Flight Controls via Stick

[nodunit 397]

If the weight distribution of aircraft is the same and less akin to the models from TKOH then chances are the experience is going to be much of the same. Doesn't matter what you adjust your joystick for, ingame weight is ingame weight although the inclusion of physX might make things interesting.

It's less about joystick response and more about aircraft response, there is a reason in real life they say "handle it as you would an egg" and why what footage you can get of pilot you can see, their hands slowly and sometimes barely move the cyclic.

Tooting my own horn again because it gives me the most information, I've got heading, slip and climb rate indicators. If I tilt my joystick suddenly to get the same control from my bird as the default bird then I should suffer whiplash, it's a difference of 2-5 degrees vs 7-10 or so which is excellent on joystick but not the most friendly on mouse until you get used to baaarely moving your mouse.

Furthermore I've flown aircraft in Arma 2 with both a CyborgX and Logitech Flight Force, the end resulting aircraft response feeling was the same.

Edited March 3, 2013 by NodUnit

[samb 15]

For a helicopter I recommend Thrustmaster Top Gun Afterburner 2 and some kind of steering wheel with pedals. It's not expensive and adds A LOT to Your experience. If You are flying helicopters and are willing to drop any auto assists. If You don't, just play with mouse/kb set.

EDIT: also, forget about using anything but a kb/mouse for default arma model. It's just not ment to be flawn with joystick, and is actually more difficult to fly it that way (unless it's just me not being able to get used to it).

[EDcase 87]

I still say stick with rudder is better than kb&mouse even in Arma2

With kb&m you can't crab and rotate around a fixed point. (Doesn't matter much but it just cannot be done properly with buttons to control yaw)

Each to his own of course.

I really hope they get the TOH flight model working soon...

[doveman 7]

You don't need to buy a expensive joystick to enjoy flying helicopters in A2, just spend some time adjusting axis curves to your liking and choice of heli (i.e settings that feels good for the MH-6 may not be so good for the Chinook, use profiles). To me flying with mouse/KB just doesn't "feel right" and things will get even better when we get the advanced flight model in A3 ;)

Except a lot of sticks (like my Thrustmaster Hotas X) don't come with any software to adjust the axis curves, so you kinda do have to buy an expensive joystick to do that.

Personally, I can't fly helos in ArmA with M&KB, it just feels weird steering with the mouse with my right hand and tapping buttons to adjust the collective (and rudder) with my left hand. I manage much better with my stick but still find it very difficult to fly, compared to DCS BS2. Even with analogue collective, it's very hard if not impossible to achieve a hover, whereas I can just tap Q or Z once or twice and hey presto, I'm hovering (I've mapped those to my stick now so I can tap them when needed). I found the twist rudder too hard to use too, as it felt confusing moving the stick to adjust the pitch and yaw at the same time as twisting it and I much prefer using the rocker on the throttle for yaw.

[Covert_Death 11]

I have the Evo Force (wired) by saitek and i gotta say its a great stick with GREAT FFB, and has twist rudder action and plenty of buttons. something along those lines should server you well for this game (i also use it for FSX and Il2 sturmovick and never had a problem)

[Derbysieger 11]

Except a lot of sticks (like my Thrustmaster Hotas X) don't come with any software to adjust the axis curves, so you kinda do have to buy an expensive joystick to do that.

Personally, I can't fly helos in ArmA with M&KB, it just feels weird steering with the mouse with my right hand and tapping buttons to adjust the collective (and rudder) with my left hand. I manage much better with my stick but still find it very difficult to fly, compared to DCS BS2. Even with analogue collective, it's very hard if not impossible to achieve a hover, whereas I can just tap Q or Z once or twice and hey presto, I'm hovering (I've mapped those to my stick now so I can tap them when needed). I found the twist rudder too hard to use too, as it felt confusing moving the stick to adjust the pitch and yaw at the same time as twisting it and I much prefer using the rocker on the throttle for yaw.

The Black Shark is VERY easy to fly compared to traditional heli designs with tailrotors. Not only has it the koax rotor that cancels most of the torque, it also has a bunch of auto pilots that can literally fly the shark for you. If you want to get a good idea what it's like to fly a traditional heli try the upcoming UH-1H module for DCS when it's out (according to the devs it is really dfficult to fly!) or the little bird in TOH (it is quite good now).

[armyinf 33]

Wow thanks for all the good information, Never figured this would have gotten so much forum time! Well 2 days out, everyone ready!??