Poll: PC Gaming, what type of mouse?

[Treblaine]

I am trying to come up with new control setups for PC games that I am hoping to implement in mods but I need to give consideration to how everyone has a different mouse. Keyboards are quite standardised (except the "Shift" and "\" keys) but mouse buttons can vary so much.

Also, would you even like to play a game that required you to use all 5 buttons on a mouse as well as the scroll wheel? So your thumb would be pressing M4 & M5 to toss grenades and so on? Or would you prefer a game keep it more "pure" and limit just to M1, M2 & M3 + scroll wheel?

 

[AlternatePFG]

I generally use the extra 2 buttons on my mouse M4 & M5 for jumping and reloading respectively. I like being able to use the keyboard as little as possible. It pisses me off when some games don't have support for that.

 

[Woodsey]

Why would you want to create a mod that requires as many mouse buttons as possible when you have 30+ keys on the keyboard?

I find it much easier to do stuff on the keyboard since my hand covers a number of keys.

 

[TheComedown]

You should program it for a 3 button mouse and let people rebind the controls themselves, because i know in different games i use the extra buttons for different things, such as melee or mic and i know loads of other people use them for lots of different things, also note some mouses are laid out better, with easier control over buttons 4 through 5(7) depending on the mouse.

 

[No_Remainders]

Why would you want to create a mod that requires as many mouse buttons as possible when you have 30+ keys on the keyboard?

I find it much easier to do stuff on the keyboard since my hand covers a number of keys.

30+? Closer to 100 in total, I suppose you can only really reach like 25 of them if you're playing with WSAD, but more like 30 if you play with ESDF.

I like having my 5 mouse buttons, that way I have the usual, shoot, throw grenade, scope, as well as the mouse wheel to change weapons and the mouse 4 & 5 buttons for reload and (in Halo: Combat Evolved's case) change grenade type.

 

[Woodsey]

Why would you want to create a mod that requires as many mouse buttons as possible when you have 30+ keys on the keyboard?

I find it much easier to do stuff on the keyboard since my hand covers a number of keys.

30+? Closer to 100 in total, I suppose you can only really reach like 25 of them if you're playing with WSAD, but more like 30 if you play with ESDF.

I like having my 5 mouse buttons, that way I have the usual, shoot, throw grenade, scope, as well as the mouse wheel to change weapons and the mouse 4 & 5 buttons for reload and (in Halo: Combat Evolved's case) change grenade type.

Well, about 30 is the closest I've ever seen mapped by default from a game (I think it was X2).

And ESDF? THIS IS MADNESS!

 

[Nimbus]

M1, M2, M3, Wheel, horizontal scroll, back, forward, search, program switch, zoom, and probably some others too. I like LOTS of buttons.

 

[Treblaine]

Why would you want to create a mod that requires as many mouse buttons as possible when you have 30+ keys on the keyboard?

I find it much easier to do stuff on the keyboard since my hand covers a number of keys.

that is a very good question that I have been asking myself. Offloading functions to the mouse is tempting but is that good ergonomics?

I've been playing quite a bit of CoD: Black Ops online experimenting with M2=knife and Shift=toggle-ADS and it has worked out great for me. M2=ADS may seem logical but Shift has suited me much better, it means I can switch my "aim mode" without having to adjust my hand grip at all, I only ever have to put a "button input" at the moment of attack such as spinning around to knife them or a twitch aim adjustment for a shot. I have found myself topping pub games (unlike before) just running around and seamlessly aiming to them and simultaneously bringing up my sights. If M2 was "raise sights" then I realise I'd have to interrupt smooth motion of the mouse to right-click.

I'm working on the presumption that "status changes" (and movement) should be on they keyboard, and the attacks and actions should be bound to the mouse.

I'm dabbling with the idea of putting the "use/interact" function on the mouse... but I'm running out of buttons. Though of course you can get many more functions through context keys, that can get a bit complicated.

I'm trying to maximise ergonomics while at the same time remain flexible to different play-styles, but you can only leave so much down to assigning functions. As many functions need to be either hold or toggle, and dependant combinations so one button's function may completely change. Such as caps-lock toggles M2 from "stab with knife" to "fire under-barrel grenade launcher".

 

[Arkhangelsk]

The one I currently use has M1, M2, scrollwheel with clickdown, and two additional buttons on the side. The two extra I don't use much in gaming, but I'm thinking of finding a good use for them. Problem is I'll have to try to remember the combinations.

 

[omega 616]

My mouse has 7 buttons, M1, M2, wheel and 4 buttons on the side.

I never use them though, I used to use one for on the fly sensitivity but that function doesn't work any more. My PC isn't up to gaming at the moment so they have become surplus to requirement.

I have a razer diamond back 3G, I want a Razer Lachesis.

http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.207541300/categoryId.35208800

 

[No_Remainders]

And ESDF? THIS IS MADNESS!

EDSF makes more sense than WSAD, think about it like this.

With WSAD you run the risk of accidentally losing your place on the keyboard if you get momentarily distracted, if you use EDSF, you can always find the F key by the little bump on it.

It makes sense, IMO.

Also you're less likely to hit the start key, or rely on Alt and Tab to do two separate things and accidentally switch window during a gun fight.

Happened so much while on ventrilo and trying to change gun in Halo when I used to play.

 

[General Vagueness]

I'm going to say light pen just to rock the boat and get people to look up "light pen".

 

[LightningBanks]

Why would you want to create a mod that requires as many mouse buttons as possible when you have 30+ keys on the keyboard?

I find it much easier to do stuff on the keyboard since my hand covers a number of keys.

I agree, I use my mouse for buttons that I generally have to press with something else, such as push to talk voicing, so I can still use my keyboard hand for anything should it be needed

 

[Treblaine]

M1, M2, M3, Wheel, horizontal scroll, back, forward, search, program switch, zoom, and probably some others too. I like LOTS of buttons.

How many of those are you prepared to use in a fast paced shooter?

Like how many of those buttons can only be pressed by the thumb? Say those thumb buttons were mounted to an attack like throw bomb or use a Bioshock-style-plasmid, I don't know how you use your mouse but I hold and move the mouse holding it between thumb and ring finger, if the thumb has to do double-duty also pressing a button - I personally - find that ruins my accuracy and responsiveness. I have to aim, adjust my hand position, and THEN "strike".

For example, in CoD multiplayer I became SO much better at knifing when I re-mapped melee from M4 to M2 (shift then was for Aim-down-sights)

Also in my mod idea melee is much more complex, it is not a one-tap-kill: it depends on your momentum, and you must hold and release for a quick kill in various combinations... none of this COD style 'crash into each other and one-slash-kill'.

 

[moretimethansense]

I currently have an increadibly chap mouse that I got for a fiver, it's a wireless five button with wheel.

Problem is the middle button has stopped working, the wheel still works but not the button under it, still it lasted six months and was only a fiver, I plan on getting a wireless three plus wheel to replace it though I would prefer another five.

 

[Skorpyo]

I have a mouse with M1, 2, and 3 as a click-down wheel, along with a Volume up and volume down button on the top left, a mute below them, and two function buttons near the thumb.

There are two other buttons, but they open Outlook and IE, so I don't use them.

 

[Akihiko]

I'm still using my 5 year old+ Logitech G5, which has a M1, M2, M3(Scroll Wheel) and an extra button on the side. Depending on whether the default controls are any good, I sometimes use the extra mouse button for buttons I use a lot in the game.

 

[Kwaren]

I have a Razor Naga. It has 17 buttons in all.

 

[RobCoxxy]

M4 and M5 I usually have for Grenade throwing and knifing (Bad Company 2) or just nade throwing and specials (Blops)

 

[varulfic]

Five.
M4 and M5 I rely on heavily in RTS games like Warcraft 3 to scroll through my units.