I got a Thrustmaster Hotas.X for about $35 a couple years ago... It's nothing spectacular, but it gets the job done well enough in my experience.
However, if you're bitching about an $85 joystick... stay out of the hard core flight/fighter sim arena. I mean, you could get the Thrustmaster Warthog, which clocks in at around $400 if you're crazy enough.
An xboz controller is $35. With wireless! I'm surprised a 15 year old joystick model is twice that.
First, there is the economy of scale thing. Odds are a lot more xboz controllers are sold/made than the joysticks.
Second, the CH sticks are made in the US, not China (so higher labor costs), and the parts are all user serviceable. If a potentiometer on them goes, you can order a replacement pot from CH and replace it yourself. If anything goes on the xboz controller, you'll probably have to chuck the whole thing out.
Dammit you people, don't talk like you give a shit about Tribes 2. I had the server up for a month and no-one played it.
If anyone wants to live steam it and get people playing again, I can put it up in a couple of nights.
Listen, I could have been playing TIE Fighter all this time as well, but it's a pain in the ass. It's not worth the hassle. When you can get Tribes 2 to the point where I double click setup.exe to install, and double click tribes2.exe to run it, then call me.
No matter how good the game is, a 32 year old person with a job just 'aint got time fo' 'dat shit. TIE Fighter is now just that easy. I gladly forked over $10 to GOG for doing all the hard work.
There are a few servers left but I'll set ours up to run basic maps on pretty vanilla rules.
There were some, but I think they were mostly bots. Populated server with no bots would be optimal, but not likely. But it worked and was easy and fast to get to working.
I've been considering a flight stick all too often the last week. I really want to try Elite: Dangerous too plus I can play tie fighter and x wing etc.
- Collector's CD-ROM editions of: Star Wars™ X-Wing and Star Wars™ TIE-Fighter. The space-flight simulators finally become complete exclusively on GOG.com. The Collectors Edition, often considered the absolute re-release, combines upgraded graphics with the classic MUSE sound system, and a refined flight engine. It's a free upgrade to all of you that own it, and comes with every new purchase as well.
This is the real news. TIE Fighter on Steam doesn't have the CD-ROM edition. GOG.com, which didn't have it originally, now does.
Comments
However, if you're bitching about an $85 joystick... stay out of the hard core flight/fighter sim arena. I mean, you could get the Thrustmaster Warthog, which clocks in at around $400 if you're crazy enough.
Second, the CH sticks are made in the US, not China (so higher labor costs), and the parts are all user serviceable. If a potentiometer on them goes, you can order a replacement pot from CH and replace it yourself. If anything goes on the xboz controller, you'll probably have to chuck the whole thing out.
If anyone wants to live steam it and get people playing again, I can put it up in a couple of nights.
No matter how good the game is, a 32 year old person with a job just 'aint got time fo' 'dat shit. TIE Fighter is now just that easy. I gladly forked over $10 to GOG for doing all the hard work.
Name is FRC: Donut Ghost House but I wouldn't join yet as it's going to go up and down.
Here is the default map list, I'm going to work out how to keep it on Katabatic and a couple more but allow votes on all.
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsAbominable_CnH = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsAgentsOfFortune_TeamHunters = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsAlcatraz_Siege = "-1 48";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsArchipelago_CTF = "16 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsAshesToAshes_CnH = "16 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsBeggarsRun_CTF = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsCaldera_Siege = "-1 48";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsCasernCavite_Bounty = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsCasernCavite_DM = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsCasernCavite_Hunters = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsDamnation_CTF = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsDeathBirdsFly_CTF = "8 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsDesiccator_CTF = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsDustToDust_CTF = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsDustToDust_Hunters = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsDustToDust_TeamHunters = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsEquinox_CnH = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsEquinox_DM = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsEscalade_Bounty = "16 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsEscalade_DM = "16 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsEscalade_Hunters = "8 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsEscalade_Rabbit = "16 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsEscalade_TeamHunters = "8 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsFirestorm_CnH = "-1 24";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsFirestorm_CTF = "-1 24";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsFlashpoint_CnH = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsGauntlet_Siege = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsGehenna_Hunters = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsGehenna_TeamHunters = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsIcebound_Siege = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsInsalubria_CnH = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsJacobsLadder_CnH = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsKatabatic_CTF = "-1 48";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsMasada_Siege = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsMinotaur_CTF = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsMyrkwood_DM = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsMyrkwood_Hunters = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsMyrkwood_Rabbit = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsOasis_DM = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsOverreach_CnH = "8 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsQuagmire_CTF = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsRasp_Bounty = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsRasp_TeamHunters = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsRecalescence_CTF = "16 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsRespite_Siege = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsReversion_CTF = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsRimehold_Hunters = "8 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsRiverdance_CTF = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsSanctuary_CTF = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsSirocco_CnH = "8 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsSlapdash_CTF = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsSunDried_Bounty = "8 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsSunDried_DM = "8 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsTalus_Bounty = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsThinIce_CTF = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsTombstone_CTF = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsUltimaThule_Siege = "8 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsUnderhill_Bounty = "-1 32";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsUnderhill_DM = "-1 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsWhiteout_Bounty = "8 -1";
$Host::MapPlayerLimitsWhiteout_DM = "8 -1";
Or the Thrustmaster X that Lou recommended.
However as others have mentioned the prices only go up.
http://www.pcgamesn.com/beginners-guide-to-x-wing-and-tie-fighter-joystick-issues-controls-and-picking-a-version
This is the real news. TIE Fighter on Steam doesn't have the CD-ROM edition. GOG.com, which didn't have it originally, now does.