HOSAS tips and future hopes

[FALCmods4all]

So, It is possible to get 2 sticks working in Starfield with 6DoF, but it takes some 3rd party tweaking via world of joysticks, and in my case the vkb configurator as well.

It’d be awesome if Bethesda or modders could figure out bypasses to simplify the following.

Also, whenever we get VR support, please allow enough simultaneous device inputs and priority configs that it is possible to switch seamlessly between HOSAS/HOTAS, Lucidgloves, VR controllers, etc. 

I used WoJ (World of Joysticks) setting both sticks to emulate as a single controller. They couldn’t seem to have any command conflicts between the 2 sticks and still function quite as expected so kept all outputs unique to one stick or the other combining into the single emulated control pad, and sometimes had to restart binding wizard for an axis to be recognized correctly for binding. I put l stick right, right stick right, and right stick down all on my right stick axis. In Starfield I also had to fuss around with controls (yaw dominance etc and stick swap etc) to eventually get all 3 rotational axis on one stick and only throttle on the other stick, so far 4DoF. Final step, in VKB configurator (have to have dev mode activated - tutorials on lines to add for this online, I forget them) I had to use the Axis2Button feature so that throttle stick enters 2 keyboard presses such as shift w, shift a, shift s, shift d to get automatic thrusters - I set shift to alt flight in starfield.

To set Axis2Button - first backup configs so as not to mess up bindings for elite or other space sims, under profile global, turn on keyboard, under profile buttons logical (not physical tab) buttons use 4 unused consecutive button slots. Set to keyboard button and respective wasd keys plus right shift (I used right shift as starfield uses left shift for more stuff by default) checkboxes I think my order was d, a, w, s maybe. Lastly under profile axis logical (after using test to find the thruster axis you want to convert to wasd), enable edge 2, num 1, hyp 5%, and select the first if each pair of buttons for each axis - so if d and a are set to vbuttons 76, 77 set axis last column to 76 (automatically should include next digit of 77) so each of the 2 edges within 5% of the end of the axis activates a button press, plus shift. Same for other axis being changed, like 78 for vbuttons 78 and 79. Save a starfield config and hit get to transfer onto stick.

Should now have 6DoF.

Lastly, in vkb config I set my left ministick (under profile pov) to wasd vbuttons without shift, my right ministick to relmouse (same section with mouse set rel under global), and my 2nd stage r trigger to include 1st stage and outer trigger (since woj doesn’t like the default dual press).

Sorry, not sure what the non vkb fixes are or if vkb config can work on other sticks. I’m sure other powerful config apps, but definitely glad to have gone with vkb space sticks if only for the software tweaking. Can do lots of other great fixes, like setting modifiers to have the same motion control an additional axis with keypress, via alt axis switch. I use this in elite dangerous so that a light left trigger press switches my forward back thrusters to forward back throttle. In any case, although both HOSAS and VR gamers are an extreme minority, I hope starfield eventually opens up more capability for these devices. So much potential.

Maybe VKB should think about making a starfield mod, as they might sell more sticks if starfield modding and HOSAS implementation pick up.

Just as an aside, I know the term is 6 degrees of freedom, but 6 degrees of force would sound so much better and more scientific. Engineers, what gives?

Edited August 19 by FALCmods4all