HOTAS in a subsim

[Donkey-Shot]

I'd like to be able to use a HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) in SH5.
Sounds nuts? Probably, but not realy if you think about it.

Both saitek and logitech are coming up with a HOTAS system with dual throttle. Imagine what we can use those babies for? Independent engine control!!
I've seen an clip if the logitec throttles used in ship simulator 2008. It showed how easy it was to turn a ship with one engine forward and the other reversed.

I dont know about the saitek one, but with the logitech one: you can set the center of the throttle at 50%. What this means is: center the throttle means all stop, pull the throttle back and you're reversing, push it forward and,well, you go forward. Now, when would this sort of thing come in handy?

While we're at it: TrackIR support. I mean, it's going to be an FPS like enviroment right? Why not make the next logical step?

BTW, i'll try and look up the link to that clip and post it here.

[Platapus]

What good would a HOTAS system be for a game where most of the time you are spent patrolling a grid at TC waiting for stuff to kill?

[rik007]

Go play IL-2!

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by rik007

Go play IL-2!

No reason to be nasty.

Truthfully, I don't really see joystick control as applicable here. The captain himself does not control the engines, dive planes, tank valves, et al. Rather, he gives the order, and it is followed.

[Hitman]

Well may be Rik007 has never sailed on a boat, or may be yes, but I spent quite a few hours in my youth sailing around the Mediterranean coast of Spain, and one thing I dearly miss in all naval simulators I have had so far is the feel of a true rudder i my hands, the forces of water against it, the turbulence when steering to fast, and such. I have been many times on the bridge in the submarine in SH1-5 and when looking at the bow low against the water walls I knew I felt so sad not to have direct rudder control. Yes, I accept the limitations of this simulation, other things come first, the commander did never man the rudder personally, and finally the ruder worked different to a normal ship -with push levers and not a real wheel- but still....I miss it

[martes86]

TrackIR, why not?
Joystick, definitely not.
If you want realistic controls, go get 2 engine telegraphs, 2 dive planes control rudders, a steering rudder control, 2 depth meters, 2 dive planes meters... I'd definitely enjoy taking all that and showing it at Campus Party Valencia (where I went in 2006, 2007, and 2009, always the last week of july), where flightsimmers take even whole IL2 cocpicts.

THAT would be cool, to be able to have all sorts of tangible controls instead of getting it all in the screen. And combining that with multi-station multiplayer, that would make it possible that we could build our own real-scale control room and have all output/input shown there. But since there's no such thing for subsims (not that I wouldn't love to have it), having anything else would just make it tremendously irealistic. Only TrackIR seems to be a fairly logical choice.

Cheers

[rik007]

Originally Posted by Hitman

Well may be Rik007 has never sailed on a boat, or may be yes, but I spent quite a few hours in my youth sailing around the Mediterranean coast of Spain, and one thing I dearly miss in all naval simulators I have had so far is the feel of a true rudder i my hands, the forces of water against it, the turbulence when steering to fast, and such. I have been many times on the bridge in the submarine in SH1-5 and when looking at the bow low against the water walls I knew I felt so sad not to have direct rudder control. Yes, I accept the limitations of this simulation, other things come first, the commander did never man the rudder personally, and finally the ruder worked different to a normal ship -with push levers and not a real wheel- but still....I miss it

As a Dutch guy I did sail ships but I do not see the connection with sailing U-boats. There is no wooden steering wheel on the bridge there. Everything is controlled with rudders, water and air. For sailing an U-boat you should be an engineer rather than a sailor. There is no force feedback needed on these rudders as it is all indirect and 'commandable' instead of manual controllable. Voicecommand should be on top of your list not force feedback, hotas etc. The Bucharest studio should not waiste time on building hotas. Please implement Wolfpacks instead.

[commandosolo2009]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

No reason to be nasty.

Truthfully, I don't really see joystick control as applicable here. The captain himself does not control the engines, dive planes, tank valves, et al. Rather, he gives the order, and it is followed.

modern subs are controlled by stick.

Proof:

http://ussnewmexico.net/inside-look/

[ETR3(SS)]

The captain still doesn't drive the boat. The new Virginia's are going to a joystick control if I remember right. The rest of the boats in the US have a yoke stick for control surfaces control.

But what you really want is the "Dive and Drive" trainer on every Subase in the US. Those are fun!

[Sailor Steve]

Also, what does a modern helmsman's job have to do with World War 2 subs?

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by commandosolo2009

modern subs are controlled by stick.

Proof:

http://ussnewmexico.net/inside-look/

I know that. Still, any submarine simulator is, ultimately, a command simulator. I know that ETR beat be to it, but to reiterate, the CO does not drive the boat.