New player in 1946, joystick and throttle?

[SailorJerrys]

Heyo! I bought IL-2 1946 on GoG a long time ago, and I realize now that there's nothing worse than playing a simulator with a mouse or a keyboard. So, I'm looking for anything within $200 Canadian, preferred lower than $200. It can be a cheap one that can be modified (So long as the mod is easy for someone who isn't very electronically inclined.[i know automotive electrical, but never took this kind of electrical.])

 

Also, it should be usable with other flight simulators and games, like War Thunder, Planetside 2, ArmA 2. Also, it'd be nice for it to be a flight system, like the X52, because I heard the X52 with the magnet mod is actually very good for a cheap one, and it's only 136.95 from Canadian Tiger Direct at the moment. So long as I can get a good link to a mod video or tutorial for any of the sets you suggest, then I'll get it tossed my way.

 

(I'd love some tutorials for the game as well, tips, anything for a new player to simulators and flight games in general. I understand a lot of the systems in the games etc, but it'd still be nice to have a little collection of things I can use to use to help me get into the game. ALSO! TrackIR is something else I'm interested in, so if there's any way to make something like it for free easily, or to buy it cheap, etc.)

 

Thanks for everything, guys and gals!

Looking forward to responses!

[SailorJerrys]

I also should add I'm new to flight sims, but I still want something that will last long for me.

[Sokol1]

In this price range look for Saitek X-52 or X-52 PRO or X-55 - this @ 200$ (american dolar).

 

For D.I.Y. "head track" device at Freetrack and FreeTrackNoIR, basically is need a PS3 cam and some cheap electronics components.

 

Sokol1

[SailorJerrys]

In this price range look for Saitek X-52 or X-52 PRO or X-55 - this @ 200$ (american dolar).

 

For D.I.Y. "head track" device at Freetrack and FreeTrackNoIR, basically is need a PS3 cam and some cheap electronics components.

 

Sokol1

Yeah I saw the ones at Freetrack. I don't really wanna tear apart my PlaystationEye, honestly. I saw some trick someone did with a regular cam and stuck a piece of a negative in front of the lens and just strapped a few LED's to their hat and lit it up with a battery and it worked fairly well. Three point model.

 

Meow

[Bounder]

You could look into picking up a microsoft ffb2 through e-bay/some other site. It's a really great stick but they don't make them anymore so you have to buy second hand.

 

Expensive joysticks can be very nice but they're not as revolutionary as they make themselves out to be tbh. I've owned a variety of cheap joysticks over the years and they have always served me very well. I must confess I picked up a Warthog about two years ago and it is great, very solid, lots of extra buttons etc and should last me a long long time but as a stick it doesn't offer that much more than some of the cheaper sticks I have owned. What is really revolutionary is head tracking equipment. I'd really recommend looking at free track or buying track ir. It's fantastic for flight sims and also works in Arma 2 and 3. Of course with Oculus Rift around the corner you could wait for that.

[SailorJerrys]

 I must confess I picked up a Warthog about two years ago and it is great, very solid, lots of extra buttons etc and should last me a long long time but as a stick it doesn't offer that much more than some of the cheaper sticks I have owned.

I heard the Warthog's sensitivity and accuracy is off a little, and for that price- well, I just don't have that kind of money. But with the X52, I see that there's a very easy mod for it with a few magnets that fix it's sensitivity problem, plus it's only about $180 bucks for me up here in Canadia, and I've also heard that as a cheap HOTAS it does the job, for it's price. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's the research I've seen from other gamers who enjoy using it for WarThunder, IL-2 and ArmA 2. Not to mention, I'm not big on minor issues with things, so long as the sensitivity issue with the magnets is fixable with the mod, I'm sure I'd be fine, honestly.

 

Meow

[Panzerlang]

The Warthog hardware is good, but the software for it (TARGET) is utter garbage.

[Bounder]

Yeah I wouldn't agree with what you've heard about the warthog but that's not the point, was simply trying to say that you don't need to spend a lot to get a decent stick imho. It depends what you want from your stick, the x52 could offer a good option if you want lots of buttons but it's whether they'll be put to use in the games you play. The MSFFB2 example can be picked up at a good price if you shop around but lacks the same level of hotas options and obv you need to pick one up second hand which has other drawbacks. All the best.

[Sokol1]

 

Yeah I saw the ones at Freetrack. I don't really wanna tear apart my PlaystationEye, honestly. I saw some trick someone did with a regular cam and stuck a piece of a negative in front of the lens and just strapped a few LED's to their hat and lit it up with a battery and it worked fairly well. Three point model.

 

Get the stick first, you notice the HAT will improve the vision control over keyboard mouse.

After deal with Freetrack/FreeTrackNoIR, but get at least a used PS3 can or Wiimote control,

generic web cams use more system resources competing with game FPS.

 

You can resume joystick market in these price ranges:

 

<100$ - Get Tm T16.000M (due hall sensor) + Saitek Quadrant for additional axis/buttons (not the best option but is the only throttle available in this price range - at least West of Crimea ).

 

150-200$ = X-52/PRO, X-55 (optional rudder pedal + 100$)

 

~300/350 $ = CH combo (joy/throttle/pedal)

 

~500 = Warthog + rudder pedal or VKB mamba (since require a stand alone throttle and pedals end costing more than Warthog) 

 

~850/900$ = The above if you add high end pedals like MFG Crosswind, Slaw Device, VKB RDRXXI.

 

Sokol1

Edited April 16, 2014 by Sokol1

[SailorJerrys]

Okay, I imagine I'd end up using the buttons on the X52, it just takes me remembering the patterns, and after a few uses and reading a few notes I'd make for em, I'd likely get it memorized. I believe I'll be ordering it later today then! I would love to keep getting tips and the like from you guys though!