Nostromo N52 Gamepad by Belkin

[Ellay]

The Belkin Nostromo N52 Gamepad is a sleek design which has up to 104 programmable keys, and fits the hand quite nicely. I personally use 2 of them for my set up.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=157024

http://images.belkin.com/F8GFPC100/FUL1_F8GFPC100.jpg


Each key can be set up any way you like with their user friendly software UI, the options are endless. Does take about a week to get comfortable with, afterwards though many cannot play without.

Learning Curve - Medium - High

Post Reviews, Suggestions, and Comments below.

[Brian]

I've been playing with one since release almost. I can no longer play without it. Worth every penny.

[Yarddog]

I'm using two PC's to play three characters. Each PC has an N52 attached. On one computer I play a single character that I refer to as my "main" character and on the other computer I play two characters that I call my "support team". Currently the support team is a mage and a priest. The N52 for the support team is programmed to switch between the mage and priest screens when sending commands.

I'll have to investigate some of the other software and hardware methods I'm reading about on this site to see if I find something I like better -- or combine it with my N52's.

[elo]

I'm just a dual boxer, but I use the N52 for my secondary quite successfully. I will say though that I haven't been very happy with how hard it is to press the orange button or the (space) button which I use for TAB. Anyone else experience this or do I just have a bum controller?

Also of note, I run my second box (WoW) on Debian with WINE 0.9.30 and I found some open source drivers and a daemon for the N52 on that. Works great!

[Ellay]

Some of the keys are a little tight, mostly just try to work them in.

[jmet]

I just got one of these from a friend that didnt like it, I will play with it through the weekend and post my impressions after doing so.

I run dual shammies with Multibox which works just fine but my high level Warrior/Priest combo could use some love as far as making things easier.

**********EDIT***********

Ok, since I use Multibox when I dual box the same classes I simply mapped the Nostromo to my follow etc. macros..

As for my Warrior/Priest combo I set all actions for the priest on the Nostromo. All heals spells are mapped and the offense is a macro that assists the warrior and goes through a cast sequence which resets after combat is over.

This is working out VERY well for me as before the priest simply followed along and healed when needed, the downside to this is that because of the lack of DPS he always suffered from a loss of XP.

The other pluss of having him contribute to offense is that now my full protection specced warrior and my full holy specced priest can now burn down things about as fast as an offense specced class. :)

[Yarddog]

The N52 takes a while to get used to it. With a new one, most of the keys are a little hard to press but they loosen up over time. The orange button seems a bit awkward to use and since I don't use it a lot, its still a bit hard to press.

I use the wheel for tab and shift-tab target selecting. I pull back on it for tabbing and push forward for shift-tab. This works nicely as its easy to use with your index finger and you can scroll back and forth through mobs to find the one you want to target.

[forcetrainer]

I love the Nostromo - been using it pretty much since it came out.

I have a druid/priest setup currently, with my druid as the main. I have all the keys mapped in game for my druid, and then I use CTRL+hotkey to control my priest in tow. I'm using Synergy hotkeys so that I can translate keystrokes from my main to my secondary. My key binds are exactly the same on both toons so that I can switch from one screen to the other and everything works exactly the same.

The bonus of this is that since I'm used to playing a priest as my main toon I can utilize the priest completely for both offense and defense. This gives me two fully functional toons versus one just being relegated to a pure support role.

[hapiguy314]

I was wondering if the software that came with Nostromo that allows you to set up macros (and keep on repeating that key or keys) is against WoW rules and regulations.

If I have #2 (let's say nuke assist) on auto using Nostromo's software, does blizzard consider this to be illegal?

Thanks.

[Ellay]

You can have it repeating over and over but you need to be physically controlling the character. If it start doing everything for you, that's botting.

[hapiguy314]

You can have it repeating over and over but you need to be physically controlling the character. If it start doing everything for you, that's botting.

Hmmm - It's mostly on Auto Follow just like most of you other multi boxers out there. The most I'd do is stop to drink water.

[Mannyman]

Do you bind a key to give the N52 temporary control over the priest, and you mouse over to the priest's screen with Synergy?

I was thinking of making the N52's space bar my shift state key, which would also serve as the trigger or hotkey to tell Synergy that I want to broadcast those keystrokes to my priest while the hotkey is pushed down. And when I release the hotkey, stop broadcasting. Or is that even possible? Otherwise, how else would you let Synergy know when to broadcast and when not to? Or do you have to mouse over to the priest's screen, then start punching keys?

Thanks:)

[Mannyman]

I think I might of figured it out. From your post, CTRL would be your shift state key, so when you held it down, the N52 would in effect control your priest's keybindings.

[Finges]

How do you guys have your nostromo's bound?

I moved from using my nostromo to a Saitek pro gamer command unit... I used pretty much the same binding schema with both... I posted my keybinding scheme under the pro gamer at.

http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums2/viewtopic.php?t=425

My scheme allows for 44 different hotkeys without losing movement.. IE.. being able to cast/special ability while never losing movement.

I'd like to compare my setup to how other people have theirs built.

[BlackKnight6667]

I've had one of the N52s and before it the N50. The N50 was a great innovation, T N52 was building on the best available. However My N52 has had a problem with the lower button since purchase. The thumb button (the one down by the lights) Sticks and does not activate correctly 90% of the time (Sticks or won't press). I still use my pad greatly, but I just maneuver around the button and removed all programming for it (one I left it activating a button by accident and accidentally hit it and it stuck me casting like crazy till I realized it was stuck)

[Lost Ninja]

Had the same issue on my first n52, bought another only to find it had same issue. After working on it for a while I realised that due to bad design unless the key travels vertically it will always stick. Two ways round it that I found, one is to remove the key (have to take unit apart to do so) and using a small amount of silicon grease (bought form electronic hobby shops etc) {edit: I actually used Olvie Oil as that was all I had :D} lubricate the pillar that passes through the body of the unit. The other method is simpler but can be harder, train your hand to press the key vertically... :)

As for the layout of keys:

I suspect I'm in a minority here but I don't use the thumb pad for movement.

Roughly:[code:1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| a | b | c | d |
[/code:1]

1 = Targeting (generally focus set/reset)
2 = Target nearest (with modifier Target Last)
3 = Forward (Bound to follow/assist on alts)
4 = Button 7 (As in button seven of a ten slot action bar)
5 = Button 8
6 = Shift key
7 = Strafe Left
8 = Backward on main (1st alt Forward / 2nd alt step left... etc)
9 = Strafe Right
0 = Button 9
a = CTRL Key
b = Alt key
c = Down (Down/Sit)
d = Button 10

Scroll Up = Off
Scroll Button = Either shift states or delete key depending on what I'm doing.
Scroll Down = Off

Left = Button 1
Up = Button 2
Right = Button 3
Down = Button 4
Large Thumb Buttton = Button 5
Orange Thumb Button = Button 6

So I have 10 action buttons bound, plus all those alt/shift/ctrl/ctrl+alt/etc modifiers. And my movement is un-hindered. :)

[Nitro]

New unit: N52te

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=390404#

http://images.belkin.com/F8GFPC200/FUL1_F8GFPC200.jpg
[/url]