I used to play it using a regular mouse, felt easier and more precise. But now, since Leo1A5´s GPSE mouse overide control seems to be broken I´ve switched to my CH Fighterstick. It feels different at first but no complains yet besides the constant joystick/mouse switching (aiming and viewing). It would be much easier if SBP accepted trackIR. One could depend solely on his Joystick instead.

Mouse, never really had any trouble tracking or turning, the way SB is set up you can go infinitely in any direction without lifting your mouse and it's far more precise.

While in the sights click to start aiming put your mouse to the far edge of the screen. Your turret will spin full speed in that direction indefinitely. If you haven't even noticed this, you haven't given the mouse a fair chance yet. They did a pretty good job of the mouse control. It still comes down to preference, but most the normal mouse disadvantages aren't there.


My x52 just feels unatural. My Xbox 360 controller on the other hand wasn't too bad, but not very precise in tracking.

I've been playing Steel Beasts since the first demo over 11 years ago. I like to think I might have received the very first commercial copy sent out in 2000 as I lived and worked very close by eSim Games.

I've used the mouse plenty of time during that time- including when I didn't have a joystick or needed a replacement when the current one was being tweaky, insensitive or going out of tolerance through use. I have personally found the mouse to be a more difficult control scheme for scanning and slewing- the combination of using the mouse for menu interface and issuing orders from the mousescreen plus a decent joystick for simulation controls work for me.

In a way, the mouse confers some advantages that seem rather artificial to me. Operation of crew served weapons like a heavy machine gun with a mouse is just further from the mark than a joystick, even with the joystick being a crude approximation, the mouse is that much more 'strange' in my view. It lacks mechanincal feedback or resistance that at least a joystick has. A mouse feels like it distorts moementum or inertia, things just seem to float in a way. I feel like a Jedi who can move things by waving my hand.