Flight Controls

[SavageAngel]

Does anyone use a Joystick or any other Control device to fly their rockets? Does it work well? I apologize if this has been asked before.

[Leafbaron]

never tried it but would love too, I to am also very interested in hearing feedback.

[stibbons]

Quite a few people do. I'm using the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro stick, which is still a great, cheap option to flight control that I find works really well with the game, both in Windows and Linux. If you search around the forum you'll find people successfully using different HOTAS setups as well, but I think the Unity engine starts to have trouble with more advanced joysticks.

[LN400]

I have set up 2 sticks, one Saitek X52 Pro and one el cheapo 4 axis USB rc simulator controller but curiously enough I am so used to using the keyboard now that I rather keep doing that. Especially during the first few hundred meters on lift off, any cross coupling of axis inputs can lead to some... interesting results and with the keyboard, I'm guarantied no such cross coupling. For space-/airplanes I will probably appreciate the stick a whole lot more.

[SavageAngel]

Thanks guys, just got my Joystick working, and lift off is kind of interesting. It's going to take some getting use to.

[katateochi]

I did (until Elite Dangerous broke my joystick), but I could never fly craft with it very well, not even aircraft. Where I really liked using it was for docking and station building, with pitch/roll/yaw on the stick, thrust up/down/left/right on the hat and thrust forward/back as two side buttons on my mouse. I'd use the joystick with my left hand and the mouse with the right and not need to touch the keyboard at all. Made doing docking in IVA mode really immersive. 

[Freshmeat]

I've used a console controller with good results, but the real change in control is once you acquire a throttle. It _really_ makes the difference when landing or doing precision burns for interplanetary travel. Going further is mostly a matter of taste.

[MaxxQ]

4 hours ago, katateochi said:

I did (until Elite Dangerous broke my joystick), but I could never fly craft with it very well, not even aircraft. Where I really liked using it was for docking and station building, with pitch/roll/yaw on the stick, thrust up/down/left/right on the hat and thrust forward/back as two side buttons on my mouse. I'd use the joystick with my left hand and the mouse with the right and not need to touch the keyboard at all. Made doing docking in IVA mode really immersive. 

Heh.  Descent: Freespace - The Great War, the expansion, Silent Threat, and Freespace 2, over a period of three years, broke four joysticks of mine.  I guess I can be a bit rough on them.  However, I've mellowed in my old age, and my current Logitech Extreme 3D Pro has been with me for 7 years now.  However, I don't use it for flying rockets in KSP - just planes and spaceplanes.

'Course, I haven't played Freespace in 10 years, so...

Edited December 3, 2016 by MaxxQ

[Xavven]

A flight stick makes a big difference in my enjoyment of the game. Throttle control especially makes soft precision landings with a very small vertical velocity possible. The Thrustmaster T.FLIGHT HOTAS is probably adequate for KSP and tends to run around the $40 range.

[Hands MCML]

I don't have a joystick, but have thought about getting one. I have gone into settings and moved several control settings to the 10key portion of the keyboard. I am thinking of trying a separate 10Key pad.

[Curveball Anders]

I use an Xbox360 controller for docking and rovers (and the very rare times I fly air crafts).

 

[razark]

I use a stick and throttle for planes, but I've just never managed to get comfortable flying a rocket that way.

[Overland]

Yep! Logitech flightstick for planes

Xbox MC2 wheel on pc with pedals for electric shuttle trucks

Or wheel + joystick throttle for landtrains (and pedal as a deadman control)