Peripheral recommendations to play SC?

[Zweihander]

I have an Xbox controller for Windows, a keyboard and a mouse. 

 

Should I look at getting a joystick setup? I backed the game in 2013, but haven't really touched it yet. Been thinking about hoping on lately...

[wyattzx]

At first I thought "You want KB+M for StarCraft.." then I saw the subforum. A joystick isn't a bad idea for a game based largely around flying. I can only recommend you do, but I cannot suggest a specific stick, unfortunately. 

[techswede]

I would recommend waiting to see if the support for a proper joystick is any good.

 

Personally i'm really hoping it is. So i can get a Hotas Warthog..

[rucdoc]

for now a controller is fine, but later you may want to branch into a joystick/hotas/yoke for flying and kb/m or controller for fps.

 

mostly it's what you feel most comfortable with and or can afford. I use a yoke personally, because it works for me, and I can use it in some of my racing games.

 

for the ground stuff, you are gonna want a keyboard/mouse xboxish controller, depending on what you preffer for fps games.

 

for flight the options for flightsticks/hotas/yokes is getting a lot better, but before going expensive I'd say wait to see what SC branded controls come out as they are working on that still.

[Grrizz]

I started on KB+M and found it manageable for dogfighting but not great for racing, I also tried an Xbox controller but it just didn't gel with me. I then got a cheap joystick (Logitech extreme 3D pro) thinking I would upgrade to a decent HOTAS later when the game was more complete and for flying/racing its was far superior to anything else I had tried but I found it hard to aim with (this was before the aiming improvements they added which I haven't tried). After playing around with different combos my favourite now (by a long shot) is HOMAS, stick in my left hand and mouse in my right, it gives me all the flight control of a stick with the convenience of aiming my gimballed weapons with the mouse. Its still not 100% ideal as there aren't enough buttons/analogue controls at your fingertips so I still have to take my hand off the stick from time to time to tweak my speed, enter decoupled mode, etc. and use digital inputs for strafing but is definitely my favourite setup so far (so much so I intend to make a custom stick to better suit the control style at some point down the track).

[Nexxus]

I would recommend waiting to see if the support for a proper joystick is any good.

 

Personally i'm really hoping it is. So i can get a Hotas Warthog..

i have one of these my buddy plays SC wanna see if he can bring the exe over so I can check it out..if I think of it I will let you know what its like

[drewjn]

Best video explanation I have seen, and can agree with his views of controller (xbox) and k/m setup. I do not have a decent hotas, so I can't verify that; however, after his video, I am fine with keeping it a k/m for the moment as I'd rather spend the money I'd save from not buying a hotas for... well, maybe another ship.

 

@Grrizz might try that out later, but maybe next year, or around the time the game is in its final stages.

 

[isHypnophobic]

I have an Xbox controller for Windows, a keyboard and a mouse. 

 

Should I look at getting a joystick setup? I backed the game in 2013, but haven't really touched it yet. Been thinking about hoping on lately...

 

Everyone so far has given great advice. But I'll try to put in my two cents: I say for now try what you have and see if you're a KB+M or a Controller kind of guy.

 

If you feel like you aren't getting the "Immersiveness" with using those peripherals, I would suggest getting the best cheap joystick out there--namely the Logitech 3D Pro. Use it and get a feel for how it works, how it aims, how difficult yet rewarding each kill makes you feel. I'm biased I know, but I was in the same exact boat you're on.

 

Bottomline: Test the peripherals you have. If you like them, keep them. If you want to see what the Joystick/Flightstick environment feels like, buy a cheap/reliable stick and give it a go.

[CommanderFett]

Everyone so far has given great advice. But I'll try to put in my two cents: I say for now try what you have and see if you're a KB+M or a Controller kind of guy.

If you feel like you aren't getting the "Immersiveness" with using those peripherals, I would suggest getting the best cheap joystick out there--namely the Logitech 3D Pro. Use it and get a feel for how it works, how it aims, how difficult yet rewarding each kill makes you feel. I'm biased I know, but I was in the same exact boat you're on.

Bottomline: Test the peripherals you have. If you like them, keep them. If you want to see what the Joystick/Flightstick environment feels like, buy a cheap/reliable stick and give it a go.

Or borrow one from a friend for a brief stint.

[Nathan]

I have an Xbox controller for Windows, a keyboard and a mouse. 

 

Should I look at getting a joystick setup? I backed the game in 2013, but haven't really touched it yet. Been thinking about hoping on lately...

 

i always thought i was a joystick kind of person, but i find it really hard to get used too. Maybe the one that i have isint that great, or it could be that ive only ever flown in games using a controller. (jets and helicopters in the battlefield series). Until i try out a better setup (maybe a hotas) ill be sticking to the xbox360 controller 

[rentaspoon]

i always thought i was a joystick kind of person, but i find it really hard to get used too. Maybe the one that i have isint that great, or it could be that ive only ever flown in games using a controller. (jets and helicopters in the battlefield series). Until i try out a better setup (maybe a hotas) ill be sticking to the xbox360 controller

Well the jets aren't particularly realistic in BF and SC has a completely different way of handling to anything else I've played so I'd keep trying.

[drewjn]

The joystick option is not bad at all. I actually have a joystick on my right with a mouse just beside it, so I can switch to precision aiming, if there are many small fighters, or if someone seriously pisses me off.

 

 

If you are using a joystick with a twist for third axis, I suggest using it for roll rather than yaw. The reason for that is that when twist with yaw, the damn control is far too sensitive and precision goes to shit. It would be good to set up a decoupled variant that switches that third axis to allow you to get accustomed to each way. If you are using rudders, then ignore that comment as it wont matter. The only downside to joystick controls is due to lack of sensitivity options (which they say they will add). I am not sure if dual joystick is possible yet, but most likely some people have either found, or are looking, for a way to do so.

 

Oh and @rentaspoon @Nathan

I like my flight sims, or I used to when I did them heavily, but I hated jet piloting in bf4. That was an utter travesty... If you compare elite dangerous vs star citizen, elite dangerous does act more like an atmospheric way of piloting, in that you move and thrust faster through pitch and rolling in the direction. In star citizen, this is space, in which you are focusing on thrust and inertia/momentum; so you can actually use yaw effectively and move at the same speed regardless of orientation, depending on ship and its particular thruster placements.

 

Hope this post helps in any way.

 

 

----

Edit/p.s.

 

Two very decent/accurate cheap joysticks are the logitech extreme 3d pro (20-35 usd) and the thrustmaster t-16000m (25-50). The latter one is better, but the first one is more easy to find. If you want to give joystick orientation a try, try that.

 

Hotas options usually go between CH, Saitek, and thrustmaster

CH runs around 300-400 for a full set, including ruders, but you can buy everything separately. Depending on the game and its control options, you can mix match with other brands. They last decades and have no QC issues. Hard to find outside N. America.

 

Saitek, after bought out by Madcatz, their quality and qc are utter garbage. For x55 in particular, expect 3 out of every 5 require an RMA. x52 pro is ok, but they have a large deadzone. The x6* variant are force sensing and stick doesn't move.

 

Thrustmaster, you either have the 40usd cheap one with little to no buttons, or the 420 dollar monstrosity that leads the pack. You will have to get rudder pedals for it though for all the axis so you can have yaw (or roll). You can wait till it goes on sale, as it went for 350 at one point at newegg, with a discount on pedals.

[rentaspoon]

snip

Yeah I know the characteristics of SC quite well but feel like the closest thing I've played to it is asteroids!

I made my own pedals for SC but was unimpressed by the feel of the pedals as they were to heavy for variable resistance. Im intending on using some cheap eBay ones and put some switches on the bottom so when you push full throttle they activate the boost.

[Krml]

I bought x55 rhino hotas and its great for me. I didnt go with warthog as its darn expensive and no twist, buying pedals would even boost the price up. I like this hotas, for FPS i will stick to mouse and keyboard.

@drewjn i must have been lucky, nothing wrong with my x55 and been using it for a few months now. Disadvantage is that it seems to be made for people with giant hands, and its harder to reach some buttons on the stick.

[drewjn]

I bought x55 rhino hotas and its great for me. I didnt go with warthog as its darn expensive and no twist, buying pedals would even boost the price up. I like this hotas, for FPS i will stick to mouse and keyboard.

@drewjn i must have been lucky, nothing wrong with my x55 and been using it for a few months now. Disadvantage is that it seems to be made for people with giant hands, and its harder to reach some buttons on the stick.

 

The stick's number of hats is equivalent to the ch sticks and the warthog, but it is indeed less ergonomic. Congrats on getting a good one, that seems rare to do.

 

 

I still don't see a reason to change my dual stick set up at this time. I find myself happier with the decoupled flight style. Also for those that didn't know, decoupled with all safeties, runs without the use of the throttle, and you only use strafe. For me, left stick plus right hand mouse, or dual stick, is my preferred play style.

[Krml]

The stick's number of hats is equivalent to the ch sticks and the warthog, but it is indeed less ergonomic. Congrats on getting a good one, that seems rare to do.

I still don't see a reason to change my dual stick set up at this time. I find myself happier with the decoupled flight style. Also for those that didn't know, decoupled with all safeties, runs without the use of the throttle, and you only use strafe. For me, left stick plus right hand mouse, or dual stick, is my preferred play style.

I was considering dual joysticks, never tried it but yeah it would be my 2nd choice. Looks fun to play

[tomshouf]

I was looking at a full CH Products setup but after the details of the new Steam Controller, I'm going to give that a try. Right now my kb/m is my primary.

[Krml]

Ch looks like a hardware ripped out from an old crane (lol) but I heard it works very well and doesnt break, people having it for a decade. Not a pritty thing but does the job

It was bit expensive to me to get it here in Europe.

[Maciek]

Ch looks like a hardware ripped out from an old crane (lol) but I heard it works very well and doesnt break, people having it for a decade. Not a pritty thing but does the job

It was bit expensive to me to get it here in Europe.

 

Getting an CH in Europe is tragic. Just plan your holidays in US and get it during your stay. It's cheaper this way