Ultimate Weapons Switching script for X2 / Saitek X52 / AutoHotKey

[ScoobyDoo]

I've always found weapon switching in the X series a little cumbersome. The last thing you want to do in the middle of a dogfight is worry about how many times you need to hit the "1" button to activate your Disruptors. X3 introduced Weapon Groups, which helped a little, but still doesn't let me leverage my Saitek X52 joystick the way I dream of.

For example, I'd like to make a partial-squeeze of my trigger fire a continuous stream of low-energy ammunition. I want to be able to fully depress it for short bursts of more powerful weaponry. Also I want to assign my "pinky" trigger to Ion Disruptors, so their specialized damage is only a twitch away without having to worry about over/under cycling weapons slots.

Further, it should be intelligent so that if I have my pinky and main triggers depressed simultaneously, I get a mix of normal and shield-peircing ammunition.

Did I just hear you say I'm dreaming?

Well, not anymore! After giving up on trying to do all this in the Saitek software, I've written an AutoHotKey script that does just that, and more.

Download from http://www.leapbeyond.com/ric/x2/

It only works with X2, though the concept would probably work in X3 as well. You can define a set of weapon groups, which activate depending on which joystick button(s) are pressed. Customizing the weapon assignments is a snap, and you can switch on the fly without your guns missing a beat. The example I'm providing is tailored for my Saitek X52, but it shouldn't be too hard to adapt it to another joystick.

You'll need AutoHotKey, and a little fearlessness of reading directions and tweaking. More documentation is in the script. As it gets put through the grind of hours of gameplay, it may be improved further. Feel free to comment and report issues on this thread, although I can't promise a response.

Now rip out your old, unfinished X2 savegames and enjoy!