Notes on Input Devices
http://www.bayserve.net/~mike/duke/inputdevices.html

In Duke Nukem 3D, you have many different ways to control Duke. You can run, jump, crouch, strafe left or right, look up or down, use inventory items, use items in the environment, etc.
With so many actions at your disposal, choosing and configuring your input device is crucial. The main thing to remember is that there's no right or wrong way to configure the controls, as long as they feel comfortable to you. Fortunately, Duke Nukem 3D supports four different control methods: keyboard, keyboard & joystick, gamepad, and external controller. You just have to find some configuration that works best for you.


Some general rules:
Whatever input device you choose to play Duke Nukem 3D should have at least five buttons so you can perform the most basic actions: running, jumping, crouching, strafing, and of course shooting. In order to be able to play without using the keyboard at all, you'll need something sophisticated like Advanced Gravis's Phoenix, which gives you 24 programmable buttons. You don't want to use a gamepad that forces you to use two hands, but doesn't give you 100% of the functionality you need, or you'll have to be constantly taking your hands off the gamepad to use the keyboard to perform some common function, like strafing.
It is said that the expert players are those who use the keyboard/mouse combination, since the mouse allows you to turn and move around faster, and makes it easier to quickly aim at targets. So an obvious rule of thumb is that your configuration should minimize the delay in performing any action necessary in game play. You don't want to get caught fumbling with your controls while your enemy approached with an RPG in hand. :-)


(8/11/96 - From Lane Winter) - I'm using the MicroSoft Sidewinder 3dPro. Love it!! You'll use the Flightstick setting with rutter enabled. (straffing) top hat controls aiming (up/down) and looking (left/right) and twisting the grip does straffing. Buttons 3,4 are crouching and jumping and you can configure the rest to do what ever!! This stick also kicks on battle mech or any flight sim. It's digital/optical so it's real accurate!

(1/9/97 - From Thomas Tennille) - I use the SpaceTec SpaceOrb360. It totally passes anything I ever used to play the game. You use two hands, but three fingers on the left hand are used to move a rubber ball about 2" in diamater. Duke moves or turns, looks/aims up or down wherever you twist, move or slide the ball. There are 6 programmable buttons also. Much like having 6 joysticks hitched together.

(4/4/97 - From Jay Plater-Zyberk) - I'm using the Microsoft Sidewinder 3DPro, and I love it, just like Lane Winter!! BUT, the configuration he described is, I feel, not the greatest. I use the twisting motion of the joystick to turn Duke and not strafe. If you think about it, this simulates the actual movement of the character. After a period of adjustment this method of movement, which allows you to strafe and turn at the same time, will prove itself vastly superior to all others (the space orb sounds pretty cool but you need two hands). I have several mouse-and-keyboard movers as well as standard joystick users and they all fall prey to my superior method. Not only can you dodge incoming fire while still aiming at your opponent, but you can also make circles around your enemies while firing at them ( they generally can not spin around as fast or as steady as you!). This method also let's you round corners very easily without exposing yourself to enemy fire. To configure your Sidewinder to do this go into controller setup then setup advanced control options and then advanced rudder/throttle setup and then change rudder to analog-turning. I don't use the throttle control on the joystick base for analog-moving because if you don't have it perfectly centered you either move about slowly all the time or try to constantly open things. Just for the sake of being complete I use button 1 to fire, button 2 to open, single 3 to jump, double 3 for jetpack, single 4 to crouch, double 4 for nightvision, hat-up for mouse aiming, hat-down to turnaround, hat-left for previous weapon, and hat-right for next-weapon. I'm not sure whether this twisty configuration has ever occurred to anyone, but I haven't seen it written anywhere and even people I know at school with Sidewinders didn't think of it until I told them.
