Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

[imported_Underpant]

Most every topic I see about joysticks and choppers, people say they fly fine with a KBM. Alright so you're decent, if you would like to become GOOD use your stick. I'm not trying to force feed you my way, but you should give it another try. This picture shows how I have mine set up, but if you prefer to use the hat switch for the views, go for it, I only use two views, so....



Yeah, I have major PS skills, you want to fight about it?


The one thing you may have trouble with in the beginning is hovering, but you just have to be real sensitive with the throttle, and its always better safe than sorry, I'd rather make another pass and not crash. Practice in single player, zatar wetlands, and daqing oilfields have attack choppers in them off the top of my head, or you can set up a lan, but I prefer playing against computer, because they're actually hella good with AA. Start out practicing with the USMC cobra, as it's very manueverable, and you can fly 90 degrees down attacking a target and pull up easily.

Even if you are good, please always give your gunner a chance, but there is the big possibility that he sucks, in which case, blow the crap out of the target yourself.

I am open to suggestions on my button config, because I'm still new to this specific stick. I got it for $10 less than a cyborg evo, and frankly I am poor.

[PsychoSnowMan]

Speaking of the Cyborg Evo I just whipped this up (MS Paint 5ki115), didn't label the different axis because they're pretty easy.

And about gunners, as a pilot you should realize that the gunner can be alot more useful than your missles, the cannon will chew up infantry and light vehicles, and the TV guided missle can one shot anything. Just make sure that your nose is pointed in the right direction so he can use it.

[imported_Underpant]

Re: Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

Yeah, I always give my gunner a chance before I go. Also, the cannon is pretty poor, the US cannon is mediocre, the MEC cannon is godly, and the PLA cannon is absolutely horrible.

[Nitemare]

Re: Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

I find flying with a joystick alot harder than keyboard/mouse.

[Reider]

Re: Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

At beginning I used my keyboard... and that went well. When I switched to joystick I thought: omg, this isn't better! But, when I got a little bit used to the joystick it all went much more smooth. Having a good gunner is almost a must! Thats why i like to play with my clan-mates

[imported_ColonelPanic]

Re: Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

I agree with all those settings except for using the throttle slider for accel/decel. 2 buttons work much better IMO.

[PsychoSnowMan]

Re: Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

That's a weird preference, don't you like using the throttle slider for throttle when you're flying around the map? I find it lets me focus more on controlling the aircraft.
However when I used to fly with keyboard only it became pretty much second nature to use keys for my speed and directions. I can imagine it must have sounded like machine gun fire coming from my keyboard with all the tapping going on in DC.
I agree with Reider, I used Keyboard only (no mouse) from the wake demo up until a bit after the release of BFV. At first it was harder but after just a little while I was flying great again. With a joystick you might lose a bit of the fine touch you can get with a keyboard but it's more than made up for with the better feel you get and the smoothness with a joystick.

[maxk299]

Re: Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

I really like KBM for heli but joystick for jet.

[imported_Underpant]

Re: Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

The main part I love about my joystick is dogfighting in the chopper, I absolutely crush other choppers. It still takes a bunch of practice to figure out which way the missiles go when flying each direction, speed, strafing, ect...

[imported_ColonelPanic]

Re: Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

That's a weird preference, don't you like using the throttle slider for throttle when you're flying around the map?.

Actually, I prefer to be able to just take my finger off the accel button and go immediately into hover. The slider I have to remember to slide it back down. On my wingman extreme I just use buttons 6 & 7 for accel/decel. I was using the slider until I discovered that the buttons seemed much better. For me anyway.
:) A beginner (whom this thread is for) might find the buttons easier to use. I'm not a beginner but just don't like the 'hassle' of the slider. :)

For jets I use the slider, but then I hardly ever play jets because I suck with them.

[PsychoSnowMan]

Oh that's right, when you zero the throttle out you go into a hover, good point. I was thinking in DC chopper mode :P

[Strega]

Re: Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

I would love a blank copy of that Logitech Joystick picture so I can show off my setup =)

[imported_Underpant]

Re: Beginners guide to chopper flying with a joystick.

Google image search, bro

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00009OY9U.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I'd love some input on mine, since I'm still new (yet owning all the keyboarders haha)