Make sure when you buy a gaming joystick/pad/mouse that it comes with profiling software. I use an 8 button mouse but I hear this is applicable for stick and pads as well. Use the profile software to link the devices buttons to keystrokes than hotkey the keystrokes. I have a game pad somewhere that I can operate the xy axis of a mouse using the 2 sticks on the pad itself. I haven't pulled it out in a long time. Maybe something for me to do.
I use a gamepad designed for strategic games, the strategic commader from microsoft, it got a capacity to setup more than 18 comammds is his buttons and got a hat to strafe, is a good piece of hardware to play the game, also i got a gamer mouse whit several buttons.