Do you use a controller for pc games?

[Imaginer]

Like anything else it takes getting used to. Unless you have some kind of physical disability, any gamer should be able have no trouble adapting if they tried.

This. Gamers always adapted to any game they get their hands on, because no two games are the same in playability and control or interfaces. Period. It has been that way for ages since video games came into the world (OR any gaming - board games with adapting to rules, strategies, and stratagems and the layout).

Makes me a bit irk-some when I hear some of the gaming community complaints.

But I can give a valid usability reason why I cannot (and perhaps vouch for some) for not preferring FPS on a controller. The stick isn't dynamic/quick in acceleration in camera panning as a mouse/trackball and/or it does not have the greater "movement" window of velocity that I have in a mouse/trackball. The movement delta in a camera stick is a straight linear line throughout the action. If I were to improve that, the movement curve could be a log curve or a very very high maximum velocity at the extreme edges of the stick action.

On that same token, I appreciate platforming on a controller for an almost same reason. the ESDF keys are akin to moving with a D-pad, a controller's stick gives a greater movement increment window.

And actually controllers do have a long history, even the commodore 64 had a joystick that most owners used back then. But even on the Microsoft platforms There has never been any shortage of a wide variety of controllers since DOS and in the early days of Windows, there has been some rather crazy looking controllers. I used to have a 3DFX gamepad myself.

Commander Keen with the Gravis gamepad. I also have a grey with red buttons joystick (do not remember the make) that went along with the 386 box that was really my first foray into the IBM PC compatible computer my dad had.

 

[shortylickens]

The controller does not have a long history with pc gaming. It lasted a few years when computers came with same serial ports as older consoles did for controllers. That faded away pretty fast when games started requiring more ways to interact on the pc since you could use keyboard/mouse.

I never could use a controller, for very basic games like mario brothers or something it was great. But %99 of the games now on PC not worth it.

Umm, during those years flight sims became extremely popular, and folks were using both pads and sticks in great quantities.

 

[shortylickens]

I use the XBox 360 controller for most games these days that don't require K&M. I don't really play a lot of FPS games anymore.

I usually use the PS3 controller or keyboard for my emulated games that require the D-Pad.

Do you use a USB PS3 controller, or did you buy an adapter for the regular controller?

 

[tential]

Dark Souls is controller only from what everyone says, not literally but it's the smart move

It's controller only man. It may say you can use Mouse/Keyboard but I wouldn't attempt it unless you plan on fighting your PC. The control scheme is terrible enough on controller as it is.

 

[tential]

lol he's trolling you. Using a 360 controller is absolute suicide in BF3/BF4/COD on PC (or any competitive FPS on PC really). It's too much of a disadvantage to overcome, and there's no auto-aim to boost the pad users unless you just sit far away from the action with a lock-on weapon lol.

Any small disadvantage is LARGELY magnified when you play on PC. Use a display with high input lag? Enjoy getting molested all day. Use a 360 controller to play against Mouse/Keyboard? Goodnight sweet prince. I would return my PC version of the game just to get an Xbone/PS4 version so Ic an play against people who aren't using high end equipment.

My display has 100 ms. No way I can play BF 4 it's miserable. I only play Dota 2 and SP games now. Dota 2 is only because I'm vastly better than 95% of the community minimum anyway so I can overcome having a large delay. Not to mention everyone plays Aginoob heros so it's way too easy to play a top tier int hero and roll all game.

 

[Imaginer]

Any small disadvantage is LARGELY magnified when you play on PC. Use a display with high input lag? Enjoy getting molested all day. Use a 360 controller to play against Mouse/Keyboard? Goodnight sweet prince. I would return my PC version of the game just to get an Xbone/PS4 version so Ic an play against people who aren't using high end equipment.

My display has 100 ms. No way I can play BF 4 it's miserable. I only play Dota 2 and SP games now. Dota 2 is only because I'm vastly better than 95% of the community minimum anyway so I can overcome having a large delay. Not to mention everyone plays Aginoob heros so it's way too easy to play a top tier int hero and roll all game.

The bolded part reminds me of an analogy. Console gaming is like playing a go-kart racing with your friends. All racing machines equal (depends how well the establishment upkeeps them) and so is the tracks.

PC gaming, is taking your ride and pitting them against others on an empty interstate system in a city and then traversing on a dirt roads in the woods (not likely but it would be fun). And by ride, I mean it can boil down to anything - from your daily commuter, to your specialized baby, to a moped, to a motorcycle, to an ATV.

Part of the so called "competing" environment, is eliminating the local variables. That is why I see heated arguments in the Video Card forums and CPU and Overclocking forums.

But what some may not realize that like signal processing and analysis, things must match from end to end for ideal workings. But the human player can adapt to some mismatch and account for it as well. On a console, players do not need to worry about that as much, because consoles are inherently supposed to be an equal platform (with explicit limitations for keeping equality).

 

[sweenish]

The controller does not have a long history with pc gaming. It lasted a few years when computers came with same serial ports as older consoles did for controllers. That faded away pretty fast when games started requiring more ways to interact on the pc since you could use keyboard/mouse.

I never could use a controller, for very basic games like mario brothers or something it was great. But %99 of the games now on PC not worth it.

That's bull.

Controllers have existed about as long as games on PC have. They certainly didn't die when the serial port did. And in certain communities like the racing and flight sim crowd, they never even tapered off.

PC gamers have had nearly all of the best racing wheels on the market, and are obviously untouchable when it comes to flight sim controllers. MAME cabinets have meant that PC gamers have had access to tremendous quality arcade controllers.

If controllers died off, Logitech/Gravis would have ditched them long ago, but they didn't. It's just that people parroting the "master race" forgot that controllers pretty much went hand in hand with PC gaming. No, you didn't use it all the time. You used what fit the game best, and sometimes it's a gamepad.

That's just as true today as it was twenty+ years ago. Another hint, console ports have been around for a very long time as well.

 

[mizzou]

i like using my 360 controller for skyrim and racing games like Dirt2, it seems perfect for those types of games (When they were developed for that control scheme anyway)

 

[XiandreX]

I use an Xbox 360 wired controller for most games. Yes its not as accurate as mouse/keyboard but I don't play online competitive games at the moment so works for me.
I use keyboard/mouse for dungeon crawlers though.

 

[thilanliyan]

I use a wired 360 controller for some games. Hitman:Absolution is the latest one I'm using it for.

 

[12andy]

Wireless 360 controller all the way.

Until arena-type twitch shooters make a triumphant return, I honestly can't see myself gaming for long periods at a desk (using KB/ mouse) anymore, even.

 

[KeithTalent]

Nope, never. I don't really like controllers that much; I find the 360 controller very unwieldy and uncomfortable, so no desire to use it unless I absolute have to.

KT

 

[mmntech]

Do you use a USB PS3 controller, or did you buy an adapter for the regular controller?

Nope, you just plug it into the computer via USB. I use the MotionJoy drivers on Windows 7. Works fine for me.
http://www.motioninjoy.com/download

 

[iluvdeal]

I own a couple of Xbox 360 controllers (wired control pad and Madcatz SF4 fightstick), I actually never owned a Xbox 360, I use these for gaming on my PC, not for FPS of course, but for 3rd person games like Batman AC, and of course the stick for fighting games. So awesome Windows automatically detects and sets up the these controllers so no button programming is necessary.

 

[Rezident]

Used to when I played FIFA but not anymore. KB + Mouse all the way but I mostly play shooters.

 

[shortylickens]

Nope, never. I don't really like controllers that much; I find the 360 controller very unwieldy and uncomfortable, so no desire to use it unless I absolute have to.

KT

I didnt like it either, until I found the MadCatz version. It has skinnier grips and feels a LOT better.

 

[norseamd]

My display has 100 ms. No way I can play BF 4 it's miserable. I only play Dota 2 and SP games now. Dota 2 is only because I'm vastly better than 95% of the community minimum anyway so I can overcome having a large delay. Not to mention everyone plays Aginoob heros so it's way too easy to play a top tier int hero and roll all game.

response time?

mine is 6.5 ms