My trusting old Saitek AV8R-01 must be getting old... tried to gun today and tracking targets were impossible, thought it was easier before, lol... fine stick control kept jumping a little hear and there, taking me off target... so wondering... what do you use to play SB Pro PE? Stick, if so what kind? mouse... seems like it would be easier but tracking can slip if you run out of room thou,lol... i need to find a smoother way.

A mouse with variable dpi settings?

Same here. Using the Logitech G9 mouse. Easy click on top for variable dpi settings. Joystick{s) are pretty annoying me when I play SBP. I'm switching often to mapview, so using mouse then.

How viable would it be to use a joystick/throttle combination? joystick to traverse turret, dual throttle for each track so as to pivot steer and motion forward/reverse. Of course, the various switches for lasing, differnt sights, thermals, battle sight, etc.

I previously used a mouse but I digress.

Matt

I never understood the mouse users. This is so non- intuitive it's not funny. It gives finer degrees of control under select circumstances- say, in a 10x magnification mode when tracking a slow target. For scanning in most other situations, a joystick beats it. Even if a joystick isn't an exact replica of M1 cadillacs or the Challenger 2 game pad style, ergonmically, a joystick is still much closer in feel than a mouse or trackball to the controls. When you get towards the edge of the surface with a mouse, you pick it up and set down and move it again. A joystick in contrast allows for indefinitely tracking in any direction in a continuous motion. But whatever.

I use a cheap Thrustmaster joystick- doesn't look tacky or robotic-futuristic. I loved the Microsft optical joystick from some years back- never needed calibration, had no moving parts to wear down, it stopped working with later Windows versions. That thing could have lasted forever with no loss of sensitivity or tweeky behavior.

I don't think that we're supporting that. Besides, the times where you steer a tank with two thrust levers are long gone by. Most use steering wheels in the driver's place, to something like motorcycle handle bars these days. You can use a joystick only for driving while you are in the driver's position. Otherwise consider the key presses as the equivalent of the commander giving commands to the driver.

The reason is simple, you don't have to switch input devices whenever you want to access the map screen or a menu bar. Plus, as a former tanker, joysticks are somewhat awkward to use if you know how the real things are like. It's similar, yet irritatingly different.

Ultimately it's a matter of preference. If you're happy with a joystick, by all means - use it.

I use a Logitech Trackball for control, been using the same trackball for near 10 years now.

I use my X-52. It feels just right with the sim and gives me excellent control.

That's because you have style. Mouse users have no style. Sure it's a matter of preference, in the way that your preference is for the best wine and the best women. I know I can count on you.

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.