Taken from an ARS Technica article. Not ready for that $450 pricetag? The Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS is a much more reasonable buy and will work in both Elite and Star Citizen pretty much right out of the box: http://kotaku.com/thrustmaster-t-16000m-fcs-flight-pack-review-pc-aviati-1791334139 Regarding pedals... They are nice to have, but aren't really required. If you are trying to save money, skip these. Looking for a VERY low budget solution? Don't be tricked into using cheap HOTAS solutions. It ain't worth it. If you can't afford a good HOTAS, I recommend keeping your mouse and augmenting your keyboard functions with a good throttle. Why a throttle and not a joystick first? Because you don't gain much in terms of aiming/firing performance with a joystick over a decent mouse. However, there is a LOAD of support functions that you can make easier to use by using a good throttle instead of a keyboard. It may sound weird, but that's what I've been using and it has significantly improved control for me. The nice thing about this approach is that you can always add a high quality joystick and/or pedals later to make your HOTAS setup without wasting your money on a cheap knockoff first.
I wonder about your idea of the throttle first... I feel the benefit of the joystick in flight and in combat over the mouse would be a huge jump. using a game pad or just your left hand side of your keyboard vs a throttle I dont see the major benefit. What are the support functionality gains?
I make the recommendation assuming a person is limited to one peripheral device. I can't speak for the more excessively expensive joysticks as I have never owned one, but my mouse is dead-on accurate for aiming. Typically when I miss it's not from any input issues but rather because my target is so small on the screen that I physically am having trouble seeing it. I don't see how even the most expensive joystick would improve that. I certainly do not find a mouse to be any less accurate than most joysticks out there. It's point and shoot. I think the issues people have with mouses for aiming has more to do with setting it up properly. They could also be so used to using a joystick that anything less feels completely unnatural to them. I believe it when people say "a joystick is more natural to me". However, in terms of raw accuracy I question the validity of a joystick being "superior" to a mouse. Certainly, a joystick is probably better with full HOTAS and simulation sitting arrangements, but I'm not talking about that. I have my mouse setup so that (essentially) the center of my mousepad is pointing forward and moving it toward any edge turns the ship in that direction; this prevents the common issue you see in most FPS games where you sometimes have to pick up your mouse and reposition it to continue turning in a direction. I also disabled all the mouse "helpers" that can throw off your aim (yaw into roll was a big one). Basically, my mouse handles PTT, targeting on my reticle, firing my guns, pitch, and yaw. That's it. All directional thrust is handled by my throttle. Roll function alone is handled by a thumbstick on my throttle. Power distribution is handled by one of my hat switches on my throttle. The difference is HUGE. The reason I suggest throttle first has nothing to do with accuracy, but rather because it allows easy reach for a variety of functions without having to look at where my hands are. Mouse + throttle = no searching for buttons during combat. Joystick + keyboard = still having to look at my keyboard for buttons during combat. Keep in mind, I'm a slow typer in general. If you are some kind of keyboard jockey, this kind of setup probably won't help you as much. But for me, beyond basic thrust control, I still have to look down at my keyboard for various functions. I think I can use about 12-15 keys on my keyboard without looking. This is not sufficient for all the functions I need during combat. With a throttle, I get 20+ functions right at the tip of my fingers, which is plenty sufficient for combat situations. Everything not essential for combat can be relegated to a keyboard.Funny thing is I actually own a joystick, but haven't been using it because it combined with my mouse, keyboard, and throttle took up too much desk-space. In summary... I'm not suggesting mouses are better than joysticks (although some people do). I'm just saying I find a more immediate improvement in control by swapping my keyboard for a throttle as a primary control device over swapping my mouse for a joystick. That's why I say if you only have money for one, get yourself a good throttle. Results may vary, obviously.
I agree that a mouse is better than a joystick for certain games. The games that come to mind are Warthunder and MechWarrior. Can't hit the broad side of a barn with a joystick while playing them. In Elite the mouse controls are weird to me and I cant pilot. Been playing space sims with a joystick since the first Elite. Its a neural pathway that is hardwired for joystick in space sims. Experiment, Experiment, Experiment figure out what works and doesn't. My key binds and button binds are always changing. Its the only way to get the most enjoyment out of your input interface.
Worth noting that E: D was coded up with the Saitek X52 in mind, and the in-game hotas is pretty much identical. I still use the keyboard for 1-2 rare commands that I haven't bothered to work out how to bind properly, but you can do 99.9% of things in-game without taking your hands off it. From what I can see on amazon, it's about 30% more expensive than the thrustmaster.
Isn't Saitek notoriously unreliable, though? I've only had a keyboard from them, but I must say I was less than impressed. Has your experience been much better?
The last product with good design and quality control from Saitek was the X52 prior to them being bought by madcatz. I think some where in the X52 pro line the quality control fell off and has never recovered. Personally I've never managed to own a working Saitek since my X35/36 and thats not for lack of trying. There was hope that Logitech's purchase of them that their quality control and design issues might finally be sorted out but I'm yet to see anything to that effect. There are issues with the X55 throttle and stick, just as their radio and switch panels for use in MSflight and modded to DCS are regularly showing up on ebay as defective rma units being sold off. Since the X65f had issues that weren't addressed before the X55 added new issues, I don't imagine that the X56 will have fixed the previous two generations of issues in the controllers.
I have had 0 problems with my x52 (not the pro version) since I bought it when E: D came out, so I had no idea about the quality issues. I'd been wishing I had paid the extra few quid to get the pro, but apparently I lucked out and didn't even know it!
