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Joystick recommendation (and avoidance) thread

colmo

By colmo
in KSP1 Discussion

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Gabe_Ruckus

Gabe_Ruckus

Posted
Posted

Like Letum said, the Sidewinder precision and Force Feedback Pro sticks are the best you can get, if you can find one. I\'ve had the same Force Feedback 2 since it was released, and I\'ve never had any problems with it. Performs well in KSP, too. I\'m between apartments right now, though, so I\'m using a wired X360 controller.

Mapped pitch and yaw to the left stick, roll and trans up-down to the right. The other translations are all on the left D-Pad, and the shoulder bumpers work the throttle. Assign some of the buttons to RCS toggle and advance stage, and you\'re all set. Works for spaceplanes too, even if the combined pitch/yaw feels wierd. Perfect world, I\'d be able to bind the triggers, but they don\'t read as being on the same axis in the menu.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Menelmacar

Menelmacar

Posted
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I imagine a HOTAS setup is really handy for the new EVA controls if you have extra hat switches! I\'d love to get a force feedback stick but it seems like there\'s no reliable, reasonably priced one on the market!(please prove me wrong... me being in New Zealand makes it a bit harder) I\'ll just have to wait until there\'s a used MSFFB2 for sale online... saw one so far but it was a gameport one.

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GWBBQ

GWBBQ

Posted
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I\'ve got a Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X and it works great with KSP.

Same here. Great stick for KSP and arcade flight games (HAWX,) too much of a dead zone for hardcore flight sim fans, though.

Also, I tried binding attitude controls to the rotation axes of a 3dConnexion SpaceMouse Pro and translation to the linear axes, but it\'s way too sensitive and produces a sort of rocket epilepsy.

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grawl

grawl

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I\'ve got a GamePort MS Sidewinder Pro, and it is not working well with KSP :(

My Saitek X45 works really well, with all controls mappable on the stick. :-*

I think it\'s a bit of overkill for KSP though ;P, the keyboard is alright to control the ships.

I think, as other members here have a USB Sidewinder working well, that my problem is coming from me having the Game Port version, using the adapter provided by MS to connect to an USB port. Or it may be a problem with Vista.

I am going to try as soon as I can KSP and the Sidewinder on a Win7 install and get back with results.

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Condor

Condor

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I have a Saitek Cyborg Evo, it works fine for arcade flight games but not too well for KSP. The problem is that it won\'t stay calibrated. The twist (yaw) axis slides all over the place, so I end up having my ship spinning like crazy when I let go of the stick. I haven\'t been abusing it or anything, so I think the stick itself just isn\'t built to last. This seems to be a common problem with Saitek stuff, I also have their keyboard and it\'s starting to come apart after two years of use. I can\'t recommend it for something like KSP where you need to have a stick that stays centered.

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colmo

colmo

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Both really, it\'s an odd thing. More designed for a game that only uses two of pitch, yaw, and roll for controls than it is for KSP which uses all 3.

That\'s right - it\'s received mixed reviews. All reviews are linked, so you may determine which is most insightful to you.

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KinkyFerrets

KinkyFerrets

Posted
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I enjoy my thustmaster HOTAS a lot. The hat switch is great for RCS translation, and plenty of other switches and axes. I use mine for my ARMA clan as well. That said, I still own my very first joystick, a logitech 3DXtreme Pro, that I got during the days of Battlefield 1942 XD I only replaced it last year in fact.

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  • 6 months later...
seamus

seamus

Posted
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I would adore if this thread was to be resurrected. I am sitting here with my X52 thinking "damn, someone made a profile? and there's advice? damn. I need in on that." Anyone?

I'm in the same situation - a Saitek X-52, and a search found in the original message that a profile had been built by a DrZinn (I think), but I cannot find it anywhere. Can someone point me at a functioning profile for the x-52 for KSP?

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Grizzlol

Grizzlol

Posted
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I would like to raise an important note most people do not realize or even understand. The input to output translations differ in joysticks.

Some joysticks have a 1:1 (linear) ratio between input and output, others do not (non-linear). This linearity of input/output is important because it greatly affects the responsiveness, accuracy and general feel of the joystick. One would think it is as simple as "pull the stick this way, and the software will output the same corresponding maneuver", but while this is mostly true, it is not the whole truth.

A non-linear output model will reduce sensitivity close to the center of the stick's freedom of movement to allow higher accuracy, while gradually increasing the sensitivity further out the edges. This is to allow higher precision with small movements. However, it also introduces problems as your hand-to-eye co-ordination will be much more challenged, having to not only estimate the hand movement, but also take into account that different lengths of the hand movement corresponds to different lengths of movement in the output.

Most people do not even notice this or care, but an enthusiast will very much be frustrated with having the wrong form of output. By the way, manufacturers do not tell you any of this. You will have to do the research yourself. In KSP, specifically, it would not matter too much in most cases, but in other games where you more actively use the stick, it may have a much greater impact on your abilities to use the stick. It is, of course, possible to get used to it either way. I just think people need to be informed. For the record, real life sticks in real airplanes often have some non-linearity, but is negligible, not nearly as severe as some of the PC entertainment joysticks.

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Kurtvw

Kurtvw

Posted
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Didn't read all the responses, so sorry if I'm repeating someone elses opinion.

CH 568 Combat stick is the finest joystick I have ever laid hands on, this one on my desk is 12 years old now and still works as well as the day I bought it. Analog sticks have superior tracking and range of motion and I have never seen a digital that can even get in the ballpark. The gimbals on the CH stick is second to none.

My opinion only of course. But after 25 years of gaming I have owned a lot of sticks - I am a flight sim freak and a pilot IRL, these get closest to what I expect for accuracy. I have only ever owned 2 CH Sticks in 25 years because thats how durable they are. I have killed Logitech sticks in less than a month on many occasions and have returned Saitek stuff in less than a week because I just think they feel cruddy (although a lot of folks love them, so do your homework, it might just be me).

Thats my 2 pence.

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