Good controllers for KSP?

[Sigma117]

If you have one, what do you use for KSP?

Not looking for anything too pricey, since I'd really only use it with KSP.

[Psycho0124]

I use a Thrustmaster T-Flight Stick. Cheap, works better than my old Sidewinder.

This one looks good too:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0AT0MB9960

[AntonioAJC]

A mouse and keyboard are good controllers to play KSP. Trust me

[Sordid]

A regular gamepad works perfectly fine once you tweak the sensitivity a bit. Personally I use a PS3 controller, but anything with two analog thumb sticks will do.

[Sigma117]

Any advice for setting up a 360 pad for it then? Doubt it's plug in and play ^^"

[Sordid]

Personally I have pitch and roll on the left stick, yaw on the right, throttle up and down on the shoulder buttons, A to stage, B to cut thrust, X to toggle RCS, and Y to toggle SAS. That's basically all you need to fly. I also went into the config files and changed the sensitivity of all my analog axes to 2.5. That's largely a matter of preference, though.

[michaelphoenix22]

The only proper way to play KSP is to lay your chair on the floor hang the monitor from the ceiling and have the joystick bolted down next to u

[Cydonian Monk]

I use both a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro and an Xbox 360 controller, depending on the environment I'm in. I /really/ like having the 3D axis on the Logitech, and miss it when I use the 360 controller. Plus: Lots of buttons on the Logitech, and it's about $10 cheaper than a 360 controller. But I already had a bunch of the wired 360 controllers, so....

On the 360 controller I use the same as Sordid, except A is SAS Hold and I use the big X-button in the middle for staging. Translation on the D-pad.

[BigDog]

Another vote for the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro here. I really like having my acceleration and braking buttons mapped to the joystick buttons, it really makes driving rovers fun.

[espm400]

Any advice for setting up a 360 pad for it then? Doubt it's plug in and play ^^"

It's actually very plug & play. The only issue that I have is it doesn't seem to register the triggers as a single axis. Instead I use Joy2Key with the triggers mapped to L-Ctrl and L-Shift.

I don't use it for much other than flying jets, but it's extremely helpful on that front.

[M5000]

Any advice for setting up a 360 pad for it then? Doubt it's plug in and play ^^"

It's pretty much plug and play, though, there may be some issues with your triggers, if you encounter an issue, our friend sal_vager did his homework and put up a workaround here. But, since Unity's controller handling is sketch at best, it may or may not screw with your naming of controllers (how they're identified in the game. I had it labeling my joystick as my 360 controller, and my 360 controller as a joystick.) My setup is pretty much as the user below.

I use both a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro and an Xbox 360 controller, depending on the environment I'm in. I /really/ like having the 3D axis on the Logitech, and miss it when I use the 360 controller. Plus: Lots of buttons on the Logitech, and it's about $10 cheaper than a 360 controller. But I already had a bunch of the wired 360 controllers, so....

On the 360 controller I use the same as Sordid, except A is SAS Hold and I use the big X-button in the middle for staging. Translation on the D-pad.

I have the same setup. 360 controller and the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro. I had the 360 controller for racing games, as I don't even own an Xbox, but the build quality of the 360 controllers rivals Logitech's very closely, and I have a lot of friends with 360's so I can use it at their house if I need to. I personally use the joystick for my rotation, and the little hat switch for translation, and two of the silver top buttons for the other axis. Works quite well, but for me, KSP would NOT recognize the hat switch as a digital or analog input. It was like it didn't exist. SO, what I recommend doing, if you'd like to use the hat switch for something, is to use the little program Logitech provides, bind some keys to functions you want it to perform, then, in the Logitech utility, you can go and tell it to basically perform those keypresses. Now, the hat switch IS only digital, not analog, but that's fine. It works like a charm!

As for me, the Logitech Extreme 3D pro is a great joystick, it does very well and I couldn't be happier with it. It has just the right amount of buttons, and it's well built and cheap for what you get.

So yeah, you have like, 4 users or so here with testament to the Logitech stick. You won't regret it.

Can you tell I love Logitech for peripherals?

Edited July 21, 2013 by M5000

[espm400]

It's pretty much plug and play, though, there may be some issues with your triggers, if you encounter an issue, our friend sal_vager did his homework and put up a workaround here. But, since Unity's controller handling is sketch at best, it may or may not screw with your naming of controllers (how they're identified in the game. I had it labeling my joystick as my 360 controller, and my 360 controller as a joystick.) My setup is pretty much as the user below.

~snip~

Although it may be a valid workaround, TBH, Joy2Key is far easier than modding config files (not trying to be a dick). All you have to do is map two buttons to their keyboard equivalent (six, if you're doing the D-pad as well).

As for that joystick; all I have to say is that that thing looks fantastic, and for under $40? I'm currently looking at HOTAS setups right now (what can I say? I play a lot of DCS...), but I see that stick as my next electronics purchase.

[Sordid]

Although it may be a valid workaround, TBH, Joy2Key is far easier than modding config files (not trying to be a dick). All you have to do is map two buttons to their keyboard equivalent.

The point of triggers is that they're analog. Keyboard keys aren't.

[rodion_herrera]

I have the Logitech Attack 3 and the Logitech Extreme 3D PRO. Both good for the price.

[espm400]

The point of triggers is that they're analog. Keyboard keys aren't.

This is a fact that I'm well aware of, but if you're like me and map the triggers to the throttle, do you really need analogue control?

As I have said in other threads, I play a lot of flight sims, and with all of those, I always map the triggers to the throttle. Given that I have yet to see a game that has those buttons as either 100% and 0%, a non analogue input is acceptable.

EDIT: Personally, I use the Joy2Key mapped buttons for controls that don't really need analogue precision. E.g: triggers for throttle, D-pad for view control.

Edited July 21, 2013 by espm400

[Aphox]

I have a T.Flight Hotas X and a PS3 controller that I've rigged up (motion controls even work, who'da thunk?).

As far as 360 pads go, you're boned unless you have a wired one for PC. The wireless ones don't work because the wire is charge-only and has no data throughput. You'll have to buy a dedicated PC gamepad, a PS3 controller with a BT dongle, or a hardwired 360 pad.

[L.J. Silver]

I'm preparing an appropriate thread, but in meantime a teaser....

larger image at : http://i.imgur.com/dGNsPIU.jpg

EDIT : Appropriate thread created : http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/41299-Custom-Control-Pad

Edited July 21, 2013 by L.J. Silver

[espm400]

I have a T.Flight Hotas X and a PS3 controller that I've rigged up (motion controls even work, who'da thunk?).

As far as 360 pads go, you're boned unless you have a wired one for PC. The wireless ones don't work because the wire is charge-only and has no data throughput. You'll have to buy a dedicated PC gamepad, a PS3 controller with a BT dongle, or a hardwired 360 pad.

Not necessarily boned. They do sell a wireless USB adapter for the PC for like $30-40. Personally I'm too cheap for that, but since I've always maintained that the 360 controller is one of the best gamepads ever developed, it might be worth it if you can't find a wired one (or if your PC is too far away, although USB extention cords are pretty cheap).

[Evan]

I use the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro as well.

And L.J, I'm intrigued...

[Mode7]

http://www.amazon.com/electronics/dp/B00030GSJY

I use a Saitek x52 for all my flight sims and I break it out for KSP from time to time. Having that nice big throttle can be a ton of fun on a Mun landing. All of those buttons on there are great for programing various functions of your space craft.

[M5000]

Although it may be a valid workaround, TBH, Joy2Key is far easier than modding config files (not trying to be a dick). All you have to do is map two buttons to their keyboard equivalent (six, if you're doing the D-pad as well).

As for that joystick; all I have to say is that that thing looks fantastic, and for under $40? I'm currently looking at HOTAS setups right now (what can I say? I play a lot of DCS...), but I see that stick as my next electronics purchase.

Certainly no offense taken, as with anything, there is more than one way to do a task. But as Sordid said, if you want to keep the analog functions of the controllers, the only real way is to use that workaround. But, if you don't need the analog, by all means Joy2Key would work just fine.

And yes, I would go for the Logitech any time. It's really nice. High-quality build, it's Logitech. They've been around since the 90's making peripherals of the same quality. I wouldn't buy a joystick of this level/function from anyone else.

[Benni-chan]

i'm using a 3dconnexion 3d mouse (http://www.3dconnexion.com/products/spacenavigator.html). since the game didn't recognize it as a joystick on my mac, i use an app called controllermate to channel the 3d mouse output to a virtual joystick, which works fine in the game.

so now i have perfect analog control of all axis on my flights

[espm400]

Certainly no offense taken, as with anything, there is more than one way to do a task. But as Sordid said, if you want to keep the analog functions of the controllers, the only real way is to use that workaround. But, if you don't need the analog, by all means Joy2Key would work just fine.

And yes, I would go for the Logitech any time. It's really nice. High-quality build, it's Logitech. They've been around since the 90's making peripherals of the same quality. I wouldn't buy a joystick of this level/function from anyone else.

That's good, as none was intended. As for Logitech, I've been using them for my wireless peripherals (keyboard/mouse) since I've had a requirement for them. Although I've migrated back to a wired mouse (the Republic of Gamers one that came with my ASUS G74) and a 3m USB extention.