No, im pretty sure joystick is NEVER EVER EVER EVER going to be in FL.

A patch isnt released unless theres a big enough problem and unless a lot of people guy this game.

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Christian "Bargib" Koerner
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Look no name theirs never going to be a joystck in FL,would u play UT2003 with one? no u wouldnt smme thing applies here.

I suppose they could add joystick support and a mouse-look turret control in a patch but it's highly unlikely.

I was unhappy about the lack, even after hours with the demo. My body has hundreds of hours of joystick reflexes built in.

It was only when I stopped thinking of FL as any type of sim and accepted it as a good game in it's own right and only when my JS reflexes got crushed and the mouse-only scheme suddenly clicked, that I realised that although a JS set-up would broaden the appeal, it would not add anything.

The mouse system works perfectly well for flying and fighting in the FL arcade stylee. And I don't mean that in a negative way. FL isn't a flight sim, it's combat is a thoroughly enjoyable and deeper than normal arcade blast. I'm happy to scythe through my enemies without worrying about throttle settings or achieving missile lock, it's a visecerally exciting rush, not a challenge to my combat skills and tactical nous.

Now, if FL was a space-flight sim I might be unhappy, but it isn't really. It's an excellent action-adventure set in space, delivering for me, exciting combat where i get to not think but blast away at hordes of attackers. It's too quick to even worry about radars, although the option would be nice, it's about staying alive and letting out that huge sigh of relief when I pull through with some hull intact against heavy odds.

It's like playing, to show my age, a very sophisticated Afterburner arcade session, if afterburner was set in an expansive and acceptably dynamic universe like FL.

It didn't worry me that Afterburner did not play like a Falcon flight sim and so had a handle and a couple of fire buttons instead of a multiple button joystick and throttle combination. It wasn't the sort of game that needed it.

Same with FL. It took me several hours of practice in the demo before the control style made sense (i'm old and crap, so sue me.) but once it did my prejudiced scales fell from my eyes, allowing me to appreciate FL for what it is.

If FL was pretending to be something like the upcoming X2 then I would agree with you, but it isn't. It's completely different.

I want patches to bring more random missions and more custom missions, and other things to build on the game's strengths and address any weaknesses or problems uncovered once the original version has been around for awhile and the devs can see from the boards what people think and want.

As a long time space simmer, reflex-less clod and joystick preferer I promise anyone who dismisses FL because of the lack of a stick option, that if you give the demo a chance and accept it is not the space-sim promised years ago, you will find the control system choice makes sense and the flying and exploration, fun.

Excellent Post tagos!

Players should also be sending in opinions on what they would like added in or changed with a patch to the support page at Microsoft's game site. Will they get thier wish? Maybe not..but if enough players complain about something...then the changes are more than likely to happen. If the players go buy the full version that is.

Well <Insert name here>, lets just sum it up by saying that there have been just under 1 million posts from uptight people who can't get over the idea of a space sim without joystick support. Many have posted ways that you can, in fact, use a joystick if you really want to. I doubt that even a dying childs wish would influence Microsoft to make a patch for joystick support. Get over it. Move on with your life.

Kinda true, mouse only isn't so bad - I used to play Wing Commander and FreeSpace2 the same way. Whilst it would be nice to have the option - it's not so much a loss as something for people to complain about, move on and enjoy the game for what it is.

oh boy, here we go again.m

"If this is what you want to do, you'll do it, no matter how long it takes..........and usually the longer it takes the more fun you've had!"

Yeah I'am sure when the time come's their will be add on's and so on. But it will be awhile once folks get the porgram let it be played for a month or two. Then start looking for updates or whatever joysticks what is that! I don't see joystick's being supported much by anything their a thing of the past! Get a Atari if you want to play with joystick's!

Come on, joysticks have their place in proper sims, they are not things of the past, they just aren't needed in FL. It does nobody any good to throw out gratuitious insults and snide remarks, it just makes us look petty and alienates potential purchasers.

My main interest in space sims has always been dogfighting, preferably in multiplayer. I use a joystick but the best players I've met in every game used a mouse. I'm told it's harder to get used to at first but more accurate.

I'd promised myself to start my next game using mouse control and see if it made me a better player. Freelancer took the joystick out of my hands and made it an easy decision. I think joysticks make for a easier transition from one game to the next but they may not be the ideal controller if you want to rule the galaxy lol

If a patch added joystick support after you used a mouse for 3 or 4 months, would you switch? I wouldn't, it would be a step back on the learning curve.

There is something to be said for control realism in a sim but for me it's all about being the best I can be.


Ghost

I prefer sticks, particularly with force-feedback. It feels more real somehow. I just don't think they are needed outside of proper sims where you need a host of options in finger reach, certainly not in FL.

While I'm grateful that DA refused to bend over to the demands of the mass to include joystick, I don't think joystick is superior or inferior to mouse. It just happens to fit FL's style. Some great games from the past used js, and I hope that it will continue. JS users shouldn't complain too much on FL: most space sims have been totally dedicated on JS control (mouse and keyboard support usually sucked). This one time mouse users find a rare opportunity to celebrate a full-fledged control system that is true to their liking.

I´d like the following stuff added to the random missions pool:

cargo runs
patrols
defend base
escort

In addition, I´d like to see the turning heads 180° bug fixed. It just looks too sick. I´ve seen this two times now; it happens when you enter a bar the first time after going planet / stationside, this NPC is the first one you talk to and sits with his /her back to the entrance of the bar.

Another thing, this time exclusively for the single player campaign: let the player level up as much as he wants and not limit it by the storyline missions. As for those storyline missions, players shouldn´t be forced to do them to advance to higher stats / better equipment. Let them continue the storyline as soon as THE PLAYER thinks he´s ready for it.

For online freelancing, wouldn´t it be nice to tell servers to transfer a profile from another server you´ve played on to the one you wish to switch to?