Questions on the 360 Aviator Stick

[ThatYoungGameGuy]

Hey Guys

I really like BoP, but i was wondering wether my experience would be improved if it bought the stick for the 360. (It would be great if someone could post a quick video of themselves playing on BoP with the stick) I am strongly considering purchasing one, but need to know wether its worth it :)

[BigPickle]

Probably not, i've been hearing issues. Maybe if MS pull their thumbs from their butts and make some cross compatible or a proper Force Feedback JS for 360, we might be cooking with gas :)

[ThatYoungGameGuy]

Probably not, i've been hearing issues. Maybe if MS pull their thumbs from their butts and make some cross compatible or a proper Force Feedback JS for 360, we might be cooking with gas :)

so its not worth the £30?

[BigPickle]

I dont actually have one so i cant say for 100%, but from others comments on them, I'm definitely not gonna buy one. Issues with buttons. Functions in places where it hurts your hand to use them. No rumble or force feedback. Base is too light. Kinda big list of cons.

[TexRoadkill]

It's definately worth the money. Much easier to fly with the stick despite some hard to reach buttons.

[Porcho]

Whoa Whoa, slow down guys... its not bad at all. I just recently got myself a Aviator, and it works amazingly. I've been enjoying it a lot more than the controller. The buttons work perfectly, although there is a very slight, and I mean slight as in almost impossible to notice unless your really looking for it deadzone.

On the stick there is a little switch on the side of it that offers both the option M1 - M2, these are controller configs. M1 Makes IL-2 run perfectly while M2, does not, infact, it screws up the way you control your plane a lot.

Also, keep in mind I didn't do any of the mods to the stick people were talking about which improved the stick performance dramatically. This is my experience of just unpacking and plugging in, and playing through the whole demo on Sim.

In my honest opinion, it is worth $30, trust me, but than again, saving your money for a better stick down the road is also a good idea. I one day hope to get my hands on a Hori, when I can spare the extra cash, but for now, I'm very happy with my Aviator.

[Edit]: About the deadzone, just going to give another point, plugging it into my PC there was no deadzone at all. Only when I played IL-2: BoP demo on my 360 would you notice the incredibly small deadzone, so it isn't a hardware issue at all.

[BigPickle]

Others have mentioned the base is too light and with no FF its just not the same, what did you find in reference to these statements? Personally i switched to FF on the pc and wont change back now.

[Porcho]

There are alternatives in which to fix the lightness of the base, you can get suction cups, or you can open the base, and apply small ring weights to the inside. I really don't mind the lightness of the base since I always hold it down with my hand since I constantly use the throttle.

As for the FF.. yeah, it kinda sucks how the stick doesn't have either vibration or FF. But its not that bad all in all. My FF stick just applies pressure on the stick when pulling it back, or forward, left and right, and the Aviator has a natural pressure that some people think is to much, hense the ziptie mod. I love FF, and usually can't stand anything without it, but the Aviator, in my personal opinion, is an exception.

On the other hand, saving money to get an Ace Edge, or a Hori Flight Stick, is also a smart idea. Its a lot more expensive, but the stick has FF, and has no deadzone at all, even though the Aviator barely has one as well.

[TexRoadkill]

Others have mentioned the base is too light and with no FF its just not the same, what did you find in reference to these statements? Personally i switched to FF on the pc and wont change back now.

If you have the stick on a stand or table with your other hand on the throttle to hold it down the weight isn't an issue. It wouldn't be hard at all to velcro or tape it to a sturdier base for holding in your lap.

I've never bought a FF stick because they always felt so loose in the stores and it just seemed like something else to break on the stick.

[Tally-Ho]

I bought the Saitek AV8R-2 for the 360 and I really like it.

Ok, I haven't played long sessions and thus suffered "slippage", but then again I don't normally play ceaselessly for long periods.

My only gripe is that I will have to buy a new headset - I have the old one(s) with the grey plastic lump housing the on-off button and sound control. But since I have several old games to trade in it shouldn't hit my wallet.

Really looking forward to the game and some online action!

[Bunsenbeaker27]

My only gripe is that I will have to buy a new headset - I have the old one(s) with the grey plastic lump housing the on-off button and sound control. But since I have several old games to trade in it shouldn't hit my wallet.

You might want to see if you can find an adapter at Radio Shack. A female to male 1/8" (2mm) should work and cost no more than $3-$5. Or even try a cell phone head set.

As for the AV8R I feel it is worth the price. Control wise it is far superior to a controller in many aspects the most significant of which is the separate throttle control. Accurately controlling your throttle is crucial to properly maneuvering and lining up your shots on target. The twist rudder is also very intuitive. The only complaint I have with it is the button placement on the rear of the base. They designed it to be ambidextrous which really doesn't help anybody. :? Fortunately for me I rarely have a need for any of the buttons with the exception of the map. For those playing on simulator mode that need continual access to the flaps and trim buttons you will encounter some challenges.

[Tally-Ho]

You might want to see if you can find an adapter at Radio Shack. A female to male 1/8" (2mm) should work and cost no more than $3-$5. Or even try a cell phone head set.

Cheers.

[Empi666]

Please click one of the Quick Reply icons in the posts above to activate Quick Reply.

[Empi666]

Woops! I am trying to do this from my phone.

So, I am wondering how the look around works using a stick? I assume that you use the hat switch to look and another button to zoom?

How fluid is it?

[BigPickle]

TexRoadkill >>
When you plug in an FF stick it tightens up, it put me off for a while till i realised.

[TexRoadkill]

TexRoadkill >>
When you plug in an FF stick it tightens up, it put me off for a while till i realised.

I've since assumed that but it always made me nervous about buying one. Do they stay tight or loosen up after awhile like regular sticks?

Empi - The HAT is used to look around. It's much easier then the Xbox controller but it is a bit small. Somebody posted a mod where they stuck a suction cup on top of it to give you a bigger surface. Looks like a good idea.

[Empi666]

Ahhh, that makes sence. I was afraid of the hat switch being too jerky. Never thought of attaching something to it to increase the sensitivity. I'll look into that when I finally get the chance to play!