding mou- wait, you can use its built in cursor for that, haha.)

[Randox]

I\'ll throw the one I use onto this thread:

I use a Saitek P2900, which as long as you actually install its driver, is a really nice general controller (its not a joystick, its more like a console controller with two sticks, d pad, 6 buttons, and 4 trigger buttons, as well as the two joystick buttons). Without the driver, it works, but the right joystick becomes a dpad, and when flying a plane, you really want both your joysticks to be actual joysticks.

The only issue for KSP style play is that if you set the throttle to the unsed joystick axis, it sets neutral as 50%, so I just map it to the triggers so that it acts like your ctrl and shift. I\'d also found the controller very useful for rover driving, since it gives you better steering and roll control (I mapped the actual h/n/j/l buttons to the dpad, and i/k to two of the buttons for rover and rondevous control).

And as a general point for the controller, if KSP doesn\'t have an option to map a particular key to the controller, you can have the controller map itself to the keyboard button itself without needing another program to help you.

So probably not ideal for this game, but it works just fine, and is a great all rounder.

[Menelmacar]

Hi guys,

This thread hit me so hard I went out and bought a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro for KSP the next day! The choices in NZ seem to be the Attack 3 and a Saitek tripod-type one but both don\'t have hat switches and sound more unreliable.... maybe I\'ll save up and order a thrustmaster or x52 one day but having not used a joystick in about 10 years (still have my M$ Sidewinder 3D Pro from then too but it uses a gameport connector which I\'ve read is more or less unavailable now and most USB-gameport adapters won\'t pick up that stick) I didn\'t want to drop too much cash on one.

Thank you guys so much... the smoothest ever touchdowns on the Mun, guiding in with RCS on the hat switch like a pro... no longer is this a hap-hazard mash for me - thank ye all for putting me in control!

[Sky Visitor]

Thanks for putting together this thread. On a whim I googled 'Kerbal Space Program Joystick' because I thought how much fun it would be to play that way, and it brought me here. After much comparing, I have decided to go with the T-Flight Thrustmaster Hotas X. Placed the order through Amazon today, and I can\'t wait to get it! I was considering the Logitech 3D Pro, but the real deal breaker for me was when I saw that the Hotas X had a separate throttle unit. It seems to be the most affordable joystick offering that feature.

I will post an update when it arrives in few days if anyone is interested.

[cardgame]

It\'s true the throttle on the Extreme 3D Pro isn\'t exactly ideal. Still beats the keyboard controls by a lot though.

[Cthulufaic]

I second the Logitech Attack 3, it works great but I would suggest getting a separate throttle for it though.

I also like all the little buttons on the joystick too

[Vanamonde]

I got the Attack 3 for $18 on sale at Fry\'s last week. After spending more for fancy joysticks that didn\'t last any longer than the cheapies, I\'ve come to see them as disposable items you just use until they wear out, and there isn\'t much benefit in spending a lot on them. All the extra buttons are nice, until you can\'t keep it calibrated anymore as the resting center point gets sloppy with wear. (At least that\'s been my experience.)

It hasn\'t been as useful as I hoped. As others have noted, it really doesn\'t do fine control, except for the RCS during rendezvous, which is WAY easier with the buttons on the joystick than mashing the wrong keys half the time on the keyboard. But it is much easier to make big sweeping turns and such, and my throttle seems to be working perfectly. I use it mostly for planes in atmo.

There\'s a bit of a conflict, though, in that the lateral axis is more standard and useful for roll on a plane, whereas I prefer to use that for yaw in space. It\'s kind of a pain to switch back and forth, so since I fly more rockets, I leave it on yaw and just kind of wrestle with the planes. That\'s one reason I considered buying a twist-stick instead, but like I said, I didn\'t want to spend the extra money.

This concludes More Than You Wanted to Know About Vanamonde\'s Joystick Practices.

[colmo]

Post here with your findings about your new joysticks - it\'ll add to the knowledge base.

[cardgame]

Well the Extreme 3D Pro is mostly pretty nice, I just need to experiment with deadzones as 1/4 deadzone doesn\'t cut it. Too much accidental interference ;P

[Letum]

Recommended:

ALL Microsoft 'Sidewinder' joysticks. They may be old and they may not make them any more, but these are still amongst the best sticks out there. they almost never develop problems as they are super-rugged and the electronics are solid (unlike many sticks today!). Just make sure you get a USB compatible stick; not all of them will take a USB connection and it can be hard to tell them apart.