Flightstick- improve control or just "experience"..

[juz1]

Just a query..In your experience does a flightstick improve your control in a Console flight game or merely just the "experience".. (e.g. the MS wheel- a superb piece of kit, but the realism adds extra difficulty in drive sims which can be counter-productive in online competition)

Would a stick help in online MP?

And would a stick avoid the naff flight control method used in games like Blazing Angels...?

Does the Saitek/Ace Edge help competitive play online?

Is this game really deserving of a flight stick?

A penny for your thoughts...and thank you for your kind attention!
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[trk29]

Originally Posted by juz1

Just a query..In your experience does a flightstick improve your control in a Console flight game or merely just the "experience".. (e.g. the MS wheel- a superb piece of kit, but the realism adds extra difficulty in drive sims which can be counter-productive in online competition)

Would a stick help in online MP?

And would a stick avoid the naff flight control method used in games like Blazing Angels...?

Does the Saitek/Ace Edge help competitive play online?

A penny for your thoughts...and thank you for your kind attention!

I love to use the stick. I think it helps me when littering the plane up with rounds to the rudder!

[guiltyspark]

if you understand flight mechanics then yes

if not get an aviator or a gamepad

[Raw Kryptonite]

Depends on the game, IMO. If the plane handles unrealistically fast, then a flightstick is a hindrance. If the plane handles more properly, then it helps.
I can't use it in AC6 at all (I like all kinds of flight games), the planes just move way too quickly and easily for that huge range of motion (of the stick) to be feasible. Can use it in OGF (although throttle doesn't work) and it feels PERFECT. I've set up PC games on a 360 controller before, but the stick is still much better. More range of movement so you don't over control the plane.

With a more realistic game, it's not about the throttle or the buttons, most of that can be done just fine with sub-menus and shift buttons since they aren't functions that have to be done in a split second. It's the basic flight control that makes the difference. In a game like this one where you'll be dependent on guns for your (plane) kills, and positioning the entire plane for the shot, I think a flight stick will be a huge asset. A controller might be much harder to line up with.

[juz1]

Originally Posted by guiltyspark

if you understand flight mechanics then yes

if not get an aviator or a gamepad

I do have a grasp of flight physics...I've even had a couple of hours on a Ceesna 150 Aerobat...

Is the aviator really that inferior? I've seen the reviews- surely with the stick and split throttle/airbrake it will suffice, albeit with a little hand juggling for the base buttons...but its the stick,brake,throttle (and rudder/yaw) that are the meat and drink of lining up your shot...I'd love a Hori but it would be $300AU plus...difficult to justify with a family...
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[Marchochias]

Joysticks to me feel way more intuitive and natural than controlling a virtual aircraft with anything else. It's mostly personal preference.

And yeah, the Aviator joystick is fine. Remember that the Ace Edge one not only costs a stupid amount, but was made for the laughably bad arcade flyer Ace Combat 6.

[Ju-87]

The Aviator works just fine. I think it's only real flaws are somewhat poor ergonomics and lack of vibration.

I have used it for AC6 and HAWX. It's a bit harder to make small, precise movements with it than the gamepad (probably because those games have pretty "high sensitivity" controls/gameplay to start with), but it makes up for it by being far more intuitive, especially in HAWX where the original controls IMO are a bit awkward.

I just hope IL-2 BoP will feature alternate control schemes/mappings so you can make the most out of your controller/joystick of choice.

[juz1]

thanks for your replies!
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[mondo]

A flight stick should make flying easier. Put it this way, a control column on a Spitfire is about 2 feet long, a joystick can be about 10 inches long and a analogue stick on a controller is about and inch at best.

You have to dumb down the travel on the controller to cover what was originally done by a 2ft long stick. This means you have less space for the analogue stick's deflection. A joystick is a happy medium. If this game is done properly, in realistic mode is should be close to impossible to fly a plane with an analogue stick on a controller unless you make the very gentlist of movements.