What Makes PC Controls so Great?

[Count Igor]

Quite often I find a keyboard has too little buttons actually. The mouse is actually easier then the analog stick, not by preferance, but it is. I'm not saying everyone is BETTER with a mouse, but the aiming and precision is definatly better.
The controller has more fluid movement, I have to say, but with turning, I hate it >.<

Anyway, I prefer keyboard and mouse, some people don't, but in my opinion, the Keyboard/Mouse option has more Pros (For pretty much everyone) than the controller.
(Plus you can plug in a controller to a pc)

 

[ugle43]

You are used to them. Console controls are better, plain and simple. Unless you are playing an RTS they are always better. And that is because they are made for playing games, not typing.

That must be why every pro FPS who can choose between a joypad and key/mouse always uses the joypad, right?

 

[AlanShore]

You are used to them. Console controls are better, plain and simple. Unless you are playing an RTS they are always better. And that is because they are made for playing games, not typing.

Nintendo Power Glove was also designed for playing games....

 

[drdamo]

The fact that both my hands are not confined to a 10 inch space makes me prefer the PC.
I can mouse on my head if i want and glue my keyboard to a wall and still be able to play.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

As a mainly console gamer, the mouse is far better than the analog stick. Quicker, more accurate control. But the movement stick has a better level of finesse than WASD, in my opinion.

Exactly this. Also, PC games tend to let you mess with the controls more, but the defaults usually work so well, that all I end up having to do is bind Quicksave/Quickload to PgUp and PgDown and I'm set.

I prefer precision movement to precision aim in my chosen genres, though.

 

[Tharwen]

PC pros:

More controls thus more potential functionality
A mouse is generally considered better for aiming first person games (although it actually comes down to which you're more comfortable with).

PC cons:

It's complicated and finding the right button can be hard
WASD is much less precise than a joystick

Console pros:

It's easy. A controller is designed to be held by a human hand.

Console cons:

The joystick. I find it to be useless for FPSs. You might not. That's fine.

 

[ugle43]

PC pros:

More controls thus more potential functionality
A mouse is generally considered better for aiming first person games (although it actually comes down to which you're more comfortable with).

PC cons:

It's complicated and finding the right button can be hard
WASD is much less precise than a joystick

Console pros:

It's easy. A controller is designed to be held by a human hand.

Console cons:

The joystick. I find it to be useless for FPSs. You might not. That's fine.

Isn't that rather pros and cons of joypad vs key/mouse? You can use key/mouse, joypad, whell and a lot of different controllers on PC, and many of them on a console too.

 

[Tzekelkan]

God, this really annoys me. No method of control is better than the other, it's just a matter of having gotten used to it. I've been gaming on my PC for twelve years and am therefore greatly accustomed to WSAD + mouse. However, I've never owned a console and therefore the controllers feel awkward in my hand. For a lifetime console gamer, I would imagine it's the opposite.

No control scheme is superior to any other, it comes down to preference, how hard can it be to understand this? There are people left and right who just "can't understand" each other's personal preference. Jesus, it annoys me a lot, I feel the need to rant. It's so goddamn pointless to be amazed that someone out there might have different preferences than you.

 

[Zhukov]

+1 to it's-just-a-matter-of-preference.

I personally like a mouse & keyboard. Especially for shooters. Analog sticks just feel clumsy and imprecise. I guess that's why many console games use aim-assist and whatnot.
Console controllers can work well for some games though. I played God of War III on a friend's PS3 and it was fine.

It's really not something worth getting worked up about.

 

[Ravek]

The mouse is best for high movement precise control. It's really accurate, but you can move anywhere nearly instantly. It works best for clicking all around the map in an RTS, aiming in shooters, etc.

The keyboard is great for games where you want quick access to tons of simple controls. Works best for selecting between your ridiculous number of different abilities in RPGs, and for the various hotkeys in RTS. It can also replace an analog stick to an extent, although far less convenient for fine control.

Controller buttons are similar to keyboard buttons, but with a less flexible layout and a smaller amount.

Analog sticks provide fine control, compared to the simple binary state of a button or key. Because of that, they are a lot better for controlling vehicles (cars, planes, you name it) or doing careful platforming movement than a keyboard is. They can serve as an approximation for the mouse, but is limited by the inability to move large distances near-instantly.

For a lot of pc games, the mouse is invaluable. I don't want to imagine playing a game like Simcity or Total Annihilation with an analog stick.

 

[ugle43]

God, this really annoys me. No method of control is better than the other, it's just a matter of having gotten used to it. I've been gaming on my PC for twelve years and am therefore greatly accustomed to WSAD + mouse. However, I've never owned a console and therefore the controllers feel awkward in my hand. For a lifetime console gamer, I would imagine it's the opposite.

No control scheme is superior to any other, it comes down to preference, how hard can it be to understand this? There are people left and right who just "can't understand" each other's personal preference. Jesus, it annoys me a lot, I feel the need to rant. It's so goddamn pointless to be amazed that someone out there might have different preferences than you.

Its hard to understand, because its plain wrong, if it was only a matter of preference, why do competitive gamers almost exclusively use only one controller-setup? Becuase they are to stupid to understand thats it's only preference? Or could it be that that controller-method is actually better?

 

[legion431]

It's not better. PC gamers just say that because they want everyone to think they're right.

 

[Tharwen]

PC pros:

More controls thus more potential functionality
A mouse is generally considered better for aiming first person games (although it actually comes down to which you're more comfortable with).

PC cons:

It's complicated and finding the right button can be hard
WASD is much less precise than a joystick

Console pros:

It's easy. A controller is designed to be held by a human hand.

Console cons:

The joystick. I find it to be useless for FPSs. You might not. That's fine.

Isn't that rather pros and cons of joypad vs key/mouse? You can use key/mouse, joypad, whell and a lot of different controllers on PC, and many of them on a console too.

Isn't that what the thread is about? A handheld controller with two joysticks and some buttons on it is generally considered a 'console control system', whereas a keyboard and mouse are generally accepted to be a 'PC control system'. Just because you can swap them around doesn't mean that they aren't meant for any specific system.

 

[Guido656]

Apparently the mouse is better for more precision aiming.

Which is funny, Since I'm infinitely better at aiming on a console than my PC.

I think it's down to what you play on more. I grew up only playing FPS PC games and because of that I am still a million times better on a PC than a console.

However, I play consoles more nowadays and am getting better, but I feel I will never reach the standard I have when I'm behind a keyboard and mouse.

Perhaps I just need to keep going with consoles and time will iron it out.

Or maybe it's what you first start out on?! Controllers stil dont feel as natural for me... Who knows?

 

[TBPride]

I dunno, I mean people have mentioned that it's preference and other people seem to disagree with that, but preference isn't only based on what someone's used to, it's also based on their own personal definition of 'better'. I'm lazy as hell when I'm playing games, and the idea of using my whole arm to move the mouse just doesn't really fit in with my attitude while I'm gaming. Also, I tend to get up a lot while I'm playing (mostly to get food) so having something that I can pick up and carry across the room while still playing works a bit better. So, yeah, I prefer controllers, not so much because of the direct impact on gameplay that they have, but because of the type of person that I am while gaming. I'm sure I could do better with a keyboard in many circumstances, but I wouldn't be as comfortable so I wouldn't be having as much fun, which is kinda the point of playing games. That's just me though.

 

[Wolvaroo]

If for no other reason than I can plug a console controller in to my computer AND on top of that have access to untold thousands of other options or even create my own. Mouse and Keyboard on it's own are superior though. But the infinate options are what makes it a hands-down non-contest.

 

[Sampsa]

Well PC has more buttons and while playing IL2-Sturmovik I use them all. That's it.

 

[ugle43]

It's not better. PC gamers just say that because they want everyone to think they're right.

I'm looking forward to someone beating mouse and keyboard with a joypad in high level professional FPS or RTS gaming then. So they can prove them wrong

 

[More Fun To Compute]

No control scheme is superior to any other, it comes down to preference, how hard can it be to understand this?

That is hard to understand because it is mostly rubbish. Some people might be better at using some controls than others but our bodies and minds are mostly similar enough that some controls are just better suited for certain tasks. Nobody thinks that a valve is better than a handle for opening doors because it is all down to personal preference and some people just like valves a lot more.