Ok, screwed the last poll up, lets see if this one is any better.
I’m interested in the above information to help prioritise some elements of what I’m doing at the moment. When I say joypad, generally I mean controller other than mouse or keyboard that needs to be accessed by something like JInput.
Kev
kev,
you’re addressing the question to developpers and not mass/ordinary players. I assume that the majority of the developpers here have at least one joystick. This might not be the case for ordinary players. Thus the results might be not really realistic depending on the intent of the survey.
I agree, but I’d still be interested in the results. Also I’ve noted several times in the past that this forum while visited by commercial developers tends towards the hobbiests also - given how few games I see in the User Showcase with joypad support I think it might still be relevant.
I guess I should also point out I’m asking for how you play games - not how yoy develop games. For instance, I own a joypad - but in general I don’t like using it on PC games. I prefer mouse and/or keys.
The real problem with poll here of course is that theres never a high number of votes 
Kev
[quote]The real problem with poll here of course is that theres never a high number of votes Smiley
[/quote]
It’s a problem indeed!
Come on people let hear your voice for any poll!
I use my PS2 controllers with my linux notebook connected through a usb converter.
Btw. they are working well with jinput, last time I tried. the only neg. point was that no axis names are recognized unless starting the app in su mode, but this may have changed in newer versions…
I have a joypad thingy - with rumblers … but I never use it because none of the games I play support it well and I have gotten so used to keyboard control.
Have a joypad, but haven´t connected it in years. With pad I find you have the risk of accidentaly press diagonal when you just want to go in one direction. With keys that´s not a problem. For simulators and similar I preffer a real joystick or wheel since you get way better control. Casual games still best with keys. No option that really fitted, so didn´t vote.
Edit: on Windows
Just played Titan Attacks with my gamepad on Linux (it worked!)
It was a different experience from using the keyboard… I could sit farther back from the screen and it felt very old-school. Like when I had my C64 hooked up to the TV
I didn’t get a highscore though 
I don’t own a Joystick, Gamepad, etc. Generally, I like using controllers so much better than anything. That’s why I like my Xbox so much. Wish I could develop games for that. Hehe.
Anyone else (a bump by any other name)…?
Current results are quite interesting, but 24 votes probably isn’t enough to draw any sort of trend.
Kev
I know a couple non-techies that complain if they have to play with keyboard controls. My brother for example complains that he doesn’t want to play Pac Man on his PC because you have to use the keyboard and it is unnatural. My wife (whose favourite game back in highschool was LadyBug) is the same. She would much prefer using a simple joystick. I personally find the game pads these days are too complicated. There are too many buttons and many of them are close together… I don’t know how many times I wasted a smart bomb playing Titan Attacks with my game pad because I configured the controls with a = fire, b = smartbomb thinking I can easily reach both of them with my thumb… too easily apparently
Back in my day … (when we walked 10 miles to school uphill both ways…etc…) I had a simple joystick with a single fire button and I liked it. The Atari 2600 joystick suited me fine :). These days I would say that you need two buttons and a joystick, anything else makes the control too complex which leads to the game becoming “un-fun”.
Obviously I’m not in touch with the new game boxes that have two direction pads, two analog sticks (which I find impossible to use) and about 17 other buttons on every available spot. ;D
I thought the question was joypads, not sticks… I DO have a great flight stick. And I use other controllers such sa Belkin Nostrmo52
Kev
My brother loves FPS games and on plays those w/ a gamepad / Windoze box combo. He also has a nice wheel/pedal setup for his racing games.
I’m mostly a strategy game fan and for that nothing compares to keyboard / mouse in my opinion ( except maybe mouse + Nostromo / Sidewinder type unit but I haven’t tried yet ). I love Star Wars Pod Racer and use either keyboard or joystick for that. Joystick for the few times I have time to sit down with a flightsim. Linux only except in the games I must boot into 'doze.