FPS and Gamepads

[samduhman]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
you will get used to it. everyone does. just don't cop out like most other PC gamers and just not do it "because the keyboard/mouse is so much easier" or whatever the excuse is.

i gamed on CS all through college for 4 years straight, pretty hardcore.

then i got xbox live and started to play FPS on console online and realized how much more fun/comfortable it was to game on a console than it was on PC.

let's just say I haven't upgraded my PC since probably 2002 because I no longer game on PC.

So everyone should become sheep and buy consoles and not pc game anymore? Do you not realize thats where the gaming innovation usually comes from and console gamers get the fallout from it. Pc gaming is still VERY FUN!, much more so IMHO than console gaming and I say that getting ready to buy a PS3.

I tried using a gamepad for fps many many times. It sucks plain and simple. Its not worth getting used to when the games are so much funner using a keyboard and mouse. Plus let my quote another pc/console gamer who explains it better than me.

"What's odd is NOT playing single player on the PC. Sitting in the den or office in the back corner of your house with the lights off and the your headset on playing FEAR, Stalker, or Bioshock beats the alternative of siting in the living room with your family making noise all around you, kids bugging to watch tv, or the wife complaining about the noise really jars you from the single player experience.

But, sure, consoles are great for playing games like.. say.. Madden, which looks great up on the big screen.

This comes from a guy who owns the 360 and has most of the big games for it. I played it for maybe a month, and I was back to PC gaming.. haven't touched the thing since christmas when I got it except to play madden 08 a few weeks ago.

And like some said in this thread, PC gaming goes further than just playing games. It's setting your rig up, tweaking it, reading forums on how to do something.

And then it's giving your old rig to your mom so she can go play pogo games or old pop cap games. Or giving another old rig to your sister so she can go play sims and WoW all day. That little xbox appeals to me and me only... but pc gaming, my entire family gets into.. because pc gaming caters to everyone (not including the other stuff we do with the computers like chatting, pictures, emailing). All of sudden that $800 (oh yes, after I buy a few controllers, adapters, and other crap to play) I spent on my xbox is useless when the Xbox 3 comes out. I can't pass it down to anyone.. no one wants it. But that 10 year old PC still is being used to this day. My N64 or my first xbox? Sitting gathering dust in a backroom.

Games for the old, for the young, and everyone in between. Mark my words, in 10 years time, this computer I'm typing on now will still be used by someone, but that 360 you love so much will have been replaced twice and will be a relic of the days gone by."

*******************************

There's is nothing wrong with console gaming. I enjoy it myself on occasion. You can build a decent gaming pc for $500 now.

Let me mention two upcoming games

Crysis
Hellgate London
Starcraft 2

.....thats 3 out of the dozen or so pc games Im waiting to play. That doesn't include the dozens I have yet to play. Im currently playing Oblivion with mods loaded that improve the game drastically visually and gameplay.

Yes pc gaming is definately worth it. Don't be cop outs if you love gaming and stick to one platform

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: samduhman
So everyone should become sheep and buy consoles and not pc game anymore?

Uh, where did pur say that? He didn't. All he's saying is don't give up on console gaming just because you're not used to the controls.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: samduhman
Yes pc gaming is definately worth it. Don't be cop outs if you love gaming and stick to one platform

I don't stick to one platform. I have a PS3, an Xbox360, and a Nintendo Wii. I also have a PC.

However there are 0 games on PC I care for and am looking forward to, therefore I don't game on PC.

I also don't care to be sitting at my desk at home on my computer because I'm at one for 8 hours a day at work.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: samduhman
There's is nothing wrong with console gaming. I enjoy it myself on occasion. You can build a decent gaming pc for $500 now.

That wouldn't even pay for my video card :Q!

 

[Ackmed]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: Ackmed
Sadly, the gamepad sucks for fps's. They need to get with the times, and have kb+mouse support for fps games on consoles. You simply have better control with a mouse, no denying that fact. Why not let users choose what they want, its a win/win for everyone.

it's not win/win from the developers point of view.

then instead of them making $$ off of controllers, someone could just use a KB/m they already own.

also it will take more $$ to pay devs to add in this kb/m control scheme, let alone the whole configuration screens, etc.

the gamepad works great for FPS, you just choose not to learn to use it and thus may be missing out on some great games.

and no one is denying the fact that a mouse is more precise. i don't think i've ever heard anyone who likes controllers deny that fact.

Devs of the games wont make any money from gamepad sales. And people wouldnt be buying gamepads anyways, they already have one. And no not everyone would just use a kb+mouse they already own. Who wants to unhook it from the PC everytime they want to use it, or use a corded setup anyways. Bluetooth makes this easy.

Do you really think its going to cost anymore money to have devs have an additional option screen to setup a kb+mouse? No. UT3 will have support, hopefully more will follow.

Sure it can "work", but its not nearly as good as a kb+mouse, this is a fact. Which is why you have auto aim for console fps's. Ive played several fps's on gamepads, goldeneye being one.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Every PC gamer has the problem, so the question was meant to be rhetorical I hope. Just play and have fun! The controls will start to feel natural in a short time, and the stoke will grow.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: randay
the ps3 will let you use keyboard and mouse for unreal tournament 3, hopefully this will be greated with open arms and other developers and consoles(read microsoft) will also allow this.

I'm the complete opposite. KB/mouse controls do not belong on consoles, and I cringed when I heard UT3 would have it. Why do I think that? Read the following quote:

Originally posted by: CKDragon
Just curious, for the people (understandably) looking forward to this, how do you plan on setting it up on your couch? Some type of lap desk?

Although I hate people who systematically express superiority of the kb/mouse over a console controller, I tend to agree that kb/mouse controls is better (I still stand by my statements of the past that I think a lot of the great console FPS players can easily hold their own against kb/mouse users.) But I hope kb/mouse support does not become the norm, because the majority of us have our consoles hooked up in the living room or bedroom, and have no easy way to use a kb/mouse. Even if I had the means, I wouldn't want a kb/mouse even in my living room, period. I'm playing all my console games with a controller, and I think everyone should be on the same footing. I know I wouldn't be able to keep up with a kb/mouse user on a console FPS, and I don't want all my future games to be ruined because I will not be able to stay competitive. I play decently now because I'm on the same footing with the other players.

Originally posted by: Aikouka
Like I said in the other thread, it's not a cop out if one method is far superior to the other. Analog controllers for FPS games are devolution in the realm of controls.

One method is NOT "far superior". It definitely allows for more precise control, but I'd guarantee all of the better Halo players out there could hold their own against the kb/mouse. But, just like your statement, this is only an opinion.

I'm the same way as purbeast. I played PC games exclusively years ago, then started moving into the console world. Eventually, I got tired of the constant hardware changes and wondering how good a game would look on my rig. Sure, a lot of it was just me be superficial about my games, but that's the nature of PC gaming with the type of people we are. When the new and improved XBOX Live debuted with the launch of the 360, that effectively spelled the basic end of my PC gaming days. I haven't purchased a PC game in a year and a half, and the only one coming that I'm interested in is Crysis, although that still probably won't be a purchase, because CoD4 will come out in the same month for the 360.

Originally posted by: Aikouka
You know what disappoints me about my 360 controllers? The fact that I have to keep them plugged in constantly or else I'll try to use one and it has no battery power left. The charge-n-play packs don't seem to be able to keep a charge at all.

You definitely aren't keeping them plugged in long enough. My controllers seem to take, I'd guess, around 6-8 hours to fully charge. Don't unplug the cord until the light turns green! You can turn the console off and keep it charging, too. It does seem to take an unnecessarily long time to charge, but they easily last 25 hours. For example, I just got my console back from repair last Thursday (a week ago today). My controller was about dead, so I charged it completely that night while playing. When it turned green, I was about done gaming for the night, so I unplugged it when I had turned the console off. So, after work on Friday, I was using a freshly charged controller. I had brought home Bioshock, so I started playing it. I had it beat by Sunday, and I had put somewhere around 12-15 hours into it over the weekend. Also on Friday night, I played probably about 2 hours of other games and demos. Fast forward to Tuesday, where I played probably 6 hours of Halo 3, then last night when I played another 4 hours or so. Last night towards the end of my gaming session, I started getting the chasing lights telling me my battery was dying. According to my guestimate, I got around 24-27 hours of play (which is awesome, because I promise I typed the 25 hours earlier before I started typing these estimates ).

 

[LeonarD26]

I hope I didn't create a PC vs. console argument. PC gaming definitely has it's merits, nobody can deny that, and I don't plan to give it up. I don't need the latest/greatest ($$$) hardware to enjoy gaming either, and I don't believe most people do.

However, I also agree with the point that there's a huge benefit to sitting on your comfy couch/recliner in front of the big screen, especially with friends. With a baby at home now, I don't have the time to invest in my PC, that's another reason why I'm drawn to the console.

I just hope I get over myself sucking rocks pretty fast.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: LeonarD26
I hope I didn't create a PC vs. console argument. PC gaming definitely has it's merits, nobody can deny that, and I don't plan to give it up. I don't need the latest/greatest ($$$) hardware to enjoy gaming either, and I don't believe most people do.

Don't worry about it. It seems like the arguments are inevitable with the release of Halo 3 now. Seems to happen during every major FPS release on a console.

However, I also agree with the point that there's a huge benefit to sitting on your comfy couch/recliner in front of the big screen, especially with friends. With a baby at home now, I don't have the time to invest in my PC, that's another reason why I'm drawn to the console.

I found myself in the exact same situation. Last time I upgraded for a game was for Halo 2. Haven't done it again since except for storage space and upgrade to a E4300 after my last CPU died.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: blurredvision
(I still stand by my statements of the past that I think a lot of the great console FPS players can easily hold their own against kb/mouse users.)

That's because controllers get auto-aim when they're pitted against PC players (a la Shadowrun).

Originally posted by: blurredvision
Even if I had the means, I wouldn't want a kb/mouse even in my living room, period.

It's not that bad . I use mine on my HTPC/Server and it works pretty well. I'd have to say though, go wireless or don't do it at all. Although there are lots of cables in my living room, because I disabled wireless on my router, so I had to throw some ethernet cables out when I use my laptop to remote desktop into my main desktop.

Originally posted by: blurredvision
One method is NOT "far superior". It definitely allows for more precise control, but I'd guarantee all of the better Halo players out there could hold their own against the kb/mouse. But, just like your statement, this is only an opinion.

Based on the mechanics of both, the mouse can do things such as full 360 turns in seconds. Controller joysticks cannot do this unless you turn the sensitivity up quite high so max left or max right could make people sick like a carnival ride. Honestly, I don't care what people use, but to think that a controller is actually on par control-wise with a KB/M is just silly. That doesn't mean that it's not usable or horrible, but you gotta remember, KB/M > Controller is just a binary logic statement which represents one thing being larger (or greater) than the other. 1.1 > 1.0 is the same, but we don't see that as a significant difference.

Originally posted by: blurredvision
I'm the same way as purbeast. I played PC games exclusively years ago, then started moving into the console world. Eventually, I got tired of the constant hardware changes and wondering how good a game would look on my rig.

I have no problem dumping money into my computer, but I think you and I don't think the same way. To me, my PC isn't a gaming PC... it's a do-everything PC! I may not need an 8800GTX for browsing the web one night, but if I want to play a game, I want to at least be able to play it well. Also, I build a quality PC (which quality = more money) to avoid having hardware failures (360 anyone?). I don't mind putting money into my PC because I use my PC more than anything else. I need something fast, because I hate being slowed down, which is worse for me, because I tend to leave a lot of things open... having 15+ tabs in Firefox left open for days is not uncommon. Pretty much, I know if I throw anything at my PC, it won't have any trouble handling it. That's what I want in a PC that I use for more than just gaming .

Originally posted by: blurredvision
You definitely aren't keeping them plugged in long enough.

I used to leave them plugged in constantly and I don't think they'd ever turn green. Maybe my battery pack is going bad, it's possible. It's just annoying that I want a cordless controller, but this shitty Microsoft peripheral (not my first MS peripheral to die... you should see my wonderful $150 Microsoft Racing Paperweight) causes me to be tethered to my 360 all the time.