



Notes on the CH Flightstick Pro_
There are only seven games at the current time that use the Pro, with more on the way. Below is a listing of the games, along with
individual assessments and notes on their combat-ability with
Flightstick Pro.
Need for Speed is greatly improved by the Flightstick. The Pro gives
this game a real down and dirty arcade feel and control, especially
from the driver's seat perspective, feels great- this is  the  next  best
thing to a steering wheel and gas pedal. The first time you use the
stick. however, you might some encounter difficulties.  Have  the  flightstick plugged into control pad 1 the first time you use the  stick.  You need the stock controller to sat the game up to use the  flightstick(you can't access the manual very well with the  flightstick).  The  game automatically saves your configuration after this initial set up, so you can have the Pro plugged directly into the machine afterwards (unless you change the configuration again). Need for Speed has detailed instructions in the manual for using the stick and even allows you to use the handbrake - which you can't use on a stock controller.
Shook Wave: Operation JumpGate. Like Need For Speed, JumpGate has detailed instructions for the use of the flightstick in  the  manual  and on the game's help screen. Like the other flight sims, the flight
stick control seems a bit too sensitive for this one.  The  dial  adjusts
the speed, which is nice and I found JumpGate to be pretty easy to
control after some practice. JumpGate automatically configures the stick for use.
Mega Race requires that the flightstick be plugged into controller 1
whenever you play and must be reconfigured each time you play. I
really didn't notice any advantages or disadvantages to using the
stick for this one. Mega Race plays equally well with either
controller.
Return Fire plays very well with the flightstick. Like Need  For  Speed, I like the stick better than a normal controller for Return Fire. The flightstick really lends to that "lumbering along through  war"  feeling of this excellent game. The helicopter is still a bit too goofy to fly-  no matter which controller type you use, but is better with the stick. Return Fire auto detects the presence of the stick, so you can either plug it directly to the 3DO or daisy chain it to a control pad  for  two players.
Rebel Assault. Bad Control gets even worse. The flightstick is a bit
too sensitive for most of the sequences here, especially the asteroid
fields.
VR Stalker. Overly sensitive control, but easier button  configuration.
Auto detects the flightstick and configures it before you start a
game.
Since the manual doesn't explain the control layout, here it is:
     The Trigger fires your active weapon.
     The A button (the left most button on the top of the  stick)  changes your view.
     The B button (the center button on the top of the stick) switches
between weapon types.
     The P button (the lower right hand button on the base of the controller) pauses.
	The dial on the left side of the stick is used for speed control.
Super Wing Commander gets a bit more complicated in its control,
because there's so much more to do. Like VR Stalker, the game
autodetects the controller and can be plugged in directly or daisy
chained. SWC uses the small thumb controller for menu selections  and on the fly communications, which works well. Like other flight  sims, control will take some getting use to due to the sensitive nature of the flight stick. Here's a run down of the Wing Commander controls, since the manual doesn't explain them very well.
	The button configuration goes like this: there are four buttons on the base, the two on the left are the "shift" buttons. The Left Shift  is at the top and Right Shift is at the bottom. The two buttons on the right side of the base are: the X button at the top and the P button  below it. On the stick, the three buttons on the top are the A, B and C
buttons and the trigger is for the main gun. Button combinations must be pressed simultaneously to work.
Left Shift + A allows for missile selection.
Left Shift + C allows for gun selection.
X + B brings up the computer, use the thumb controller to highlight
sections in the computer.
X + A (or C) change viewpoints.
Right Shift + C activates the autopilot.
To use the quick message shortcuts, press the X button and the  thumb controller in the proper direction. For instance, the "Break and Attack" command would be: press X and up on the thumb control at  the same time.
                                 
The C button activates afterburners and B is used in conjunction with
the stick to induce rolling (by moving left or right with the stick)
and to increase or decrease speed (by pressing forward or back). As
with most all of these commands, the B button must be pressed down the whole time while using the rolling and speed change functions.
The A button fires missiles.








                     
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Peripheral Vision: The Guide to the Latest 3DO Gear

Ch Products Flightstick Pro
List Price: $129.95
Recently released to the 3DO community, CH Product's Flightstick Pro
probably takes the cake for the 3DO Gee-Whiz award. It's big, it's
heavy, has lots of buttons and is a lot of fun to just move around.
It's also expensive. List price is about 130 bucks, but street price
takes it down to around $90 (give or take).
     So, do you really got that bang for your buck with the Pro?
     Well, it depends on what you play. First off,I haven't had that
much previous experience with this sort of PC-only peripheral.  I'm  a joystick jockey, an arcade hound, a visceral  action  junky. These  are not idealisms that spring to mind when connecting the terms PC.
Flightstick  and  Flight Sims.  I was looking forward to getting the
Flightstick Pro, though, I wanted my VR Stalker and Super Wing
Commander proficiency to( as the box and CH Product's PR assured me it would) spring into the virtual hemisphere.  Virtual  is  right,  because in actual space, 1 found myself flying much worse than usual. At first, anyway.
     It takes practice to use this baby with the games that one would
think it was designed for. Practice and a sensitive  touch.  The first
thing about the Pro that you'll notice is how sensitive it is.
Overcontrolling runs rampant, since the stick is a bit too easy to
move. It doesn't have that rough and tough feel of the sticks found in
arcades, so I was taken by surprise. You can't really feel when you're
over reacting, especially at first, so it takes a while to get acquainted with the controller. It takes even longer to become friends and ally with it. I'm still in the midst of the latter.
     Still, though, flight sim controls, once figured out, are easier to
utilize with the Pro. Especially VR Stalker- everything  except  the
pause function is handled on the actual stick and speed control  has
been delegated to the left dial on the base. This system  allows  for
exact speed control, but makes afterburner control a bit of a hassle
at times. Wing Commander uses the C button for it's  afterburner  and that was really nice.
     Super Wing Commander does, however, have vastly  more  complicated controls than VR Stalker and the manual doesn't give all  that  much information on how to use it. Incidentally, the manual that comes with the Flightstick Pro is terribly inadequate. CH should have taken the time to include quick start guides for games like VRS and SWC.
     The Flightstick will not work at all for games that weren't designed with it in mind- remember that. The 3DO system won't even acknowledge its existence if the game you're playing doesn't support it. So, no Total Eclipse, no Shock Wave (it does  support  JumpGate, though), no Burning Soldier, Crash 'n Burn or even Off World Interceptor. It's a shame, but there it is.
     What it does support, however, it does with varying degrees of
success. Aside from the obvious titles like Wing Commander and VR
Stalker, the Pro supports: Mega Race, Need For Speed,  Return  Fire,
Rebel Assault,  and Shock Wave: Operation JumpGate. New  and  upcoming titles will be utilizing the Pro as well.
	Super Wing Commander, VR Stalker, JumpGate and Rebel  Assault  all tended to control a bit too loosely (especially at  first).  Though, this flaw lessens greatly with practice. Need for Speed  and  Return Fire were titles where I felt the Pro really made a noticeably
improved difference in game play. For Need for Speed, it also depends upon which car you choose (I found the Lamborghini much better  with the Pro than the Porsche, for instance). However, Need For Speed's touchy chase view control was still sometimes troublesome  with  the Flightstick, so stick with the driver's seat view and go all out.  Return Fire also controls excellently with the Pro, though the helicopter is still a bit trying at times- no matter  which  controller you use.
     Overall, the Flightstick Pro is a welcome addition to the 3DO
family, but for a lot of gamers used to coin-op and  console  system
feels, the Pro is going to take some getting used to. If you  have  the
opportunity to try out some of the flight sticks that are  available  on
PCs then you'll have an idea of what to expect here. The CH Flightstick Pro is a sensitive piece of equipment and, for  flight  sims
especially, it takes some finesse to really get the most out of  it.  It
should also be noted that the Flightstick Pro is not  equipped  with
either a headphone jack or a joystick pass through  port. Consequently, if you listen to your 3DO with headphones, you'll need to hook  the  Pro through controller 1's pass through at all times.





                      
