InterAct FlightForce Review

InterAct FlightForce Plus**

FlightForce Plus

**Manufactured By: InterAct

Retail Price: $29.99 **

Review Date:11-30-98

Looking for a tool to help you gaming experience? Something that will help you with the problem of finding the right key on the keyboard? So was I. Rather than spending $50-80 on a programmable flight control pad I decided to give the FlightForce Plus a try and was happy with my decision.

You may have some difficulty finding this controller, InterAct does not even have it listed on their site except on the drivers page. I came across the unit I tested through an online auction. I have also seen the FlightForce Plus for sale at Renaissance Computers.

The controller appears as though it was made with ergonomic considerations. However, I found the only a bit more comfortable than using a standard keyboard. The unit is made with very large hands in mind. I felt I had to keep my fingers spread too far apart to use all of the buttons.

Features -

• AT/XT Keyboard Passthrough connectors
• On-the-fly or pre-play programming
• 2 pages of settings (Macro and single key modes)
• 9 programmable buttons (up to 3 keystrokes per button)

System Requirements-

DOS, Windows 95/98, keyboard

Price -

The MSRP is $29.99 but I was fortunate to find this item for only $9 at egghead.com's online auction.

Performance -

The performance of the FlightForce Plus is pretty much as advertised. It allows you to remap keyboard functions to the controller. When used along with a joystick you can map an additional 10 single keys and 10 multiple key (up to 3 keystrokes) commands to the controller. I used the controller with a Microsoft Sidewinder Force-Feedback Pro joystick for Microsoft FlightSim98, Combat Sim, Airwarrior III, and FA/18 Hornet 3.0 keeping my hands totally clear of the keyboard. I am not sure it improved my gameplay but it did allow me to be more comfortable when I played.

I also used the FlightForce Plus with my Logitech FirstMouse+ for some game time with Quake II, Sin, Half-Life and Jedi Knight. With Sin and Half-life I experienced buttons "sticking". A solution for the stuck keys could not be found, but I feel it is a function of the games and not the controller. I found the performance better than typical keyboard/mouse use but not up to par with some of the current 3D controllers available.

Setup -

Setup of the FlightForce Plus was where I experienced problems. The connection was made quite easily but the software install was problematic. The disk received with the controller was defective. Each time the setup utility was run the disk would spin for a short period in the drive and stop. It was necessary to download the driver from the InterAct site to complete the setup.

Once installed you are required to do a simple test of the unit to confirm it is connected properly. Keystrokes can be pre-programmed into the unit by downloading the settings through the software. Alternatively, the keystrokes can be programmed into the unit on the fly. I prefer the on the fly method when using the FlightForce Plus.

**Software -

**Setup and programming software is provided on a single 1.44 floppy disk. Unfortunately, the copy provided with my unit did not work. Once installed, the utility allows you to program and save different configurations. The software is not fully necessary for operation of the unit but it does make it easier to reload different configurations.

Documentation -

The FlightForce Plus comes with an 8 page manual describing setup, software installation and use.

Overall Rating -

I rate the FlightForce Plus a recommended controller with a few minor issues. If you look to place your keyboard aside without spending a lot of cash the FlightForce Plus is worth the search to find.