I use the Warthog grip/throttle to play Elite Dangerous, and your'e absolutely right, it's entirely possible to navigate with this system. But frankly, it SUCKS. The addition of a scroll wheel and mini-analogue stick would make it WAY more comfortable. The scroll wheel would be great for menu selection - far more comfortable than clicking over and over again on a hat switch. With a space sim you spend far more time in menus than in something like DCS, so anything to make this easier would be a great asset.Romulus Stahl wrote:To clarify something as well.
"A mini analogue stick for menu navigation
-A scroll wheel - once again for menu navigation "
Analog stick (axis) and scroll wheels (rotary encoders) inputs don't get you anything for menus, the existing setups having been navigating menus for years on RL planes.
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The mini-analogue stick would be perfect for star chart navigation. At present there's no comfortable way to navigate the star field chart in ED with conventional aircraft inputs - so the analogue stick would be huge. Currently, I have to switch to a mouse just to navigate this system. With a mini stick and scroll wheel I could move the cursor and zoom in and out with ease, effectively eliminating the need for a mouse, which would be a huge improvement.
Is it technically possible to play these games with RL plane controls? Yes. Are RL plane controls the best way to do so? From experience, I can say that's a definite no. Just because something's technically possible doesn't mean that there's not plenty of room for improvement.
There's a very good reason space sim players want these features and it isn't just to get that cool scifi aesthetic.
I'm not sure where you get the idea that these features would cause the cost of a stick to skyrocket. The Virpil Delta incorporates these features (mini stick and scroll wheel) and costs 110 euro, quite reasonable I'd say. Granted their standards aren't quite up to the level of realsimulator, but they're still very good and the delta stick has been very well received. VKB's offering the KOSMOSIMA has a ministick and costs $120. Once again, this stick has been very well reviewed.Romulus Stahl wrote:If you are looking for additional axis or mousing function it can be done but rapidly increases pricing as decent controls are costly, a decent mini stick will run you more than an entry level joystick.