So I finally broke down and tried dual sticks

[Bruttle]

And I love it! I am just sorry it took so long to try. It is so easy to dodge everything. Your ship becomes a rapier instead of a meat cleaver. It's possible to do the same thing on a HOTAS, but it is soooo much easier with two joysticks. I am almost never going in a straight line now. In fact, one day with the dual joy, and I ran through a solo vanduul swarm. I've completed it before on the HOTAS, but never alone. I always had a solid wingman. I had one this time, but he dropped at about wave 11. I was solo all the way through 18.

That being said, I attribute my new found flight skills to three things:

1. Swapping to dual joysticks (drifting at 200+kps is amazing)
   
2. Swapping from an X52 to a pair of much more precise T16000s (and yes, I did do the magnet mod on the X52)
3. Listening to "Danger Zone" by Kenny Logins while fighting

Now I don't want to discount the X52 that I was using. After I did the magnet mod, the dead zone was minimal on the joystick. The T16000 was still way more precise. It made the X52 feel like driving an old truck with a loose steering wheel. It's just so crispy...

 

[Printimus]

Nice! Is it like Fast and Furious: Space Drift?

 

[Bruttle]

Nice! Is it like Fast and Furious: Space Drift?

Yes! I need the most obnoxious color to paint my ship with. Then I need air scoops everywhere, even on the roof where it makes no freaking sense! Last, I need some meaningless vinyl graphics like a hand pointing forward and I'm set!

On a more serious note though, on the HOTAS, whenever I straffed it slowed me down. When I remapped for the dual joysticks, I didn't bind the throttle but rather strafe forward/backward. It allows me to strafe sideways at full speed. Likewise, I stop on a dime when I slow down with full reverse strafe. It allows me to be damn near nimble in my space pig (super hornet).

 

[Printimus]

That does sound exciting!

Also, the air scoops on the roof are typically seen on Rally cars where the A/C system has been removed entirely for weight reduction purposes. Glass windows are also removed and thus replaced with plastic and cannot roll down for safety reasons. Thus the roof scoop allows ram air to cool off the driver and co-driver during the race.

Not entirely sure why I went on a full lecture with that. But its my 2 cents. lol man I am bored....

 

[Bruttle]

That does sound exciting!

Also, the air scoops on the roof are typically seen on Rally cars where the A/C system has been removed entirely for weight reduction purposes. Glass windows are also removed and thus replaced with plastic and cannot roll down for safety reasons. Thus the roof scoop allows ram air to cool off the driver and co-driver during the race.

Not entirely sure why I went on a full lecture with that. But its my 2 cents. lol man I am bored....

LOL! I have run that same lecture many times myself. Form follows function but was discarded with reckless abandon for that movie. Hence the roof scoop used as a cosmetic accessory (venting absolutely nothing). It may have made sense if they pulled the AC for a few additional HP and shaved a bit of weight by replacing glass with lexan and removing the mechanism to roll down the window. However, the vent went nowhere and the windows actually worked. Then again, I could go on for hours about that movie and it's cornucopia of irritants... I'm sure it's a great movie if you know absolutely nothing about cars... or racing... or the tuner scene... or acting...

"I live my life a quarter mile at a time"

LOL

 

[DontTouchMyHoHos]

I approve of this on the sole fact danger zone was being played. That is the single factor of your improvement, nothing else.

 

[Bruttle]

I approve of this on the sole fact danger zone was being played. That is the single factor of your improvement, nothing else.

I was worried about that...

 

[BUTUZ]

T16000m = reason for getting to 18 on you're own. You can't shoot what you can't aim at!! Best joystick out there when you factor in value for money.

As someone who runs with dual T1600m I can attest to how good it is. Lack of buttons can be dealt with by not using so many buttons.

 

[Floating Cloud]

Now I don't want to discount the X52 that I was using. After I did the magnet mod, the dead zone was minimal on the joystick. The T16000 was still way more precise. It made the X52 feel like driving an old truck with a loose steering wheel. It's just so crispy...

These T-16000M's?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ThrustMaster-2960706-Thrustmaster-T-16000M-Joystick/dp/B001S0RTU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472288196&sr=8-1&keywords=T16000

If so then they wouldn't break the bank and you're tempting me to pick one up to dual with my existing twelve year old Saitek Cyborg Evo (Saitek in secondary). Currently I am exclusively keyboard/mouse though, so it would be a big change.

 

[BUTUZ]

Yep them the ones.

 

[Bruttle]

I second that. Those are the same exact ones that I am using. If your impressions of joysticks are based on a cyborg, you will love these things. I bought two of them because they can be changed to a left hand stick. So I could get a matched set of sticks. They are not the most ergonomic, but still reasonable. I can't recommend them enough.