I'd love to use the joystick in this game, but it keeps on refusing to respond at random occasions, and continues not to respond until I go in the options->controls->joystick and click scan. All the tabs would be stuck to far left until I click scan, when they would return to center position.

There's another thread already going on this. See:

http://vendetta.guildsoftware.com/?action=msgboard&thread=2072&page=1

Maybe adding your input there will help to solve this.