Aren't they?

-rc

o.O
Must... avoid... innuendo... :P

I personally prefer to game with a mouse; I find it more natural. There are a fair amount of people who use joysticks, though.

If by hard you mean solid, yes. A liquid, gas, or gel joystick would certainly be problematic. No?

You roll faster and get no wobble in joystick/keyboard mode but I just couldn't get used to my joypad. I would like to try keyboard only but for some reason you can't bind anything to shift and without shift I would have to redfine my whole keyboard setup but then that would mess up my keyboard/mouse config and I'd like to keep my keyboard/mouse config for when I'm cruising around or trying to get into hidden sectors.

Arolte: gel joysticks would be extemely ergonomic, though, right?

Hunter Alpha: Yes.

Pyro: Yes.

-rc

I find joysticks easier, but maybe that's just because I've used them a lot.

I tried to use a joystick but I've gotten too used to being able to look behind my ship while turboing with the mouse. It's one thing to see Phoenix 200m behind your ship firing sunflares on radar and another thing entirely to actually see him and know how much to dodge to avoid them.

Okay, where can I buy a gel joystick, all this computer stuff has given me carpel tunnel...Im not kidding, I really shouldn't even be typing this here now.

I've flown with both and I'll tell you this, joysticks are a lot easier and less frustrating. The gunlag on a mouse (the little blue circle) doesn't exist with a JS since the stick turns the same rate as the craft's guns can.

Also, hardcore maneuvers are easier and continuous movement is easier rather than having to move a mouse all over the pad. Also, the JS allows a pilot to very rapidly swich equipment and settings. It also eliminates probelms such as having Talk next to Select Nearest Enemy. You can set SNE to a JS button and leave talk on the KB.

How about Bose-Einstein condensate Joystick? :P

Naw, that won't work. Oh well, back to my Trusty, THRUSTY, Rocket! wait uhhh, err, I mean MS Sidewinder.

Ive always used the arrow keys, as has genka, and we swear by 'em. Minimum effort, maximum results.

Do you use key ramping?

I'm getting myself a Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 stick soon.

Right now I own a cybord 3d gold.

I personally prefer the joystick. With 4 buttons on the top I can bind forward/reverse thrust to two of them and still have primary/secondary fire at my <ahem> fingertips. This leaves my keyboard significantly less cluttered for strafe/roll.