Logitech Extreme 3d Pro

[suklee]

I'm looking for a cheap joystick for BF1942 and flight sim'ing. There are good reviews of this joystick on the web, but does anyone here use one in WinXP? with Xperience Software link Should be a steal if it works as I saw one at a local store for ~US$7.

 

[Chadder007]

I don't see the joystick your looking at on that page.....but Gravis makes some good stuff. So does Logitech and Microsoft....though Microsoft just dropped their hardware line, or are about too.

 

[suklee]

Sorry that link was to the Win XP drivers update... but it's almost two years old so wondered how B.D. users fared in XP

Here's a link to the joystick: Blackhawk Digital

 

[Zipp]

I use the Blackhawk digital stick with windows xp along with the Experience software. I use it in BF1942 as well with my other fligh sims. It doesn't have the twist handle rudder control but thats ok with me. Great stick in my opinion.

 

[suklee]

Thanks, just what I was looking for. I thought it had twist handle rudder... how do you handle rudder then? Or do you not use one at work?

Not that it matters for me... I'm a sucky pilot

 

[Zipp]

What I do Kai is use my POV hat switch for my rudder control in BF1942,it works out very well. Now if I'm using FS2002,I may use my keyboard but sometimes I use the POV hat as well.

 

[suklee]

This will be just my second Gravis product. My first was their joystick from the 286 era! Forgot what it was called but it was black with a square-ish base and two round red buttons on the side. Just unpacked the blackhawk, teh base is STURDY. But I dont seem to have my joystick port hooked up.. I hope my mobo came with the bracket (NF7-S)

EDIT: Looks like I'm SOL. It doesn't come with a game port bracket! Does it even come with the header? Grrrr :| I think I had an old gameport card lying around somewhere...

 

[suklee]

Well, this is embarassing..... I found the gameport card, but it's ISA Don't think the NF7-S has an ISA slot

Do gameport > USB converters exist?

 

[Monoman]

yes there is a conveter. it's out there.

 

[arcenite]

Originally posted by: Monoman
yes there is a conveter. it's out there.

I used to use one, game with my POS axispads...Made me get a ... Mmmm... Saitek P3000...

Bill

 

[Auric]

I have a Gravis with an attached gameport plug that includes a USB adapter. I don't know if the orginal pre-USB models could use the same adapter or not. You could ask Gravis aboot it and maybe they could send one if it was required and would work. However, I would not recommend buying a joystick no matter how cheap if it lacks twist rudder and fine throttle control. Personally, I love my Xterminator Digital Gamepad and find it almost as perfect as a universal controller can be for everything from MAME to driving games and flying in BF1942 (I use the flippers for rudder) but I would be hesitant to recommend a Gravis joystick over the likes of Logitech, Thrustmaster, Saitek, etc. because it seems to me they stagnated a couple of years ago and have drastically trimmed back their product line to just a few gamepads and halted software development -perhaps as a result of cost cutting since being aquired by larger corporations. I wouldn't be surprised if they got the chop altogether.

 

[suklee]

Originally posted by: Monoman
yes there is a conveter. it's out there.

Something like this perhaps? Or I could opt for a cheap PCI gameport card if they even exist... (this would probably be 'safer' than a gameport to USB adapter)

Auric, the thought of using a gamepad to fly planes in 1942 never crossed my mind. I suppose it would have worked for me, too, since I'm not a hardcore flight sim fan. Ah well since I already dished out the 8 bucks for this joystick, I'll try to find a gameport card to go with it... if not, then I'll look into other options.

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: Kai920

Originally posted by: Monoman
yes there is a conveter. it's out there.

Something like this perhaps? Or I could opt for a cheap PCI gameport card if they even exist... (this would probably be 'safer' than a gameport to USB adapter)

Auric, the thought of using a gamepad to fly planes in 1942 never crossed my mind. I suppose it would have worked for me, too, since I'm not a hardcore flight sim fan. Ah well since I already dished out the 8 bucks for this joystick, I'll try to find a gameport card to go with it... if not, then I'll look into other options.

The key is this gamepad has an analog joystick (common) but also analog flippers (fairly common) and throttle slider (downright rare AFAIK). Note analog allows variable control as opposed to digital on/off as for buttons and the directional pad. Not seen in that piccy are the flippers at the front edge and one additional button on the underside of each stem.

Typically the flippers are used for throttle and brake in a driving game and they are also most precise for helicopter throttle in BF1942 DesertCombat, but that leaves the underside buttons for practical rudder which I find less natural than flippers for rudder and slider for throttle. I have tried combinations of gamepad and mouse and such but I think the ideal control would be the addition of foot pedals for either rudder or throttle with the other on the flippers. But that would also be less comfortable and more expense and messin'. Otherwise I find the current setup ideal for fixed-wing and only slightly less than ideal for choppers.

Also, BF1942 does not recognize one of the axis settings available in the software so with my setup rudder ends up having to be digital on/off in either direction rather than variable although that is not a big deal since the difference is minimal with the arcadey control characteristics. This pad also has a hat switch, but I found using a momentary switch in combination with the joystick is quicker for looking around while flying (this required some custom editing of the Air.con).

As you can see I have put some thought into this as I spend a lot of time with BF1942

It seems to me that you may have got a joystick for "cheap" but if you now have to buy that adapter you are spending as much as regular price for a good USB joystick anyway.

Does anyone know of an current equivalent to the XDG?

 

[suklee]

Originally posted by: Auric

Also, BF1942 does not recognize one of the axis settings available in the software so with my setup rudder ends up having to be digital on/off in either direction rather than variable although that is not a big deal since the difference is minimal with the arcadey control characteristics. This pad also has a hat switch, but I found using a momentary switch in combination with the joystick is quicker for looking around while flying (this required some custom editing of the Air.con).

As you can see I have put some thought into this as I spend a lot of time with BF1942

It seems to me that you may have got a joystick for "cheap" but if you now have to buy that adapter you are spending as much as regular price for a good USB joystick anyway.

Heh, yeah it was cheap indeed, I may end up getting burned but whatever.. . it was only 8 bucks I think my old mobo K7S5A had a joystick port if I'm not mistaken, but that has an Athlon 800 and GF2 MX in it. It has no chance running BF1942 lol...

Is that the USB adaptor you have? My joystick plug looks exactly likes yours, a "splitter"-type one... I wonder if a generic gameport-USB adaptor will work fine or does it have to be made by Gravis? I noticed the "Gravis" name etched onto the converter..

If that doesn't work, I'll have to look for a PCI Joystick card. Do such things exist?! I know they're found on soundcards, but I'm quite happy with my NF2 onboard sound, so I don't see a reason to change it.

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: Kai920

Is that the USB adaptor you have? My joystick plug looks exactly likes yours, a "splitter"-type one... I wonder if a generic gameport-USB adaptor will work fine or does it have to be made by Gravis? I noticed the "Gravis" name etched onto the converter...

The original one I bought had the gameport plug only but Gravis replaced it under warranty at some point with a new one that included the Gravis USB adapter. It also had a slightly different model number. That's why I was wondering before if USB functionality was dependent on the controller's firmware. I found their support was actually quite good. I can only guess that a generic one would work. I would just worry about about whether the software recognized it. As said, I would contact them to find out and maybe get an adapter for cheap.

If that doesn't work, I'll have to look for a PCI Joystick card. Do such things exist?! I know they're found on soundcards, but I'm quite happy with my NF2 onboard sound, so I don't see a reason to change it.

I have not seen such a grranimal. If they do exist they are probably expensive specialty or custom items. It is possible you could use a $5 soundcard just for its gameport but continue using the NF2 for sound. It just seems like a lot more trouble than it is worth, especially if the Blackhawk lacks rudder. Maybe try e-Bay for a good cheap USB controller and save the hassle.

 

[suklee]

Originally posted by: Auric

Originally posted by: Kai920

Is that the USB adaptor you have? My joystick plug looks exactly likes yours, a "splitter"-type one... I wonder if a generic gameport-USB adaptor will work fine or does it have to be made by Gravis? I noticed the "Gravis" name etched onto the converter...

The original one I bought had the gameport plug only but Gravis replaced it under warranty at some point with a new one that included the Gravis USB adapter. It also had a slightly different model number. That's why I was wondering before if USB functionality was dependent on the controller's firmware. I found their support was actually quite good. I can only guess that a generic one would work. I would just worry about about whether the software recognized it. As said, I would contact them to find out and maybe get an adapter for cheap.

Yea, I'm not going to have much luck. I tried last night running around at the computer center, no one had such a gameport-to-USB cable.

If that doesn't work, I'll have to look for a PCI Joystick card. Do such things exist?! I know they're found on soundcards, but I'm quite happy with my NF2 onboard sound, so I don't see a reason to change it.

I have not seen such a grranimal. If they do exist they are probably expensive specialty or custom items. It is possible you could use a $5 soundcard just for its gameport but continue using the NF2 for sound. It just seems like a lot more trouble than it is worth, especially if the Blackhawk lacks rudder. Maybe try e-Bay for a good cheap USB controller and save the hassle.

Pretty much that would be my only option... but I'm not going to buy a cheap PCI soundcard just for its gameport. (Or will I? ) Just for kicks, I plugged it into my old Athlon 800/K7S5A/256SDRAM combo and installed BF1942. It was a damn slideshow! But oooooh how much easier it was to control the plane with a joystick. I'm gonna find me a decent USB joystick with rudder control...

 

[suklee]

Well, I finally broke down and bought the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro LINK

Now all I gotta do is learn how to fly

 

[poppyq]

I have this one as well, it took a little getting used to to be able to fly the helicopters in BF1942/DC but now I'm pretty good. Had to deal with a lot of flying upside down for awhile though

 

[Auric]

Nice choice. I seriously considered getting one of those or the wireless version too, just for choppers. But after augmenting my throttle slider with button to also act as throttle I have managed to mostly overcome chopper control problems. It is a bit more work to hug terrain and requires a slightly different control usage but ultimately works well enough. What I typically do is adjust the throttle slider to near max, or with a slightly descent-bias, or hover depending on the situation (travelling altitude, engagement, repair/resupply). The descent-bias is for hugging terrain using the secondary throttle as needed to overcome obstacles. If the DesertCombat team can make the chopper throttle use the whole range rather than 50% being a "dead" reverse, then this problem would be elminiated as it comes down to sensitivity and the difficulty of making fine adjustments with the thumb simultaneously with the other controls. Hmm, my jabbering has actually made me think of another configuration...keeping the thumb on the slider by changing the weapons buttons to the stems! I use those for map controls now but it wouldn't hurt to use the top buttons. The thing is, its more natural to use the top buttons for firing when using the flippers for rudder control. Don't mind me...

 

[suklee]

Originally posted by: poppyq
I have this one as well, it took a little getting used to to be able to fly the helicopters in BF1942/DC but now I'm pretty good. Had to deal with a lot of flying upside down for awhile though

Hah! I can't for the life of me figure out how to fly a chopper. With kb/mouse I'll either end up upside town or spinning around the map hopelessly There's an extensive chopper guide here in case you haven'ty seen. The joystick should help me a bit, but I need to master the plane first. Any good plane guides/tips out there?

Also, I've found one shortcoming on my joystick already. The seoncdary fire button is too easily pressed by my thumb... a couple times I'd accidentally hit it and drop the bombs prior to reaching my target. Once I even dropped it right on the carrier deck before my plane even moved, LOL... so as a remedy I'll probably remap the 2nd-ary fire to something near the hat switches.

ed. Whoops, I meant upside DOWN

 

[Auric]

The keys to choppers are moderation and counter-action. I reckon there is just no avoiding constant effort. Planes, on the other hand, I could fly with my hands behind my back while blindfolded.