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Can you play FPS games with a joystick?

AnitaPeterson

AnitaPeterson

Diamond Member
Hi there,

As of lately, I've started to think about buying my first - ever - joystick (Logitech Wingman 3 is what I'm looking at... )

Since I play a lot of FPS games (the Quakes, the Unreals, HL and so on), I was wondering if the gaming experience would be better or not. I know joysticks are great for flight simulators, but has anyone here ever played, say Unreal with a joystick? Is it the gameplay better than when using the keyboard?
 
Anything that requires pinpoint precision mouse movements is definitely going to suck with a joystick. I'd stay with the keyboard+mouse if you want to be competitive.
 
When I first started playing FPS games, I wanted to use a joystick/gamepad very badly. It only took a few online matches before I started using the mouse and keyboard.

I've seen some players use the joystick and mouse (joystick for movement) and works decent.
 
That's how I always played UT and QIII. I think keyboard/mouse is the best combo, but I was pretty good at the joystick/mouse combo. It's just what you get used to.
 
joysticks are only good for flight games, that about it. maybe you can try a gamepad for a differant first person shooter experience but the kayboard and mouse is best. gamepads mostly for third person games and sports and racing.
 
The reason I asked is because I hate the way the mouse works in UT, as opposed to Quake 3... Oh, well, then... no joystick for me.
 
Originally posted by: AnitaPeterson
The reason I asked is because I hate the way the mouse works in UT, as opposed to Quake 3... Oh, well, then... no joystick for me.
Click to expand...
What specifically don't you like about it? Doesn't the game allow you to change what the buttons do and invert the Y axis?
 
I did not like playing UT2k3 with gamepad because it never works for me. too many buttons, joystick and analog etc. I am not getting used to it since I played games on Amiga 500.
 
joysticks are only good for flight games, that about it
Click to expand...
...and 'mech games, quiaff? 😉

I played HalfLife classic with my trusty Microsoft Sidewinder 3D Pro the first time through. But I have to agree, it has drawbacks for regular FPS gaming.
 
Well, the thing is, whenever I use the mouse to turn around in UT (I move with he keys, turn with the mouse), my crosshair target is all over the place, up, down... I can't move without bumping into walls, if I shoot, I miss etc... while in Quake3, the mouse is smooth, I can aim precisely, and move to wherever I want.

Even if I change mouse speed in settings, UT is still unplayable with the mouse...
 
Originally posted by: mechBgon
...and 'mech games, quiaff? 😉
Click to expand...

well, i classify mech games as being simulation games more than first person shooters, simply because the reaction rates don't need to be that fast, and basically can't go as fast as real fps. (limitations of slow mechs, heavy mechs etc)

Edit: i play my mech games with mouse and k/b 😛 i only use joystick for racing games =)
 
Only back in the days (<1997) when first person shooters didn't have 360 degrees of viewable area, but now it's pretty much impossible to play them with a joystick.
 
If you're all over the place, maybe you need to turn the mouse sensitivity down, in the game. If want to know what it's like to play a fps witht a gamepad, go to someones house that has an ps2 or xbox. I don't know how they do it.
 
A joystick is feasible in games where you have little need to aim up or down. For instance in Duke Nukem 3D, your gun shot anywhere across the vertical, you only had to aim across the horizontal, so a joystick worked just fine. I believe it was the same for Doom. This can still be important in some games where headshots are the only way to win and you have no clue how to use a mouse. Some have been known to cheat by decreasing the sensitivity on the vertical of the mouse movement only.
 
I think a Joystick + mouse combo would work great.

Joystick for moving fwd, reverse, side to side.
Mouse for fire, change weapon, the normal stuff you do with mouse.
 
Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
I think a Joystick + mouse combo would work great.

Joystick for moving fwd, reverse, side to side.
Mouse for fire, change weapon, the normal stuff you do with mouse.
Click to expand...

Joysticks don't have enough keys for weapons and macros -- no, I can't afford to wait for my rocket launcher to show up through mouse wheel scrolling when that other dude is pointing one at me.

And even some of them have lots of programable buttons, most of them are awkwardly far away from the stick.
 
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