Long time lurker, first time posting. I fly helicopters in DCS and X-plane, and found myself torn between having either force trim and electronic damping/friction on the Microsoft Sidewinder FFB 2 joystick, or the magnetic sensors and increased button count of the VKB Gunfighter MkIII. I resolved to design a way to rig them both together to get the full combined benefit. This gradually grew into a design for a complete collapsible simpit with a collective and retractable wheels. Happy to say that after a few iterations, the Proteus Simpit and Puppetmaster joystick designs are ready for initial release!
- Plans: https://github.com/aurism/proteus-simpit
- Force Feedback Demo Video: https://youtu.be/MUK2omoil2U
More cost details are in the repo, but here are the bottom lines:
- Full up Cost of Proteus Simpit: $1483
- Cost of Proteus Simpit without Gunfighter MkIII or collective: $721
- Full up Cost of Standalone Puppetmaster Joystick: $892
- Cost of Standalone Puppetmaster Joystick without Gunfighter MkIII: $433
The standalone Puppetmaster joystick is less than half the cost of a Brunner FFB gimbal with stick, and because it uses the original Microsoft Force Feedback 2 PCB, the Puppetmaster also supports all original DirectInput force feedback effects. Currently, the VKB Gunfighter MkIII with stick extension is used as the flight stick, but you could modify the design to support any other flight stick with a stick extension.
At this point, I've built and tested the Puppetmaster joystick and Proteus simpit frame. Once I've had the chance to add the collective, I plan to make a separate post focusing on the simpit. Documentation is still an open work in progress!
(Cross posted on a few relevant subreddits)
Edit: Wanted to clarify how this is used in DCS. You would connect both sticks to your computer and, map your flight controls to the Gunfighter axes and buttons, and remove all mappings from the Microsoft FFB stick. Provided force feedback is enabled in DCS, the game will still drive force feedback commands to any FFB stick it finds, including the Microsoft FFB stick. I actually use SimFFB to drive FFB commands more often than using DCS
Over the last few months I've been trying to decide on a pair of dual sticks.
Long story short I decided to pull the trigger on VKB Gunfighter 3 with Kosmo premium left and Virpil alphas on warbrd bases. I am also fortunate to be living close to a Canadian Air base with a lot of flight and space sim enthusiasts who lend me some of the equipment used in testing. I primarily use sticks for space sims.
Full disclosure.
Every piece of hardware in this review was either purchased by me or on a loan from someone who purchased it. Nothing was gifted to me by either manufacturer. All of the opinions are my own. I am comparing my experience going from X55 setup.
Here is a brief writeup on my experiences:
Bases tested:
-
VKB gunfighter mk3
-
Virpil Warbrd
-
Virpil T50CM2
I am waiting fort Z extension to arrive and I might pull the trigger on one from VKB once its out.
Sticks tested:
- VKB Kosmosima Premium Left
- VKB MCG Ultimate (briefly, not with my setup, limited info)
- Virpil Constellation Alpha (R) x2
- Virpil Constellation Aloha (L)
Games used for testing
- Elite Dangerous (I do not own oddyssay)
- Everspace 2 (xbox pass verrsion)
- In the Black
- Infinity Battlescape
- Star Citizen
Opinion on bases:
-
Warbrd. Its a fine base. It does what it needs to for space sims. I found it more time consuming to swap springs / cams than gunfighter because of the dual cam design. If you only fly space sims like me - it will do just fine.
-
T50CM2. I found it to be the better a better base than Warbrd. The on the go adjustments made it easier to dial in the right settings for me. Its not MUCH better for space sims as the only real difference is adjustments and once you dial it in its a nearly identical experience. If you have extra cash might as well get it especially if you fly with extensions.
-
Gunfighter mk3. If it had on the go adjustments like T50CM2 it would be the clear winner. But it does take some tinkering to get it dialed in. Early on I though it had more travel time on the Y axis - which turned out to be a dry clutch setting. Dry clutch really is a nice touch. In theory you can tighten it so the stick doesn't re-center and it becomes a full throttle. In practice it was messing with my strafing and I found it to be a distraction so after about 4 hours of trial and error I found my preferred settings.
Side note: I found the space sims soft center to be smoother on gunfighter 3.
... keep reading on reddit β‘Just wanted to advise all who use VKB's gunfighter base - clean and re-grease your dry clutch. I've had mine for about a year and never done that before but then again I was not using dry clutch at all coz when I tried it, it joystick felt 'sticky' and was not always centring correctly.
After watching few videos I've finally decided to replace my left T16000k with Gladiator. I've purchased it today and thought I should do some maintenance on my GFIII base in prep for new stick arrival.
I cannot tell you how happy I am that I've done that. My MCG pro feels like a completely different device! Ultra smooth and very accurate.
The whole process took me about 30 min and is rather simple but if you need help please see VKB guide below on how to do that. Also, highly recommend Nyogel-767a, cost a bit but totally worth it. Used it before on my TWCS and it's the best I've used so far.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FcdZxAX76A&t=577s&ab_channel=VKBSim
Any thoughts on American F8 U and E jets. Tiered well? Handle well? What's up with the aim9 c?
Particularly the Tomcat, Viper, and Tiger (my true loves). Though I'm interested to hear overall impressions with all modules, and Il2 (I get around in my sims, I do also sometimes play Elite Dangerous and will eventually play Star Citizen...if they every optimize it).
I'll be pairing it with the CH throttle and pedals. Until they die, or I get a huge raise, or win the lottery.
Are you guys satisfied with it? Issues with it? Do you feel it was worth the cost of entry?
Looking to possible upgrade from my CH Fighterstick Pro.
Everyone's locked in the theater. The police is called and they replay the scene and this time one of the inspectors is shot. They replay it again, everyone's afraid but no one is shot. The end.
That's the description my father in law gave me of this movie that stuck with him ever since he saw it in Cinema Batalha, Porto in the 70s. My girlfriend never seems to get him the right present so I'd love to find this film so she could give it to him for his birthday.
Some nice LPs up for sale, need to clear some space. Shipping is $5 flat. Shipped via media mail from CA. Grading is record/cover. EX is between VG+ and NM. Most have been cleaned, re-sleeved, and playgraded. 100% seller feedback on discogs (ahartig, https://www.discogs.com/seller/ahartig/profile) and 55+ trades on reddit, buy with confidence. If you aren't happy I will make it right. Chat me with questions or desired pics.
SOLD $125 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II (HOT MIX, RL/LH Variant) Side 1 has a small skip that plays through fine (I did not notice it the first time I spun it) at very beginning of first track, rest plays loud and hot. Overall nice VG copy that gets you the sound youβre looking for from this pressing. "From Graham" written in small blue ink top left of front cover and on side two of label, price tag on side one of label.
SOLD $35 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin - VG+/VG+ (1969 pressing)
SOLD $25 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III - VG+/VG+
$20 - Led Zeppelin - Untitled -EX/EX
$30 - Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy - VG+/NM
SOLD $30 - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - Strong VG/VG+
$15 - Led Zeppelin - The Soundtrack From The Film The Song Remains The Same - Strong VG/Strong VG
SOLD $45 - Led Zeppelin - The New Yardbirds '69 Live Rarities - NM/VG+
SOLD $20 - [Led Zeppelin](https://www.discogs.com/artist/34278-Led-Zepp
... keep reading on reddit β‘Hello everyone! I've been working on a while on spinning up a workable Gunslinger class for A5E, and quickly realized I needed to make an accompanying Combat Tradition and set of maneuvers. I would love some input on these before I let my player use it. I tried to make this all work with the RAW firearm rules in the Handbook, limiting as that may be. A lot of gunslinger classes use misfire and reloading as the primary balancing levers, and with those absent I ran into trouble. I think Misfire is a bad mechanic, so if that was in the game I'd have put a "During a long rest, you can remove the Misfire chance from 1 firearm in your possession" to the Firearm Expertise class feature. Β Reloading however, using an action or bonus action, could have worked really well here in terms of limiting some scary damage numbers from the more potent firearms.
Anyway, I tried my best to work with the RAW for now, but am willing to work backwards to introduce a "reload" mechanic if that's the only way to make it work. In the old Zeitgeist book, there was the "Ammunition Clip" Firearm Enhancement, which is essentially the same thing as introducing a "Reload" weapon property. If the new zeitgeist book introduces that as well, I might retrofit for that.
I wound up making the Gunslinger into a Ranger archetype, since a lot of the things that would normally be features are covered by maneuvers, and the theme of the gunslinger meshes really well with Ranger. It's definitely a step in the "martial" direction, but since it's focused on a particular class of weapon I think that's unavoidable. I imagine making a couple of these subclasses now that I've got the Combat Tradition sorted out, so I'd like to do more to make this more "ranger-y" if possible. I think the answer to that is to bring in more of the Intimidation focus, but I don't know how to do that.
Firearm Experience
>This is sort of the catch-all to bring the gunslinger up to speed. I opted for a 8-hour timer on training because I felt like it seemed more fun that way, but hand-wave-able. The two Fighting Styles are designed to be useful to multiple classes, given you could learn them through a feat. Akimbo is your basic "you can two weapon fight" feat, while Deadeye is stolen right from the Kensai for the one-gunners out there.
Fearsome Reputation
>This is where the ranger-feel comes in
... keep reading on reddit β‘How do I begin? First of all, the F8U had better options than just dogfighting other aircraft, it had four missiles that depending on the version were either heat seekers or radar lock or both.
Secondly: the plane flew around 1957 for the first time, and stopped being on service on year 2000, while you still have pure gunfighters like the F5 Tiger and the MiG19S still in service. These aircraft have only two infrared tracking missiles but yet their main role is using guns to destroy.
I'd like to convert my single twist axis into two split axis so i can bind left and right toe brakes in WW2 planes. I found several posts on the vkb forums but none were specific about what check boxes were doing what, just "do it this way" but they mostly had gladiator setups. I'm willing to sacrifice one of my axis on my thumbstick since i sidegraded to the 4 way hat. I am aware that i can use my toe pedals as virtual brakes but i have this unused axis i would prefer to do it on.
Here's my configs right now: https://imgur.com/a/IgsgZ2Z
Here's a forum post but it wasn't specific. Does anyone have any guidance on this? or a step by step/picture of what these boxes actually do? http://forum.vkb-sim.pro/viewtopic.php?t=3698
Solution provided by VKB, thanks: http://forum.vkb-sim.pro/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=6075&sid=7edf1f438836afbbfb76cb28829cd721
Long time lurker, first time posting. I fly helicopters in DCS and X-plane, and found myself torn between having either force trim and electronic damping/friction on the Microsoft Sidewinder FFB 2 joystick, or the magnetic sensors and increased button count of the VKB Gunfighter MkIII. I resolved to design a way to rig them both together to get the full combined benefit. This gradually grew into a design for a complete collapsible simpit with a collective and retractable wheels. Happy to say that after a few iterations, the Proteus Simpit and Puppetmaster joystick designs are ready for initial release!
- Plans: https://github.com/aurism/proteus-simpit
- Force Feedback Demo Video: https://youtu.be/MUK2omoil2U
More cost details are in the repo, but here are the bottom lines:
- Full up Cost of Proteus Simpit: $1483
- Cost of Proteus Simpit without Gunfighter MkIII or collective: $721
- Full up Cost of Standalone Puppetmaster Joystick: $892
- Cost of Standalone Puppetmaster Joystick without Gunfighter MkIII: $433
The standalone Puppetmaster joystick is less than half the cost of a Brunner FFB gimbal with stick, and because it uses the original Microsoft Force Feedback 2 PCB, the Puppetmaster also supports all original DirectInput force feedback effects. Currently, the VKB Gunfighter MkIII with stick extension is used as the flight stick, but you could modify the design to support any other flight stick with a stick extension.
At this point, I've built and tested the Puppetmaster joystick and Proteus simpit frame. Once I've had the chance to add the collective, I plan to make a separate post focusing on the simpit. Documentation is still an open work in progress!
(Cross posted on a few relevant subreddits)
Long time lurker, first time posting. I fly helicopters in DCS and X-plane, and found myself torn between having either force trim and electronic damping/friction on the Microsoft Sidewinder FFB 2 joystick, or the magnetic sensors and increased button count of the VKB Gunfighter MkIII. I resolved to design a way to rig them both together to get the full combined benefit. This gradually grew into a design for a complete collapsible simpit with a collective and retractable wheels. Happy to say that after a few iterations, the Proteus Simpit and Puppetmaster joystick designs are ready for initial release!
- Plans: https://github.com/aurism/proteus-simpit
- Force Feedback Demo Video: https://youtu.be/MUK2omoil2U
More cost details are in the repo, but here are the bottom lines:
- Full up Cost of Proteus Simpit: $1483
- Cost of Proteus Simpit without Gunfighter MkIII or collective: $721
- Full up Cost of Standalone Puppetmaster Joystick: $892
- Cost of Standalone Puppetmaster Joystick without Gunfighter MkIII: $433
The standalone Puppetmaster joystick is less than half the cost of a Brunner FFB gimbal with stick, and because it uses the original Microsoft Force Feedback 2 PCB, the Puppetmaster also supports all original DirectInput force feedback effects. Currently, the VKB Gunfighter MkIII with stick extension is used as the flight stick, but you could modify the design to support any other flight stick with a stick extension.
At this point, I've built and tested the Puppetmaster joystick and Proteus simpit frame. Once I've had the chance to add the collective, I plan to make a separate post focusing on the simpit. Documentation is still an open work in progress!
(Cross posted on a few relevant subreddits)
