*** The Official Elite: Dangerous Thread ***

[PlacidCasual]

if you dont mind me asking why did you use your fleet carrier? it seems a very inefficient way of doing it, there are heaps of supply of stuff within 40LY of the CG target.....

When I looked at the decent supplies within Type-9 jump radius they were all on planets and the idea of landing a Type-9 or anything else on planet 20+ times filled me with dread. I parked the FC in the same orbit as a station 300LY away with 1M supply so it was all very painless 50Mm hops. The nearby orbitals didn't seem to have decent supplies. Then I parked the FC in the Primary star orbit withn the Clipper Cutter jump range so all nice easy jumps and runs without planets in the way. It might have been quicker direct, but with the FC was low effort and allowed me to step away and come back.

 

[Nigel Kingdon]

yep it's easier to find an orbiting supply depot that is 20ls from the star, park the FC at the star and it's around 3 mins per round trip. Trying to get a slot at the CG goal is a challenge, however, and I'm 10LY out which means a round trips of 10 mins.

 

[PlacidCasual]

I'm trying to decide on a joystick solution, I've been using an XBox controller recently which is really convenient from a pick up and put down perspective and if I'm hauling or exploring or doing Odyssey missions is entirely acceptable. The recent piracy CG though has exposed the limitations of the controller for flight combat, although I have been working on my set up and technique I'm limited to boom and zoom or lower difficulty pirates, sadly as my combat ranking has increased the missions I get tend to spawn more and more difficult opponents even if it's just a salvage job.

I'm looking for a flight controller I would love a nice big HOTAS like Turtle Beach VelocityOne FlightDeck or other feature rich twin set up. But it's not going to happen, I can't justify the cost £250+, and I can't justify the desk space.

So I'm looking for a single stick solution something with enough buttons I can get all my combat features on the controller. I've been looking at the Thrustmaster SOL-R1and the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Stick, although even then I'll have to watch out for deals.

Do any of you have any recommendations for a single stick solution?

 

[Bubo]

I can tell you that I am happy enough playing Elite with a MSFF2 stick in my right hand and keyboard on the left. The old MSFF2 stick has way fewer buttons on it compared to modern sticks, and I don't even use the little throttle on the stick, all it is used for is the flight and targeting essentials, everything else I am able to use the keyboard for, including throttle control based on combos for the various percentage throttle hotkeys, increase/decrease throttle and the like. So what I'm saying is you should be fine with just a single stick and a keyboard for combat with your right hand on the stick just doing the flying and shooting. So you maybe don't need a joystick with masses of buttons if you were thinking along those lines on a single stick.

 

[bigmike20vt]

I'm trying to decide on a joystick solution, I've been using an XBox controller recently which is really convenient from a pick up and put down perspective and if I'm hauling or exploring or doing Odyssey missions is entirely acceptable. The recent piracy CG though has exposed the limitations of the controller for flight combat, although I have been working on my set up and technique I'm limited to boom and zoom or lower difficulty pirates, sadly as my combat ranking has increased the missions I get tend to spawn more and more difficult opponents even if it's just a salvage job.

I'm looking for a flight controller I would love a nice big HOTAS like Turtle Beach VelocityOne FlightDeck or other feature rich twin set up. But it's not going to happen, I can't justify the cost £250+, and I can't justify the desk space.

So I'm looking for a single stick solution something with enough buttons I can get all my combat features on the controller. I've been looking at the Thrustmaster SOL-R1and the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Stick, although even then I'll have to watch out for deals.

Do any of you have any recommendations for a single stick solution?

what about the thrustmaster T16000M hotas. seems a fair midrange solution, currently around £130 which is £30 more than it used to be but then everything has gone up this last few years.

edit oops i was wrong. ocuk do sell it, so i have updated my link (sorry about that)

Thrustmaster T-16000M FCS HOTAS PC Gaming Joystick and Throttle (PC 2960778)

Order Thrustmaster T-16000M FCS HOTAS PC Gaming Joystick and Throttle (PC 2960778) now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

alternatively you can buy 2 of just the joystick and use a twinstick which is how i fly. i would not say its more effective but i do enjoy it that way.

if you REALLY only want 1 stick you can just buy 1 stick, then to cover for any missing buttons you can still have your xbox pad to hand for extra buttons OR use voice attack which also massively adds to the immersion imo

 

[PlacidCasual]

@bigmike20vt I hadn't considered voice attack that's a good call. The cost of that Thrustmaster is tolerable I'm just not sure I can fit it all on the desk, it's my work/personal desk so a bit crowded.

 

[Noxia]

Can you customise the controls to make use of trigger modifiers? I.e, using something like joy2key so you can have say L2 as 'Shift' and R2 as 'Ctrl' and then that opens up more options for the other buttons, already up to 12 just on the ABXY and 12 on DPAD, or is the issue more with the manoeuvring?

If so, that and or voice attack could get you by.

 

[PlacidCasual]

@Noxia It's a bit of both, the mini sticks on the XBox controller are ok for general flight but not as good as a stick for combat. Most of the keys binds are good, but not quite enough and it's easy to confuse some of the less used ones in the heat of the action, commonly "WTF have my cell bank recharges gone!! ". The big missing one is without a hat button it's hard with a controller to master the thrusters for dodging.

 

[DD_Crash]

Thrustmaster make F-16 style MFDs (2 pack) with about 20 buttons per screen. Have a look for a pre owned set.

 

[Noxia]

@Noxia It's a bit of both, the mini sticks on the XBox controller are ok for general flight but not as good as a stick for combat. Most of the keys binds are good, but not quite enough and it's easy to confuse some of the less used ones in the heat of the action, commonly "WTF have my cell bank recharges gone!! ". The big missing one is without a hat button it's hard with a controller to master the thrusters for dodging.

Hmmmm. Wonder if a HOSAM would be good, I know it's a popular setup anyway so you get the sweet mouse aiming but the fine throttle and thrust controls too.
Tricky because it's such a subjective thing, I miss the days shops would have all that stuff out for you to actually try.

 

[Bubo]

It certainly helps to have an indestructible fully engineered ship for combat if you are using a controller. With the Steam Deck sticks I consider myself to be competent at PVE, certainly in terms of getting ships into the crosshairs with gimballed weapons, so I imagine a controller would be similar. But as mentioned having a tank of a ship helps and there is no way I could use non-gimballed weapons I don't think. I haven't even bothered trying those with an actual proper stick yet to be honest. I sometimes hear that mouse and keyboard is the actual goto setup for accurate sniping with rail guns etc

 

[CHokKA]

I'm trying to decide on a joystick solution, I've been using an XBox controller recently which is really convenient from a pick up and put down perspective and if I'm hauling or exploring or doing Odyssey missions is entirely acceptable. The recent piracy CG though has exposed the limitations of the controller for flight combat, although I have been working on my set up and technique I'm limited to boom and zoom or lower difficulty pirates, sadly as my combat ranking has increased the missions I get tend to spawn more and more difficult opponents even if it's just a salvage job.

I'm looking for a flight controller I would love a nice big HOTAS like Turtle Beach VelocityOne FlightDeck or other feature rich twin set up. But it's not going to happen, I can't justify the cost £250+, and I can't justify the desk space.

So I'm looking for a single stick solution something with enough buttons I can get all my combat features on the controller. I've been looking at the Thrustmaster SOL-R1and the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Stick, although even then I'll have to watch out for deals.

Do any of you have any recommendations for a single stick solution?

Do you definitely want single stick? I picked up two Thrustmaster T16000's at Christmas and flying HOSAS has literally transformed my gameplay in Elite. Flying is so much fun with HOSAS.

For comparison, my son also plays, he opted for HOTAS, and after using HOTAS for a few weeks, he tried mine out and wanted HOSAS instead. I was still under the Christmas returns from Amazon so was able to return the throttle and buy him another stick. He loves HOSAS as well.

I'd highly recommend it!

 

[PlacidCasual]

Do you definitely want single stick?

It's just a matter of room unfortunately. My PC desk is a dual use space, working from home office and gaming area. I need a set up that I can quickly and easily put away. The XBox controller has been ace it has a really long cord and I can just lay it down out of the way in seconds. I probably have enough space to do that for a single decent sized stick but two or a HOTAS set up just would become a chore to be moving in and out. Particulalry if I want to grab 30 mins of ED at lunchtime between meetings etc.

I used to game with an X-45 HOTAS 20+ years ago on a game called Jumpgate it was great but way to big and clunky to clearing out the way regulalry.

 

[Bubo]

@Noxia It's a bit of both, the mini sticks on the XBox controller are ok for general flight but not as good as a stick for combat. Most of the keys binds are good, but not quite enough and it's easy to confuse some of the less used ones in the heat of the action, commonly "WTF have my cell bank recharges gone!! ". The big missing one is without a hat button it's hard with a controller to master the thrusters for dodging.

You maybe do want to consider getting a Steam Deck if you want a halfway house between an XBox controller and a full on joystick setup. The Steam Deck has so many buttons, including rear buttons and track pads, that you can literally set up everything you would ever want to access in Elite on to either button combos, or radial menus on the track pads. And if you are happy to engineer an indestructible ship for PVE combat it is as doable as with a stick expecting maybe fixed weapons. The Deck is certainly powerful enough for Elite and would suit you as well if you are after quick sessions. You could also stream Elite to it from your main PC and still have use of the controls on the Deck, and maybe even connect the Deck to display on you main display so you'd just be using the Deck as a controller effectively, if you need the performance. But as per my other post above, you don't need more than one stick or a throttle either if you can get used to using the keyboard alongside one stick.

 

[bigmike20vt]

hmmmm.... i play on my steamdeck a fair bit, its fine for hauling and travelling from A to B.... but for combat or say exobiology I am not so sure i would want to use it for that. you also have to run at a really low detail level and even then performance can sometimes tank if there are a lot of lighting/particle effects

maybe it is because i have the LCD model...... (comparing my lads OLED switch it is leagues better than my LCD deck in that sense so that may be better ) but i would not want to use my steamdeck as the primary plat from for elite. if space is an issue i would get a single T16000, keep the xbox pad (elite is brilliant for allowing you to mix and match multiple controllers on a single profile) and if needed there is an app which allows you to configure any tablet or phone as well for extra buttons.


something like this - note i have never used it.... with voice attack, an X55 and X56 HOSAS setup (not ideal they are both right handed) or X56 HOTAS AND an xbox pad and then with look controls in VR i have all the controls i ever need..................... but i know some use it

https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/atd1nf/tablet_mfd_free_open_source/

 

[Bubo]

hmmmm.... i play on my steamdeck a fair bit, its fine for hauling and travelling from A to B.... but for combat or say exobiology I am not so sure i would want to use it for that.

That's just what I thought at first, just use it for trading etc. Then I dismantled my pc and had to learn combat properly on the deck while it was down. The game changer was separating pitch and roll on to separate sticks. The images below might give you an idea what is possible with the deck buttons. Took a while to set up and learn, but it works for me anyway. My main pic is still down btw, I am just to lazy to put it back together and use the Deck and laptop instead nowadays.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

I'm trying to decide on a joystick solution, I've been using an XBox controller recently which is really convenient from a pick up and put down perspective and if I'm hauling or exploring or doing Odyssey missions is entirely acceptable. The recent piracy CG though has exposed the limitations of the controller for flight combat, although I have been working on my set up and technique I'm limited to boom and zoom or lower difficulty pirates, sadly as my combat ranking has increased the missions I get tend to spawn more and more difficult opponents even if it's just a salvage job.

I'm looking for a flight controller I would love a nice big HOTAS like Turtle Beach VelocityOne FlightDeck or other feature rich twin set up. But it's not going to happen, I can't justify the cost £250+, and I can't justify the desk space.

So I'm looking for a single stick solution something with enough buttons I can get all my combat features on the controller. I've been looking at the Thrustmaster SOL-R1and the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Stick, although even then I'll have to watch out for deals.

Do any of you have any recommendations for a single stick solution?

2nd hand Virpil warbird and Alpha grip.
Loadsa buttons and built to last. Has a high quality metal gimbal and if you don’t use it enough, resell for what you paid for it.

 

[CHokKA]

It's just a matter of room unfortunately. My PC desk is a dual use space, working from home office and gaming area. I need a set up that I can quickly and easily put away. The XBox controller has been ace it has a really long cord and I can just lay it down out of the way in seconds. I probably have enough space to do that for a single decent sized stick but two or a HOTAS set up just would become a chore to be moving in and out. Particulalry if I want to grab 30 mins of ED at lunchtime between meetings etc.

I used to game with an X-45 HOTAS 20+ years ago on a game called Jumpgate it was great but way to big and clunky to clearing out the way regulalry.

My sticks go behind the monitor when I work from home which is almost everyday. I am lucky enough to have an IKEA Lagkapten which is pretty wide though, around 200cm.

When I play, my keyboard sits on my monitor stand, mouse in front of that, and then the HOSAS on either side. It works really well for me. It also takes me less than 30.seconds to switch from normal desk setup to the two sticks setup so it isn't a time sink for me at all!

 

[Noxia]

My sticks are mounted to my chair. Can get in the way at times but preferable to desk mounting.