Full or Compact - A question for PC users

[Dubberrucky]

I will have to disagree with this. I connected my PS3 controller to PC to attempt to play 11 with and I have to say, it's 10x harder to play 11 with controller than it is with a full keyboard. Pulling up macro sets on controller can be tedious at times especially for mage jobs. In the time it took me to find and use 1 spell using a controller, I could have already used 5 spells with keyboard.

I agree but some people like a controller I am just not one of them. I find them to be just another thing to juggle as a I play they slow me down unnecessarily.

[slakyak]

Think it depends what you are used to. Years of playing FPS on PCs is likely to give you a different opinion to someone who has been using controllers since the days of Alex Kidd in Miracle World!

Xbox wired controller all the way for me, even as a PS3 boy. (curse you Microsoft and your 64 bit version of windows 7!!)

[Niyah]

I have 3 accounts and play this on 360, PC, and Laptop. My daughter plays on the Xbox and dual on PC and laptop. my main toon is played on laotop and i much perfer the compact KB over the full KB. You should try using a controller, I find them much easier to control. I use a Logitech PS style controller.

[Canadian]

I've been using controllers since like the late 80s playing NES. Controllers are easy to play games with on consoles only because there was never a keyboard option. For FPS games, I prefer using mouse and WASD keys but that setup sucks for FFXI because you aren't always just running around. Whereas using only keyboard, you can just keep your hands on the keyboard at all times. F-keys get to your macros, keypad for running around/resting/targetting, arrow keys for camera angle.

Everyone finds different methods that work for them. For me, FFXI - full keyboard, FPS games - mouse + WASD, Console - controller

[JagerForrester]

I played on the PS2 with full keyboard setup, and it worked for me. Now I'm PC playing in windowed mode with a gamepad and keyboard in "compact" mode, and I customized the IJKL buttons to control my menu directions instead of the camera. It helps to move and control menu directions more accessible when I'm switching between windows on the PC. I have a delay with the game pad when I switch. You just adjust to what best suits your needs.

[Kasandaro]

I've a keyboard with a numberpad, but I keep it set to compact, since FPS has taught me to navigate with WASD.

As for the controller debate - I've tried hooking up an XBox controller and it felt slow and awkward, especially the macros, compared to using the keyboard.

[NrvnqsrKhaos]

I really find using the numpad and arrow keys both with the same hand very intuitive, so I use the full keyboard mode. Generally, my thumb controls the camera, back and target switching, index for left and auto run, middle for forward and heal/ lock on, Ring for right, menu, and chat log, and my pinky for enter. Because my hands are massive, this means I can use my left hand for macros or perhaps drinking while my right hand deals with moving. The only beef I have with it is there's no way to go back in menus outside of Escape, meaning I gotta put down my beer to get out of my item screens or cancel dialogue. I wish that numpad delete did that.

[fxp7]

Compact mode is so much better, once you get used to it.

[Neika]

I use compact. one hand on asdw and one hand on the arrow keys

Same here. I hate the full keyboard setting.

[Arcon]

I've also had best experience with a compact keyboard. Keyboard in general has better/faster macro access than controller, but sometimes the navigation options make the controller a better choice (for example for seperately moving camera and menu cursor, and analog control for movement and camera). But compact keyboard has proven to be the best overall choice for me, but maybe that's 'cause I'm also a FPS player, so I'm kinda used to the WASD layout to move around. Also you don't have to move your hands as much when you switch between controls and typing.