Question for left handed gamers.
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Left-handed here. I would rather prefer in games to have my weapon on the right side, it's so common in about all the games ever made that I've grown used to it.
Right you are. I did actually miss that when I skimmed over the article. I stand corrected.Patrick Young said:
I'd noted the possibility of dual-wielding and combining attacks/spells/equipment in either hand, but it seems I missed that you can work as a left-handed character (although, it still gives the impression that you wouldn't effectively be "left-handed", per se, simply that you can equip them in that setup).
I'm guilty of putting more focus on games at the cusp of release, and there's been a few lately that have thrown my eye at them instead.
My wife and I are both lefty but we tend to use default controls.
We both play on the pc too so we're used to the mouse being on the right.
We both invert too.
I bowl with my right hand too.
We both play on the pc too so we're used to the mouse being on the right.
We both invert too.
I bowl with my right hand too.
I might make a left-handed character for Skyrim, just to mix it up a bit.
The only other left-handed game character I can think of is Link.
The only other left-handed game character I can think of is Link.
I started using a trackball on my right after developing pain in my right wrist from using a mouse. I also have a regular mouse on my left.RevRaptor said:I handle it by using a track ball in my left hand, I really hate having to use my mouse right handed. Plus optical track balls are awesome
I tried playing New Vegas left-handed one day. Ugh, disaster. If I ever have to go full lefty it's going to suck for a while... a lot longer than the switch to trackball did...
I've always wondered why no-one has made a game where left handed gamers have their guns on the left of the screen, while right handers keep on the right. It wouldn't really be all that difficult to implement, for a lot of things you could just mirror the right hander animations.
And before anyone says that 'THAT WOULD MEAN THAT IT WOULD BE UNBALANCED CUZ SOME HANDS WOULD BE BETTER AT SOME CORNERS THAT THE OTHERS BAWWWW' then think about this: REAL WAR IS UNBALANCED. I find that having every single soldier (besides a few games, most of the halo games for example have the jackals and drones as left handed, and All Points Bulletin lets you switch hands at will) being right handed is a little unbelievable. Are these alternate realities where those not inclined to use their right hands to press a trigger are purged?
And before anyone says that 'THAT WOULD MEAN THAT IT WOULD BE UNBALANCED CUZ SOME HANDS WOULD BE BETTER AT SOME CORNERS THAT THE OTHERS BAWWWW' then think about this: REAL WAR IS UNBALANCED. I find that having every single soldier (besides a few games, most of the halo games for example have the jackals and drones as left handed, and All Points Bulletin lets you switch hands at will) being right handed is a little unbelievable. Are these alternate realities where those not inclined to use their right hands to press a trigger are purged?
Erm, I think in real life even if you're left-handed, when you fight with sword and shield the shield goes in your left hand. In fencing, if you're left-handed you'll fight with your foil or sabre or epee in your left hand because this gives you an advantage (many of the best fencers are lefties due in part to this), but I don't think there'd be any advantage to having your shield on the other side of your body. You use the shield-arm just as much as the sword arm, so the difference in coordination is not going to show.
I could be wrong about this, but I've never seen ANYONE fight with the shield on the right at the events I've been to, and there HAD to be some lefties there just from a numbers standpoint. I HAVE seen people fight with single weapons in their left hand all the time.
I could be wrong about this, but I've never seen ANYONE fight with the shield on the right at the events I've been to, and there HAD to be some lefties there just from a numbers standpoint. I HAVE seen people fight with single weapons in their left hand all the time.
No. i might be left handed, but seeing the weapons reversed just makes the game disorienting for me. I mean, how many FPS games start with you using a weapon left handed? None. And the mirror modes put into some old school shooters just make everyone wildly inaccurate, since they aren't used to the perspective change.
Do I care if a character is only depicted as right-handed?
Not in general, no, because the controls I use to play a game traditionally didn't map to what the character did in a way that made it significant.
(On PC the keyboard layout does bug me. But that's usually something you can change. You might not realise it, but WASD is surprisingly awkward if you usually have the mouse on the left of the keyboard.)
But of course, now there are control schemes that really mess it up. Like motion controls, and things like the way the DS deals with games that expect you to use the stylus AND other controls at the same time... Or if a game is rotated to 'portrait mode' - because the touchscreen ends up on the right.
The problem with motion controls isn't as severe as it at first seems. But that's only because most games using motion controls are fairly half-hearted affairs.
I can play something like mario left-handed, (swapping the controllers), and the only issue is the star bits - they appear from the right edge of the screen, where, holding the remote the way I do I'd expect them to appear from the left. (Thus hitting intervening obstacles I wasn't expecting to hit.)
Contrast this to Red Steel 2, where playing the game left-handed is completely impossible...
(And the game's actions map very closely to your hand and arm movements, so that's definitely a big deal.)
But like I said, if it's just the character, eh. Whatever.
Although, I do care about what Nintendo did to Link because that's a twisted, roundabout insult.
Link was always left-handed in older games... Yet with the Wii he suddenly became right-handed.
But, no account was made for left-handed gamers.
Even though I found that in practice it didn't really matter, that actually makes the insult worse, not better.
-Why? Because they refused to give consideration to left-handed gamers.
-If you complain, it's implied it shouldn't matter.
-But, if the creators really believed it didn't matter, Link should have remained left-handed. Because if the disconnect between the character and the player's actions don't matter for those that are left-handed, then it shouldn't matter for those that are right-handed either.
- If it did matter... Congratulations on ignoring those of us it now negatively affects...
So... A change like that is either hypocritical and unnecessary, or a deliberate statement to the effect that "You are a minority too small to worry about inconveniencing."
Either way, it's messed up.
Not in general, no, because the controls I use to play a game traditionally didn't map to what the character did in a way that made it significant.
(On PC the keyboard layout does bug me. But that's usually something you can change. You might not realise it, but WASD is surprisingly awkward if you usually have the mouse on the left of the keyboard.)
But of course, now there are control schemes that really mess it up. Like motion controls, and things like the way the DS deals with games that expect you to use the stylus AND other controls at the same time... Or if a game is rotated to 'portrait mode' - because the touchscreen ends up on the right.
The problem with motion controls isn't as severe as it at first seems. But that's only because most games using motion controls are fairly half-hearted affairs.
I can play something like mario left-handed, (swapping the controllers), and the only issue is the star bits - they appear from the right edge of the screen, where, holding the remote the way I do I'd expect them to appear from the left. (Thus hitting intervening obstacles I wasn't expecting to hit.)
Contrast this to Red Steel 2, where playing the game left-handed is completely impossible...
(And the game's actions map very closely to your hand and arm movements, so that's definitely a big deal.)
But like I said, if it's just the character, eh. Whatever.
Although, I do care about what Nintendo did to Link because that's a twisted, roundabout insult.
Link was always left-handed in older games... Yet with the Wii he suddenly became right-handed.
But, no account was made for left-handed gamers.
Even though I found that in practice it didn't really matter, that actually makes the insult worse, not better.
-Why? Because they refused to give consideration to left-handed gamers.
-If you complain, it's implied it shouldn't matter.
-But, if the creators really believed it didn't matter, Link should have remained left-handed. Because if the disconnect between the character and the player's actions don't matter for those that are left-handed, then it shouldn't matter for those that are right-handed either.
- If it did matter... Congratulations on ignoring those of us it now negatively affects...
So... A change like that is either hypocritical and unnecessary, or a deliberate statement to the effect that "You are a minority too small to worry about inconveniencing."
Either way, it's messed up.
(This may end up as a double-post, but what I'm quoting wasn't there when I created the previous post)Cracker3011 said:
I'd always wondered about guns, but I actually heard someone give a convincing explanation for this that doesn't rely on the assumption that everyone is right-handed.
And, it also handily explains games that allow you to dual-wield guns, but only if you pick up a specific extra weapon.
(Seriously. Think about that. In most FPS games the first time you defeat an enemy with a specific weapon, you pick up the gun itself. Every time you then come across an enemy with the same gun, you merely pick up extra ammo.
Yet, if the game lets you use two of the same gun, you can't do so just by finding two
enemies with the same weapon. You have to explicitly find a 'second gun' pickup.)
Anyway, because of where I live, I don't really know much about real guns.
But someone who did pointed out a little fact that's quite obvious in retrospect.
Look at an image of most modern guns (both pistols and rifles), and you'll notice the hole the spent cartridges are ejected from. You'll also notice the cartridges themselves being ejected from the weapon every time you fire it.
Now, apparently, these cartridges are quite hot, and being hit by them is unpleasant, and possibly even dangerous.
You'll also notice that the cartridges are ejected out of the weapon from the side in most cases.
That means though, that if you hold the gun on one side of your body, the cartridge will be ejected away from the body, but if you hold it the other way, it will be ejected towards the body.
That implies that, for safety reasons, guns can't be used off-hand. Put another way, it means guns are designed explicitly either for left-handed, or right-handed use. (for a rifle this presumably has to do with which hand is where, and on which shoulder you brace it while firing.)
So, to be able to fire left-handed, you'd need a left-handed gun. And to be able to dual-wield guns, you'd need both a left-handed AND right-handed gun.
(And suddenly the dual-wielding stuff makes a lot more sense. Because even assuming everyone had the appropriate weapon for their dominant hand, right-handed weapons would outnumber left-handed ones by anything up to about 9 times.)
as a lifetime lefty, i've given this some thought. nice as it would be to be able to customize that sort of thing, it really isn't necessary. it's not going to change the game mechanic drastically enough to make it worth complaining over. that being said, it would be pretty COOL if they did program that option in. it's not as though it would take a hell of a lot of extra effort. on the upside, though...link is left-handed. so that's pretty cool.
the british armies main assault rifle can only be used righty. anyway, i dont mind (as a lefty). i like how Cole from inFamous is ambidextrous. the main reason is because thats how people are trained.Cracker3011 said:
Well i sort of wish shooters also gave me the option to switch hands, it would seem it would be a really easy future to implement.. (if i remember correctly you could do this on counter strike..) would like to point out link in the zelda games used to be left handed, anoyingly he wasn't on the wii titles, which sort of anoyed me..
Left handed, and have actually had this same thought a time or two. It would be nice if they would give that option, but so minute a detail that I don't really ever notice, and when I have this thought, it is usually some stray thought from something else entirely.