Adjusting the mouse and keyboard controls is the first step to becoming a PlanetSide pilot. Let’s prep you up!
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Since joysticks are not well supported in PlanetSide 2, it is still best to fly with only mouse and keyboard for accuracy reasons alone. There are certain keys you should customize before lifting off. Here is an overview of a slightly customized control scheme for PlanetSide 2’s aircraft that I will go into more detail further down below:
Click to enlarge
Keyboard
By default exiting the aircraft is mapped to the E key which too close to the R key for reloading your aircraft’s weapons. For that reason I strongly recommend you rebind Exit Aircraft to another key, such as the tilde key (top left on your keyboard underneath Escape).
Also important, you should map the Throttle (Analog) function to a key on your keyboard (I prefer E here).
This toggle key helps you cut the forward momentum of your aircraft reliably so that you can easily shift into reverse-thrusting. See also the articles On Using the Throttle (Analog) Key for Reverse-Thrusting and Mastering the Reverse-Thrust Maneuvers.
Mouse
If you have a mouse with easy-to-reach thumb buttons, I recommend you bind Pitch Up to and Pitch Down to them (see chart above). Be wary, however, not to overuse these macro keys as that may lead to over/undershooting.
In terms of sensitivity, I would leave the in-game Flight Vehicle Sensitivity (under General settings) at its default value of 0.5.
I suggest you set your mouse sensitivity under Windows to whatever value feels most natural to you. I would, however, not go higher than, say, 1800-2400DPI. If you have a mouse for which you can set an individual polling rate (the frequency of data updates for the device), set it to the maximum.
For instance, the Razer DeathAdder Black Edition that I use for flying is set to the maximum polling rate (1000) and to 2400DPI.
If you call Windows 7 your operating system, you should disable mouse acceleration via the Windows registry as well. I suggest you follow the relatively painless process on this page to do so. Windows 8.1 users on the other hand have recently received a patch from Microsoft themselves that should solve potential mouse stutter and mouse acceleration issues (see here).
learn2flyESF 
You can actually bind the pitch up/down both to mouse movements and to the mouse buttons, so for precise movements you can use the mouse, and for larger movements, you can use the mouse buttons.
That’s right. However, over time, you’ll end up using the mouse buttons for pitching rather than dragging the mouse. And even during larger movements (like reverse-thrusting) I’d want to stay on target, don’t you?
I revised the Pitch section in the guide a bit. It’s not clear enough yet.
Yeah it really depends. If you have a low sensitivity, you need the pitch buttons, if you are higher like me you don’t. It’s all preference, just like sensitivity.
And about sensitivity, .5 is not the same for everybody. Assuming you have a 400dpi mouse (most common) that would be four times slower then my 1600 dpi mouse at .5 sensitivity. In fact, at 1600 dpi I use .7, and I don’t understand how people can fly with such low sensitivity’s.
Oh, and nice site by the way 🙂
Just a BTW comment…whoever that Jhoira dude is, rocks as a pilot…hehe…nice job here dude d—0.o—b
LOL, Shiver…
No recommendations concerning roll and yaw?
Yes, roll often (rofl).
“I recommend to leave the in-game Flight Vehicle Sensitivity (under General settings) at its default value (0.5). As I will explain later in more detail…”
Where’s the more detailed explanation?
Ooops. It’s — now that I revised the article — to be found in the Pitch Up & Down section (2nd & 3rd para).
Just quick note I use key ‘3’ for exit the ESF u shoud try it.
The 3 key is fine as well unless you’re using a secondary weapon.
anyone know how to change things like what moving the mouse does. specifically make it so as moving the mouse left and right rotates the plane
Why isn’t Roll Left bound to a key?
Maybe this Pilot never Rilling, but i habe same question…
Fuck the automatic correction!!!! ***maybe this Pilot never rolling ,but i have the same question
It’s mapped to a key to escape Lib shots more conveniently (see https://learn2flyesf.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/taking-down-liberators/).
Hi,
are you still playing planetside 2. We plan to do the PSBL season 3, 12vs12 or 24vs24, on a 3 points map. We are french players from Miller. Could you talk about that on your server ?
I tried binding the side buttons, but for some reason, Planetside 2 doesn’t take that I’m holding down MB5 when it’s bound to Pitch up like it does MB4 bound to pitch down. I can hold down MB4 and pitch down works fine, but I have to tap MB5 for pitch up to work, because for some reason I can’t hold it down, since when I do it doesn’t do anything until I release the button. Any suggestions on fixes? Unfortunately, I’m using a crappy Zelotes “gaming” mouse :/.
Correction, test it in another game, and for some reason, the mouse doesn’t register that I’m pressing it until I release it. Would anybody know how to fix this?
Check it’s settings and Windows mouse settings.