How do people deal with console FPSes over PC ones?

[Scizophrenic Llama]

It's pretty easy to play on a console with a controller when everybody else is also using said controller. Now, if it were mouse and keyboard accessible on that as well then I would be using that for the advantage.

I still think with the amount of time I have used a controller on Call of Duty games, I could at least put up a decent fight against some PC players.

 

[viranimus]

For me any positives granted for using a mouse are negated by how horribly inaccurate and perplexing WASD enforced control schemes are. Pinpoint accuracy is great, but that is an insignificant price to pay when your stuck fat fingering the left side of your keyboard or having to spend 2 days trying to reconfigure the entire command layout around the arrow keys, which honestly gets worse.

So its easier to get adjusted to the nuances of using an analog stick for aiming, than it is to adjust not only movement, but actions centered around WASD

 

[Ando85]

Once upon a time, I legitimately thought I hated FPS games. I only played CoD4 on my 360 and I can only remember how frustrating it was. Not only were the people complete assholes, but I could never hit anything to save my life, excluding maybe with a rocket launcher. When I played my first FPS on the PC with a keyboard and mouse, it was an eye opening experience. I could point my crosshair towards what I wanted to hit and my bullets would actually make contact! Granted, I'm not claiming to be the best PC gamer ever, but my mind explodes whenever I hear someone say they prefer to play a FPS with a controller. To me, the pinpoint accuracy of a mouse is infinitely superior to whatever little aim you can attain with a controller's right analog stick. Can someone explain to me how people play these types of games with a controller?

I used to be a mouse and keyboard FPS player. Then I couldn't imagine how awkward it could be with a controller. By the time I couldn't keep up with system specs and all my friends were playing FPS on console I had to adapt. Sure it isn't as precise aiming as a mouse and keyboard setup, but you simply get used to it after awhile. It has now been so long since I have used a mouse and keyboard I have a feeling it would be awkward to play without a standard controller at first.

 

[Treblaine]

Like I said you're on a completely level playing field with everyone else in the game. Adjust sensitivity to how you like, though for sniping a high sensitivity can be brutal.

Personally I like playing FPS games on both PC and consoles. Can't play Halo: Reach on PC, also can't play Unreal on console.

Doesn't quite follow through because when EVERYONE is slow and imprecise with aiming, that favours those who are ALREADY aimed and sighted in; campers.

This may be more realistic, look at accounts of warfare and you'll find the people who survived are those who picked a good spot with a rifle, got low and shot every enemy they saw advancing. But it doesn't make for a fun game, it gets bogged down into a quagmire of no one wanting to advance.

I just can. I can shoot down birds in red dead redemption without auto aim or dead eye.

But how quickly can you aim? Mouse isn't just more accurate, it is the SPEED the the precision that matters and more than that, the responsiveness. See you can literally in a millisecond reverse direction of a mouse, but with a thumbstick that requires you recentre the stick then try to direct it over in the opposite direction. That may seem subtle but when your opponent darts around unexpectedly you need to respond quickly. PC keyboard even has the advantage here, as though movement is digital with WASD controls you can dart left and right very quickly just by tapping A or D. Circle strafing is easy, just hold D and keep aiming at the target.

As far as aiming, i think the mouse makes it too easy, thus more unrealistic, imo.

it's still easier to aim a gun than use a mouse.

Get a torch and aim at a point on the wall like a clock (it would be better if it was on a stick to rest against shoulder and held with two spaced hands, like a rifle, but this principal is like using a pistol), now quickly aim at your toe then up again at the clock. How quickly can you do that? Do the same switching between pointing PRECISELY at targets 90 degrees apart horizontally. Now try to do the same with a gamepad and a mouse in game.

I've practised this with Mouse aim, gamepad aim (with and without FPS Freek) and for real. Gamepad I'm just getting diminished return the more I practice, I CANNOT be as fast or precise as for real though I get darn close with mouse aim.

That's speed, now precision. Draw your name on the wall with the torch, then use a mouse (try with MS paint), then in a console game. I was able to write "John Treblaine" (not my real name) in 15 seconds on my first try. I've been in MW2 for quarter of an hour now trying over and over again, the best I can do is write "JT" in 15 seconds.

You know what is REALLY unrealistic. Aim-assist.

See mouse is far more realistic as it is more related to how we actually aim things as it is a zero-order interaction i.e. point of aim moves proportionally to the input. Thumbstick is inherently not precise enough for zero-order interactions, games like Timesplitters and Perfect dark try it but the fidelity of thumbsticks just is not there.

We're talking about video games.

So am I, thanks for stating the obvious.

I detect a hint of sarcasm in your low-content-post, is it that you somehow think the mechanics of aiming is irrelevant in games all about aiming guns?!?!

Writing your name on a wall is a perfect example of speed and precision of an aiming device, you can't just say "gamepad is good enough, no need for illustrative comparisons".

 

[Racecarlock]

I just can. I can shoot down birds in red dead redemption without auto aim or dead eye.

But how quickly can you aim? Mouse isn't just more accurate, it is the SPEED the the precision that matters and more than that, the responsiveness. See you can literally in a millisecond reverse direction of a mouse, but with a thumbstick that requires you recentre the stick then try to direct it over in the opposite direction. That may seem subtle but when your opponent darts around unexpectedly you need to respond quickly. PC keyboard even has the advantage here, as though movement is digital with WASD controls you can dart left and right very quickly just by tapping A or D. Circle strafing is easy, just hold D and keep aiming at the target.

Number one, I can aim as quickly as I want to with sensitivity tuning. Number 2, I just don't give a shit about how superior your aiming methods are. I get it. The mouse is more accurate, the mouse can turn faster, the mouse can this, the mouse can that. I DON'T CARE! I can play FPS games perfectly fine with a controller and I'm tired of being told how superior the mouse is. I wish people would stop telling me, because this is probably the 10th time i've seen the same argument. It's getting really fucking annoying.

 

[Phisi]

I like using a pad as I find it comfortable. But I use mouse usually as it is far superior for FPS gaming. Oh and most of my games are for PC and my console is a PS3.

 

[JohnDoey]

You're on a level playing field when playing an FPS on a console, you're using a controller the same as everyone else. I like it, I prefer it.

Not always the same controller anymore though, thanks to Playstation Move. After playing Killzone 3, I wasn't sure how the hell I ever used a regular controller. Took me a day or two to get used to one again when I got a free copy of Halo Reach for that beta test Microsoft had.

Only real problem I have with Move in Killzone 3 is that they mapped reload to a motion control and a button, but melee is only mapped to a motion control. Also, the motion control for reload works fine, but the motion control for melee is really spotty. If it even registers, it still took you that time to thrust the controller forward, so if you come up against a guy with a controller and you both melee, you lose. I guess it's a bit of balance since I can aim a hell of a lot better and faster, but lord how I wish they'd let me chance the Square button to melee instead of reload.

RTS are impossible.

Frustrating as all hell at times, yes. Impossible, no. If it was impossible, I never would have been able to beat Red Alert 3 on hard mode and complete all the missions under par time in Commander's Challenge on PS3. Here's my trophy collection if you need proof. [http://us.playstation.com/publictrophy/index.htm?onlinename=mjc0961]
In your opinion is the Ps move worth getting I was considering buying one.

It's certainly not something I ever want to do again, though. Next time EA wants to load the PC version of a C&C game with DRM, I think I'll skip it altogether. Not like I want to play another one after how badly they butchered C&C4 anyway...
[small]Then again, if those crafty bastards put in Move controller support... Hmm...[/small]

 

[Phisi]

I smell an irrelevant PC vs. console debate wafting along the wind. Could the thread name be changed to what do console players enjoy about using a controller over a mouse? or something along those lines. Dear oh deary me.

 

[MetallicaRulez0]

I've been playing FPS games on a controller since Goldeneye. Analog sticks just feel more comfortable for me, even if they are less precise. I'm a hell of a lot better on a controller than I am with a mouse/keyboard, even if I can be slightly more precise with the mouse.

 

[J4RD]

I'm relatively competent with both a mouse and an analog stick, but I prefer console shooters. Yes, you are a little less precise with a controller than you are with a mouse, but that just makes aiming all the sweeter. I also like how a controller provides a little more feedback, and takes more finesse IMO.

 

[Cridhe]

Like I said you're on a completely level playing field with everyone else in the game. Adjust sensitivity to how you like, though for sniping a high sensitivity can be brutal.

Personally I like playing FPS games on both PC and consoles. Can't play Halo: Reach on PC, also can't play Unreal on console.

Doesn't quite follow through because when EVERYONE is slow and imprecise with aiming, that favours those who are ALREADY aimed and sighted in; campers.

This may be more realistic, look at accounts of warfare and you'll find the people who survived are those who picked a good spot with a rifle, got low and shot every enemy they saw advancing. But it doesn't make for a fun game, it gets bogged down into a quagmire of no one wanting to advance.

I just can. I can shoot down birds in red dead redemption without auto aim or dead eye.

But how quickly can you aim? Mouse isn't just more accurate, it is the SPEED the the precision that matters and more than that, the responsiveness. See you can literally in a millisecond reverse direction of a mouse, but with a thumbstick that requires you recentre the stick then try to direct it over in the opposite direction. That may seem subtle but when your opponent darts around unexpectedly you need to respond quickly. PC keyboard even has the advantage here, as though movement is digital with WASD controls you can dart left and right very quickly just by tapping A or D. Circle strafing is easy, just hold D and keep aiming at the target.

As far as aiming, i think the mouse makes it too easy, thus more unrealistic, imo.

it's still easier to aim a gun than use a mouse.

Get a torch and aim at a point on the wall like a clock (it would be better if it was on a stick to rest against shoulder and held with two spaced hands, like a rifle, but this principal is like using a pistol), now quickly aim at your toe then up again at the clock. How quickly can you do that? Do the same switching between pointing PRECISELY at targets 90 degrees apart horizontally. Now try to do the same with a gamepad and a mouse in game.

I've practised this with Mouse aim, gamepad aim (with and without FPS Freek) and for real. Gamepad I'm just getting diminished return the more I practice, I CANNOT be as fast or precise as for real though I get darn close with mouse aim.

That's speed, now precision. Draw your name on the wall with the torch, then use a mouse (try with MS paint), then in a console game. I was able to write "John Treblaine" (not my real name) in 15 seconds on my first try. I've been in MW2 for quarter of an hour now trying over and over again, the best I can do is write "JT" in 15 seconds.

You know what is REALLY unrealistic. Aim-assist.

See mouse is far more realistic as it is more related to how we actually aim things as it is a zero-order interaction i.e. point of aim moves proportionally to the input. Thumbstick is inherently not precise enough for zero-order interactions, games like Timesplitters and Perfect dark try it but the fidelity of thumbsticks just is not there.

We're talking about video games.

So am I, thanks for stating the obvious.

I detect a hint of sarcasm in your low-content-post, is it that you somehow think the mechanics of aiming is irrelevant in games all about aiming guns?!?!

Writing your name on a wall is a perfect example of speed and precision of an aiming device, you can't just say "gamepad is good enough, no need for illustrative comparisons".

My point is on console FPS games you are not at a disadvantage, as everyone else you're playing with is using the same exact controls. They're video games, realism isn't a factor.

Edit: You should read more than the first and last pages of a thread before puffing your chest out the way you PC fanboys do so well.

 

[a Berserk Nun]

I smell an irrelevant PC vs. console debate wafting along the wind. Could the thread name be changed to what do console players enjoy about using a controller over a mouse? or something along those lines. Dear oh deary me.

I have to agree with you on this one. I think it's borderline silly that some people are having to post entries the size of War and Peace in length just to praise or trash one way of playing over the other. It just boils down to what you are more comfortable with. I prefer consoles because of their simplcity. As for realism, if I wanted a truly realistic FPS experience I'd either do laser tag, paintball, or join the army.

 

[The Heik]

Once upon a time, I legitimately thought I hated FPS games. I only played CoD4 on my 360 and I can only remember how frustrating it was. Not only were the people complete assholes, but I could never hit anything to save my life, excluding maybe with a rocket launcher. When I played my first FPS on the PC with a keyboard and mouse, it was an eye opening experience. I could point my crosshair towards what I wanted to hit and my bullets would actually make contact! Granted, I'm not claiming to be the best PC gamer ever, but my mind explodes whenever I hear someone say they prefer to play a FPS with a controller. To me, the pinpoint accuracy of a mouse is infinitely superior to whatever little aim you can attain with a controller's right analog stick. Can someone explain to me how people play these types of games with a controller?

The reasons why I prefer a controller over a mouse are:

A) Smoothness. When I'm running and gunning with a keyboard and mouse I find that my aim jitters like I'm knocking back a whole pot of expresso, especially if I'm trying to snipe and the game has that blasted barrel sway. However, when I play with a controller though, the aim goes where ever I want it to go, an not a millimetre more. That's because the analogue sticks work on a 360 degree intensity function. This allows for me to point them wherever and however I want.

In addition, as much as you say the mouse it precise, it really isn't. I'd like you do try a little experiment for me. Try and move the mouse in an exactly straight horizontal line. You'll find that despite your best efforts, the cursor will move up and down. This is because for all the fast compensatory ability of a mouse, your hand is anchored to some point on the table, and that skews the precision, causing you to have to compensate. Controllers are mathematically precise. Whatever direction you move the sticks, it will move in exactly that fashion until the batteries run out.


B) The mouse has a run-off point. That is that if you move it too far in one direction or another, you have to pick up the mouse and reset it's location in order to use it properly again, and I have had enough moments where I've gotten killed by that to write the mouse off as a dedicated aiming tool, especially in close firefights where you have to keep on aiming in circles. It may just be for a fraction of a second, but that's a lifetime in games where guns fire at 10+ rounds per second. That fraction of waiting may mean the difference between you killing your opponent, and him killing you.

C) The Keyboard has too many buttons! Honestly, look down at your keyboard. There are by my count, over a hundred of the little buggers there, and how many do you actually use? Not even twenty, and that's if you're playing a very detailed FPS. And usually none of them are distinct by feel, so in a heated battle, you are more likely to make a mistake. Not so with the controller. An Xbox 360 controller contains (if you count each direction on the d-pad) 19 button functions, and every button on it are in groups of four or less, four being the highest number that a person can count by sight/touch without having to engage our conscious brain. This means that without having to really think, we can identify what each button is without having to look down for a reference point. You can pick it up and go. With a keyboard you have to specifically look down to gain a reference point in order to know where everything else is.

This is because the controller was designed from the very start to be used for shooter based games. All that is needed there is there, and every part has been designed so that the minimal amount of conscious effort is required for maximum results. The keyboard on the other hand is based off of the age old typewriters. It was made for typing, not gaming (though it still is the superior system for strategy games)

Now I know that these advantages don't stop people from being awesome with the keyboard and mouse, but that is chalked up more to one being used to where everything is. Human adaptation to set parameters is our greatest strength and if you're given enough time you can master anything, it's merely easier to adapt to the controller, because it was designed to game.

 

[Balobo]

I can play FPS on consoles, but the controller doesn't feel as comfortable to me as the mouse.

 

[kickyourass]

Really? I've never encountered a single FPS that controlled better on a mouse and keyboard then with a console controller. I think it's mostly due to the fact that is I want to turn around on a console I just tilt the thumbstick until I want to stop, and on a PC I have to repeatedly pick up the mouse and move it to the side if I don't want my mouse and keyboard to bump against eachother and press a button I don't want pressed. I don't know about your games, but that split second of in activity in the middle of a firefight can be a death sentence in mine.

 

[Stavros Dimou]

There is something bad and something good in the combination of mouse and keyboard against a controller.

The good for PCs is that even a 5$ mouse will be multiple times more accurate than any controller's analogue stick.

The bad point is that the WASD keys that are used for movement,makes your fingers tire after a while.Someone's hands will get more tired if playing with a keyboard instead of a controller.
Using the keyboard you have to use three of your fingers just to move,and you have to hit buttons all the time,but with a controller you only move one of your fingers in directions without having to hit any button.

I guess both ways of controlling a game's character have their pros and cons.
Personally I tend to play with keyboard and mouse because in shooting parts I really can't stand the inaccurate analogue stick of my xbox360 controller for Windows.
But when a FPS has vehicle sections (like Crysis) I change it to controller.

 

[TheLoneBeet]

I play both. No real preference to one or the other. I find it just as easy to ping off headshots with an analog stick as with a mouse. I sucked at both when I started and got better with practice (same rules apply to gaming as everything else).

 

[Tohuvabohu]

A) Smoothness. When I'm running and gunning with a keyboard and mouse I find that my aim jitters like I'm knocking back a whole pot of expresso, especially if I'm trying to snipe and the game has that blasted barrel sway. However, when I play with a controller though, the aim goes where ever I want it to go, an not a millimetre more. That's because the analogue sticks work on a 360 degree intensity function. This allows for me to point them wherever and however I want.

In addition, as much as you say the mouse it precise, it really isn't. I'd like you do try a little experiment for me. Try and move the mouse in an exactly straight horizontal line. You'll find that despite your best efforts, the cursor will move up and down. This is because for all the fast compensatory ability of a mouse, your hand is anchored to some point on the table, and that skews the precision, causing you to have to compensate. Controllers are mathematically precise. Whatever direction you move the sticks, it will move in exactly that fashion until the batteries run out.

Now I know that these advantages don't stop people from being awesome with the keyboard and mouse, but that is chalked up more to one being used to where everything is. Human adaptation to set parameters is our greatest strength and if you're given enough time you can master anything, it's merely easier to adapt to the controller, because it was designed to game.

That's strange. I understand you are used to a controller. But my thoughts about it are the exact opposite of this.

I've been primarily playing on my PC for a few years now, but before that I played everything on a console. I understand how FPS games work on consoles, and I just do not see it the same way you do.

I completely disagree about smoothness. Even nowadays I own a 360 and PS3, I don't have any FPS games installed at the moment, the one FPS game I've been playing recently is Halo: Reach. Which we all know to be 360 exclusive, and is designed to work as intuitively with the controller as possible, right?

But I find that even with that, the controls are for Reach unfortunately fall under most of the same limitations as other console FPS games.
I don't agree about smoothness. I find aiming on a console to be jerky, rough, and muddy. Faster turning sensitivity makes you better in close quarters but affects your aim over a distance and vice versa. If your sensitivity is high then chances are you are going to have to compensate for the jerky nature by using movement instead of aiming alone. It can even be disorienting when in close range against someone.

Using a controller for an FPS game makes me feel like I'm fighting against it just to get things done. I'm by no means a bad player and I'm very effective at getting kills and accomplishing objectives while playing on Reach, but I always aware of the limitations controllers possess, such as inherent muddiness. Just watching the screen is full of jerky leftrightupdown movements. It's just not what I would call smooth.

Even in the old days of Halo 2, I habitually played with a controller and the sensitivity turned up to 10. Which was insane getting used to, but I forced myself to because I was tired of the muddy feeling of aiming. Mastering the 10 sensitivity made me a more effective player, my ability in the game increased, all from learning to aim faster. Sure it made me feel good I was crazy enough to get accustomed to it, but all this still made me feel like I was fighting the controls of the game.

I don't think controllers are by design for shooters either. I think they work much better for adventure games, platformers, some third person shooters, and sports games. In my eyes, FPS games are on the very bottom of the list.

 

[Irriduccibilli]

Well, you may have felt it being easier to aim with a mouse and keyboard, but maybe someone else think its easier to aim with a controller like myself. If you are used to using a controller like me, you, of course, find it easier than aiming with a keyboard and mouse. No reason to explode because someone else is having another oppinion, thats just childish