Modern Controls Blues

[nokgod]

So basically leftie + old fart= completely unable to play modern games.

heh, i'm 42 in a couple of weeks, so i qualify for old fart ranking I think the only difference between us is your use of PC. I've never really used mine as a gaming machine (apart from MAME, etc) so my right hand isn't accustomed to being used for movement. I guess you're going to have to retrain your synapses.

[SJ_Sathanas]

Though it didn't bother me too much I've always found a joypad a poor second against Mouse & keyboard. I often found it was a little easier to straife rather than actually aim left/right slightly, which always struck me as really odd. Analogue controls really don't work well when aiming, IMO.
Even worse is the added annoyance of over zealous auto aim/aim assist. This was another Halo problem, especially when sniping and my aim would be physically pulled off one bad guy by another.

I can recall years ago playing doom with just a keyboard, having my fingers spread over about eight keys. Worked alright, though I doubt I could do it now, mind.

Generally I don't have problems but what really irks me is when developers completely change control systems part way through a series of games.

The Halo series was bad for this. I'm sure when playing Halo 3, ODST and Reach I had to use a different arrangement each time, with the same friggin' joypad ffs.

[resident paul]

So basically leftie + old fart= completely unable to play modern games.

heh, i'm 42 in a couple of weeks, so i qualify for old fart ranking I think the only difference between us is your use of PC. I've never really used mine as a gaming machine (apart from MAME, etc) so my right hand isn't accustomed to being used for movement. I guess you're going to have to retrain your synapses.

I think both of us got a love for 1 button digital joystick!

[Misery]

I play alot of fighting games, and all sorts of other things, so I'm used to any modern controller with like 50 damn buttons on it or whatever. Not a problem whatsoever.

.....but I sure am terrible with a damn mouse.

I've always really hated the FPS genre, and I never cared about the RTS genre, which on a PC are the two that really use keyboard+mouse controls alot. Without those, I've had little practice regarding games that actually use the idiotic thing, so I'm incredibly inaccurate with it.

Which is funny, since I'm primarily a PC gamer.

Usually I just FORCE most games to work with a controller, wether they like it or not. Even something like Minecraft.... screw the mouse, I use a gamepad for that.

[DigitalDuck]

Useless with a mouse. Mainly because it involves physically moving something other than my fingers, and I'm far too lazy for that. I'd much rather use a controller with thumbsticks...

Although I can't get used to the sticks on any PS controller, even though that was my first experience with analog sticks. Your thumbs just end up getting in the way of each other, having them separated like every other controller does solves that problem for me. Fine with everything else in general, there aren't that many buttons to keep track of (most genres have conventions, so you only ever really need to remember one or two per game).

I don't think anyone who enjoys Elite can complain that modern games have too many buttons...

[crusto]

You should see the controls for X2. The word nightmare springs to mind.

[Liamh1982]

It's not so much the number or type of controls with me, it's all to do with ergonomics and general "feel".
Analogue sticks should be rubberised (so no to DC/N64) and preferably slightly recessed so your thumb stays where it should.
D-pads really should be circular, or if they are to be cross-shaped they really should be large enough to be practical for people whose hands are larger than a 7-year-old's.
Shoulder buttons/triggers need to have a surface area larger than a 5p piece (unlike say the GBA SP), and should not creak like they're constantly on the verge of breaking.

And being a relative youngster having not been raised on the popular 80s micros (that and not having regular access to a PC until about 2005), I am useless at playing anything with a keyboard.