It's not about the best

[RubyT]

There is no question that K/M is the only way in RTS.

I would also say categorically that it's superior in FPS. Watching some in-game footage of FPSes played with controllers makes always me giggle at the imprecise movement and obvious auto-aim.

In 3rd-person-style games, I can see the appeal of a controller.

I have a super-comfortable desk chair. I can sit hours on end on that thing and it keeps me in better shape than flopping on the couch. And I find the thought of a gamepad and the way you hold it being more ergonomical than keyboard and mouse perplexing as well. Just imagening having to have both hands so close together for a couple of hours makes me shiver.

Not having K/M options for consoles has made me not buy one.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

I never owned any consoles as a kid. I'm a lot more used to keyboard and mouse - especially since my gamepad doesn't work with most games by virtue of being a Logitech dualshock rather than an Official Microsoft Corded Xbox 360 Controller[sup]TM[/sup].

 

[shrekfan246]

Depends on the type of game I'm playing. For shooters, isometric games, or games with a fair number of hotkeys, I like going with the Keyboard & Mouse. However, you'd never catch me playing something like Dark Souls or Sonic Generations without a gamepad.

I'm not sure I really prefer either, though. I have a hard time getting used to FPS' on consoles after playing them on PC for a while, but it's nothing I can't acclimate myself to.

 

[noahd]

Get over it. You are over psychoanalysing your need to play with controller. If you just play more with mouse and keyboard you will get more used to it and for games where it is the better control option it will feel even more natural than a controller.

You don't get it, Sogeking. I certainly can play with kb/m, and I have already finished some games that way (Portal, Amnesia, Penumbra trilogy, Condemned etc), but it isn't the same thing. I don't know why it's so difficult to understand that some people prefer the product specifically designed for playing games. I'm always giving up of games like Mass Effect because I can play other games, like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, with a 360 controller, in a more comfortable position. Doesn't help with headshots, but fits very well in my hands.

you do know mass effect is on the 360? all you have to do is have the actual 360 console and 360 game. even though it's a pc port to console so many of the controls are dumb'd down.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

This is a personal thing, and if you aren't having fun even though you're trying "the objectively better and superior way" then why are you spending money to entertain yourself and have fun (this is a rhetorical question). I always have the gamepad handy and plugged into my PC. I would have wasted money on the Assassin's Creeds, Darksiders, Dark Souls PC, as well as Braid and so many other indie games if I tried to keyboard it up with those. Do whatever lets you have fun. If I manage to finish a game by flexing butt muscles onto my keyboard and thoroughly enjoy it, then my purchase was completely justified and I had fun with my "having fun" purchase.

Oh, and your English is very good, there may be some grammar nazis who could find meticulous faults that I didn't notice, but I've seen way worse and you certainly shouldn't feel insecure about it.

 

[Woodsey]

Can't stand pads. If anything's "impersonal" it's pissing about with analogue sticks and being acutely aware of what your hands are doing.

 

[zehydra]

I cannot stand a joystick-based camera for first person, mainly because the movement speed of the camera has a restricted maximum speed, and it is far easier to move the camera precisely and slowly using a mouse than a joystick, which is quite sensitive.

 

[Johnny Impact]

I own a PS3 and a gaming PC. I use whatever I think is appropriate to the game.

God of War, Burnout, Arkham City etc are made for controllers. Just feels natural. I don't care about controller vibration, though. It didn't exist when I was a kid, so I didn't much care when it was introduced. It adds nothing to my experience.

Civilization, Grimrock, StarCraft etc are best with keyboard/mouse. Again, feels like their natural habitat. You'd be hard pressed to give quick, meaningful orders to stacks of Zerg with a controller.

I vastly prefer mouse/keyboard for shooters. I grew up on Quake and Half-Life, which weren't available on consoles when I played them. I learned FPS with a mouse. It is painful for me to use a stick. Gears of War has been the only series where I *almost* didn't mind analog aim.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

I'm perfectly fine with using a gamepad and pretty much enjoy using one but though I'm not great with K+M (And yes I have practice'd for years on end and haven't gotten any better)I still tend to mostly play RTS using a K+M but sometimes even a gamepad since the 30 versions of some C&C games have worked well with the command wheel interface.

And as a last reminder there is so "superior" form of control as there are some people who are great at using gamepads and some others are good with K+M, trying to lay such a claim is purely subjective as not everyone is better at using one over the other as suggested.

 

[hazabaza1]

If it needs precise aiming or a million buttons, I'll take M&K.
Otherwise... I dunno. Depends.

 

[Bostur]

I prefer a keyboard and a mouse. Probably because it's what I'm most used to. A lot of the games I play wouldn't work at all with a console controller. Also they feel too small.

I like the small analogue stick on controllers, and wouldn't mind having one without all the buttons. Games used to support a variety of control methods, but now we are stuck with either standardized console controllers or mouse/kb.

My prefered controller used to be a Speed King:
http://www.retrogames.co.uk/more/on/details/024807

I would love to have one of those for PC with a slightly smaller analogue stick. Right hand on the stick, left hand on the keyboard would be perfect for a lot of games.

 

[Nonomori]

Also, for someone who claims you are still learning English, your opening post was very well written, and a lot easier to understand than some posts I've read. Good job!

Oh, and your English is very good, there may be some grammar nazis who could find meticulous faults that I didn't notice, but I've seen way worse and you certainly shouldn't feel insecure about it.

Thank you, you are very kind. It's hard to think that I'm writing "right". I can write in English, but I'm still thinking in Portuguese, so it feels like a translation.

Get over it. You are over psychoanalysing your need to play with controller. If you just play more with mouse and keyboard you will get more used to it and for games where it is the better control option it will feel even more natural than a controller.

You don't get it, Sogeking. I certainly can play with kb/m, and I have already finished some games that way (Portal, Amnesia, Penumbra trilogy, Condemned etc), but it isn't the same thing. I don't know why it's so difficult to understand that some people prefer the product specifically designed for playing games. I'm always giving up of games like Mass Effect because I can play other games, like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, with a 360 controller, in a more comfortable position. Doesn't help with headshots, but fits very well in my hands.

you do know mass effect is on the 360? all you have to do is have the actual 360 console and 360 game. even though it's a pc port to console so many of the controls are dumb'd down.

I know, but I don't have one (just the controller). I own a PS3, and I'm thinking about the Trilogy. If "dumb'd down" is "more fun", I can stand it, no problems. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like Baldur's Gate because of the terrible interface and unnecessary complexity. I just like the world and characters.

I don't care about controller vibration, though. It didn't exist when I was a kid, so I didn't much care when it was introduced. It adds nothing to my experience.

I agree that it's really forgettable in the majority of games, but the thing that I always will remember about Bioshock is the heavy footsteps of Big Daddies. You can see, listen and feel, it really adds something for me.

If it needs precise aiming or a million buttons, I'll take M&K.
Otherwise... I dunno. Depends.

In Bioshock, again, the ideia of using 16 hotkeys for plasmids and weapons seems like a nightmare when I can press a single button and select with the analogic stick in a "weapon wheel". It's two movements, but I really can not remember where is my shotgun, so it always feels faster and easier. Maybe the problem is my poor memory, if you can remember where things are, I definitely can see the appeal.

 

[Vegosiux]

You know, I prefer cake over pie too!

I'm going to play with whatever I feel like, and if you're going to be telling me how I'm doing it wrong, the door's that way. Unlike you, I'm busy actually playing a game as opposed to telling other people how they should play their games.

 

[Yopaz]

(especially crap like the Wiimote)

I like the Wii. And had so much fun with Metroid Prime Trilogy. I'm probably the only PC gamer who have nothing against motion controls.

.

I'm with you there actually. What I love about the Wii version of Resident Evil 4 is how precise and easy the aiming is. With just a little practise I manage to aim just as quickly as I do with mouse and keyboard, but I actually find it more immersive. The Wiimote has been used wrong in so many games, vut when they manage to do it right it's very good.

OT: for me it's all about the type of game I am playing. Fighting games or platformers with mouse and keyboard just doesn't feel right. With racing games I can go either way, for shooters or strategy games controller isn't even an option.

 

[epidemia]

Mouse and keyboard is superior for games that have a pointer of some sort, including crosshairs. Specifically, first person shooters and strategy. Other than that, controllers FTW.

 

[Joccaren]

Eh, I can use a controller, but I don't like it. Its uncomfortable, inaccurate and either over or under sensitive in a lot of cases. I can't even properly stretch my fingers in the middle of a game without sending my character spiralling out of control.
I prefer the mouse and keyboard thanks to its layout, accurassy, range of sensitivity and how many keys I'm able to use.
Sure, you can get a manageable menu open on a controller for swapping between 10 weapons, or for activating on of 10 abilities you've set to a hotbar, but it will never be as efficient as a keyboard where you can simply press 1 button and it works. In addition, there are hotkeys for everything if the game is made well. I don't have to open a menu to save, check my quest log, my inventory, my journal, open the map, or any other window in game. I just press 1 button, and what I need appears. Is it necessary? No, but its convenient and akin to using a TV remote to change channels rather than walking up to the TV and adjusting the tuning knob on it.

Its fine to have preferences, and most people will acknowledge this, however the KB+M is the better control scheme overall for most game types. Its versatile and efficient, and even with auto-aim the mouse's accurassy will surpass that of a controller's.
For individuals, a controller may be the more comfortable and easy to use control scheme, and a lot of this will be because its what they use the most and are the most used to, and properly learning to use a KB+M well is too much time and effort when you just want to enjoy a game [The main reason I'm not pro at RTS: I CBF learning to use hotkeys properly. I just want to have fun dammnit], but if both are perfectly comfortable, and there is no reason to choose either beyond how effective it is as a control scheme for a game, the KB+M will win out for all but a few game types - though that kind of analysis is kinda pointless as preferences always exist.

 

[Matthewmagic]

I had a hard time with keyboard and mouse controls at first too. Then minecraft came out, and I got into it early. Before monsters had been included but it was wildly popular already at that point. I found minecraft to be a decent introduction to keyboard and mouse controls. It controls simply, but I doubt I have to tell anyone here how awesome minecraft is.

Since then I have started using steam and have steadily gained a library of pc games including Deus Ex, Dragon Age: Origins, and Left 4 Dead. I still like controllers better for 1 reason. My first response to starting up a new game is to ALWAYS press all the buttons. With a keyboard and mouse that just isn't reasonable.

Good thing is keyboard controls do have commonalities. wsda to move e for action space for jump. So I'm doing alright with these games, but it still takes some getting used to.

So I recommend getting Minecraft for the pc and seeing if that opens up the world of PC gaming for you as it did for me.
If not, I don't blame you, and you are no less of a gamer for it.

 

[Daveman]

Yeah it is about the best. You use the best tool you can find for the job.

For shooters and strategy games it is Mouse and keyboard.

For action, sport, racing games it is gamepad.

It is all about choosing the right tool to get the most fullfilling and elaborate experience.


See what happens when you get limited by the controller.

That was a hilarious episode, watching people try to play TF2 who both didn't understand the controls and also just generally had no understanding of the game. The teams with people who had heard that heavy-medic combos worked won easily. I remember one guy crouch walking towards a soldier as pyro. What's more, nobody picked demoman, who originally in TF2 is (and therefore is now on the xbox) incredibly OP.

OT: Personally I feel equally comfortable with both now. I used to be a big console gamer but when I was about 15 I made the switch and now I'm really glad, PC gaming is awesome. Never heard of anyone going the other way but I guess if you think you need a controller to enjoy games then I guess all I can say is fair enough.