I'm working on getting into AH again, and among my needs is a working joystick (my old Logitech is too far gone and never was terribly reliable anyway). I haven't paid the slightest bit of attention to joysticks for several years, so I'm highly out of date. I see lots of discussion about $100 dollar rudder pedals, $300 dollar HOTAS setups, and stuff like that. Those things are nice, but they don't help me. I would like some opinions on cheap joysticks. I'd be willing to go up to the $60-$70 dollar range, but prefer under $45 or so. USB or gameport makes no difference to me.
What I want in a stick:
Reliable. This is the only real "requirement". If it's going to break in half or have more spikes than an Arizona cactus after a week, I don't want it. A $10 stick should last at least 2 or 3 months, while I would hope to get at least a year of good service out of something which costs over $50. I'd be more than happy to use a 2-button stick if it's actually reliable.
What I don't want:
HOTAS. I hate those things.
Things that would be nice but aren't required:
Heavy pull--the heavier, the better
Some sort of rudder control like a twisty stick (only desireable if reliable; the Z-axis of my Logitech stick only worked adequately for about a week)
4-6 buttons
Heavy base so I don't have to tape it to the desk
Things which are irrevelant (meaning if these individual parts are junk or break easily, that's fine because I don't use them anyway):
Throttle slider
Hat switch
I appreciate any feedback. If you think you have an idea of the sort of stick that fits my preferences, please share your opinion.
J_A_B
