joetzu: just down loaded this today on a vista OS. The mouse pointer does not coincide with the graphics. The mouse "window" seems to be confined to the top left quarter of the screen. By playing around I can eventually locate the proper buttons (as if they were 1/4 size and in the top left quarter of the screen.)Does that make sense? So I have to estimate about where the button would be and then slowly search around until the location pops up on the screen. Makes it impossible to play. Do I need a joystick for this game? If so, any particular joystick? I am running this on an older Dell with 2 free USB ports and one 15 pin port.
The behaviour you're experiencing with the mouse is not normal. You should contact the GOG support group for help - I have not seen anyone else report this kind of behaviour on the B-17 forums I have been reading.
You WILL need a joystick to play the game. While most of the controls are available using the keyboard, it is next to impossible to achieve any form a reasonable control over flying, Nordon bombsight control (essential) and/or firing the machine guns in this way.
The game does auto detect a joystick when it starts and takes advantage the "hat" on flight joysticks for enabling an easy way to view left and right (although this can also be done using the keyboard). I have tried an Xbox 360 controller and a Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas X USB.
The Xbox 360 controller, while being recognised by the game, only the left analog joystick, the shoulder buttons and the XYAB buttons worked. The D-pad and right analog joystick were not usable.
The Hotas X is my preferred playing method with all functions I have tested being supported and detected by the game. Even thr throttle control works great.