Recommendations for a joystick/flightstick.

[1ManArmY]

I am looking for some feedback on joysticks that might assist me in my feeble attempt to become competent at flying the different aircraft in BF 1942 DC and other games. So far I have looked at Microsoft sidewinder precision pro and Logitech wingman extreme. Is it neccessary to have force feedback or can you do without it ?

 

[Chaotic42]

I don't know if BF supports force feed back, but it would be nice, since it's sometimes hard to tell when you're being hit.

I have the Logitech stick, but be careful of it's twist function. It's not a very well made joystick, and I'm not the only one who has had problems. There was a thread about this on Rivazone, but the site is gone now.

 

[GullyFoyle]

Don't buy anything Microsoft, they don't support their old products (they like to phase support out, just like their OS's), and I heard they are dumping the whole controller division.

Check out the Thrustmaster Top Gun Fox 2 Pro Shock. I got it after reading the reviews at Joystick Review dot com.
Works good for me in BF1942. I don't think the game supports force feedback though.
I got it for a reasonable price at CompUSA.

 

[tweeve]

I have the Logitic Wirless joystick and its Great, I also have a REALY OLD sidewinder Pro that uses the game port that works great, and it works great with XP Pro, My borther uses a Sidewinder Force feedback, and he has no problem with it, I also baught maybe a year ago just a basic sidewinder with no twist , it works ok in BF1942 DC but the Rudder conrols are nice when flying. Joystick flying in BF is so easy.

 

[Insidious]

Get a M$ Sidewinder Precision 2 (available with or w/o FF) while you still can.

-Sid

 

[1ManArmY]

R U still able to get driver support for your Precision PRo? I heard microsoft is lacking on support.

 

[Insidious]

I have had no need for support. It's not like a video card or MoBo that suffers incessent updates and fixes.... it is a mature product.

I run from the Windows XP native drivers and haven't had a glitch in over a year. If you do decide to use the Sidewinder software it too
functions fine without a need of fixes, patches or updates. (I don't know about FF sticks though... never liked them much)

(You are right that M$ is said to be dropping controllers.... Get it while you can.... a great stick!)

-Sid

 

[GullyFoyle]

Originally posted by: Insidious
I have had no need for support. It's not like a video card or MoBo that suffers incessent updates and fixes.... it is a mature product.

I run from the Windows XP native drivers and haven't had a glitch in over a year. If you do decide to use the Sidewinder software it too
functions fine without a need of fixes, patches or updates. (I don't know about FF sticks though... never liked them much)

(You are right that M$ is said to be dropping controllers.... Get it while you can.... a great stick!)

-Sid

I guess I should explain the background for my complaint against Microsoft controllers.
I bought an MS Sidewinder 3D Pro back when I had a P2-233MMX running Windows 98se. It worked fine. I upgraded to a Celeron 466. It stopped working (Windows says it's not connected), I just put it aside as I was playing mostly FPS games. Much later I picked up BF1942 and wanted to start using a joystick again. I dug it back out, looked for patches and found one from MS for using the stick computers with up to a 100Mhz bus speed. It got me back in business. I played for a while, then upgraded my computer again to an Athlon XP1800+. I was back out of the water. Their KB article says the problem may recoccur if your bus speed goes over 100 (it doesn't say they are going to do anything about it). I used a DOS utility to verify it still worked correctly on the new motherboard, just not in 98se.

MS just can't be bothered to go back and make a patch that allows you to use the joystick on Windows 98se using current hardware. That is the basis for my statement.
My situation also fly's in the face of your first sentence. Sometimes new drivers are needed for "mature" products.

Of course now I have upgraded to Windows XP, so it probably works again. I may dig it back out and give it a try some time.

 

[Insidious]

If I had those experiences, I wouldn't get a M$ controller either.

guess I was just lucky with my 3D pros then the Precision 2s. no difficulties in 98se or XP with any of the setups I had.

Might consider logitec... I had one of them once that was pretty good (just hated the pointy top-hat). I think it was a wing commander or something like that.

-Sid