I've been gone for some time from DMW. To be honest, I'd had as much of PC gaming as I could handle. I've always been a console gamer and tried out PC gaming but it was just one issue after another so I went back to XBox. Times are tough at the moment and I am considering selling my XBox. I need a PC for other things including work so it looks like it might have to suffice for gaming too. The thing is I just can't get to grips with mouse and keybaord. The keyboard part in particular. There are just too many keys and many of them in awkward positions. I just spend most of my time looking down at the keyboard trying to see where the key I want is. I bought a Steelseries Merc keyboard hoping that it would help but it doesn't really. My KDR is woefull in the extreme as a result of all this.
So I wondered if there is anyone here who has come from console gaming and had the same issues and overcome them? I am looking for encouragement I guess. I'm wondering if I'm just getting too old and it's too late to teach myself a new control scheme.
Practice makes perfect. That is all.
Once you get the hang of it you will wonder how the hell you ever played with a controller, well at least for FPS, there are certain games ie platformers and arcade racing type where I use an xbox controller but for FPS keyboard and mouse roolz.
Note: The above opinion may in fact be bollox.
No that's exactly the opinion I hoped to hear. I was looking for a bit of encouragement to continue. I really need to cut down on the "gadgets" in the house. The PC is safe because it is needed for work so if I can turn it into my game machine too then all the better.
Right now it all feels a bit like when I tried to learn the guitar. A friend tried to teach me but I just couldn't get the flexibility in my fingers to play it. Right now I feel like the same problem with the keyboard.
Gunzie, do not despair!
I never got to grips with WASD, it is like playing on a random part of the keyboard and I found it very difficult and unintuitive.
So I played using the "arrow" or control keys, which is ok, but still not ideal; You quickly run out of "handy" keys to bind for other actions.
My answer was to buy a ZBoard (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zboard-Gamers-Keyboard-Starter-Kit/dp/B0002XEOZ2) and use one of the interchangeable keysets.
Still a bit of a pain, but I did ok with it for 3-4 years.
Then my kids bought me a steelseries Merc stealth (http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/peripherals/2008/03/02/ideazon_merc_stealth_keyboard/1) keyboard and I've never looked back.
I've got all the gaming keys I need plus a full KB.
as for a mouse, I got a Logitech G9X (http://www.logitech.com/mice-pointers/mice/devices/5092), but any half decent mouse with a couple of thumb-buttons for melee and comms should do.
Others use gaming devices such as the claw (http://www.claw.com.au/)
i don't know much about them, but they must be fairly similar to my KB to use.
Keep trying :D
Surely you can just use the Xbox controller for your gaming, most titles support the Xbox controller (I think Chaosphere uses a pad and does pretty well)
But as most people have said it does take a bit of getting used to, same with any skill if I attempted to play FPS on a console I would be trounced immediately.
Practise m8, practise :)
A year or so i had the same problem with console controllers (and still have to a certain degree) but with practise its become okay..
My missus learned how where the keys where pretty fast using a typing tutor, here is one (http://www.typefastertypingtutor.com/) but there might be better out there
Playing through the single player campaigns a bit more might be a good start, there not usually as mental as just jumping into things online, work out what keys you need to use most & don't worry about the rest too much - movement keys & weapon keys will get you through most situations & anything else you'll probably have the time to take a second to think about which key is bound to whatever else your trying to do.
Your simplest solution might be the 360 pad route, but as anyone will tell you mouse/keyboard is a whole lot better to use once you find your way round them.
Most games you can just plug in a wired 360 controller (or buy the wireless adapter and enable you to connect a standard 360 controller). Typically the wireless adapter is shipped with another controller but you might be able to find one on ebay on its own and use one of your existing controllers to save money.
As for the keyboard. There are lots of gamepad type things you can buy but typically the best thing to do is play with remapping controls until you're comfortable. Remember most games allow you to remap almost anything, so if you're more comfortable having a button bound to the mouse where you know where it is you can do that too.
Once you're good at a keyboard and mouse someone with a gamepad won't stand a chance against you though (without them using console like auto-aim etc). But it's about what's fun. If you get fun out of the 360 pad and none out of the keyboard and mouse then use the pad. At the end of the day it's about fun.
I would recomend playing something like this ... fast paced move and shoot ... an hour running away from people usuing the kb and mouse will bring you up to speed... soon you will be doing rocket jumps with the best of them
http://www.quakelive.com
To be honest, all the problems of PC gaming have resurfaced already and mean that I have no motivation for wanting to learn to play with a mouse and keyboard. Tonight on BF3, it's constantly disconnecting and crashing. I play an hour of the 360 version and no problem whatsoever. So it is simply a case of me deciding to stick with the 360 because I'm too old for all this hassle.
I'll stick with the 360. Maybe PC for exclusives but the PC still can't be my main gaming machine. I want it to be because it would be one less machine but it's just never going to happen. Why put up with all these problems when I have a machine that just works out of the box and doesn't give me any hassle.
Edit
Sorry the above wasn't meant to sound like a rant but every time I try pc gaming it's just a massive frustration and disappointment.
Quote from: Gunnzie;343701To be honest, all the problems of PC gaming have resurfaced already and mean that I have no motivation for wanting to learn to play with a mouse and keyboard. Tonight on BF3, it's constantly disconnecting and crashing. I play an hour of the 360 version and no problem whatsoever. So it is simply a case of me deciding to stick with the 360 because I'm too old for all this hassle.
I'll stick with the 360. Maybe PC for exclusives but the PC still can't be my main gaming machine. I want it to be because it would be one less machine but it's just never going to happen. Why put up with all these problems when I have a machine that just works out of the box and doesn't give me any hassle.
Edit
Sorry the above wasn't meant to sound like a rant but every time I try pc gaming it's just a massive frustration and disappointment.
If you're having technical woes, stick a post up in the Technology Section and we'll do our best to help.
If you're getting lots of BF3 disconnects, it's likely a port forwarding issue on your router and easily fixed in most cases.
Quote from: Tutonic;343821If you're having technical woes, stick a post up in the Technology Section and we'll do our best to help.
If you're getting lots of BF3 disconnects, it's likely a port forwarding issue on your router and easily fixed in most cases.
Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate that but I don't have the time to be problem solving pc game problems. Last night I got in from the gym about 8:15, had dinner and was sat down by a little after 9. I thought I'd have a quick hour on BF3 and foolishly picked the pc version rather than 360. I just spent that hour trying to fix problems rather than playing and went to bed at 10 having accomplished nothing.
Any game time is sparse as it is and to be honest I have lost confidence in selling my 360.
The other part of the problem I think is trying to use mouse and keyboard sat on the sofa. I work at a desk all day so sitting at a desk gaming in the evening is out of the question. Keyboard on lap, mouse on arm of sofa. Perhaps I'm asking too much of this to work especially for fps.
pratice makes perfect or use a xbox 360 pad (which is rubbish and less responsice imo) or use a game pad me and twobad use http://www.flexiglow.com/products/csGamepad.htm
Which is very good....anyway good luck