Dear RSI-Development Team, I am a dedicated Star Citizen player using a HOTAS setup (Thrustmaster T16000M FCS) and I am deeply concerned about the current state of throttle control since patch 3.24. Issue: Until version 3.23, the throttle behaved in a straightforward, hardware-accurate manner, as expected in any serious flight sim or real-world aircraft: the throttle lever worked linearly and intuitively — bottom position equals 0% thrust, top position equals 100% thrust. This mapping logic was simple, precise, and fully met the expectations of the HOTAS community. With version 3.24, this axis assignment was completely removed and replaced by the so-called “Velocity Control” system. This system interprets the throttle as a speed controller with a midpoint representing zero velocity. The technical consequences are: The physical zero point of the throttle — which is, by design, the rearmost position of the lever (0%) — no longer corresponds to zero movement in Star Citizen. Instead, the software now defines the center of the throttle’s physical range as the zero velocity point. Moving the throttle forward from center increases forward velocity, moving it backward from center increases reverse velocity. This is fundamentally incompatible with how nearly all real-world throttles and HOTAS hardware are physically designed to function. The control axis is now bidirectional, covering both forward and backward movement. Many HOTAS throttles, including the T16000M FCS, do not have a true physical midpoint. This means that the physical lever either must be positioned at an endpoint that does not harmonize with the game control or constantly gives an incorrect speed. Star Citizen’s current keybinding menu offers no native option to apply axis scaling, offset, or deadzone to correct this discrepancy. I already reported this via the Issue Council multiple times, yet none of these reports gathered enough contributions to trigger proper developer attention. This is particularly frustrating because it indicates that the current system does not appropriately elevate critical control issues — especially those affecting a significant portion of the flight-sim and HOTAS community. Consequences for users: The only way to use the throttle somewhat sensibly is via external software like Joystick Gremlin and vJoy, which can remap and scale axes. While technically feasible, this is absolutely unacceptable for a modern AAA title. This external software setup is complicated, error-prone, and must be started before every game session to ensure proper control. Players on macOS or other platforms outside Windows are completely excluded since these tools are Windows-exclusive. The entire user experience is severely degraded and poses an unnecessary barrier. This issue is made even more frustrating by the fact that Star Citizen includes a "Joystick Sensitivity Curves" section in the Controls tab, offering Deadzone and Saturation settings for X, Y, Z, and Slider axes — yet there is no option for axis offset or remapping the axis range from bidirectional to unidirectional. This means players cannot fix the issue within the game itself. Demands: Please restore a native solution that maps the classic throttle behavior: a single axis linearly spanning 0% to 100% thrust without a neutral midpoint. Implement options in the keybinding menu for axis scaling, inversion, and offset to accommodate different hardware setups. Provide consistent and clear documentation for these control options. Consider the HOTAS community carefully in future changes, as flight simulation and precise control are core elements of Star Citizen. Conclusion: Star Citizen is a visionary game with immense potential. However, the current throttle control represents a technical regression that frustrates many dedicated players. The fact that multiple Issue Council reports failed to trigger appropriate attention further demonstrates that this is an underappreciated but severe issue within the community. Please address this problem with the highest priority. Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to a swift resolution. Best regards, Bonzenbaron