Post your stick set up and help others understand

[ZXMAW]

Some of you are skilled pilots and others are lucky but one thing you have in common is total control of your aircraft. Each pilot has his own style that may match his particular set up but I would like to ask some of you who think they are good enough to post them here today. It's a fairly easy process, all you have to do is take a screen shot of your Roll, Pitch and maybe even rudder set ups within the game and then post them here. By examining the screen shots newer and older players will be able to get a better idea of how a stick should be set up. If the info helps people then you've done a good thing for your fellow Sim Pilots. Even tho I have a decent rank I don't feel my set up is worthy enough to post. To tell you the truth, I've really never been happy with it. If you do decide to be good enough to post yours, please include the type of stick you use. I myself am looking for a good CH Combat or Fighter stick set up to use. If you have trouble posting them just EMAIL me and I'll post it for you and give you full credit.
 ZXMAW@hotmail.com

I hope this works out and I get a few on this string. If your good at explaining how to set it up then post that info instead.
Thank you,
ZXerMAW

[K West]

I have a CH F16 Fighterstick, Pro Throttle and Pro pedals combo. Here's my layout and link for my Speedkeys:

(edited: Just click links. images distort topic in browser)

 http://www.townisp.com/~jugdriver/AH_fs.bmp  

 http://www.townisp.com/~jugdriver/AH_pt.bmp  


 SPEEDKEYS FILE

 Westy

[ 01-02-2002: Message edited by: O'Westy ]

[Lephturn]

There is an even easier way than screenshots, although a bit harder to understand.

In your Aces High\Settings directory open up stick.cfg with notepad.  You will see something like this:

0,33784,65535,0.050000,0.042000,0
0,33217,65535,0.029000,0.106000,0
0,33919,65535,0.085000,0.250000,0
0,36479,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
0,0,65535,0.050000,0.100000,0
1.00,1.00,1.00,1.00,1.00,1.00,1.00,1.00,1.00,1.00
0.32,0.34,0.38,0.44,0.50,0.60,0.70,0.80,0.90,1.00
0.10,0.20,0.30,0.40,0.50,0.60,0.70,0.80,0.90,1.00

The last three lines are  your roll, pitch, and yaw scalings.  I'm not sure which are the deadband settings and such, I'd have to mess with it.  I use this a lot to see what other folk's stick scalings are set up like, it's quick and easy.  FYI.  If you have trouble getting screenshots, it might be easier to get the stick.cfg files from folks and have Excel or something suck them up and turn them into graphs automagically.    Anyway, just some options there for you.

However, pictures are easier to understand.  Here are mine:

Lephturn's Roll Scaling
Lephturn's Pitch Scaling
Lephturn's Yaw Scaling

I use a Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Pro USB and fly the P-47 and F6F-5 primarily.

A joystick setup/scaling article is next up on my list.  It would be GREAT to be able to link up with just this sort of resource so folks can match their stick and plane choices for comparison.

Oh, you should add the primary plane choice.  I'd scale my stick a bit differently if I flew 109's or Spits I think.  I think it would be good information to have.

[funkedup]

I have CH USB stuff:  Fighterstick, Pro Throttle, Pro Pedals.

Here are my setup files and explanation of how to set it up:  http://www.hitechcreations.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=10&t=001340

Here are screens of my scalings:

   

   

 

These settings give you very precise control near the center point of the stick.

[ 01-02-2002: Message edited by: funkedup ]

[akak]

Here is how I've got my stick scale set at.  Even though I use all CH analog gear (Jane's F-16 CS, Pro Throttle, Pro Pedals) this scale will work with any joystick.  This scale also helps reduce the nose bounce you see in AH.  Works well in both E and TnB styles of fighting and even though my primary ride is the P-38, again I think this scale will work well with any plane.

 

 

 

[Vortex]

This is some very helpful stuff guys! I was having a bit of a tough time getting a config I was happy with. When one is uncertain you tend to get a bit extreme in the changes made and end up chasing setting all over the place. Although there's some noticable differences in a few of the configs here there's also some pretty obvious common settings too. Good starting points to try however you cut it.

Prior to seeing these I was having a tough time keeping a 1 for 1 sortie/kill ratio (I'm pretty much a fighter weenie). Since seeing them and tweaking my settings accordingly the change has been pretty noticable...4 sorties, 13 kills, 2 sorties landed. I'm still not happy with my gunnery at all (0.08 or some such...no idea what that means really) but that will come with time. At least overall control is much improved.

I don't use anything quite as fancy as what you guys have though. Just my old CH Flightstick and a set of CH Rudder pedals. I use the keyboard for views and throttle managment. I don't have any screenshots to offer but the config that seems to be working well for me is pretty much a mirror of Lephturn's Rudder and Roll scalings with the Pitch being very similar to Ack-Ack's. Worth noting with this old stick I've had to set the dampening very much like what Ack-Ack has, at 50% or more for every category. Otherwise the stick is just too bouncy it seems. Dead Band as well I set to about 15-25% but again, that has a lot to do with the age of the stick (hehe, there's a _whole_ pile of free play in the center area of this old war horse :-> ).

In short though, thanks a bunch for this stuff folks. Very helpful indeed!

Vortex

[ 01-02-2002: Message edited by: Vortex ]

[Lephturn]

Ack-Ack,

Your deadband and damping numbers look much much too high.  If you need to go that high for smooth control, there is something else wrong, like a spiking stick.  That's not normal or desirable, and would likely delay your control inputs enough to get you killed in a fight I'd think.

If you can't get those deadband and damping sliders lower and still have good control, I think it's time for a new stick.  

[Blue Mako]

I use (pretty much) the default stick scaling and deadband settings.  I just used them long enough to get used to them.  My recommendation to anyone just starting is to leave the scaling alone and concentrate on using small, smooth stick movements.  After you can fly smoothly and consistently you should then think about changing your settings.

The only immediate change I would recommend is to check you aren't get spiking and adjust deadband as appropriate.

In short my recommendation is: develop your style using default settings and then tweak your settings.

Anyway, I know that isn't quite what the thread was after but my $0.02 anyway.  

P.S. The reason I posted this advice was that I have noticed a lot of new players asking for scaling settings to try to eliminate nose bounce etc.  The most likely reason that they were getting nose bounce is over control of the planes, not the joystick scaling.  Toning down your control response to eliminate pilot input problems is a bad idea IMO as it will lead to continued hamfistedness (is that a word?) and poor aircraft control and shooting accuracy.  I think it is much better to learn how to control the aircraft effectively before thinking about changing the J/S settings.

[ 01-02-2002: Message edited by: Blue Mako ]

[majic]

I am by no means experienced enough to be one of the top pilots in the game but I can hold my own usually.  I'm with Mako on this one.  I can smoothly control my plane with the defaults and have not changed them at all.  Just took some time, that's all...

[ZXMAW]

Well, I was very happy to see so many replies and most were very helpfull. Thank you all for posting  
 Owesty, thanks but thats not really what we were looking for although your input can give others an idea of how to set there buttons w that particular stick. <S>

Lephturn, yours and Ack-Ack's are very similar and have made a conciderable difference. I thank you both especialy for your valued posts. I forget which one of you didn't bring the farthest rt. slider up to the very top on the pitch but from past experience that has never worked for me. I can only guess that you have it there to remind you not to pull the stick all the way back.
Vortex, I hope many who are lucky enough to spot this post get the same results that you have had. If you want I have a brand new non USB CH fighterstick here for you cheap if ya like. Check the CH web site for prices.

Blue Mako and Majic, I totaly disagree with you both. Not the part where you say it works fine for you but the part where you say in different word,  get used to it. Some people like myself when I first started, had extream nose bounce. The only thing that helped me was to move the deadband and damping (mostly the damping up). The default settings were good after that adjustment but I knew even more control could be obtained  with the right help. I, like some who will read this, have chased that perfect set up since i got here and have deleted my Stick file many times just start from scratch again. Besides gaining experience while playing the game,nothing has helped me more than playing with my stick....  humm  You know what I mean. Anyway, I would recommend to any new player to take a look at these settings so generously provided to help with your game. If you don't like it, delete it and start over with the new default. Play with it some more until you get it to merge with your particular choice of plane and or style of flying.
Thanks again guys,
ZX

[akak]

Originally posted by Lephturn:
Ack-Ack,

Your deadband and damping numbers look much much too high.  If you need to go that high for smooth control, there is something else wrong, like a spiking stick.  That's not normal or desirable, and would likely delay your control inputs enough to get you killed in a fight I'd think.

If you can't get those deadband and damping sliders lower and still have good control, I think it's time for a new stick.  

I had the deadbands and damping scale set pretty much how you have yours during my 1st campaign but saw a lot of nose bounce when trying to get nose down to bear on target.  It made shooting really hard for me so I tweaked the deadbands and damping until I could bring the nose bounce down to a minimum.  Ever since I did that, my kill ratio and shooting accuracy improved quite a bit in my 2nd campaign which just ended.

[Lephturn]

Originally posted by Ack-Ack:


I had the deadbands and damping scale set pretty much how you have yours during my 1st campaign but saw a lot of nose bounce when trying to get nose down to bear on target.  It made shooting really hard for me so I tweaked the deadbands and damping until I could bring the nose bounce down to a minimum.  Ever since I did that, my kill ratio and shooting accuracy improved quite a bit in my 2nd campaign which just ended.

While I understand why it may have helped, my point is that I suspect there is still possibly a problem and that solving the underlying problem might help you even more.  If your stick is spiking for some reason, or you are over-controlling the craft, damping will help you play but are not the root cause.  Basically, I think with settings that high, you are minimizing the symptoms instead of solving the problem.

I think Blue Mako makes a good point, but it needs to be tempered with a short-term solution.  It does take some practice to get used to the very accurate physics in this game.  By all means use the deadband and damping sliders to make the game playable, but don't just leave it at that.  Try going back and re-adjusting sometimes and try it with much lower deadband and damping settings.  Move your stick and watch the graph and look for spikes that would indicate a problem like dirty pots or a bad game port.  Try lowering your damping and fly some sorties to see if you can combine the faster response with smoother movement for an overall better control of the plane.

[Lephturn]

Originally posted by ZXMAW:

Lephturn, yours and Ack-Ack's are very similar and have made a conciderable difference. I thank you both especialy for your valued posts. I forget which one of you didn't bring the farthest rt. slider up to the very top on the pitch but from past experience that has never worked for me. I can only guess that you have it there to remind you not to pull the stick all the way back.

Good point, and I want to comment on the last slider.  No matter what you do with the scaling, the stick will ALWAYS go to 100% near the end if it's travel.  Try it and watch the graph.  Drop your sliders all down to like 20% accross the board, then move your stick and watch the control graph.  You will see that as the stick nears the end of it's travel, it will instantly jump to 100% in the direction your pushing it.  The result is that you can leave the last one at 90 if you want, and it will simply jump to 100 anyway at the end of it's travel.  However, don't just look at the sliders, tune it with the graph.  My Sidewinder here at work seems to jump to 100 at a certain point anyway, so I have to adjust my scaling so that the control graph on the left moves smoothly without jumping in all control axis.

That's really the key.  Tuning your scaling by using the graph display in the game.   Do that properly and you should be able to get a scaling that works well for your control setup.

[Vortex]

Thanks for the stick offer ZX. However, I have a CH F16 Fighter Stick and CH Pro Throttle already. I only use them for Falcon 4 though, whenever I get the urge to play it. I haven't had much luck with them in this game.

Reasons are twofold really. The big one is that I'm a lefty and I just have a better feel for plane control using that hand. Since the CH Flightstick is ambidextrous it fits well here. With something like Falcon you can get away with a less refined control input. For sims like this one though where you're on the edge most of the time, that lack of fine control can be a tad problematic to say the least.  

The second factor is I got in the habit of using left-hand on the stick and right hand doing keyboard views, throttle, flaps back when I last played online in the mid-90's. I tried this newer F16/Pro Throttle gear initially for here but my SA was terrible. I've never been able to traverse views as seemlessly with a joystick hat setup as I can with the keyboard. Its amazing even after that long of a sabatical how we still remain set in our ways.

Vortex

[Manxer]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who uses keyboard views instead of a hatswitch  

Not that I have to, I just got used to the quick views with the combined keys of the numberpad.