Poll: mouse vs. controller

[GoldenRaz]

I prefer controller for everything except Strategy games and Valve games, who seem to keep the number of buttons used at a minimum.
I just think it's easier to press the right button on a controller as opposed to a keyboard.

 

[tomtom94]

I would like the mouse more I think if I could find a sensitivity setting for Half-Life 2 that actually worked, without me having to lift my mouse off the mousemat to aim at an enemy two metres to the left or move the mouse 0.00001 cm in order to turn round.
ATM, analog sticks for aiming and movement.

 

[XJ-0461]

A controller seems more natural for me, as I grew up using various different consoles. I can see how a mouse could be more accurate for a FPS though.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

FPS, RTS, adventure games and WRPGs tends to play best with mouse/keyboard for me. Perhaps that is not so surprising since those genres have shaped and evolved moslty on pc.

Fighter, brawlers, beat'em ups, shmups, platforms, action/adventure, jrpg, sandbox I prefer with a conroller.

 

[Sigel]

Controller

 

[KSarty]

In general I prefer the mouse but that is because of the games that I play. My favorite genre is RTS, so I shouldn't need to explain why I prefer mouse for that. My other 2 most played genres are FPS (accuracy), and RPGs. RPGs can be played pretty well on controller, and some of them are better on controller, but the ones I usually play are the ones with action-bars and hotkeys, a style tailored for mouse and keyboard and a style that works infinitely smoother and quicker than the FF style of scrolling through menus.

 

[Spacelord]

Mouse and WASD for me, plox!

Only reason I might prefer a controller are fighting games. Oh and Mario Kart, 'cause dicking around with that little plastic steering wheel is hilarious.

 

[koichan]

Mouse/keyboard for pretty much anything

There are a few exceptions though, the main notable ones being controllers/wheels for racing games and joysticks for flight sims.
The occasional other sort of game is nice on controllers too, the longest journey and the path seemed to fit well in my opinion.

I know it's personal opinion, but i'm amazed so many people seem to prefer controllers for FPS games, i'd consider that genre (along with RTS) as the worst possible type for controllers!

 

[Bradfucius]

Mouse control. Sens should be extremely low to better maintain aim as most enemies demand more than one bullet. Almost every console FPS game seems to have some sort of auto-aim which really defeats the question all together ...

Yeah all console FPS's have auto-aim except for Halo 3, COD4, COD5, UT3, Far Cry 2, COD2+3, Portal, TF2, Killzone 2 etc, etc... It seems you forgot a few of them.

Although it really depends on the game. Of course a mouse is better for something like Unreal Tournament. But UT has always be designed to be played with a mouse and keyboard. A pc fps that has been adapted to the console will never work as well as something like Halo 3. Halo 3 is designed from the ground up to be worked on a console. The controls feel fine, and the people move at somewhat slower speeds to compensate for the imprecision. You can only hold 2 weapons, so that elimates the need for number keys, e or w, or the mouse wheel. The gameplay is more about weapon choice, positioning, and movement rather than aiming. Go play Halo PC. Seriously, you'll run into people who headshot you as soon as you move, or shoot you out of banshee's with a sniper. It's because the speed and strategy aspects of Halo were not meant for the lightning quick aim of a M&K.

RTS's have this to a lesser extent. Starcraft 64 didn't do so well. DUH! Starcraft is a complex RTS. You will never play starcraft on a console. But Halo Wars worked because they simplified everything. It was made specifically for the console, so at least the controls were fluent even if the gameplay was less than great.

M&K are generally better for FPS and RTS, but they can be done. There are plenty of games that make it work.

Fighting games are better on a controller. Halo is arguably the game that made console FPS's come to life. I haven't seen a PC fighting game do this yet or have this kind of impact. They're sticking to controllers.

Third person shooters for me are better on a controller because sometimes I need to move diagonally backward without actually looking diagonally backward which can sometimes be done on a keyboard but not always because you don't have 360 degrees of movement, you have 4 cardinal directions. Yeah, you might be able to press both A and S but not always and that's a pain anyway. Although I wouldn't be surprised if someone here said they preferred mouse and keyboard for these.

 

[Nimbus]

Mouse in general, but some things require a controller (2d platformers, fighting games, etc).

 

[S53]

Mouse for pure accuracy. I prefer controllers for comfortabilty.

 

[munx13]

Mouse. Because I like FPS and RTS games.

 

[Cuniculus]

I actually tend to prefer mouse AND keyboard. Kind of helps with the whole "avoiding getting shot in the face" thing.

 

[Lukeydoodly]

Mouse.

But controller is way more comfortable and better for moving.

 

[xxcloud417xx]

Mouse, most definitely, no other peripheral allows me to pop people on reflex. CoD4 sucks so bad without a mouse... I set my sensitivity really high and I get uber precision AND reflex on my mouse, I twitch and it almost does 180degrees so I can pop that bastard behind me.

 

[bushwhacker2k]

I say it depends what I am using it for.

Some games are a pain to play with a mouse, so I'd take the controller.

RTSs are pretty much unplayable without a mouse, so the mouse wins there.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

Mouse, simply because mouth comes with a keyboard, which just feels plain uncomfortable to use.

I can't even begin to compare it to the comfort of 360 controller.

 

[mGoLos]

Mouse control. Sens should be extremely low to better maintain aim as most enemies demand more than one bullet. Almost every console FPS game seems to have some sort of auto-aim which really defeats the question all together ...

Yeah all console FPS's have auto-aim except for Halo 3, COD4, COD5, UT3, Far Cry 2, COD2+3, Portal, TF2, Killzone 2 etc, etc... It seems you forgot a few of them.

Although it really depends on the game. Of course a mouse is better for something like Unreal Tournament. But UT has always be designed to be played with a mouse and keyboard. A pc fps that has been adapted to the console will never work as well as something like Halo 3. Halo 3 is designed from the ground up to be worked on a console. The controls feel fine, and the people move at somewhat slower speeds to compensate for the imprecision. You can only hold 2 weapons, so that elimates the need for number keys, e or w, or the mouse wheel. The gameplay is more about weapon choice, positioning, and movement rather than aiming. Go play Halo PC. Seriously, you'll run into people who headshot you as soon as you move, or shoot you out of banshee's with a sniper. It's because the speed and strategy aspects of Halo were not meant for the lightning quick aim of a M&K.

RTS's have this to a lesser extent. Starcraft 64 didn't do so well. DUH! Starcraft is a complex RTS. You will never play starcraft on a console. But Halo Wars worked because they simplified everything. It was made specifically for the console, so at least the controls were fluent even if the gameplay was less than great.

M&K are generally better for FPS and RTS, but they can be done. There are plenty of games that make it work.

Fighting games are better on a controller. Halo is arguably the game that made console FPS's come to life. I haven't seen a PC fighting game do this yet or have this kind of impact. They're sticking to controllers.

Third person shooters for me are better on a controller because sometimes I need to move diagonally backward without actually looking diagonally backward which can sometimes be done on a keyboard but not always because you don't have 360 degrees of movement, you have 4 cardinal directions. Yeah, you might be able to press both A and S but not always and that's a pain anyway. Although I wouldn't be surprised if someone here said they preferred mouse and keyboard for these.

It's been about a year and a half since I posted that. To be perfectly honest PC-gaming is dying and I've also moved on to consoles. I find aim-adjustment through side-stepping is especially deadly.

Now that I'm deadly (in games) I find controllers are just as enjoyable as a keyboard and mouse.

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

Controller for console, mouse for computer.

See? I win.

 

[mdk31]

Mouse and keyboard preferred over controller for just about anything I can think of, except, as someone above mentioned, flight sims, which are better with joystick or controller.