Best game controller

Shrykull · Post by **Shrykull** » 2003-09-03 02:15am

What game controller do you use for the PC (if any) for shooters, or games with a 3D point of view where it helps to have the buttons right on it, rather than using the keyboard?
I want one for Aliens vs Predator 2 just like the X box one, or better one which is smaller with a lot of buttons, need to XY axis to move and turn, and one to look up and down. prefferably one which isn't a "stick" but rather a control pad.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-09-03 02:40am

No matter what new inane invention they think up, for shooters the mouse and keyobard is the be all and end all, the alpha and the omega, the bees knees, the ants pants, the jocks socks, etc etc ad infinitum.

In fact, I hearby call anyone who uses any sort of game controller in a shooter when their keyboard and mouse is right in front of them a damaged person, who is clearly in need of psychiatric help.

Shrykull · Post by **Shrykull** » 2003-09-03 02:42am

Vympel wrote:No matter what new inane invention they think up, for shooters the mouse and keyobard is the be all and end all, the alpha and the omega, the bees knees, the ants pants, the jocks socks, etc etc ad infinitum.

In fact, I hearby call anyone who uses any sort of game controller in a shooter when their keyboard and mouse is right in front of them a damaged person, who is clearly in need of psychiatric help.

Better yet, why don't you put them to the test play against them using your keyboard while they use thier controller.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-09-03 03:01am

Shrykull wrote:Better yet, why don't you put them to the test play against them using your keyboard while they use thier controller.

Actually, many of the PC game magazines have tried precisely that, and found that keyboard+mouse players generally ass-rape people using anything else.

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-09-03 03:03am

Keyboard and mouse allows for a greater degree of control. I've found the typical CS keybinds to be a joy to use for me, and mouselook is the best invention ever.

However, I have me a Gravis Gamepad Pro for emulators.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-09-03 03:03am

Keyboard + mouse beat all comers except in flight sims, where keyboard + joystick rules the day.

namdoolb · Post by **namdoolb** » 2003-09-03 04:27am

Well, I have a strategic commander

Which is actualy moderately useful for complex keybinds.... But it's really just an accessory to mouse/keyboard.

Driving games get joystick (or wheel depending on the mood I'm in)
Flight sims get joystick
Any fighting game I happen to play would require a joypad

But for most games you really can't beat mouse/keyboard.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-09-03 05:07am

Howedar wrote:Keyboard + mouse beat all comers except in flight sims, where keyboard + joystick rules the day.

It would be nice to have a HOTAS with rudder pedal set up though wouldn't it ... just WAY too expensive. It's not necessary for WW2 sims (right hand on stick, left hand on Z and X for rudder for good deflection shooting) but for modern sims (LO:MAC is coming out so soon I can TASTE it) it'd be great.

And then of course there's TrackIR, which beats the holy shit out of using a hat-switch or padlocking to look around in ACM.

TheFeniX · Post by **TheFeniX** » 2003-09-03 09:42am

Getting shot in the back in Halo is such a pain in the ass because I'm forced to slowly turn around using a joystick rather than a mouse. I play with highly sensitive controls which makes me a demon with the shotgun and pistol, but makes the sniper rifle useless to me.

A mouse allows me to precisely aim my reticle with the same difficulty of clicking a desktop icon. Years of use has made it easy to pull off head-shots in almost anygame (CS being the main exception). I can also spin to check all points in a room in seconds, and quickly scan a dark area to look for the pop-up enemy indicator (cheap, but effective).

That said, my joystick is the tried and testing Force Pro 2-button 2-axis joystick I've had since 1989. I used to kick my friends ass at XW vs Tie, when he bought himself a brand new MS Forcefeedback Sidwinder.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-09-03 10:05am

TheFeniX wrote:Getting shot in the back in Halo is such a pain in the ass because I'm forced to slowly turn around using a joystick rather than a mouse. I play with highly sensitive controls which makes me a demon with the shotgun and pistol, but makes the sniper rifle useless to me.

A mouse allows me to precisely aim my reticle with the same difficulty of clicking a desktop icon. Years of use has made it easy to pull off head-shots in almost anygame (CS being the main exception). I can also spin to check all points in a room in seconds, and quickly scan a dark area to look for the pop-up enemy indicator (cheap, but effective).

That said, my joystick is the tried and testing Force Pro 2-button 2-axis joystick I've had since 1989. I used to kick my friends ass at XW vs Tie, when he bought himself a brand new MS Forcefeedback Sidwinder.

Judging from previews of Halo for PC, without the retarded controller Halo is 'incredibly easy'- so much so that it almost feels like cheating.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2003-09-03 10:23am

Fighting Games: Saturn Game pad

Flight sims: Joystick

Everything else: Mouse and Keyboard.

Only fighting games and Flight sims can I not use the mouse and keyboard...but from FPS to RPG sorry, it rules over any gamepad.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-09-03 10:36am

I would suspect that a gun (akin to the Nintendo Duck Hunt gun) would work nicely in FPS games, but something else would be required for movement.

The best way to do it would be to use 3D immersion, of course, but that would require a movement-sensitive suit, video goggles, and the aforementioned gun. Then there'd be the danger of running into stuff.

So for now I'm sticking to the mouse and keyboard.

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2003-09-03 11:05am

We all know that the mouse is the best for everything save driving/flying sims...

But a keyboard can often be clunky or annoying. I use this beautiful thing, the Nostromo N50 speedpad. It's more or less just a 'mini keyboard', with an 8-way for your thumb, a throttle control, and a nice, comfy grip. It saves a shitload of wear on your keyboard and is insanely comfortable and responsive for any games. Plus it's cheap. I recommend it to all of you.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-09-03 11:33am

I plat FPSs aalmost exclusively, and I haven't found anything that can ever hope to touch mouse+keyboard for sheer effectiveness.

<+-HEADSH(+)T!-+>

TheFeniX · Post by **TheFeniX** » 2003-09-03 12:46pm

Vympel wrote:Judging from previews of Halo for PC, without the retarded controller Halo is 'incredibly easy'- so much so that it almost feels like cheating.

They probably haven't played the game on Legendary difficulty then. My problem there wasn't refined controller movement, it was getting my ass beat down by elites with good strategy and strength in numbers. This also furthers my belief that Halo will have a short life on PC.

Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:<+-HEADSH(+)T!-+>

TFC: "Headshot, that'll slow him down."

Seggybop · Post by **Seggybop** » 2003-09-03 12:53pm

I use a spliced in Xbox controller for everything. I am aware the mouse is better for FPS, but the only one I play is BF1942 and I'm generally in a vehicle during that. For all !fps the controller is great.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-09-03 01:35pm

I use many controllers.

I have the standard mouse and keyboard, used for FPS games and strategy games, a flightstick/throttle for flying games, and a DualShock pad for emulators and Serious Sam.

A mouse allows me to precisely aim my reticle with the same difficulty of clicking a desktop icon.

I see this as a problem with PC FPS games. You can turn and aim precisely at rates which nigh on defy the laws of physics.

It also means that game settings like mouse sensitivity have an effect on the game balance. So much for all the time the devs spent working on it, eh?

Shrykull · Post by **Shrykull** » 2003-09-03 06:49pm

Dalton wrote:Keyboard and mouse allows for a greater degree of control. I've found the typical CS keybinds to be a joy to use for me, and mouselook is the best invention ever.

However, I have me a Gravis Gamepad Pro for emulators.

Console emualtors yes, I think I got that one once, but took it back because I thought it was incompatible with the emulators, turned out I just needed to tell it I was using the gamepad, I got the madcatz one instead.

Shrykull · Post by **Shrykull** » 2003-09-03 06:52pm

Crayz9000 wrote:I would suspect that a gun (akin to the Nintendo Duck Hunt gun) would work nicely in FPS games, but something else would be required for movement.

Remember the super scope 6 for super nintendo, it was advertised to be able to hit a single pixel. And is there a gun which will show you where it will hit as you move the gun up and down the screen the crosshairs will move on the screen?

Shrykull · Post by **Shrykull** » 2003-09-03 07:58pm

Vympel wrote:No matter what new inane invention they think up, for shooters the mouse and keyobard is the be all and end all, the alpha and the omega, the bees knees, the ants pants, the jocks socks, etc etc ad infinitum.

In fact, I hearby call anyone who uses any sort of game controller in a shooter when their keyboard and mouse is right in front of them a damaged person, who is clearly in need of psychiatric help.

What keys do you usually use for moving? The mouse is better than a stick you move, and do you usually deginate a different button for each weapon to switch to, or switch through them until you find the weapon you want?

YT300000 · Post by **YT300000** » 2003-09-03 08:18pm

I use joy+mouse. Works better than Key+mouse, and since with the mouse I'm nearly ambidexterous anyway, it doesn't matter.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-09-03 08:26pm

Shrykull wrote:Remember the super scope 6 for super nintendo, it was advertised to be able to hit a single pixel. And is there a gun which will show you where it will hit as you move the gun up and down the screen the crosshairs will move on the screen?

Probably not. Those guns worked by a particular feature of CRTs rather than actually sensing if you moved the gun up or down. For instance, they will not work on an LCD or plasma display.

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2003-09-05 12:19am

If you're going to be using a gamepad (for something other than first person shooters, if you're at all sane) I'd recommend the Thrustmaster Firestorm Dual Power. Basic layout's like the Playstation Dual Shock, except that it has a couple more buttons (two triggers in addition tot he four shoulder buttons) and it's more comfortable.

Actually, I'd probably recommend the version without the rumble feature, whose name I can't recall at the moment. It's cheaper than the Dual Power, and I rarely use that feature on mine anyway.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-09-05 12:25am

Good ole mouse+keyboard. I remember my days playing GoldenEye on N64. Aiming up and down is hard in quake 3 but is incredibly hard in GoldenEye.

mauldooku · Post by **mauldooku** » 2003-09-05 10:31am

Shinova wrote:Good ole mouse+keyboard. I remember my days playing GoldenEye on N64. Aiming up and down is hard in quake 3 but is incredibly hard in GoldenEye.

You know what is odd? Although I much prefer mouse and keyboard on PC shooters, when I'm playing Goldeneye or Perfect Dark the only control style I can play with proficently is 1.1. Even though 1.2 Emulates mouselook with the Control Stick, I just can't use ;(

It's served me well though. All 30 challenges completed