I tried to configure settings to use my old tried and true Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Pro 2.

When you go into the configuration during the demo mode, the demo continues on... EXTREMELY ANNOYING. If you move the mouse to change some setting in the configuration, your ship starts to spin in the direction that you moved the mouse. I wish it would pause to let you pause the game to focus on setting up your preferences. DOH!

The developers seem to think that everyone will use Mouse and Keyboard settings... that may be the majority of people... but for me I HAVE to have Joystick and Keyboard Controls to play a Space Simulation without ANY mouse gestures.

They seem to stick you with mouse and keyboard controls if all you want is Keyboard and Joystick controls you are screwed unless you go through a lot of settings changes. DOH!

Freespace 2 did an excellent job of letting someone configure the game for their game playing style... Keyboard ONLY, Mouse and Keyboard, or Keyboard and Joystick.

To top it off the USA Server is extremely laggy.

Too many issues for me to consider playing this game until they address a long list of annoying issues.

Oh the graphics are extremely nice... but that doesn't make up for horrible game interface for me.

I wish them well on this game... IF they fix a long list of annoyances... then perhaps it would be playable for me.

Had such high hopes for this game... Perhaps they can salvage this game experience for me.

>:(

I'll bite.

It's F2P, it's beta. The feature you wanted could be added with a simple patch. Go make a complaint/suggestion on their forums and/or email them asking for that option you wanted. You applied for CBT and thus should give them feedback.

Yeah don't forget it's beta and with one server it's going to be laggy in beta. Other than the lag and a few minor other things I kind of found the game refreshing personally.

Originally posted by Zorlofe

Yeah don't forget it's beta and with one server it's going to be laggy in beta. Other than the lag and a few minor other things I kind of found the game refreshing personally.

Sadly it is already released here in Europe, and nothing has changed since beta tbh. They still have alot to work on. It could be a great game one day.

I know this is never a good answer, but have you looked at a Joy to Key program? Xpadder, ect...

I like these anyways as I can be much more precise on what I want from every item.

Well, no joystick means I am not interested. Get back to me when somone makes X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter Online.

Originally posted by yaminsux

I'll bite.

It's F2P, it's beta. The feature you wanted could be added with a simple patch. Go make a complaint/suggestion on their forums and/or email them asking for that option you wanted. You applied for CBT and thus should give them feedback.

I know .... complain complain for a pretty nice quality FREE game.

Originally posted by Stealthman06

Originally posted by Zorlofe

Yeah don't forget it's beta and with one server it's going to be laggy in beta. Other than the lag and a few minor other things I kind of found the game refreshing personally.

 

Sadly it is already released here in Europe, and nothing has changed since beta tbh. They still have alot to work on. It could be a great game one day.

 

Nothing has changed since release? There has been roughly 9 patchs since 23-03-2011 fixing dozens of bugs and exploits and tweaks to items. http://blackprophecy.gamigo.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=219

As far as the lag on the US Beta server. Some areas may experience lag but thats also why in the top right corner theres this handy drop down list where you can change the instance you are in. Most of the starter zones are packed with 100+ people and its causing a good number of them to lag. Just click that handy instance button and change to another instance an boom lag is fixed. 

It's a known issue that the server is not dividing people up among the instances like it should be.

As far as game addition an content goes. I say they have alot planned. June a large content patch should hit the server

The immediate future
While one part of the development team is responsible for the live operation and general maintenance of the game, the bigger part is busy developing planned add-ons and major game extensions. Current planning comprises a monthly update of the game that adds new content at a small scale. In the meantime minor updates will be applied to fix bugs and further optimize the balancing. 

About every three months a big update (add-on) is planned that will raise the current level cap and also provide all new game content in the form of new story missions to advance the main plot, new hubs and open world sectors to explore, new missions to master and, of course, more items to equip. 

For example, in the first add-on (currently scheduled for June) we have taken your feedback, ideas and suggestions into consideration for the selection of these features, which include: 

• New story missions to advance the main storyline
• Enzo's – the new mission hub for levels 41 to 50, complete with new NPCs and missions
• New Open World Sector set: Inferno at Tulima Superior (Level 41 to 50) with four sub-sectors
• New feature: Sector linking (players can fly to sub-sectors seamlessly)
• New dynamic missions
• A new weapon type
• A new ship module set for levels 41 to 50
• Special skills, triggered by game items, that allow you to orientate yourself offensively, defensively or supportively during combat
• An e-mail system that allows the dispatch of items
• An improved user interface

If the JOYSTICK controls are NOT properly built into the configuration, why bother with external programs like JoyMouse, etc? You absolutely DO NOT get as good a set of controls as you would if the Joystick Code was properly coded in the software.

This 54 year old software developer has written software for nearly 34 years.... With DirectX it doesn't take ONE afternoon to add in Joystick Controls... so missing this OBVIOUS need for a good joystick configuration is a very poor excuse. There are plenty of good code samples to properly add in Joystick controls.

If they want GOOD Joystick Configuration code as well as how to do let the program properly use the Joystick simply look at the Source Code for Freespace 2 Source, Descent 1, and Descent 2 which were released several years ago!

>:(

If you are having problems with the joystick performance, try changing the settings in the Documents folder.

User<My Documents<Reakktor Media<Black Prophecy<user settings.xml

Find the scetion labled <controls. and play with the settings for <pad power> and <pad interpolation>.  A bit of forum discussion on this mentions putting those settings around 2.0-2.5. I tried this and joystick performance got better.

Unfortunately with the lag/latency and the hitchy/jerky performance it is still hard to play with a joystick. Even with those settings changed the joystick still feels way too overly-sensitive.

But so far I am not having too much trouble playing with tghe mouse and keyboard, having a trackball mouse helps. Playing with an Xbox controller is by far the worst so far as the thumbsticks are INSANELY over sensitive. A joystick sensitivity slider would go a long way.

But it is worth it to try playing with those settings to see if it helps your joystick or not.

I do feel the game is designed for mouse/keyboard, but would be more fun if it weren't.  I don't like how you move the mouse around to point and shoot - to me, that takes away a lot of the fun of playing a vehicular shooter (be that vehicle a car or a ship or whatever)  it's more fun when you can only shoot straight ahead, and have to aim by flying well.  

Looks like you can configure it to be kinda like that, but you'd be gimping yourself to do so.