Which is more versatile? Gamepad or Joystick for a newbie?

[jayant]

From: (e-mail address removed) (jayant)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports
Subject: Joystick or Gamepad for Flight Simulator 2004
NNTP-Posting-Host: 61.1.105.29
Message-ID: <[email protected]>

I am a complete Newbie to using gaming devices and am looking for a
Joystick or a Gamepad which could be used with diverse games like
Flight Simulation 2004 to FIFA 2004.

From various commnets, it appears as if the USB port on the Intel
Pentium IV Motherboard is more reliable than the Gameport on the
SoundBlaster Card. Another term frequently used is 'force feedback'
for the joystick.

Should I opt for a simple USB port Joystick without the Force Feedback
feature to start with? Or should I opt for a USB gamepad? If so, an
analogue or a digital?

Is Logitech the best choice and if so which model of Joystick or
gamepad should a beginner like me acquire? Or Microsft or gravis or
unbranded products good and economic enough for a beginner?

Sorry for asking too many questions. Is there any FAQ which answers
such questions from beginners?

Thanks.

P. Jayant

 

[Jimmy S.]

Hi Jayant,

Yes, get a USB model, but don't bother with force feedback.
I didn't buy it because in my opinion it's just another thing to
break. ;-) I prefer a gamepad over a joystick because I find
that I can be more precise with the gamepad whereas with the
joystick I have the tendency to almost break the stick trying to
move faster. FIFA is a good game for gamepads, whereas the
FS 2004 game is better played with a joystick but once you're
used to the gamepad, you'll be comfortable flying with it as well.

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com


Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call / Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________

| From: (e-mail address removed) (jayant)
| Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports
| Subject: Joystick or Gamepad for Flight Simulator 2004
| NNTP-Posting-Host: 61.1.105.29
| Message-ID: <[email protected]>
|
| I am a complete Newbie to using gaming devices and am looking for a
| Joystick or a Gamepad which could be used with diverse games like
| Flight Simulation 2004 to FIFA 2004.
|
| From various commnets, it appears as if the USB port on the Intel
| Pentium IV Motherboard is more reliable than the Gameport on the
| SoundBlaster Card. Another term frequently used is 'force feedback'
| for the joystick.
|
| Should I opt for a simple USB port Joystick without the Force Feedback
| feature to start with? Or should I opt for a USB gamepad? If so, an
| analogue or a digital?
|
| Is Logitech the best choice and if so which model of Joystick or
| gamepad should a beginner like me acquire? Or Microsft or gravis or
| unbranded products good and economic enough for a beginner?
|
| Sorry for asking too many questions. Is there any FAQ which answers
| such questions from beginners?
|
| Thanks.
|
| P. Jayant

 

[A.A. Fussy]

Good idea to configure the gamepad to suit FS. I reccomend the Sidewinder
Gamepad USB-inexpensive (because itsdiscontinued and at good price-$29, was
the prive we paid) and easy to instal

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Stay away from any Sidewinder product!!! Microsoft has discontinued their
gaming devices and only the left-over stock is available at some sellers.

Y.

Good idea to configure the gamepad to suit FS. I reccomend the Sidewinder
Gamepad USB-inexpensive (because itsdiscontinued and at good price-$29, was
the prive we paid) and easy to instal

Hi Jayant,

Yes, get a USB model, but don't bother with force feedback.
I didn't buy it because in my opinion it's just another thing to
break. ;-) I prefer a gamepad over a joystick because I find
that I can be more precise with the gamepad whereas with the
joystick I have the tendency to almost break the stick trying to
move faster. FIFA is a good game for gamepads, whereas the
FS 2004 game is better played with a joystick but once you're
used to the gamepad, you'll be comfortable flying with it as well.

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com


Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call / Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________

| From: (e-mail address removed) (jayant)
| Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports
| Subject: Joystick or Gamepad for Flight Simulator 2004
| NNTP-Posting-Host: 61.1.105.29
| Message-ID: <[email protected]>
|
| I am a complete Newbie to using gaming devices and am looking for a
| Joystick or a Gamepad which could be used with diverse games like
| Flight Simulation 2004 to FIFA 2004.
|
| From various commnets, it appears as if the USB port on the Intel
| Pentium IV Motherboard is more reliable than the Gameport on the
| SoundBlaster Card. Another term frequently used is 'force feedback'
| for the joystick.
|
| Should I opt for a simple USB port Joystick without the Force Feedback
| feature to start with? Or should I opt for a USB gamepad? If so, an
| analogue or a digital?
|
| Is Logitech the best choice and if so which model of Joystick or
| gamepad should a beginner like me acquire? Or Microsft or gravis or
| unbranded products good and economic enough for a beginner?
|
| Sorry for asking too many questions. Is there any FAQ which answers
| such questions from beginners?
|
| Thanks.
|
| P. Jayant

 

[Chris H.]

No reason for that warning. The product supply is probably going to last a
few years yet, and they're still darn good products.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

Stay away from any Sidewinder product!!! Microsoft has discontinued their
gaming devices and only the left-over stock is available at some sellers.

Y.

Good idea to configure the gamepad to suit FS. I reccomend the Sidewinder
Gamepad USB-inexpensive (because itsdiscontinued and at good price-$29, was
the prive we paid) and easy to instal

Hi Jayant,

Yes, get a USB model, but don't bother with force feedback.
I didn't buy it because in my opinion it's just another thing to
break. ;-) I prefer a gamepad over a joystick because I find
that I can be more precise with the gamepad whereas with the
joystick I have the tendency to almost break the stick trying to
move faster. FIFA is a good game for gamepads, whereas the
FS 2004 game is better played with a joystick but once you're
used to the gamepad, you'll be comfortable flying with it as well.

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com


Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call / Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________

| From: (e-mail address removed) (jayant)
| Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports
| Subject: Joystick or Gamepad for Flight Simulator 2004
| NNTP-Posting-Host: 61.1.105.29
| Message-ID: <[email protected]>
|
| I am a complete Newbie to using gaming devices and am looking for a
| Joystick or a Gamepad which could be used with diverse games like
| Flight Simulation 2004 to FIFA 2004.
|
| From various commnets, it appears as if the USB port on the Intel
| Pentium IV Motherboard is more reliable than the Gameport on the
| SoundBlaster Card. Another term frequently used is 'force feedback'
| for the joystick.
|
| Should I opt for a simple USB port Joystick without the Force Feedback
| feature to start with? Or should I opt for a USB gamepad? If so, an
| analogue or a digital?
|
| Is Logitech the best choice and if so which model of Joystick or
| gamepad should a beginner like me acquire? Or Microsft or gravis or
| unbranded products good and economic enough for a beginner?
|
| Sorry for asking too many questions. Is there any FAQ which answers
| such questions from beginners?
|
| Thanks.
|
| P. Jayant

 

[Yves Leclerc]

There will be no improvements to the USB drivers.

No reason for that warning. The product supply is probably going to last a
few years yet, and they're still darn good products.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

Stay away from any Sidewinder product!!! Microsoft has discontinued their
gaming devices and only the left-over stock is available at some sellers.

Y.

Good idea to configure the gamepad to suit FS. I reccomend the Sidewinder
Gamepad USB-inexpensive (because itsdiscontinued and at good

price-$29,
was

the prive we paid) and easy to instal
"Jimmy S." <Private> wrote in message
Hi Jayant,

Yes, get a USB model, but don't bother with force feedback.
I didn't buy it because in my opinion it's just another thing to
break. ;-) I prefer a gamepad over a joystick because I find
that I can be more precise with the gamepad whereas with the
joystick I have the tendency to almost break the stick trying to
move faster. FIFA is a good game for gamepads, whereas the
FS 2004 game is better played with a joystick but once you're
used to the gamepad, you'll be comfortable flying with it as well.

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com


Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call /
Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any
rights.
_________________________________________________________

| From: (e-mail address removed) (jayant)
| Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports
| Subject: Joystick or Gamepad for Flight Simulator 2004
| NNTP-Posting-Host: 61.1.105.29
| Message-ID: <[email protected]>
|
| I am a complete Newbie to using gaming devices and am looking for a
| Joystick or a Gamepad which could be used with diverse games like
| Flight Simulation 2004 to FIFA 2004.
|
| From various commnets, it appears as if the USB port on the Intel
| Pentium IV Motherboard is more reliable than the Gameport on the
| SoundBlaster Card. Another term frequently used is 'force feedback'
| for the joystick.
|
| Should I opt for a simple USB port Joystick without the Force Feedback
| feature to start with? Or should I opt for a USB gamepad? If so, an
| analogue or a digital?
|
| Is Logitech the best choice and if so which model of Joystick or
| gamepad should a beginner like me acquire? Or Microsft or gravis or
| unbranded products good and economic enough for a beginner?
|
| Sorry for asking too many questions. Is there any FAQ which answers
| such questions from beginners?
|
| Thanks.
|
| P. Jayant

 

[jayant]

Thanks Jimmy,Fussy, Yves and Chris for your useful comments on my
questions. If a USB Gamepad is the better alternative for a Newbie
like me, could you guide me as to where I can find instructions for
assigning the buttons of the Gamepad to appropriate actions in a Game
like FIFA 2004 or in FS 2004?
I guess the manufacturer of each Gamepad assigns by firmware certain
generic actions to the Button Commands. These must be used in a
meaningful way for each individual game. In FIFA 2004 played with the
keyboard, there are 4 keys – W, S, D, E – assigned by EA Sports to
various actions like Kick, Sprint etc in Football. If these and other
actions are to be triggered by the Gamepad Buttons, how to go about
the assignment?
Is it by trial and error? Does the manufacturer of the Gamepad issue
instructions for using the Buttons in each Game? Or does EA Sports of
FIFA provide any guidelines? Where can I access this information?

P. Jayant

 

[Chris H.]

Depends on the game. Some allow in-game switching assignments, others
don't. You might want to find the Internet site for your games of interest
and see if they have some forums available.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Also, make sure that your games do support a "joystick/gamepad" as an input
controller. Some games do not allow for these type of controllers.

Y.

 

[Joshua Smith [MSFT]]

We would make changes to the inbox driver for serious issues such as System
Stops, data loss, and security.

Joshua Smith
DirectInput Test Lab
Microsoft
-----
Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

There will be no improvements to the USB drivers.

No reason for that warning. The product supply is probably going to last a
few years yet, and they're still darn good products.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

Stay away from any Sidewinder product!!! Microsoft has discontinued their
gaming devices and only the left-over stock is available at some sellers.

Y.

Good idea to configure the gamepad to suit FS. I reccomend the Sidewinder
Gamepad USB-inexpensive (because itsdiscontinued and at good price-$29,
was
the prive we paid) and easy to instal
"Jimmy S." <Private> wrote in message
Hi Jayant,

Yes, get a USB model, but don't bother with force feedback.
I didn't buy it because in my opinion it's just another thing to
break. ;-) I prefer a gamepad over a joystick because I find
that I can be more precise with the gamepad whereas with the
joystick I have the tendency to almost break the stick trying to
move faster. FIFA is a good game for gamepads, whereas the
FS 2004 game is better played with a joystick but once you're
used to the gamepad, you'll be comfortable flying with it as well.

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com


Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call /
Contact
MS Support at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any
rights.
_________________________________________________________

| From: (e-mail address removed) (jayant)
| Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports
| Subject: Joystick or Gamepad for Flight Simulator 2004
| NNTP-Posting-Host: 61.1.105.29
| Message-ID: <[email protected]>
|
| I am a complete Newbie to using gaming devices and am looking for a
| Joystick or a Gamepad which could be used with diverse games like
| Flight Simulation 2004 to FIFA 2004.
|
| From various commnets, it appears as if the USB port on the Intel
| Pentium IV Motherboard is more reliable than the Gameport on the
| SoundBlaster Card. Another term frequently used is 'force feedback'
| for the joystick.
|
| Should I opt for a simple USB port Joystick without the Force Feedback
| feature to start with? Or should I opt for a USB gamepad? If so, an
| analogue or a digital?
|
| Is Logitech the best choice and if so which model of Joystick or
| gamepad should a beginner like me acquire? Or Microsft or gravis or
| unbranded products good and economic enough for a beginner?
|
| Sorry for asking too many questions. Is there any FAQ which answers
| such questions from beginners?
|
| Thanks.
|
| P. Jayant