Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

[Aradiel]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

Actually, if you use a joystick's throttle lock in a chopper, you might not get the desired result, because as opposed to your finger on the keyboard, it will not account for the nose angle changing, thereby generating too little climb if you dip the nose down more.
Also, if you have no pedals, the constant use of twist on your joystick necessitated by the chopper's flight dynamics will cause severe pain in your wrist.

I don't get it there... It's not a throttle 'lock' but a kind of slider. In a helo, full course is full torque, 0 is no torque while in a plane, full course is full throttle, mid course is 'neutral' (you won't move forward backward on the runway or in the hangar) and 0 is reversed thrust/VTOL with all the smooth nuance of thrust in between instead of apply either "increase" or "decrease" thrust commands with keyboard.

About the severe pain, I got some when I tried to play Medal of Honor because it was the only FPS game I was unable to setup to use joystick. In all the others (UT, HL, HL2, CoD, RtCW, BF2) I managed to use joystick with no problem and no pain. But I think here it would be the same for you: you have no pain because you have been playing for years with mouse and keyboard. As for me, I've been playing this way since Unreal & Combat Flight Sim so it feels pretty natural for me.

Now speaking of weird & looney players: another buddy of mine is playing all FPS with keyboard and... tada... a trackball... At first he had a hard time but now he is a proficient player. Not a sharpshooter but anyway, he likes best teamwork over fragwork...

[JCFast]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

Yes the joystick improved alot things since BF1942. First it was difficult of course to learn to use it and finding the right "angle" so your wrist wouldn't hurt.
But nowadays it's necessary to use a joystick. You can't get the turns so tight and all without joystick.

[PBAsydney]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

I bought a joystick back in the FlightSim 2000 days, so I can't really tell, always played with joystick.

[eggy]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

Does anyone actually use keyboard & mouse config here? I find it virtually impossible.

[imported_Calibre]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

I started out with a joystick which I broke, so I had to start using mouse and keyboard while I waited on my new joystick to be stocked. However after 3 weeks waiting I realised that i've got as good with the mouse and keyboard if not better than when I used the joystick so I just cancelled my order and have not looked back since :)

[EvilP]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

I don't have a joystick, but I reckon I'm pretty damn good at flying the helis with my mouse. You can do some really nice movements with the mouse. I can dive downat full throttle and stop to hover above a repair pad without any problems. I never crash due to lack of control.

I'm mediocre at best in planes however, but I don't have nearly as much airtime in them...

[glaucoma]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

I don't get it there... It's not a throttle 'lock' but a kind of slider. In a helo, full course is full torque, 0 is no torque while in a plane, full course is full throttle, mid course is 'neutral' (you won't move forward backward on the runway or in the hangar) and 0 is reversed thrust/VTOL with all the smooth nuance of thrust in between instead of apply either "increase" or "decrease" thrust commands with keyboard

Certain joystick systems, such as the x52 have a throttle lock, which is very comfortable in sims because you can lock the throttle at a given position without tending to it much. While this is very desirable in most pro chopper sims, with bf2's helo flight mechanics it doesn't really work.

About the severe pain, I got some when I tried to play Medal of Honor because it was the only FPS game I was unable to setup to use joystick. In all the others (UT, HL, HL2, CoD, RtCW, BF2) I managed to use joystick with no problem and no pain. But I think here it would be the same for you: you have no pain because you have been playing for years with mouse and keyboard. As for me, I've been playing this way since Unreal & Combat Flight Sim so it feels pretty natural for me.

I'm a regular helo sim player and have no probs there.
BF2's pedal in choppers behaving like some flimsy tractor stuck in mud however can put a severe strain on your wrist.

FPS with keyboard and... tada... a trackball... At first he had a hard time but now he is a proficient player. Not a sharpshooter but anyway, he likes best teamwork over fragwork...

The large trackballs (ATARI style) aren't so bad at all, but I'd never sacrifice my accuracy in favor of the trackball feel.

[FURRY BIRD]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

I just wish you could use the hat switch to look around, now that would be nice.

[glaucoma]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

I just wish you could use the hat switch to look around, now that would be nice.

So true. and use the commo rose without having to mouseclick for spotting :P

[-(PK)-DarkIllusion]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

Does anyone actually use keyboard & mouse config here? I find it virtually impossible.

yes... its not that hard ....

[glaucoma]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

yes... its not that hard ....

Yeah.
I believe that it's just a matter of preference all in all.
I personally have seen enough incredible keyboard/mouse / keyboard-only pilots of both jets and helos, so I can't really support the claim that a joystick will automatically make you better.

[Paas]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

I use the mouse and the keyboard. I own a joystick, but, the calibration is simply not worth it. Also, I'm better equiped to use mah' primary cannon with the Mouse.

With the joystick I tend to wavier too much and have to rely almost entirely on missiles.

Also. If you set the mouse sensitivty to maximum, you can easily achive the same turning ability as a joystick. At least, I can. Oh! ...a farely large mouse surface works to your advantage as well.

{WP}Paas

[Parthian1000]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

I found the joystick much easier to fly with - but then I've always liked my flight sims. Mine is a aging a little and keeps losing the calibration though. Might have to get the wallet out.

[Robske007a]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

He' I have a yoy and mouse. Strangly I preffer my logitec G7 lazer mouse above the yoystick. its way more precise to perfectly aim on ... lets say the pilots widow on the chopper. tis is lmost impossible with the yoy

[mattmurphee]

Re: Did a joystick improve your skill as a pilot? -Poll-

Joystick is awsome for planes cuz you can adjust the throttle steady instead of being <<on and off>> like with keyboard and mouse.

As for chopper, keyboard+mouse works just fine