I'm looking to get a good joystick that will last some time and that can play stuff like the Wing Commander series, but i'm not sure what to get. I've seen alot of posts here recommending the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, but there are some reviews of it on Amazon that don't fill me with confidence and i've had kind of "hit and miss" experiences with Logitech stuff in general.

Recommendations?

Find someone with a USB MS Sidewinder Pro, kill them, hide the body, enjoy your new joystick.

From personal experience, I would personally recommend the... Err... nevermind.


I'll agree with Logitech generally making shit hardware though. They make the only headsets I seem to ever be able to afford, and they stop working in weeks. Shoddy garbage. Great flight stick, though.

Before this I would recommend making sure that prospective victim does NOT own Precision 2 model :-)

Logitech used to make pretty good flight sticks in the '90s. I wouldn't recommend their stuff these days though. The quality has gone way down.

About the time GOG got Privateer I started looking into getting another flight stick again. Haven't had one in quite some time before that. I ended up snapping up a Flight Stick Pro. Sure it's a bit more pricey, but it gets the job done nicely. I also prefer its simplicity.

For a less snarky response, OP, there's actually quite a few threads on this with some really great recommendations buried in the bowels of this very forum. You might find something useful there if you're willing to brave the rather poor search function (or use Google's site: option).

I seriously think we have one of those in the garage. Are those good? I should check and see what it is.

I'd call it the best joystick ever made if it's the "right" kind (apparently there were some poorer quality ones constructed for a short time). I don't think you could break one unless you were really trying to.

I notice it only has four buttons and a review said it doesn't have twist axis for rudder controls. Would not having rudder controls on the stick be a problem? Also (and I may sound like an idiot for asking this), does the joystick itself move in 8-way directions?

Can't go wrong with a CH stick and they last forever with some basic care,( ie. don't store them with something pushing on the stick, don't swing by their cable, and don't let dogs or babies chew on them.)
Correct on the no twist. 8-way joystick movement is for cheap hardware. The CH's read both axis at the same time so pushing diagonal activates both axis and you move diagonal. I had an old logitech with 8-way movement if you moved the joystick just right between one of the 8 ways it didn't recognize movement. The CH move smoothly and consistently every time.

If you want more buttons you might want to check out their Fighterstick. For me that would've been too many buttons, so I didn't get that one. Also it's supposedly not as grip-friendly either, although it is praised as a rather accurate recreation of real jet flight sticks. I prefer comfort.

I'm just not quite sure about the trigger being comfortable on the one you recommended. It looks like the trigger sticking out that far would eventually hurt the hands pulling it.
I think the Fighterstick is a bit much too. Would you recommend the Combatstick or would that be too much for older games like Wing Commander?
http://www.amazon.com/CH-Products-Combatstick-Programmable-Functions/product-reviews/B00006B84W/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

There is one review for the Combatstick which has me slightly concerned about the endurance.

Oh, that shouldn't be a deterrent. It may look disproportionate, but it actually feels just right. It's also the only good ambidextrous stick I know of.

Anyway, since the Combatstick is pretty much the same as the Fighterstick minus a few buttons I'd say it'd work just as well. Having a few extra buttons can't hurt, especially since you can remap any of them to keyboard keys in DOSBox. ;)

Some of those posts recommending it were probably from me. :)

I've had good experience with my Logitech Extreme 3D Pro and I've had it for awhile now. However, if Logitech has build quality issues, that could be luck of the draw, but the other forumers I know who have the stick like it as well. So I would recommend it as a good, cheap-side of midrange, joystick.