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Freespace seriesControl Scheme Help(6 posts)(6 posts)
(6 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted April 09, 2016
As someone who is completely new to space sims / flight sims, going into Freespace 1 and looking at the control scheme just about gave me a headache. There's so many button commands that it makes my head spin and it seemed like any time I tried rebinding the controls to something a little more intuitive (like W for accelerate and S for decelerate), it conflicted with something else. I mean, do I really need over a dozen different commands just for targeting different ships and objects? It seems like I could just press T repeatedly until I get the thing I want. I imagine part of why the control scheme is so complex is because of this game's age, but I'd really appreciate it if some of you folks here could recommend me a control scheme that won't have me hunting and pecking all over my keyboard. (P.S.: I do actually have a Thrustmaster 16000m joystick to use in place of my mouse)
Posted April 10, 2016
Instead of just looking at the control scheme and trying to wrap your head around it, do the tutorial missions and learn by doing. If, during that process, you find a particular key is just not located in a good spot, you can change it.

I can tell you that there are a proliferation of different targeting keys for a reason, and trying to just use T for everything will almost certainly end in tears. That being said, some targeting keys are really situational, and there are probably fewer than a half-dozen that are important to remember.
Posted April 10, 2016
What can I say, there is no easy way around it, just start playing with the default keys for a while and see how you fare.
Note that you can bring up the controlscreen any time during a mission with F1.
One hand on the keyboard and one on the stick is how I used to play it.
Posted April 17, 2016
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quadruplesword: As someone who is completely new to space sims / flight sims, going into Freespace 1 and looking at the control scheme just about gave me a headache. There's so many button commands that it makes my head spin and it seemed like any time I tried rebinding the controls to something a little more intuitive (like W for accelerate and S for decelerate), it conflicted with something else. I mean, do I really need over a dozen different commands just for targeting different ships and objects? It seems like I could just press T repeatedly until I get the thing I want. I imagine part of why the control scheme is so complex is because of this game's age, but I'd really appreciate it if some of you folks here could recommend me a control scheme that won't have me hunting and pecking all over my keyboard. (P.S.: I do actually have a Thrustmaster 16000m joystick to use in place of my mouse)
It may seem to be complex, but simpler control schems are actually an obstacle in such games, when you are in a particularly hectic escort mission having a key for enemy bombers, another key for capships turrets, another for the closest enemy, etc. helps a LOT.

Wing Commander games usually force you to either cycle through targets manually or having them in your sights to get a lock on them and believe me, it's far worse than having a few more keys to deal with.

The T 16000 is a superb joystick by the way, usually you just have to keep the left hand on the keyboard, after a while it becomes second nature.
Post edited April 17, 2016 by Det_Bullock
Posted April 17, 2016
Wow these are some of the easier control schemes for a sim. Try looking at DCS or Falcon BMS and it will blow your mind with their hundreds of keybinds.

For me I decided to build a universal simpit

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3934/15416627820_d64f769e2b_c.jpg
Posted April 17, 2016
I forgot to add that the first missions of the campaign (the one that are skippable right away) are a tutorial that explains the basic controls really well.
Post edited April 17, 2016 by Det_Bullock
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This is my favourite topic
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Freespace seriesControl Scheme Help(6 posts)(6 posts)
(6 posts)