Not sure about the
Saitek panels... weren't these more for FSX? IIRC those don't work outside of that particular civil aviation simulator.
As for your MS stick, you can map controls directly in the in-game UI or use DirectX mappings in the .key file. I'm not sure if anyone on the official forums flies with a MS Sidey stick but it wouldn't hurt to ask over there.... that way you can get specific help. I will admit that setting up Falcon can be a pain; luckily you only need to do it once and you should be good.
I am using an MS SIDEWINDER FFB2, and yes, it needs more button, so I paired it with an X52 throttle.
Takes ages to configure them for each simulation, but after that it is the best combo I ever had.
I also tend to sit down in the corner and cry a bit when a new DCS release wipes my cfg.
