Best controls for SB

[HardRock]

I'd like to SHARE the best controller for almost any game and is well suited for SB if you want to be really efficient.

Often we hear controllers are about personal preference and opinion. I disagree and not to sound pompus but it's more of a fact. Certain things are just more intuitive and faster.

Fact is your left throttle controller uses the fingers in your left hand. The most dexterous being the index and middle finger followed by the thumb. Just walk those two fingers and see how fast you can do it.

With that I'm going to talk (share) about the CH throttle and joystick. The joystick has the same set up as thrustmaster but it is reliable and easier on the arm. With that said nothing to add there...it's the throttle that makes all the difference.

With any game..quick access and *inutitive* is the key to success. The thrustmast simulates the control of an F16 and not much more than that and is un-intuitive and the buttons hard on the fingers.

The Ch throttle is laid out with 3 buttons on top right where your first 3 fingers naturally rest. 3 hat switches are all within a thumbs reach and a 4th you have to reach for which I use for rare commands.

Set up intutively you can use this throttle fromflt sims, tank sims, FPS and anywhere in between.

The index finger and middle finger are the fastest thought process hence should be programmed in a FPS for example as walk forward and backwards and in a tank sim such as SB drive fwd and reverse. The 3rd button can be halt.

The left 8 way hat switch I program with just 4 letters. Again thinking intuititive. FPS= left and right for strafe and up and down for stand/prone

SB would be up/down in the commanders position and left/right for steering.

Now you can move the tank effortlessly without even thinking of it and thinking about what buttons do what is a killer.

Next important operations in a tank sim is your stations. Here the lower thumb hat is perfect. Again thinking intuitively. Up= commander, down = driver with left and right your gunner and outside view.

At this point you can command that tank quicker than you can say boo.

The rest of the hats/buttons as you desire for which I have the zoom,IFR,ammo selection, formation on the joystick hats.

While only playing SB a couple weeks offline and now 4 multi engagements I was able to jump right in from the start and only had to learn the orders from my commander, proceedures and all the other stuff because I had total intuitive and fast control of the tank.

Of course I saved the upper hat switch on the throttle for push to talk and now space bar to scroll that map quick and using the left/right position to zoom in/out.

I can jump to commanders postion where he might identify a target and quickly jump to gunner before AI commander misses (grin) to take him out myself if I think I have a better chance than AI. Which at close range I do:)

All the while easily driving at the same time. Those seconds are the difference of the enemy getting 1 or 2 shots off at you.

Been simming since the C64 and have tried every controller ever made.

Not to mention the CH program is more powerful and easier to use.

Recently picked up their MFD programmed display but don't use it..a bit ambitious at my late stage;-)

Controls are all about speed coupled with being intuitive.

No I don't work for CH. It just works

[Ablemaster]

Have tried various controls, but gone back to the good old mouse, it works fine for me.

[Kingtiger]

Have tried various controls, but gone back to the good old mouse, it works fine for me.

me to

[HardRock]

Have tried various controls, but gone back to the good old mouse, it works fine for me.

See there are those that are fast with a mouse and KB (not me).

I've seen aces fly with a mouse. I contend they'd be faster;-)

[Eihort]

Right now I got an X52, up from the X45 and even the old X32 I think it was.

I like it for this game because you have the closest thing to a geunuine palm switch.

[Tacbat]

Have tried various controls, but gone back to the good old mouse, it works fine for me.

me to

Rodent lovers!

[12Alfa]

Rodent lovers!

Those 2 are going to hell!!

[Splash]

I use the same setup (CH throttle & stick) as HardRock, with the buttons set up similarly. That's a good write-up for anyone who hasn't tried it. Indeed, very intuitive. Add a voice-command program like Shoot!, and I never mess with the keyboard and very rarely touch the mouse.

In fact, I use the throttle with its buttons for every game I play -- in combination with Shoot! -- plus the mouse if needed. Never really liked or became proficient hitting keys on a keyboard for gaming.

[Tacbat]

Same setup as Splash, with "Shoot" to augment.

[HardRock]

I use the same setup (CH throttle & stick) as HardRock, with the buttons set up similarly. That's a good write-up for anyone who hasn't tried it. Indeed, very intuitive. Add a voice-command program like Shoot!, and I never mess with the keyboard and very rarely touch the mouse.

In fact, I use the throttle with its buttons for every game I play -- in combination with Shoot! -- plus the mouse if needed. Never really liked or became proficient hitting keys on a keyboard for gaming.

Good to see it. I thought I was alone:) Every place I've gone (visit friends, conventions etc) all sorts of controls with nothing set up right, Like why wouldn't you put flaps at the touch of your first two fingers which is key in WW2 air combat where flaps, depending on type of plane, is extremely important.

I love hull down in SB. move up a hair..shoot..reverse back before the shell even lands and his hits dirt:) Its that fast;-)

Ditto using the throttle buttons for every game:)

[OnAlienware]

I'm definately a fan of crisp response from the mouse. Perfect consistency during traverse, no dead zones, and no miles of sloppy travel from the stick. Jeez, I can't stand travel...

Nevermind transitioning to menues or anything else requiring a point and click interface...

No, I think the mouse is -far- superior. <-understatement.

[HardRock]

I'm definately a fan of crisp response from the mouse. Perfect consistency during traverse, no dead zones, and no miles of sloppy travel from the stick. Jeez, I can't stand travel...

Nevermind transitioning to menues or anything else requiring a point and click interface...

No, I think the mouse is -far- superior. <-understatement.

You're right..most joysticks aren't as accurate. CH is. and stays accurate.

In the early years the pots of thrustmaster always wore out making sloopy travel..until they purchased CH pots and put them in theirs.

Mouse you do use for menus. I would never program a joystick as a mouse.

[BlackDeath]

the best control ? that :

http://afvsim.com/index.htm

[alpha6]

If only it worked with the Xbox360 remote...

what? no one liked that? is the 360 in bad taste around here?

Edited September 18, 2008 by alpha6