Title:

Direct input has not been implemented for helicopter X/Y/Z joystick axes

Description:

Helicopter analog controls do not appear to use true/direct analog input for the main control axes.

The throttle/collective axis can be configured as Direct and reacts immediately to the physical joystick position. If I move the throttle axis quickly from minimum to maximum, the in-game control also moves immediately to the corresponding position.

However, the same behaviour is not available for the remaining helicopter control axes — X, Y and Z (cyclic pitch/roll and yaw).

When I move one of these joystick axes instantly to its maximum position, the game correctly detects the full analog input immediately, but the helicopter's virtual control input moves toward that position gradually, at a fixed rate, almost as if a keyboard button were being held down.

This means the physical joystick position and the actual helicopter control deflection do not match in real time.

The issue is not specific to my joystick. I tested the same controls using an Xbox controller, and the behaviour is identical: the analog stick can be moved instantly to full deflection, but the helicopter control reaches full deflection gradually.

Changing joystick curves does not solve the problem. A curve can change the relationship between physical axis position and requested input value, but it cannot remove the time-based delay/ramping imposed by the game.

Comparison:

- Throttle / collective using Direct input → immediate response

- Joystick X axis → input detected immediately, control deflection ramps slowly

- Joystick Y axis → input detected immediately, control deflection ramps slowly

- Joystick Z axis → input detected immediately, control deflection ramps slowly

- Xbox controller analog axes → same gradual/ramped behaviour

It appears that the Direct analog input mechanism already implemented for the throttle/collective has not been implemented for the other helicopter analog axes.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Connect a joystick or an Xbox controller.

2. Bind analog axes to helicopter cyclic pitch/roll and yaw.

3. Enter a helicopter.

4. Move an analog axis rapidly from neutral to maximum deflection.

5. Observe that the physical controller reaches maximum immediately, while the in-game helicopter control takes additional time to reach maximum deflection.

6. Compare this with the throttle/collective configured as Direct, which follows the physical axis immediately.

Expected behaviour:

For an analog axis configured for direct helicopter control, the in-game control deflection should directly correspond to the current physical axis position.

For example, if the joystick is moved instantly to 100% deflection, the requested cyclic/yaw input should also become 100% immediately.

Actual behaviour:

The analog input value reaches 100% immediately, but the helicopter control is gradually moved toward 100% at a predefined rate.

This introduces artificial input smoothing/ramping and makes precise joystick/HOTAS control considerably less responsive.

Tested with:

- PC

- Vanilla Arma Reforger

- Joystick/HOTAS

- Xbox controller