I finally decided to start going through some of the space sim/combat games in my back log and I figured I should probably get a joystick to do it with. The only problem is that I haven't really got any idea what makes a good joystick. Obviously because it's only for games like Freespace and I-war I don't really need a HOTAS setup but other than that I'm kind of stumped. Can anyone recommend a good joystick?

I've recently bought a Saitek Cyborg X and I think its fantastic for the price ($80 in Australia)

It has good construction, tons of buttons and features, stick twisting etc. I highly reccommend it as the best alternative to a HOTAS setup. I am currently using it with the DCS flight sims and find it does the job beautifully.

You don't want to buy anything much cheaper though, they just won't last and they just don't have the right feel.

Cheers for the recommendation, it seems like a good stick. The only problem I can see is the apparently quite short lifespan. Out of curiosity, does anyone know how it stacks up to the Thrustmaster T. Flight Hotas X (that has to be the worst name for a peripheral ever). I know it's a HOTAS but it's roughly the same price point and seems to be a bit longer lasting.

Saitek/Mad Catz are almost notorious for their poor build quality, I'm sure the Thrustmaster will outlive a Saitek of similar price. My Cyborg Evo still works, but it's probably because I have used it quite little due to the poor software it forces me to put up with.

EDIT: Typo fix.

Having done a bit more research the Thrustmaster T.16000M seems like a better bet for my use case. Seems to have pretty good reliability (hall sensors apparently) and no unnecessary separate throttle. Though I do have to question how on earth you are supposed to use all those base buttons without using a second hand. Still I mainly want it for the smooth movement so I guess it doesn't matter.

Oh I hope the lifespan issue doesn't apply to this model as well :(

I was thinking about the Thrustmast T.16000M as well but I couldn't find it in an Australian store and I didn't want to wait for overseas shipping. Let us know how you find it.