ElectricMonk wrote:

and those helicopter games by Looking GLass with the voxel terrain engine

Those would be the Comanche games from Novalogic.

One important question to ask is: Real DOS or DOSBox?

If you're using DOSBox, any modern joystick or gamepad will suffice. I have a Thrustmaster HOTAS T.Flight X which is sort of an entry level joystick+throttle combo that only cost me around $50. Despite being inexpensive it's very solid and controls beautifully. :)

If however you're using real DOS, something to keep in mind is that joystick interfaces in DOS are limited to four buttons without special software running in the background, so you don't have a ton of options, plus you'd also be limited to gameport joysticks for the most part. For those, I don't really have much of a recommendation as I didn't start owning decent joysticks until the days of Windows. :P

I personally use the Microsoft Sidewinder 3D Pro Plus.
Got it a thrift store a couple years ago for $3 USD. Thrift stores are a great place to look for DB-15 controllers.
Has rudder and POV hat. 8 usable buttons in game. Surprisingly solid, as with many other SideWinders.
MS seems to make better peripherals than they do operating systems. 😀

I use it for Descent mostly. Games that run in a Win9x DOS box pick it up automatically, but it can also work in real DOS
if you use Bret Johnson's awesome TSR program, SDWRGMPD, which also comes with a diagnostic program, THRUST.
He also has a DOS utility called JoyKeys, which will allow joystick input in games that only have keyboard support, similar to the popular Windows program, Joy2Key.
http://bretjohnson.us/

There was another SideWinder DOS utility by a Robert Grubbs, which I would have to dig deep into archives for, but I'm not sure its better than Brets TSR, anyway.

This is just for DOSBox. I had a Sidewinder Pro back in the day, so I wasn't sure if something like a T.Flight Stick X would be decent equivalent. That Warthog HOTAS is gonna be for the hardcore sims only, the cheap banger is for all the fun little DOS games.

I have a couple CH Flightsticks (personal favorite) and a Flightstick Pro (haven't used much). Only 1 of those was mine since new, the others were found for $5 at thrift stores in better condition than my old one. They hold up great, even my old abused one is still very usable. I enjoyed it's accuracy in X-Wing and NASCAR, where lesser joysticks were just frustrating.
For other types of games, I like the old SNES style Gravis Gamepad.

There's adapters for using a 15pin joystick through USB. I got a cheap one from China a few years ago. It's been a long time since I used it, so I don't remember if it worked with all the buttons. I vaguely think it had some quirks with extra axes/buttons but I can't remember the details.

If you get a modern playstation style controller with the analog sticks, make sure the D-pad doesn't suck. Mine is so awful that I'm always better off using the analog thumbstick, even in games where I don't want to use it.
I think my ideal would actually be a USB conversion on a Genesis, NES, or SNES controller. I've never looked into it, but some box that converts from a Genesis input would be pretty versatile. There's lots of controllers that could hook up to that.

^what shamino said...CH Flightstick kicks butt

Check out..Post photos and discuss your pc joystick and game controller collection... for more joystick discussion

Logitech Attack 3 works fine for space sims or flight sims that don't really need throttle control, like Wing Commander Armada, Their Finest Hour, and Star Rangers. For more serious flight sims, I use CH Fighterstick, CH Pro Throttle, and CH Pro Pedals USB instead.

If you really need a gameport stick, used Thrustmaster FCS could be good choice. Usually the stick is still reliable despite used.

Looks like I'm down to a Thrustmaster T.Flight Stick X or a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, because $40 is the most I'm gonna spend on a joystick for DOSBox. I wish I still had my old MS Flightstick Pro (I don't trust adapters by habit), but these seem to be the most reasonable cheap flight stick for banging around.

Are either of those good? I'm gonna use them for games I listed above, plus maybe strike commander.

For DCS A-10C and BlackShark (and please, oh please Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous!), I really want the Warthog HOTAS, but that's almost $500 (and supposedly perfect), but a Saitek X-52 Pro or a Saitek X-55 is more within reach, but I've read mixed things about those.

And somehow I missed that Mad Catz owns Saitek, and that gives me pause, because I've had many a Mad Catz controller either break, or fail hilariously. Are they worth the risk? I mean $500 in one hand, and $150/$200 in the other.... 😕

For Dosbox and Windows use I recommend the Thrusmaster T.16000M, it has excellent precission and is well build, well worth the +/- $50 pricetag IMO.
Most joysticks don't survive a playthrough of X-Wing or Wing Commander III but this one does.

Procyon wrote:

For Dosbox and Windows use I recommend the Thrusmaster T.16000M, it has excellent precission and is well build, well worth the +/- $50 pricetag IMO.
Most joysticks don't survive a playthrough of X-Wing or Wing Commander III but this one does.

Agree, though it seems to be an overkill for many DOS sims. Games like Wing Commander Armada or Their Finest Hour doesn't require such precision - even the cheapo Logitech Attack 3 would do. 😀

For DOS sims that requires precision, like Falcon 3.0, a complete HOTAS setup would be better, especially since such games usually demand throttle and pedals as well.

Sorry if this is OT. But does Windows 98 support USB joysticks? Like for games like Incoming? Or is XP needed?

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

Sorry if this is OT. But does Windows 98 support USB joysticks? Like for games like Incoming? Or is XP needed?

Yes it does. In fact, CH Control Manager software supports Windows 98.

Nice, I really must get myself a joystick 😀

Another thing I wish for is some form of USB joystick to 15 pin adapter. Analogue joysticks are all second hand and worn out. We will need modern replacements at some point.

My favourite pc store has this Saitek joystick:

http://www.ple.com.au/ViewItem.aspx?Inventory … &CategoryID=254

Any good?

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

Nice, I really must get myself a joystick 😀

Another thing I wish for is some form of USB joystick to 15 pin adapter. Analogue joysticks are all second hand and worn out. We will need modern replacements at some point.

Either that, or USB joystick driver for DOS. 😉

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

My favourite pc store has this Saitek joystick:

http://www.ple.com.au/ViewItem.aspx?Inventory … &CategoryID=254

Any good?

IIRC the Saitek Cyborg is included in many old CGW PC building guides, so I think you're good to go.

There are usb joystick drivers for dos?
Please link.
I would love to be able to use my USB PSX, and Sega Saturn Adapters in dos.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:

Either that, or USB joystick driver for DOS. 😉

You mean the one on this page? (USBJSTIK included in usbdos.zip)

idspispopd wrote:

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:

Either that, or USB joystick driver for DOS. 😉

You mean the one on this page? (USBJSTIK included in usbdos.zip)

Tried it on a 440LX based PII-System, and it doesn't seem to work with the USB to console adapters or a Real Gravis Gamepad Pro USB gamepad. Also tried Logitech Extreme 3d Pro Flight Stick, and Logitech Attack 3.
From what I understand of it seems to need a newer system 🙁
Which kinda defeats the purpose.
I tested under Tiefighter.

The USB dos keyboard\mouse driver also failed to function on the same system.
I loaded USBUHCI.COM as it asked of course first.

I guess I was hoping for to much 🤣 .
Thanks for the link tho, I had no idea they even existed.

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

Nice, I really must get myself a joystick 😀

Another thing I wish for is some form of USB joystick to 15 pin adapter. Analogue joysticks are all second hand and worn out. We will need modern replacements at some point.

True, but I don't think it will be an issue for me since some of the analog sticks I have will probably outlive me because they are built like a tank....especially my CH flightsticks and my suncom joysticks.

Even the build quality of a few of the older Gravis (made in Canada) and MS Sidewinder sticks I use are very good and still feel like new.

I think it is not worth spending money on newer USB sticks when older analog ones that will still last for many years can be had for so cheap.

$70 for a new, cheap made in China and Taiwan joystick these days is a little too much to pay IMHO considering I can buy a good used one that is made in the USA or Canada for only 4 dollars. With that said though, I do agree that some of the newer USB CH joysticks and Saitek ones (and a few others) are very good for old and newer windows gaming, but even some of those in good shape can be had for only a few dollars used instead of new.