In defence of the controller over the mouse for online FPS

[Eldritch Warlord]

So this were all the fanboys are huddled.

Huddled? Hardly, can't you see them strutting around and mouthing off in a vain attempt at eloquence?

random thought: Why isn't your avatar an eggo, Eggo? Or at least something eggo related?

On topic, I prefer controllers but I see the appeal of mice. You can like mice (rodentiphile) as long as you realize that there's appeal for controllers.

 

[ThePlasmatizer]

I don't mind using a controller they aren't as terrible as some people would have you believe, but a mouse is a much better medium and much more quicker and accurate for aiming in an fps.

 

[DeadlyFred]

But don't you also prefer playing basketball sober and in sneakers instead of on performance enhancing drugs and on Poweriser Jumping Stilts, even though the latter combination allows for greater "efficiency, speed, and accuracy"?

In other words, the controller people are making the argument that too much "efficiency, speed, and accuracy" break the game in the same way basketball would just become a dunk contest if the players had too much "efficiency, speed, and accuracy"--if too many people can dunk all the time, skills like rebounding and jump shooting go out the window.

So that's what the discussion should be about: does an M+K make certain skills/ways of playing the game useless? And if it does, how big of a loss is it?

If you want to go that route: why should the major leaguers have to play ball with wiffle bats? If a mouse and keyboard are just too threatening for you then stay away from them; no one is forcing you to play PC games. If you want to play in that arena you ought to be up to the challenge, and least of all shouldn't complain that everyone should cater to those who can't cut it.

 

[Iori Branford]

No. It cannot be right that your shooting skill should be crippled in a shooting game.

The real problem is finding players of similar skill as you. S4 League [http://s4.en.alaplaya.eu/] has beginner servers for players with K <1.0. Quake Live [http://quakelive.com] promises a similar solution.

 

[franzuu]

Your argument is that because the controller is inferior to KB+M and a player can only get "that" good with the controller in a much smaller time frame than with the mouse everybody is more equal.

Also this "always have to look at the keyboard to find buttons" is BS. At first you might, but if your neurons can form connections then this won't be needed after a few hours. As you get older that ability degrades and that is why older people take longer to learn something.

Honestly somebody should hack the xbox360 and ps3 to let you use the keyboard and mouse.

 

[HeyZeus_Ezekiel_Jesus]

There are some controller specially designed for a PC FPSs. I saw one at Best Buy that had 14 buttons while almost all have 12.

 

[Danny Ocean]

End this thread, damnit!

 

[OverlordSteve]

I've played Team Fortress 2 on the Xbox and the Computer, and I've gotta say mouse>controller.

 

[Same River New Water]

EyeToy FTW!

 

[Joeshie]

Levelled learning curve aiming with a mouse can get scary good. My brother (who is more dexterous than me and is better at practising) could snap UT2006 headshots off while jumping through the air dodging rockets. There will still be people who are great but they can never have the untouchablity of a pro-mouse user.

I a more accurate title for this argument would be, "Capped learning curve for console FPS". With most console FPS, there are certain things which limit your ability to improve upon your skills. One of which is the inaccuracy and overall sluggishness of analog sticks. Even if you were well on your way to developing the skills necessary to pull off pin-point headshots with a controller, you would never really be able to fully develop them because you are limited by your controller input.

What you have essentially said with this argument is that people with superior skills should be punished because of people with less skills won't have as much fun. It's like saying you should restrict how good a certain athlete can play just so that other athletes have a better chance of beating the superior athlete. It's a stupid argument.

Fighting with brains not ... dexterity although I only play CoD4 a few hours a week I can normally finish in the top 3 of a free-for-all match. To think that I could do that on CoD4 PC is unrealistic and therefore undesirable. I get better with practice but it's me map knowledge, combat awareness and aggression that win me games - not being better at point and click.

I'm not sure how you ever came to the conclusion that just because you can pull of ridiculously fast and accurate moves with a mouse, strategy and combat awareness go right out the window.

The basic flaw in this argument is that you completely forget that every other person you are facing off against also uses the mouse and keyboard. They also can pull off lighting fast headshots and moves, just as you can. Therefore, while it might be easier to get kills with a mouse than it would be with an analog, it's also much easier to die. Therefore, you still need to use every advantage that you can get to beat your opponent, which includes strategy and combat awareness.

All are equal everyone playing CoD4 or UT3 or Halo 3 or whatever on a PS3 or a 360 is using the same controller. Yes there are some modded ones but those are for the tragically inept. There is no advantaged gained from have spent £100 on a specially awesome gaming mouse.

I'm not understanding you here. You say that "All are equal" on console games because they use the same controller, but then go on to say that there is no advantage gained from spending extra money on a really nice gaming mouse.

 

[DeadlyFred]

Absolutely not. Heck, if anything, having a mouse available gives you even better "combat awareness" since you can actually look around and take stock of your surroundings with a flick of the wrist. Saying PC games boil down to nothing more than who's better at "point and click" could only come from the mouth of someone who's never played anything but deathmatch in a PC game. When it comes to team games and objective-based games, the team that works together better and plays (not shoots) better is almost always going to win.

Moves too quickly? If it moves quick you'd better think quick.

 

[DeadlyFred]

So we're talking about precognition and clairvoyance then? Hmm, that certainly wasn't on the X360's feature list... otherwise, I'm confused. Being able to "look over your shoulder" easily certainly is a virtue of good combat awareness, in my book.

Well, what should it come down to? Who has the highest sensitivity setting on their free-look?

I still don't see why the substance of this debate is even an issue, its not as if there is a plethora of PC/console cross-competition going on or anything. Though on that note, if you try to outshoot a mouse with a controller you pretty much deserve to get spanked.

 

[DeadlyFred]

Speaking at least for myself, I'm talking about stuff like using your knowledge of the map off-screen that you've already passed. Knowing where your exits are from a room if you see an overwhelming force coming at you, a force coming too quickly for you to turn around and figure out where to run for cover.

And all this doesn't apply equally in either setting?