WC controls...from stick to mouse to stick...a saga

[Dundradal]

For years I was a loyal Thrustmaster WC player. Then college came along and when I was away during my freshmen year lightning struck my father's house destroying my longtime WC machine (Dell P2 300, Canopus Pure3D, it was built for WC) and my precious TM sticks.

For the last decade I've been using a mouse for piloting. At first I didn't like it, it was too sensitive, I'd overcorrect and it was just a pain in the ass. Eventually though I came to enjoy the finer control it offered. However, two weeks ago my loyal WC control device decided it had had enough and the cable became broken inside and it would no longer work with any regularity.

Yesterday, I took a step back(?)/forward. I went to my local Best Buy and purchased a Logitech Attack 3 (the website said they had the pro in stock there, but of course, nowhere to be found, damn it!). I took it for a few spins in the Standoff simulator to get used to it and found to my surprise I missed the fine control of the mouse. It had been so long since I'd used a joystick that it was strange to have to make constant movements to correct aim instead of slowly moving the mouse to correct.

After several more trial runs (and some key rebinding, whoever did the original WCP stickset had some fetish for views because half the buttons were wasted in that manner instead of on useful things...like guns) I remembered why I used to love the joystick, the immersion level increases greatly. I felt like again I was back behind the controls of my fighter instead of sliding a mouse around to point and shoot. Now I was flying again and it felt great.

Just wanted to share this little saga with everyone as it's been a long time in the making, but it feels great to be back "in the cockpit" again!

 

[frostytheplebe]

~~~ I feel your pain, I've been playing WC on a touchpad. My fingers are killing me!

 

[ELTEE]

That's a great conclusion. I've always been a champion of the joystick, but certainly have had to adapt to other controls at times (school, work, active duty.)

I think you touched on the key point - the level of immersion it afford you. I've heard several arguments claiming one form of control is superior to the other. For me, at the end of the day, it's all about the overall experience. Wing Commander goes to great lengths to develop a plot and involve you in the universe. It only seems fitting that a joystick should be used.

Now, if I had the resources/technology/ability, you can bet I'd have a a whole cockpit assembled that could actually interact with the game...

OLED canopy, anyone??