Gamepad, Joystick, or Mouse & Keyboard?

[jeremysart]

I have been using a standard keyboard and mouse for a long time when playing PC games or running emulators.

I recently picked up an old Gravis Gamepad, and "Tech Solutions" 6 button pad with shoulder buttons.

I keep the Gravis hooked up to my old DOS computer, and the Tech Solutions hooked up to my modern PC.. and game has been SO much better ever since!

I have really been missing out. Using and emulator feels much more authentic, and is much easier on the wrists.

[DeadlyDiskKun]

By far, the original 16-pin traditional original style 4-button controllers for pc gaming.

[mbd30]

Logitech gamepad for most console and arcade type games. Keyboard for games that require extra tight control such as "Donkey Kong" on MAME, and for old PC games on Dosbox.

[Lemmi]

humm just the regular keyboard and mouse

and ive only played 2 games at any length on my PC. the first was Everquest and just recently i was playing though the first CD of Warcraft 2

 

i would like to play some games on my PC but i can never get a controller to work at all

[Video]

Depends on the games, some simply don't "feel" right when played with something other than it was originaly designed to play with (like Atari Joystics, DC, Paddles, etc)

 

now, on the computer, which I assume you're talking about, with mice and keybaords...gamepads all the way. I think this also harkens back to the early computer days, many of those old games wouldn't even start without a controller of some kind (anyone remember mule?) But on modern stuff, I useually just use my Xbox or some PSX knockoff controller.

 

Unfortunately, many modern computer games, I stay away from, because the "keybaord and mouse" are "so much better" than anything else. Take...er...a game like Oblivion. It's "optimized" to run with a keybaord and mouse. Yeah, Optimized my ass. With a MAJOR overhaul of the controlls, I can technically limp through that game....but why? Wasn't it also on the 360? Or am I mistaken? In fact, some stuff (like the hotkey wheel) were clearly ripped streight of the box, so why were the controlls intentionally crippled?

 

Anyhow, Emu's, or the like though, heck yeah, but I useually play with a pad, either way.

Edited March 9, 2010 by Video

[edweird13]

Depends on the game. If its a first person shooter then its mouse and keyboard. Driving or an emulator then it a controller.

[Seob]

Depends on what i play.

I got a f1sim steering wheel with pedals for racing games.

For flight sims, i got a thrustmaster topgun with thrustmaster attack throttle, and quickshot masterpilot.

For fps i use a wireless keyboard and a wired laser mouse.

For emulation i got a usb arcade stick, a gravis gamepad, and gravis gamepad pro.

All on a pc with dual screen, so i can run a fps on one screen while having xfire and teamspeak on the other.

[CGQuarterly]

I voted for the Gravis 4-button, but that's because my PC gaming is primarily done on my DOS machine. If I play modern PC games, I generally use a mouse/keyboard because I would be playing games designed for that control scheme (strategy games or FPSes.) For emulators, I use a USB gamepad.

 

Chris

[+Ransom]

On the computer, I tend to use a PS2 controller, SmartJoy, and some button press --> keypress mapping software. With that combination, I can use my PS2 controller with any digitally controlled game out there, whether emulated or otherwise.

 

(Boy do I miss Lik Sang).

[MagitekAngel]

I agree with Video, it all comes down to the games you play. You'd be mad to play a PC FPS or RTS with anything but a mouse and keyboard. If you're playing a flight-sim, then a solid joystick is the way to go. Emulation and retro-style games beg for a correspondingly retro controller, a gravis pad or something. More modern action and platforming games will benefit from a console-style analog controller.

[brak]

6-button pad for emulators, but any PC shooters i normally prefer the keyboard and mouse. i cant aim for crap in those game with a pad or analog stick.

[shadow460]

all of them. If I'm playing Final Fantasy, it's with a game pad. If I'm playing a racing game, it's with a wheel, which I'd be using on a console. I play C&C with a track ball and keyboard, and when I play it on a console I use a mouse while a large joystick functions as the "keyboard".

 

When I'm playing Unreal Tournament '99, I use the track ball to aim and strafe, the gamepad to walk, jump, and shoot, and the keyboard to change weapons.

[Austin]

Erm.. Well, when it comes to first person shooters and games designed specifically for a keyboard and/or mouse setup, then hands-down, the keyboard and mouse win out. When it comes to everything else that plays like console games, then it's the gamepad or the 360 arcade stick ftw!

[NightDriver2600]

Usually the keyboard for DOS games and a gamepad for console games, though I rarely use console emulators unless I'm not home and only have my laptop or if it's a super rare game that I can't find anywhere. I don't really play modern PC games at all.

[ls650]

Almost all my PC gaming is emulation of 8- or 16-bit systems. I have a couple of decent gamepads, but most of the time I couldn't be bothered to connect them and instead use the keyboard...