My keyboard ate my balls

[dogfartz]

I recently purchased a new desktop from Dell and bought a few new games (Doom 3, Far Cry, Hitman Chronicles, and Freedom Fighters), what I didn't realize was how many of the newer games do not support Joysticks or Gamepads. I am used to my X Box and Gamecube controllers so I would have preferred a similar controller ie Gravis Gamepad, Logitechs wingman, or anything but the keyboard. Am I the only one out there that prefers a handheld controller over the stinkin keypad. If your listening please respond I will take the good with the bad, thanx

[Aku]

Pretty much anyone will tell you that there is no better control setup than keyboard/mouse for FPS and RTS games.

[databug]

Thats right Aku, i put away my "baby" controllers years ago. The only time I use my dual analog pc controller, is for: flight games, car games, emulators & roms.

Think of it this way... you're used to a controller. I was too during the nintendo64 years. But i found pc gaming and the mouse, and never looked back since. Once you get used to the keyboard and mouse, it become second nature big time. Think of this... HALO for example, on the xbox. Very hard to look around, using a controller. Now, mouse? It's so much easier, and very fast. I dont have to put pressure on an analog stick with my thumb and hold it there to aim up. And as I run in my 3D games, I can look around like crazy with the mouse.

If you pit a pc gamer, versus a console gamer, in ANY 3D shooting game... the pc gamer will always win (unless he's just really, really sucky at games). The pc gamer has the better control by far. You'll get used to it... if i were you, i would NOT use a controller for pc games man! You will die a lot in the games, and most new games dont support joysticks because... well... no one wants to play a high-action world war 2 3D game, and have to screw with 15 buttons and 2 analog sticks. we use a mouse with 3, sometimes 5 buttons on it, and thats about all. maybe a key on the keyboard.

here's how i have my games set up for the most part:

(look at your keyboard to figure this out)

UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT arrows:
up walks me forward
down walks me backward
left makes me RUN left, not turn left!
right makes me RUN right (strafe that is), not turn right!
backspace key is sometims assigned as the RELOAD button
delete key sometimes i set up in a game to DROP a weapon i dont need or want
the shift key (on the right) i use for running or walking
control key (on the right) i use to duck down

now follow me here...

put right hand on your mouse

put left index finger on the UP arrow (not on the 10 digit key pad, no)

rest your LEFT pinky on the shift key right by the 4 arrow keys

if you gotta reload in a game? move your middle finger up to the.. backspace key perhaps

use your left pinky to hit CONTROL (on the right by those 4 arrows) to duck down

use the left pinky OR ring finger to hit SHIFT to run or walk

use the MOUSE WHEEL and scroll it up and down to change weapons

right-mouse button can jump, and the left mouse button can fire OR...

left mouse fires, right mouse does "alternate fire mode" and mouse wheel can be PRESSED down like a button, you can set that for jump

see? it's easy! i first played QUAKE years ago with a 6 button game pad. guess how many kills i got? 3. out of luck, i happen to spawn into a room, and fire a rocket, and kill 3 other dudes (during a net game). otherwise? i sucked :p but when i learned the mouse/keyboard combo? i was leaving games, 3 months later, with over 150 kills every hour maybe, or less some times depending on how many people were online in the game.

you'll get the hang of it. keep practicing, and only use a dual analog joypad for flight games and car racing games. i do.