Favorite Joystick for Battlefield 2 or in general?

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computadorka

[H]ard|Gawd
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Mar 28, 2002
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So im thinking of getting a joystick for BF2.

I was thinking of the logitech 3d or the wireless Freedom model

or

may be the saitek brand

what do you use / prefer?


What is the deal with joysticks moveing to the left and losing center?
 
Either the saitek or Logitech Extreme 3D Pro are good..
I use the logitech one because its base is heavier (stays planted on table) and it has a shitload of buttons on both the base and the stick.

Both of them have a centering spring, which is what fixes the "loosing center" behaviour.

I heard that the Saitek one is a bit looser than Logitech, which is just a preference.

And I would not get a wireless joystick, because i've heard from people that they loose the wireless connections every once in a while.. So if you're flying at that time.. BOOM!
 
computadorka said:
So im thinking of getting a joystick for BF2.


What is the deal with joysticks moveing to the left and losing center?
Click to expand...

I have the Logitech Extreme Pro and the X45. Both are retired after only a month or two of play on each. They no longer center and just... don't feel right. I'm out $100 but worst of all, those two are the best modern sticks I've tried.

I'm pretty old school when it comes to sticks, my first one being a gravis for Red Baron and X-Wing... it had a dial on the bottom to adjust the tension. I detest sticks that are so loose that you just tap it and it flops to the side.

IMHO, if your arm doesn't hurt after a few hours of play, its a crappy stick ;)

I had a Thrustmaster Topgun stick way back in the day. Bought it when X-wing v Tie Fighter came out. That stick lasted me through that game, the re-release of TIE Fighter, Falcon, both Freespaces, and tons of other games. Never once did I have a floaty center point.



The joystick was retired because it used the game port which went the way of the dodo... but out of curiosity, I looked one up on e-bay when BF2 came out (and I was mighty mad at my X45...) and found a USB model.
 
Yeah, I have an old MS stick that uses gameport also. However I read that you can buy a gameport to usb adapter. Haven't looked for one yet. Anyone using a MS Sidewinder 3D Pro still? :p
 
I'm the Dude said:
Yeah, I have an old MS stick that uses gameport also. However I read that you can buy a gameport to usb adapter. Haven't looked for one yet. Anyone using a MS Sidewinder 3D Pro still? :p
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Yup, still have one. Considering how old it is, the stick was way ahead of its time. I rememeber playing decent and ROTT with it.

It really has everything you need in a flight stick expect USB and it's very loose (not stiff, but not sloppy).

I have never seen or heard of a USB adapter that works, I have tried a gameport --> USB adapter from an old Logitech stick and no go.

I'm using a MS Sidewinder FF2 and love it. I bought a Saitek X-52 to replace it for BF2, but returned it, the stick had way too many controls, the throttle was very slow and the stick wasnt as stiff as my FF2. Also the programming software looks like some cheap VB app released by a 10yr old on AOL.
 
I use a Saitek. I had the Logitech with the twist rudder control, and it was great for the 2 weeks it lasted before it would automatically start pulling to the right on its own, a problem that rendered it unuseable. It's a fairly common problem from what I read at the time, although they may have fixed it. I never bothered to RMA it since the cost of shipping was only a little bit less than the cost of buying the Saitek.
 
QuakerOatz said:
I'm using a MS Sidewinder FF2 and love it. I bought a Saitek X-52 to replace it for BF2, but returned it, the stick had way too many controls, the throttle was very slow and the stick wasnt as stiff as my FF2. Also the programming software looks like some cheap VB app released by a 10yr old on AOL.
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You know, I was considering the X52... even though the X45 let me down so much, I was hoping the 52 would correct the mistakes...

I don't have huge hands, the XBox controller is huge as it is, the rudders on the X45's throttle hurt to use for me. No one's really done a review on it, so I'll take your word on it. However, since I got my TG stick, I haven't even given the X52 another thought until you brought it up.
 
Modded Xbox S Controller- just wish the thumbsticks worked for flying in BF2- they worked great in BFV...right now I'm forced to use the D-pad.
 
I have a logitech wingman extreme and i love it... have had it since before bf1942 was released and still works flawlessly
 
I've been quite happy with my logitech cordless freedom joystick. No lag, batteries last forever, never loses the connection, and the buttons are all nicely placed. I wasn't expecting much when I bought it a year or 2 ago, but it has worked flawlessly since the day I bought it. The only thing that takes some getting used to is the fact it goes to sleep after a few minutes of non-use. It takes a second or two to sync in back up, so you need to hit a button before you hop in the chopper. :)

With BF2 the choppers don't take off right away, so it doesn't really cause a problem if you forget to sync up. But don't ever forget to sync back up if you're getting in a chopper in DesertCombat. You'll be crashed before you even know it.
 
Ashtaka:
I have huge hands and I found the X-52 very large large. Let me say one thing though, the X-52 is AWESOME, but it's for flightsim heads IMO, it reminds you of how "arcade style" BF2 is.

Since they don't make the MS FF2 anymore, I think I'll go with the Saitek Evo of my current stick breaks.... just wish I had bought 2 MS FF2 sticks and put one away for future use.
 
Ashtaka said:
.

I'm pretty old school when it comes to sticks, my first one being a gravis for Red Baron and X-Wing... it had a dial on the bottom to adjust the tension. I detest sticks that are so loose that you just tap it and it flops to the side.
Click to expand...

BEST JOYSTICK EVER. Same games as well as Falcon, Aces over Europe and Aces of the Pacific.

Why is it that no joysticks have a tension control anymore? Please someone point me to one that does. Depending on the game I like different tensions. Going from the mouse to stick in BF2, I really would like a higher tension.

For some reason I dont remember the X52 having adjustable tension. Maybe the BestBuy demo was broken...
 
I really like my Gravis Digital Xterminator, It had a throttle Slider, analog Rudder controls, a Hat Switch, Game Pad, Analog Pad, and 10 buttons. Really good for flight Sims and Flying in BF1942, I only wish they still made them, they came out with a newer version of it but it didn't have all the controls this one has. Its not perfect, but its pretty damn good!
 
I use a Saitek J59 Cyborg 3D Rumble Force with the twist stick for rudder control. It works very well, huge improvement over the mouse. It didn't need the Saitek software, has the nice analog throttle, centering spring and a bunch of buttons on the stick and base. Got it for $10 at Circuit City...
 
I've been a Logitech-only guy for more than ten years but recently was very disappointed with the cordless LX700 desktop. Now I game with my Saitek backlit keyboard and Saitek Cyborg Evo joystick. Its great for flying helicopters in BF2, the twist action and throttle controls are a musts.
 
Just a pip dream here but, wouldn't it be nice if someone actually reviewed flightsticks with crucial infromation such as game comatibility, stick stiffness, throttle design, programming software quality etc.

Do a big flightstick shootout? And make sure the reviewer is a expert pilot.
 
Logitech Extreme 3D Pro is what I've used for Battlefield Vietnam and Battlefield 2, its held up very well and I've been quite pleased with it.
 
fat_al said:
Saitek ST290 Pro - $20 at Walmart. Works pretty good!
Click to expand...
If it doesn't have the twist controll you might want to consider something else. The twist control is very helpfull given the lack of feet pedals for those controls.
 
i shuold be getting a Saitek Cyborg EVO joystick in the mail today that I purchased off ebay... i will opst a review of it when i get it and try it out

-warsaw
 
dimmmy said:
And I would not get a wireless joystick, because i've heard from people that they loose the wireless connections every once in a while.. So if you're flying at that time.. BOOM!
Click to expand...
i dunno where this rumor comes from but my saitek cyborg evo wireless works flawlessly without losing connection during my extended 4-5 hrs of play in one sitting. maybe some other brand does this but the evo is perfect. the battery lasted me around 2 months before i had to replace it. i now use rechargeable.
 
linjy2 said:
i dunno where this rumor comes from...
Click to expand...
It's not necessarly rumor, nor is it faulty products. I have seen more than on wireless product fail because of environment.
 
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