Hello everybody:

I recently joined GOG and I am really excited about the great number of classic games I always wanted to play but couldn’t because of compatibility with Windows and so on; the site is great. For my question, I’d like to purchase a joystick and get into the Wing Commander games recently released. Two questions arise:

1. Is there any compatibility issue to play these old games with modern joysticks? I don’t know if it implies difficult configurations, new drivers, etc. or if the GOG installer does all the work for you :-)

2.Do you have any recommendation for a specific brand or even model? I only want it to play Wing Commander and the first X-Wing whenever it is available in GOG (reeally looking forward to that day!). Therefore, I don’t want a very complex / expensive device.

Thanks and best regards!

I've always liked Microsoft Sidewinder series, especially as they introduced the twisting stick, which is great for rolling in flight sims and space combat sims.

I have no idea if MS is still making them (as I presume flight sims and space combat sims are pretty much a dead genre on PC too, and PC gaming controllers nowadays are mostly PS2 gamepad copycats), but I've always liked e.g. MS Sidewinder Precision 2 joystick. It is a bit big though, and maybe overkill for Wing Commander 1-2. I still have one working, I bought it when my trusty MS Sidewinder 3D Pro died, it was great too and not as big as P2.

As far as I know, Saitek make inexpensive sticks for casual use. They are the Ford or Vauxhall of joysticks. I have a cheap Saitek (Cyborg EVO, I don't think it's made anymore though) which is adequate if not brilliant for the occasions I really need a joystick (namely IL-2 1946).

I'd go for the logitech extreme 3d pro recommendation too, I had one of those last me for a good 5 years.

You could also go for the saitek x65f and if you don't want one, buy it for me because they're hellishly expensive

Thank you all! I'll give a try to the Logitech 3D Pro, I think it fits both my budget and needs. What is that?!? I could buy the whole GOG collection with that kind of money. Funny to play $6 games with a $300 gamepad! :P

Apart from the fact that it's for the XBox, check out the controller for Steel Battalion.

Though you have to admit that would be pretty cool for the Independence War series of games ;).

I might admit it, if I had any idea what those games were about ;-)

:) They're Newtonian-based space sims on GOG where you have control over a small capital ship. So the double joystick and foot peddles would be great for precise 6 DOF movement while the structure would provide nice immersion for the control of a large craft. But yeah ...

Heh thats part of my ambition if I can ever afford one, get one of the most advanced joysticks in existance with the kind of pressure sensing tech they use in military aircraft control systems and then use it to play the original wing commander