u/wingspantt

Posted a few weeks back about getting the Gladiator NXT after having a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro for years. And while the build quality of the VKB Glad is amazing, I had major ergonomic problems with it:

• I just don't like hats as much as buttons. Having one hat for selecting things or power management in space games is great. Having 3, 4, 5, 6 hats/analog sticks is not a bonus to me, it feels overwhelming and accident-prone compared to one hat plus buttons.
• The Gladiator is so molded with finger indents that my (large) pinky/ring fingers felt squashed, especially since a pinky button also took up pinky space. Compared to sticks that are less molded, I just couldn't find a comfortable resting position since the default forced them a certain way. And yes I removed the palm rest extension, also.

After this, I bought the Thrustmaster Sol R1. Which in theory I thought I'd love. But trying it, the stick is so tight/heavy. It rebounds with a lot of force. The Z axis for rudders is ROUGH with a huge deadzone and it felt tiring to yaw for more than a second or two, ever. And again, this thing has 3 hats. I don't want hats! I do not like them, Sam-I-Am!

So now I have no idea what to try or get. The Turtle Beach stick has just one hat and lots of buttons and less finger molding, but it's clear from all review the stick is super tight/unbalanced.

I'm wondering if the VKB F14 is less constraining on the hand than the Gladiator. It only has one hat. And I know the springs are adjustable, which is great.

Has anyone owned both a Gladiator and the F14? Is it more "open" for you to hold it how you want?

Any other stick suggestions? I plan to fly stick + keyboard.