Joystick users read this

[bel1be]

I play the game already many years, and because i'm bad with keyboard and gamepad , i drive it all this time with a joystick witch works fine on TM1
Joystick in use Logitech extrem 3d pro
On all this years i destroyed many of them
Now on Tm2 many people had the hope to use steerweel and joystick also , but there is no advance settings in the game for it , like in other race games
And playing TM2 canyon is not really fun with it
Because the include software of logitech , also not include advance settings time for a new one
T.16000M from Trustmaster >>> Compatible in price , and advanced software called T.A.R.G.E.T
Great software here is the link of the manual http://ts.thrustmaster.com/download/acc ... .6_ENG.pdf
After one day using the software and joystick i get close to fast movement of game pad controller without destroying my stick
Also the Joystick himself drives very accurate and a good feeling of the middle point Read specs off this joystick
So i can play it better now , but I'm sure with more fine tunning even better
and now i look forwards to the the new Tm2 environments , because many servers and maps is not my style
(Stadium Dirt - Coast driver on TM1)

[serujio]

how good is it using a joystick compared to using a gamepad? It seems that the joystick could be a better option, since you can hold the analog pad, insted of controling it with just one finger like happens on the gamepad.

[tcq]

As i played TMS/TMU for years with a game pad and started two years ago with a joystick, i would say it works both.
The difference of the joystick is that you can use your whole hand and don't have the problem with the "shivering" finger, which occurs sometimes with the pad.
The joystick is also more precise in environments like rally or island, but it doesn't really matter in canyon (because of it's kb friendliness). Maybe this will be another deal in valley.

[serujio]

So, even if the better precision of the joystick doesn't make any difference in Canyon, it is more precisely, right? It seems like a better option than the gamepad.
Do you know which one the best players of the game use?

[eyebo]

I regularly see keyboard players win the MX Knockouts.

I really think Nadeo did a good job cancelling out any advantage analog drivers might have. I think that's important for an arcade game like TM2. It should be a level playing field for all devices, and then it just comes down to player skill.

For nosliding a corner and taking it as close as possible to a wall without touching.... I could see an analog device having a slight advantage there... depending on driver skill. Other than that, there wouldn't seem to be a tangible advantage to driving anything but keyboard. That means it's up to personal preference and just whatever you're comfortable with.

[serujio]

eyebo, I started searching opinions about best controller options because I think that the keyboard is unprecise. One of the first things that I noticed while playing TM2, was that when I press rigth or left on the keyboard, the car continues going left or right, like I had hit the keys more than one time. I think it's not precise as TM1.

Haven't you guys noticed it?

[eyebo]

I had this same feeling at first. It feels different than TM1. TM1 had more immediacy to the controls.

But in Canyon... this feeling is just a result of the way the physics work. The fact that there's this perceived delay before the car returns to straight... I believe that's what actually makes it easier (and more fair) to drive with keyboard.

On TM1 in environments like Island and Rally.... I'd be tap tap tap tap tap like 20 times a second. It really was quite unfriendly for keyboard unless you knew how to micromanage the controls like that. And even then, an analog driver was almost always going to be faster.

In Canyon, though, it feels a lot more natural and easy going to drive with keyboard. Perhaps it's even more fun with keyboard? Well at least it is for me.

You can be very precise with keyboard.

I've had to assign a secondary button for brake on the left side of my keyboard... so that I can use it to initiate drifts. I did the same on Stadium. I wouldn't be able to drive well without it.

But your topic is about Joysticks. I really can't contribute much to the topic, since I've never driven with a joystick. I've only driven gamepad and keyboard.

[serujio]

your opinion makes much sense, because if you hit right and the car don't imediately stop going right after you press the key, it is probably easier to maintein the line without making so much effort like you said, having to hit right lots of times to keep the direction.

but on the other side, it kind of takes away the precision that we had in TM1. I think I'll have to try both the joystick and gamepad to see if I like them better or not.

But I would like to hear more players opinions too, keep posting please.

thanks eyebo.

[eyebo]

I've been thinking about this a lot as I've been driving some tracks. Something else occurred to me. I counter-steer a lot to bring the car back to center. I'm pretty sure I do that more here than I did in TM1.

[tcq]

For example, when i'm building maps and going to test them in the editor, i'm usually always play with kb, because some sections are simply easier with kb than with joystick (just for the testing purpose). But if i want to drive a good time, i really need to go back to my joystick to get more precision.
As you asked for a good player with Joystick, go for BX3 Figos or BX3 BlackCat (dunno if he plays TM2 with joystick, but he played with joystick in TMU).