Controller vs Keyboard

Let's keep this civil, people.

The usual way of playing most MMORPGs is through a keyboard; but most Final Fantasy games are played through a controller.

I'm not exactly sure on 11.

Seeing as this is both FF14 and a PC MMO, it makes sense that there's a keyboard option; nobody is going to force you to buy a controller.

Similarly, there's a controller option, nobody is going to force the future PS3 crowd to buy a mouse and keyboard.

When playing the game, using the keyboard and mouse has it's pros over the controller and vice versa, but, in my own experience, after trying them both out, I came to the conclusion that the controller works better for me personally.

Which do you use? Why?

They need to develop their game to be friendly with BOTH styles

just a basic marketing....

I think it depends on what the player is more comfortable playing with. I grew up with a controller in my hand, and I find myself WAY faster with one as well than a keyboard.

the modern generation of gamers ( I have teenagers) are used to playing games with controllers. Thats what playing video games IS to them. That's why games are designed to use them these days.

Though having the option is nice. You have to come to the point of realizing; you are getting old.

I knew I was when I heard some music my kids were playing as was like "Man that's god awful!"
they said "Aww Dad you are such an old foagy."

Thats what many of the players who are clamoring to keep things "traditional" are in the new mmo scene, just old foagies screaming "GET OFF my lawn you crazy kids!"

In the olden days of MMO's you had to use a clunky old weird keyboard controls , now with $15 and a USb slot everyone can enjoy the comfort of a controller.

it plays really well with a pad (i am using the sony PS3 pad)

lol Jake i know where you are coming from :P

I prefer to use a gamepad as i feel most happy playing that way.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Luluna

lol Jake i know where you are coming from :P

I prefer to use a gamepad as i feel most happy playing that way.

---

I absolutely LOVE your signature... just sayin.

Heya Lina Thank you my daughter did it for me ^o^

Sorry for going off topic

Mouse and Keyboard here.

I heard this game was optimized for a controller so I picked one up and had some fun with it for a couple days but soon abandoned it since controllers are much slower than a mouse. But that is somewhat due to myself also being one of those old fogies that grew up on a mouse and keyboard. I think there is a lot more flexibility with a mouse+keyboard combo and quicker precision.

I'm a controller user and I grew up as a PC Gamer. (I didn't own a console till the Super Nintendo and only had it for a year then didn't have another till the PS1. )

I grew up on the mouse and keyboard with games like Half Life and Counter Strike and Quake 3 and Quake 2, and Doom and Duke Nukem3d.

But I still prefer a controller for XIV it just seems so much smoother and less clunky. I kinda hope they make a controller UI option that mimics the III/XI menus.

Grew up on both PC and Console, starting with NES and 8086 PC. But since I play FFXIV on a Home Theater PC dedicated to my big screen tv...controller and me on the couch, feet on the coffee table is hands down the way to go.

What's the point of this thread, seriously ?

Quote:

---

Similarly, there's a controller option, nobody is going to force the future PS3 crowd to buy a mouse and keyboard.

---

Maybe not a mouse, but if they want to communicate with anyone they better buy a keyboard :)

Keyboard for me since gamepad is always at a disadvantage chat wise. I used a controller on some MMOs and hated every moment of it due to how annoying on screen keyboards are.

Funny enough, I use keyboard + Controller. While it's an unusual setup, it works perfectly for me. i hold the controller in my left hand and my right hand on the keyboard to activate abilities and such. Gives me the best of both worlds. Analogic movement and fast ability activation.

I use Keyboard Only. EDSF for movement, IJKL for Camera. This is the same setup I used for FFXI since I liked to play that game on a netbook. It's nice for playing on a long flight - Mice are a nuisance on an airplane. I ain't about to spend ten thousand bucks for a first class seat just so i have more room to use a mouse.

Cool thing about this setup is when you switch to the chat bar, you never have to move your hands from the home row. Since I type fast as hell, I'm one of the few people who can chat while fighting in FFXIV (not behest because chat bar moves too fast)

Aabrieal, I like your setup. It is unconventional but along the lines of my Ideal FPS setup.

IMO the best FPS control scheme would be Wii nunchuck (with extra buttons on it of course) in the left hand, mouse in the right hand.

EDSF (or WASD for noobs) just doesn't have the variable movement speed that an analog stick has.

I use a keyboard. I played FFXI in "Compact" mode, so FFXIV's keyboard controls are pretty familiar. I have a controller for my PC for some games, but after giving it a try in FFXIV I became frustrated with the slowness of scrolling to abilities in combat. Keyboard is just faster for me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BelgianRofl

IMO the best FPS control scheme would be Wii nunchuck (with extra buttons on it of course) in the left hand, mouse in the right hand.

---

I actually have a PS3 peripheral that's exactly like that. It's called FragFX

I've been doing Numpad for movement + IJKL for camera, and moving my camera hand to the skill area during combat.

I'll probably switch to mouse+keyboard if that control scheme is improved. I don't feel like I have enough control with the mouse as things are right now.

I use a controller, with my hands above my keyboard so that I can type when needed. I hope to pick up a chatpad for my 360 controller, though... does anyone have one of these and know if it works with FFXIV?

A combo of controller/keyboard works best. overall controlling my character and accessing menus is better on the controller. When needing to hit skills on the action bar that are far apart quickly, hitting the number keys on the keyboard is much faster than selecting through your whole action bar to get to a skill.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dreamer

I use a controller, with my hands above my keyboard so that I can type when needed. I hope to pick up a chatpad for my 360 controller, though... does anyone have one of these and know if it works with FFXIV?

---

Careful. Microsoft (despite their promises, as usual) never actually released a PC driver for the 360 chatpad. This means that you'll have to go through very roundabout ways (IE: homebrew drivers, and the only one i found so far only supports wired controllers) to make it work.

I actually know a few people that bought a PS3 chatpad to use with their 360 controllers (requires a bit of working and bolting to attach it confortably :D), since the PS3 one is a simple bluetooth keyboard that doesn't require any driver as long as your PC has bluetooth or a bluetooth dongle. The madcatz one is good and cheap. I've been considering trying it for a while now.

I never used a controller for any PC games before. I used mouse and keyboard for 11 and I can't use anything else now. I need to be able to click on things! Gives me more freedom.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rockne

Let's keep this civil, people.

---

NO! GO PLAY WOW IF YOU WANT TO USE A KEYBOARD! RAGE RAGE RAGE

Anyway, I find myself switching back and forth. The keyboard kinda pisses me off because sometimes it arbitrarily decides to not listen to me (like switching ability bars with the up and down arrows sometimes doesn't work), while selecting abilities is a bit slower with a controller. I used a controller exclusively in XI, so I'm used to that. Battle Regimens are easier to do using the keyboard in my opinion.

Controller and Keyboard combo.

Most of the time, I'm using the controller, but I'll one hand it to activate skills like Jarring Strike or Simian Trash, since the window of opportunity is so small. I don't want to risk the action bar scrolling while moving to activate and then missing the counter.

Also, if I'm chatting, I'll use the keyboard to keep the action moving.

I think the controller interface (the current UI) is great for what it is, but I do agree that a KB/M UI needs to be implemented for users in that demographic. It doesn't make sense why they don't have one by now.

Of course, I grew up on consoles, and always prefer a controller option. I'm saddened some other PC games (not MMOs) don't have the option...I'm looking at you Dragon Age.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ayerc

Controller and Keyboard combo.

Most of the time, I'm using the controller, but I'll one hand it to activate skills like Jarring Strike or Simian Trash, since the window of opportunity is so small. I don't want to risk the action bar scrolling while moving to activate and then missing the counter.

---

This made me think of something else. It would be nice if we had the option to flip numlock on and use the numeric keypad to activate abilities.

Or...can we do that already? I haven't tried it...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by solracht

I've been doing Numpad for movement + IJKL for camera, and moving my camera hand to the skill area during combat.

I'll probably switch to mouse+keyboard if that control scheme is improved. I don't feel like I have enough control with the mouse as things are right now.

---

Completely off topic but LMAO your sig is sooo funny and soo true.

I'm playing keyboard only right now. Which is basically like a giant gamepad with 105 buttons IMO. Used to play with a DUALSHOCK tho. To me it's the same thing but without the analogue sticks. I may buy me a PS3 bluetooth keyboard tho and roll controller again.

Keyboard only here, as in XI I just find it to the fastest easiest method of playing xiv. Honestly I would say keyboard only is faster then a mouse at everything but targeting, since all the commands are a button press away, mouse you have to drag around and click everything.

Never liked using wasd, so that alone will stop me from ever touching a mouse.

backlit Laptop keyboard and touchpad. Although I also use controllers, I prefer keyboard controls for mmos.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Randis

it plays really well with a pad (i am using the sony PS3 pad)

---

likewise

/10 chars