Feb 19, 2007

Sometimes a guy just has to blow things up.  Figuratively I mean, not literally! 

That’s when your favorite combat flight sim comes in very handy.  But, as my latest luck would have it, any time I pull out a game, I end up spending all my time performing tech support for myself and never actually playing anything.

Take for instance tonight - I settled in for a few hours of playing my a new (though old) flight sim, Lock On: Modern Air Combat.  I pulled out my trusty  and hooked it up. 

1. Load up the software and go to the Input configuration screen.
2. Dang, there is a lot of commands.
3. No problem, I can just program the Joystick to work right. 
4. Oh shoot, the profile programming software isn’t installed.
5. Get dusty finding the CD
6. Put it in and the install won’t run.  Just sits there.
7. Go to microsoft.com/sidewinder.  Shoot, they don’t support it anymore.
8. Dang, they never made software that would run on XP
9. Crap.

Ok, no problem - I’ll use my Saitek X36F USB.

Hmm…  This thing is huge.  I remember buying this and then not using it much because there are SOOOO many buttons and shift modes, etc.  It was difficult to get it just right and at the time, most games didn’t understand up to 32 joystick buttons.  Let alone shift values, etc.

1. I KNOW I’ll need the software for this…
2. Hmm - Saitek actually has Windows 2000 drivers, which seem to work well with XP most of the time
3. Hey, it loads up, everything is working
4. I can even program the buttons.
5. Awesome!  I’m ready to go!
6. Load up the game.
7. Press a programmed button…
8. Hardware reboot.
9. WHATTT???

SIGH.  Fine, these are old.  I know I’ve spent almost $400 total on these two controllers, but what can I expect from hardware that’s, hmm  6 years old maybe?  OK - I’ll buy a new one.

1. Look online.  Saitek makes some nice new stuff.
2. So does Logitech, but not with throttles, etc.
3. Thrustmaster always made the best - and still seems to.
4. Crap, none of this stuff supports Vista yet.
5. I’m not running Vista at this point, but I don’t want to have to buy MORE hardware later on.
6. Saitek seems to have released drivers, but everybody complains that they don’t work…
7. That doesn’t sound promising…
8. Thrustmaster claims that the HOTAS Cougar has vista support.
9. Crap - its over $200!  *SIGH*

Screw this, I’m going to go read a book!

Joysticks, Sidewinder Force Feedback 2, Saitek X36, flight sim