Is a Joystick reallyneeded?

[UPSMan]

Hey, I found this game today and am very very interrested. However, I dont own a joystick at all. Is there any way you can just play with the keyboard? Also, I have a few other quick questions. Which joystick would you recommend that is cheap yet still very useful, walmart type. Secondly, once the two weeks are over, how much do they charge per month. Yes im a noob and i didnt see it.

Anyhow, ill take any suggestions,

thanks

[SkyChimp03]

Originally posted by UPSMan
Hey, I found this game today and am very very interrested. However, I dont own a joystick at all. Is there any way you can just play with the keyboard? Also, I have a few other quick questions. Which joystick would you recommend that is cheap yet still very useful, walmart type. Secondly, once the two weeks are over, how much do they charge per month. Yes im a noob and i didnt see it.

Anyhow, ill take any suggestions,

thanks

Saitek... Trust me dont even try with mouse 14.95 is montly charge.

[UPSMan]

ouch, thats as much as WOW Is and I already pay that, I guess I could try for one month and then decide if I stil like it. SO does walmart sell that style of Joystick? I wana go buy one and really wana play it! Looks pretty cool.

Thanks, any more advise also works great!

[SkyChimp03]

Originally posted by UPSMan
ouch, thats as much as WOW Is and I already pay that, I guess I could try for one month and then decide if I stil like it. SO does walmart sell that style of Joystick? I wana go buy one and really wana play it! Looks pretty cool.

Thanks, any more advise also works great!

Yes.

[Schatzi]

Hello UPSMan,


First of all, you have a two week free trial for online play (ive youve never played this game before) - so you can just create an account and try it out to see if you like it.


On Joystick: YES, its a system requirement, and that for a reason - AH is a rather realistic flight sim. Keyboard only doesnt work at all, mouse is possible, but very limited in the long run.


Here you can find a PDF file on how to set up your mouse as flight controller. You can do this just to see what the game is like and if it fits you at all. But be warned: mouse flying is a LOT harder then controlling the plane with a Joystick, especially when it comes to fighting.

Then i recommend you get a Joystick as quick as possible. Doesnt have to be anything fancy: a 8-way-hatswitch for views, a throttle lever, some form of rudder (twisty) control and as many buttons as you can get your hands on . Im not US, so im not sure on this, but i think you can get one of the small Saitek sticks at Walmart for ~ 20 USD? Stay away from Logitech sticks, they are know for their short endurance.



On http://www.netaces.org is a one page reference on keymap you can print out. Its a very useful thing to have close by at the beginning. Net Aces and the Trainers Homepage are good places to dig around and learn the ropes of how everything works in game.

If you decide to come online (and trigger your trial period), check out the Training Arena - The Trainer Corps is always willing to help you get started. Ill be online there later today/tonight. You can contact us also via email to trainers@hitechcreations.com - please dont forget to include your GameID and times you are available (time zone!) in the email.



Welcome!

[UPSMan]

Thanks again schatzi, you sure did help a ton! Though my joystick is obviously way to sensitive! Cant hardly touch it with my pinky finger without it saying im going to stall or blackout, its awful! Ah well maybe ill work on it later!

Thanks again!

[fuzeman]

Late on the reply but when someone asks if they can fly with a mouse I say you can but it's much more difficult. It would be like removing the steering wheel of your car and then steering with a cresent wrench. It can be done but it's more difficult and not as much fun.
As mentioned calibration, stick scaling and getting used to the flight model are effecting you, in my opinion. Never discount the possibility of a bad stick though.
It may seem tough at first but once you get the initial problems out of the way and learn the game it is definately worth it, even for $14.95 a month.

[SVIGGEN]

now i respect other people's opinions, but here is the fact: I have flown AH and AH2 for more than 7 years now, on and off-will only mouse as the primary controller, and I have to say that as long as you setup the sensitivity of the mouse to your liking, it is very, VERY easy and enjoyable to get kills in it. It just takes time to adjust to. (IMHO).

[Krusty]

You *can* get around using a wheelchair as well, but if you have 2 working legs it's a thousand times more effective. Same for using a joystick.

Joystick is 1000x more effective than mouse, even the cheapest, crappiest, Logitech is better than no stick. You *can*.... but you shouldn't limit handicap yourself.



[no offense to anybody in wheel chairs that may read this)]

[Rolex]

Yes, there are a few people who fly using a mouse and keyboard. I think HTC has done a good job of making the game as accommodating as possible by providing mouse control. People might be surprised to learn that many long-term players started out on a mouse, flying that way for quite a while, before transitioning to a joystick.

So, welcome UPSMan. Schatzi has led you to the water; I hope you'll drink up and enjoy it.

[Schatzi]

Originally posted by SVIGGEN
now i respect other people's opinions, but here is the fact: I have flown AH and AH2 for more than 7 years now, on and off-will only mouse as the primary controller, and I have to say that as long as you setup the sensitivity of the mouse to your liking, it is very, VERY easy and enjoyable to get kills in it. It just takes time to adjust to. (IMHO).

SVIGGEN,

Ive flown myself with mouse for a while, before I wrote that help file, to get a feel of the problems and issues (and possible solutions) connected with mouse flying.

The point where I *always* got in trouble in a fight was when it got to the point where I had one hand on the numpad to operate the views, the second one on the mouse to control plane. I was always missing the third and fourth hand to control my flaps and to apply rudder input. Nonwithstanding the fact that rudder input through keyboard is very much imprecise. Im not even going to think about trimming manually.....

How do you solve this problem? Of working rudder, flaps and views pretty much simultaneously in a fight?


Best regards,

Schatzi

[Schatzi]

Originally posted by UPSMan
Thanks again schatzi, you sure did help a ton! Though my joystick is obviously way to sensitive! Cant hardly touch it with my pinky finger without it saying im going to stall or blackout, its awful! Ah well maybe ill work on it later!

Thanks again!

UPSMan,

In case you havent solved that issue yet: make sure your Joystick is calibrated both in Windows and in the game as well. If you change any mappings or scalings, you need to recalibrate again.

If the stick is still sensitive after calibration, let me know. Then youll need to play around on scaling a bit.

Schatzi

[Bruv119]

My good friend Kazaa has always used a mouse and can pull moves I doubt i could do with a stick but it does have its downfalls.

Krusty I think your statement is a little off there.  I'm sure there are other talented mouse fliers out there.

you have too put time and effort to train your brain to use that particular device your bound to get good at it eventually.

But yea if your new a stick maybe the way too go.


Bruv
~S~

[SVIGGEN]

schatzi,

I understand your point. I am not saying that the mouse is the be-all and end-all. I am just saying that for me, it was the most comfortable solution. Of course, I have to say that using a keyboard with the views and a mouse with the controls need a lot of practice to get used to. But after around 7 years of AH practice, I finally can get to the point where I am not even looking at the keyboard and mouse. and of course, with manual trim, rudder, views, etc, It is all handled by the default computer peripherals for me.

This is also a reason why I discontinued the il-2 series by Maddox/Ubisoft. They only have joystick or keyboard control. And the kyboard control system doesn't work at all! that's why I think Aces High has the best Compromise-fly with joystick, mouse, or keyboard-your choice.

Il-2 Doesn't have mouse control. It's keyboard function as control is essentially broken, if you now what I mean.

Falcon 4.0: Allied Force only has keyboard control (aside from Joystick)
It is decent, but mouse is better than using the arrow keys when it comes to flying.

Lockon: Modern Air Combat has all three options, but its mouse control is absolutely horrible, and actually WORSE than its keyboard control.

The bottom line of my point is that unlike other simulations that either features mouse control or not, Aces High is one of those that actually works when you setup the mouse or keyboard.

[Schatzi]

Originally posted by Bruv119
My good friend Kazaa has always used a mouse and can pull moves I doubt i could do with a stick but it does have its downfalls.



you have too put time and effort to train your brain to use that particular device your bound to get good at it eventually.

But yea if your new a stick maybe the way too go.


Bruv
~S~

I dont think it has anything to do with being "new" and mouse as an "advanced form of controller". Theres no way that a mouse can offer the same smoothness and quickness of input that a HOTAS Joystick can. That doesnt mean that a good flying skill and technique cannot make up (at least partly) for the lack of control.

Ive asked many a mouse wielder how they match up views, rudder and flaps in a fight. To the day, NONE of them answered me. Id really like to know.