OT: Yet another joystick thread

I am looking to update my old faithful Wingman Force 3D, and have been thinking about something along the lines of the Saitek X45 or the new X52.

I was wondering if anyone in WBFH community has either of these sticks, and what they think of them?

I also like the Thrustmaster Cougar, but can't justify near AU$700 for a joystick, so the Saitek option seems most logical being similar design and less than 1/3 the price.

Anyway, if anyone has one of the above sticks, let me know what you think of it, please.

regards, Oz

 

Holy fuck! HOW much [in REAL money] is 700 [aus]???

 

Approximately US$550, CA$650, EUR410, GBP280. Sucks hey?

regards, Oz

 

Ozemale6t9 your prices are a little high LOL i saw that
Thrustmaster Cougar at flight-sim.com for $279.00US or about
$389.00 Canadian i all most bought it.

Barak %)

CO. JV44 Galland's Flying Circus


This Dam Fucking Joystick Has Packed It In

Hey Wait I Just Bought A New One LOL.

 

Yeah, but to have a decent joystick out of a cougar, you need another 200 bucks for appropriate mods. Otherwise it's just an ordinary crappy stick with fancy handles and many buttons

Best choice imho is still some MS stick if you could find one... MS Force Feedback 2 or MS Precision Pro 2 - earlier models are having problems under xp (big lol, btw )

 

Funny that ppl who don't own one always seem to know best (sorry Snejk)...

If u're willing to play WB, forget about Cougar...originally it was built for Falcon fans, not WW2 flyers, and it is great in such role...
The truth is u pay those 700 AUD for base for greatest HOTAS in the world - no other stick has so many modding possibilites (there are even force sensing modifications, real jets pilots know what im talking about) or is made of cold metal (great feeling...other sticks feel like cheap toys once u touch it).
And I wouldn't call it crappy...although it is problematic sometimes.

Summary;

Unmodded - jets, helis etc.
Modded - above plus WW2 sims

PS. If u don't want to mod anything and want to have quite versatile equipment then spend some money and go for CH (throttle is ok, pedals are ok to so so - I don't like transitions and sliding too much, some say that their sticks are little too light, I personally wouldn't like them, depends on pilot)

 

I got a MSSP-2 and had a chance recently to play for a couple of hours, using X-45 (I was planning to buy me an almost new one "just in case Sidewinder goes wrong"). So I borrowed the stick for one day, launched WB... and sucked hard. Configured it for IL2FB... got in air -> sucked even harder...
I played for some 4 hours in IL2FB and couldn't get used to it... well, X-45 is a good joystick, same (or just a bit lower) precision as my MSSP... but not for me.
I'm a twist-handle freak and I'll buy me an Evo, when forced to change from MSSP. Or- if I manage to come across a MSSP in some God-forgotten-shithole-town... I'll buy the next one instantly

 

This is the very reason I was looking at the X52. It's basically an X45 but has the rudder on the stick, as well as the throttle, plus a few other gimmicks to suck potential buyers in.

What was it you did not like about the stick? Too sensitive, not sensitive enough, button positions? Or just very different to what you are used to?

regards, Oz

 

Why dont you buy CH stick?

You will fly with it happily next 5-10 years and i havent yet found anything more accurate to control these planes with. Some cougar with 40cm leng extension and ground base would be better and more precise...but well im to lazy for all that modding and really dont know where would i put such thing. Saitek is good if you want decent price - ok stick. CH is better and price is bit higher too, but it will outlast 3 Saiteks.

I would recommend.
CH Flightstick Pro USB or CH Combatstick 568.

Flightstick Pro doesnt have many buttons but it's very ergonomic. Movement is also IMO bit smoother than in Fighter- or Combatsticks. Im currently flying with CH CS 568 which is cheaper version of CH Fighterstick. It's basically same but i liked it's button placement better (thumb button for cannon and only 2 hats instead of 3)...it being cheaper wasnt bad either.

 

@illo

Look at the topic post Ozemale is looking for an affordable stick There's a difference between US $ 50 MSSP or US $ 40 Evo, US $ 100 Saitek-X's and CH sticks

@Ozemale
Not at all.. the X-45 is a fabulous stick and also a very precise one. The thing is that it doesn't fit my "subjective criteria". I just don't like it

 

Saitek joysticks are alright, but they dont last very long, infact, In my experience they last about a month before they get sloppy, And then again, my last joystick was a wingman 3d, and it lasted a few years, but was never really all that great for performance....Im a performance shopper, and as far as any joystick still manufactured, your best choice would be the-
ThrustMaster Top Gun Fox2 USB, it has kind of a small stick for big hands "but I got used to it" It has an amazing button lay out which I love "I can control my HAT, Trigger, Cannon, WEP,and switching weapons all with my trigger finger or thumb. Plus it has 3 lay down buttons which I use for a shift button, landing gear, and bay doors.

Possibly one of the greatest things is that If you use windows 98/ ME "2000" and possibly XP, the joystick installs itself with no cd or drivers needed! Just plug it in and you can play! Recalibration is easy, and so is setting its button lay outs....If you look under the stick there is a "sensitivity control" where you can make the stick softer or harder to move "softer for good turners, harder for more strait forward planes" and theres even a rudder lock out skrew that takes me no tools to use.

All of this for a mere " I think I payed" $45.00 U.S. and they delivered it to my house in 3 buissness days......I dont think I could have made a better choice.

So Consider the -Thrustmaster Top Gun Fox 2 USB

 

for 35 euro, and a little work on it u can have this:



it's the rudder axe potenciometer on the throttle, very much precise and easy than twist, easy to fly on multi engine planes with one out.

 

I also wanted a Saitek stick as mentioned, but If you read up reviews or even get to handle one it doesnt even feel like its built to last. The ThrustMaster TopGun Fox 2 is a much better choice if you can get it.

 

I have a Thrustmaster topgun 2 second worse stick i ever owned ;'(. My first 1 failed in 10 months <replaced under warrantee>. My second one is bad now too been delegated to my kids computer. Had problems with spiking related to rudder potentiomter i believe, also would not center after a while. I spent the big bucks on CH Fighter stick Pro peds and Pro throttle never looked back they are awesome. CH sticks are so smooth wish i had done that years ago. Still miss my old analog Logitech Interceptor tho , tried a Wingman extreme , worst stick i ever had, rudder potentiometer gets sloppy and makes stick impossible to recal. I did find a fix for it tho but....

 

My theory, if you TM TG F2 wears out so fast, your either someone who pulls outrageus manovers that make me shudder when I see people doing them "I pay for my stick, I respect it as expensive property, like glass". Or that your doing a little of this....

 

Sorry but was no jerking involved ;'9 I leave that to others to do. I swear it just wore out i was sadly disappointed with it. Second stick is not much better. But i know guys that love it. All i got to say is if you tried a better stick , like a CH you would be amazed. I couldn,t beleive the difference so smooth and precise.

 

Yhea, but theres only one problom with that, PRICE, lol, the difference between a $50 stick that does me well and I am VERY PLEASED WITH is alot more tempting than a $300 stick or HOTAS.......think what I could do with the extra $250..........I could spend $10 on a baseball bat, club you on the back side of the head, and take your CH and still have $240......man-o-man.

 

The asshole's got a point there.

Then you can donate your 240 to me and I can afford to buy a new head for my guitar!!! Oh geez golly whiz this sure sounds swell!

 

I've had the same stick for... ummm... 3 years now, a Microsoft Sidewinder Precision 2. A bit battered by now (heh), shame that MS stopped making them (goddamn idiots!)

 

CBFS i cannot stop looking at your avatar.

It's not because I'm horny, but the look on her face is priiiiiceless!