I'd like to buy this game, but after trying the demo, I quickly realized that I need a joystick. What would be the best joystick for I-WAR 2: EoC? I want good quality with good response that won't break down after use, but not too expensive. I've heard of joysticks with "hats" and "stick twist" functions and such, do these functions and buttons work with I-WAR 2? Will newer usb joysticks work with the game? What other functions would be recommended? I know next to nothing about PC joysticks, any help and joystick recommendations would be appreciated. I'm running Windows XP SP3 if that info helps.
Thanks in advance.

Newer sticks will work with the game fine, but you'll have to play with the control ini files to get all the functions working. Some users have reported that a 360 gamepad works really well.

The best sticks will have a hat, rudder and throttle controls. I used to use a Saitek Cyborg USB, which lasted years. Sadly the rudder twist no longer self-centres, which means I can't use it any more. :(

Yeah, I looked up a few joysticks, but it seems that every one has some customer reviews stating that they eventually wear out. Maybe i'll bite the bullet and just get a joystick off of amazon and hope for the best and if that fails then maybe fall back on my 360 gamepad, though i'd rather have a more "authentic" PC gaming experience. :)
Thanks for the advice.

Joysticks with good sensors can virtually last forever and you can get spare parts for more expensive models. I use mine MS Sidewinder PP2 regularly (mainly playing flight sims) since 8.5 years and it doesn't show any signs of wear so far. It utilizes some optical sensor to detect the sticks position instead of conventional potentiometers. Sadly these are no longer made. Some newer sticks like the Thrustmaster T.16000M use Hall sensors. If they are well built it shouldn't wear out anytime soon.

I have a CH Flightstick Pro that works very well.

I purchased I-WAR 2 but am waiting to get a joystick to actually download and play.

I have my sights set on a Saitek x52
The link is for the "pro" version, but there is a regular version that is less expensive.

There's another thread on joysticks for I-WAR2 here

I have an old Saitek X36 with rudder, and I absolutely swear by it. It's essentially the same as the X36, just with different cabling and a little less flash. It's a solid stick, though. Feels right, easy to program the buttons and knobs... it's a beautiful thing.

I'm probably one of the few that would say this, but I swear by my Logitech joysticks. I currently have an Extreme 3D Pro that's about 2 years old and prior to that I had the Wingman Extreme Digital 3D (basically the same as the Extreme 3D Pro) that lasted about 10 years. I have never run into a game either of them couldn't handle, plus they are a great "all in one" solution (basic joystick, POV hat, throttle, roll via joystick twist, more buttons than you will ever need, etc.).

Ideally, you want something that offers simultaneous control over all six degrees of freedom at once (preferably in an analog fashion) while allowing for other functions to be managed easily. Hell, I could play this game with just a 3Dconnexion SpacePilot and a keyboard if I wanted to. (In that case, I dedicate the SpacePilot to movement and autopilot, while the keyboard handles everything else.)

I use a Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar with a Force-Controlled Cougar mod in the stick. I didn't buy it precisely with I-War 2 in mind (it's more for Falcon 4.0), but it works excellently. Force-sensing sticks seem to lend themselves well to this game; it kind of gives me a sensation of just how hard I'm trying to turn and thus how much inertia I'll have to fight when I need to stop turning. It also has plenty of buttons and switches, and the shift function on the S3 button helps a lot.

For those of you who have sticks with fewer buttons, these are what I regard to be the most important commands that aren't the obvious ones (like the weapons, movement, or targeting/contact list controls):

-Energy distribution
You should spend the majority of your flight time with maxed engines. That means better manueverability, which is extremely important in this game, not to mention cutting your LDS drive's engage time by a third. Switch to maxed weapons when you have a firing solution with PBCs, but keep in mind that your turning rate will be reduced when you do so.

-LDS start/stop
The main reason you want this within easy reach is the LDS inertia cancel trick: whenever you leave LDS, you'll always be moving 1000 m/s in whatever direction you are facing. Thus, it's sometimes convenient to start LDS just to immediately stop it and exploit this fact. It really helps for quick turnarounds, getting out of a standstill in a combat situation (a slow target is a dead one), dodging missiles (a skill you WILL master or die trying), manuevering around targets, etc. Of course, it's of no use whenever LDS is inhibited, which is why I HATE fighting in LDSi fields.

-Turret fighter commands
I've found that after you get the turret fighters, the game suddenly becomes MUCH easier. Why? The turret fighters don't seem to draw from your tug's energy, so you can just stay on maxed engines the whole time and give them a good firing solution. Also, you can keep a weapon of your choice ready while they have their PBCs ready to tear enemies a new one. The only downside is that they have a habit of using up dogfighting missiles way too early, but my combat style is based on cutting in close on a target, preferably toward the unshielded rear, and then giving them the order to unload their rapid-fire PBCs. Most ships will die quickly under such a barrage. (Especially useful if you're pirating and want to take out at least one escort before it can react.) I generally don't undock them from the tug, seeing as they ARE my primary weapons and I'd be left with just a quad light PBC otherwise.

Hello
I have a logitech wingman force 3d joystick does anybody know of any config files for this as at the moment it just goes in circles i am running windows 7 and it is a usb joystick any help appreciated

Have you calibrated it?

Yes it is all calibrated but i cannot get the profiler as i no longer have the disc and it does not seem to be on the logitech website keyboard controls work ok

You only need the profiler if the game does not support joysticks/gamepads natively (as this game does), otherwise, you should be able to configure the controls you want/need within the game itself.

BTW - If you really want the Logitech profiler software, it is still available on the Logitech website under a different name, Logitech Gaming Software. Go to logitech.com, click on the Support -> Product Support link, then either use the site's auto-detect feature (not terribly reliable) or use the manual search method to find your joystick. Once you are on the page for your joystick, click on the Downloads link then go through the software selection steps (choose your OS, OS type, software package, etc.).

I still use a MS Sidewinder Precision 2.. Last time I played Iwar 2 it worked fine. I've only had 3 joysticks ever on my system. A CH Flightstick. Worked great but had only 2 buttons. Then got a MS Sidewinder. Wanted thw twist on it for Mechwarrior 2. The I got this one and have had it ever since. that must be about 10 or 11 years now. Not sure. I'm hard on them too. Glad I still have it. I use it for everything from WW1 flight sims to Mech games, to Space sims. I'd try to find one on eBay if I could. Mine is non force feedback.

I just managed to get hold of a Saitek Cyborg Evo - bought it off a colleague cheap, and it's an upgraded version of my old trusty Cyborg 3D.

I-War flies wonderfully with it, and it feels much smoother and more natural than the Sidewider precision 2 I was using as a stop-gap.

I hope to buy a Saitek X52 at some point. I could use some HOTAS action, like I did in the old days with my CH Pro throttle and stick - now sadly ebayed, as they no longer work on modern machines :(