Game controls maketh the gaming experience
Keyboarding with mice
Side Score: 23
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Joypads and other controllers
Side Score: 31
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It's not so much about the keyboard. It's the mouse. If you're use to using a keyboard, you have what, on average 101 keys? 101 different controls. If you're used to it, I don't see how it could be less productive than a controller. The mouse though, vs the thumb stick or d-pad, there is no real competition. The mouse is more accurate, more responsive, easier to use, and it's more versatile. I don't know how anyone can rightfully say that a thumb stick is better than a mouse. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a grudge against the controller, I just happen to find the mouse a lot better for my performance than the thumb stick. Side: Optical mouse any good keyboard
Using a controller with analog sticks, you would have to: -Move the stick a certain distance away from its center position in the direction of the target -Wait for your character to rotate in that direction -Move the stick in the opposite direction back to its center position(so to stop the rotation) -Fire --------------------------------------- On the other hand, using a mouse , all you have to do is: -Move the mouse a certain distance to the direction of the target -Fire Clearly, using a mouse to aim is must less complicated for the following reason: -You don’t have to “wait for the character to rotate while not doing anything in particular” -You don’t have to do anything special to stop the rotation after it reaches your target — you simply stop moving the mouse Side: Optical mouse any good keyboard
I want to write a counterargument, but first I need to know what type of game you are talking about. If it's a FPS, then the mouse has the benefit of sensitivity, since it takes less to orient yourself than a controller. However, the analog sticks have the benefit of knowing how fast you are moving, since you can only move the sticks so far. I'll acknowledge that this can be resolved by tweaking your sensitivity options. Secondly, I don't understand this:"Wait for your character to rotate in that direction", for two reasons. First, this happens with both analog sticks and keyboards. Second, that is why you don't just have a mouse or one analog stick: the keyboard/other analog stick is used to move, which can also be used to change your camera angle faster/compensate for the direction change by moving. Anyone who has played an FPS knows that you can't stay still; that leaves you open to attack (unless you are a sniper...) Ultimately, the choice between analog sticks and mouse + keyboard comes down to playing style. A mouse provides speed, but at higher sensitivities, you lose accuracy. An analog stick also suffers from this problem, but it has the advantage of knowing how much movement of the stick would affect the movement of the camera (since that speed is constant). Side: Optical mouse any good keyboard
I guess you've proved that keyboarding with mice is definitely for pro-gamers that need high-performance hardware. But what you and Bradford are leaving out is that "Game controls maketh the gaming experience, and you gotta admit, sticking keys in to the enemy is pretty dull when compared to vibrating organ-like hand-held devices in which you only spend half as much time looking for which button to press. To me, there's keyboards at one end of the spectrum that's so last generation that you're almost programming in your moves. On the other end is stuff like the Wiimote which is a truly virtual gadget, and therefore much more immersive and new gen. Side: keyboards are geeky
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Using the keyboard for anything other than data entry is looking old to me. Take first person perspective shoot'em-ups for instance, there is no velocity control on movement when using the cursor keys nor is there an intuitive strafing option. With the advent of 6 degree motion sensors, positional triangulation and analogue buttons, you have sensitive avatar rotation, intuitive side movement and finely controllable linear motion respectively. Side: Joypads and other controllers
The Wiimote is the best game control ever invented. It has been very instrumental in the commercial success of the Wii. The Wiimote features motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via movement and pointing through the use of accelerometer and optical sensor technology. One of the coolest parts about the Wiimote is that it can snap into many accessories to make the gaming experience even better. For instance, it snaps into a guitar (Guitar Hero III), a steering wheel (MarioKart), a golf club (Tiger Woods Golf), and a machine gun (Medal of Honor). Side: Wiimote
Wii Controls, Wii Controls, and, of course, Wii Controls. That is all there is too it. No stupid keyboard reacts to how you move your entire arm or how you drive with a steering wheel. And don't say that you can connect those steering wheels to your computers because that also falls under the "other controllers" category since it is not a mouse and keyboard. SO HA! AND ANOTHER HA! Side: Joypads and other controllers
I think Sony's EyeToy concept was the most interesting in terms of interaction. In the future, all the cleverness will be pushed back into the console's processors and the human brain - no need for any other sophistication. For example, imagine a cheapo camera like the EyeToy connected to a computer smart enough to understand what it sees - able to interpret the movements and facial expressions of a group of people. There would be no need for a Wiimote or the like. To make it truly immersive, wrap some cheap screens around your head - again, the console does the work and makes any old telly fluid and clever. Side: Joypads and other controllers
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