Equipment to improve AH play

[titanic3]

I have 5 buttons on the top of my stick. Two for flaps up/down, one for secondary fire, one for WEP, one for switch secondary (I practically never use it). The 8 view hat switches I use half of the time, the other half I spend using my numpad. Trigger fires the primary guns, and a button on the base of the stick is my zoom toggle. Throttle at the base at the stick as well. Right hand flies the plane and shoots the trigger, left hand works the view and the throttle and other things, (gears, hooks, chat).

[ink]

I actually agree with semp a bit  (thats a first )

seriously though I used a cheap saitek stick for years...having all the buttons on the HOTAS is much nicer and allows less reaching for the keyboard, while fighting....

but if you cant fight before all the goodies..... IE a HOTAS.... peddles...whatever...you are not magically gonna be able to fight when you get them....

[Bizman]

+1 what Ink said about fighting skills.

Semp, I my bare necessities list was based on you saying

it does make a difference in a furball if you don't have to remove your hands from stick and throttle.

. I doubt there would be any need for auto pilot in a middle of a furball. Also, why would you need one trigger for primary, another for secondary and yet one for both? The two former can be pressed simultaneously for the effect of the third. Sure, everything can be mapped, but would that improve AH play is another matter. From experience I can tell that after changing a stick it will take some time to find the optimal button for each function, not to mention how long it takes to learn their mapping. And yes, I forgot the zoom toggle.

[guncrasher]

in a furball if you have a pilot wound and you are passing out you can maneuver till almost end then quickly press auto pilot.

I am a believer that you should only touch the keyboard to type.  I even have another control box made by 68valu for things like tail hook, landing gear, jump airplane in bombers., calibrate sight, etc.

The only thing I actually don't have mapped is gunner positions.


semp

[titanic3]

in a furball if you have a pilot wound and you are passing out you can maneuver till almost end then quickly press auto pilot.

I am a believer that you should only touch the keyboard to type.  I even have another control box made by 68valu for things like tail hook, landing gear, jump airplane in bombers., calibrate sight, etc.

The only thing I actually don't have mapped is gunner positions.


semp

Unless you're missing one arm..there really is no difference. My left hand works the keyboard and my right hand flies the plane and controls the most important buttons. Hell, I type and fly at the same time regularly pretty much everyday, even in dogfights where I don't need to have my left hand on the numpad (using my right thumb to keep an eye on the enemy with the hat switch).

[guncrasher]

I doubt that you and me play the same way.   I can type 80 wpm in my sleep, but in middle of fight I constantly adjust throttle, If I move it to toggle zoom then there's always the chance I may overshoot or let the con get away.


There's times I know I won a fight or made a shot because I didn't have to touch the keyboard.   you play the way you feel comfortable but know that there's always something that can improve your game


semp

[The Fugitive]

Unless you're missing one arm..there really is no difference. My left hand works the keyboard and my right hand flies the plane and controls the most important buttons. Hell, I type and fly at the same time regularly pretty much everyday, even in dogfights where I don't need to have my left hand on the numpad (using my right thumb to keep an eye on the enemy with the hat switch).

just admit it !!! Your jealous that you can't have the "fancy" equipment and must make do. 

otoh, having all the bells and whistles doesn't mean your a better cartoon pilot. Time PRACTICING will determine who is the better cartoon pilot. The more practice, the better you'll be. Now if Titanic3 with his cheap stuff could fight against Titanic3 with all the bells and whistles, Id have to give the edge to Titanic3........ with the bells and whistles.

[titanic3]

just admit it !!! Your jealous that you can't have the "fancy" equipment and must make do. 

otoh, having all the bells and whistles doesn't mean your a better cartoon pilot. Time PRACTICING will determine who is the better cartoon pilot. The more practice, the better you'll be. Now if Titanic3 with his cheap stuff could fight against Titanic3 with all the bells and whistles, Id have to give the edge to Titanic3........ with the bells and whistles.

  I'll DA one of you "bells and whistles" guys, set up a time. 

[ink]

I'll DA one of you "bells and whistles" guys, set up a time. 

well the only "bells and whistles" I have is a CH fighter stick, Saitek Throttle&peddles.....


the way you talk it seems like you think you are pretty good......I will test you out.

[68valu]

in a furball if you have a pilot wound and you are passing out you can maneuver till almost end then quickly press auto pilot.

I am a believer that you should only touch the keyboard to type.  I even have another control box made by 68valu for things like tail hook, landing gear, jump airplane in bombers., calibrate sight, etc.

The only thing I actually don't have mapped is gunner positions.


semp

here is a box with gunner positions I use for myself! I'm not the greatest cartoon pilot, but I do have cool toys I've built for myself and a few of our fellow AH'ers as well.




                                                                                                                                           68valu

[The Fugitive]

I'll DA one of you "bells and whistles" guys, set up a time. 

...and if you duel one of those "bells and whistles" guys that have been "practicing" this game as long as you have you will be very hard pressed to win.

Again <read slowly so you might understand> it's NOT the equipment, but the skill attained from countless hours of practice.

[ink]

here is a box with gunner positions I use for myself! I'm not the greatest cartoon pilot, but I do have cool toys I've built for myself and a few of our fellow AH'ers as well.

(Image removed from quote.)


                                                                                                                                           68valu

very cool

[titanic3]

well the only "bells and whistles" I have is a CH fighter stick, Saitek Throttle&peddles.....


the way you talk it seems like you think you are pretty good......I will test you out.

  I asked to DA you before in the MA, you said you were busy, next time. Haven't heard anything since. Titan is my IGN (well, was).

...and if you duel one of those "bells and whistles" guys that have been "practicing" this game as long as you have you will be very hard pressed to win.

Again <read slowly so you might understand> it's NOT the equipment, but the skill attained from countless hours of practice.

  That's been the whole point of my posts. I'm just saying that those guys wasted their money if they were looking for even more help.

[The Fugitive]

I asked to DA you before in the MA, you said you were busy, next time. Haven't heard anything since. Titan is my IGN (well, was).

  That's been the whole point of my posts. I'm just saying that those guys wasted their money if they were looking for even more help.

But to them they are NOT wasting their money. To them the immersion is worth the price. To guys with poor eye site a bigger screen does give them an advantage, while it's not an advantage OVER another player they are truly hindered if they don't have it, so, it does become an advantage.

You may not think some of these things are an advantage, but to some they are. Telling people not to waste their money is foolish unless you also point out that it is only your opinion and let it go at that.

[titanic3]

But to them they are NOT wasting their money. To them the immersion is worth the price. To guys with poor eye site a bigger screen does give them an advantage, while it's not an advantage OVER another player they are truly hindered if they don't have it, so, it does become an advantage.

You may not think some of these things are an advantage, but to some they are. Telling people not to waste their money is foolish unless you also point out that it is only your opinion and let it go at that.

And to the guys who ARE buying them, thinking they'll get some huge advantage, are wasting their money. I already set a difference between the two in my previous posts. There are those that buy it for immersion (who doesn't want a cockpit sim of their favorite plane?), and there are those that buy it to gain as many advantages as they can get, yet they don't realize the "advantage" is almost nothing. At least read the whole thread before calling another person's opinions "foolish".