For laptop: controller or keyboard/mouse?

[Leyra]

I have a mid range laptop with AMD radeon graphics card and the following stats:
SYSTEM_OS Windows 8 64-bit (6.2, Build 9200) (9200.win8_rtm.120725-1247)
SYSTEM_CPU Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3210M CPU @ 2.50GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz

I've been using keyboard/mouse but having trawled youtube for vids on FFXIV it looks like it's much easier to access so many more skills using a controller? So I've been wondering if it be a good idea for me to get one and give it a go?

I'd love to hear your opinions, yes or no, and why. Thanks

[Estellios]

If you typically play console games you will probably feel more at home using a controller. The gamepad UI is really well done and you can do a lot with it, but if you are used to mouse + kb it will likely have a learning curve to it. I personally use the gamepad as I grew up on console games and am used to it, not to mention I am horribly inaccurate using a mouse.

Otherwise, you will likely just want to mess around with your UI a bit if you are hurting for more space for skills. You can do a ton of customization with the keyboard/mouse UI that you can't do with the gamepad as you are bound to using the crossbar on it.

[Bixby]

Using a keyboard effectively is all about rebinding the keys. 1 through 6 are decent to reach with your hand on the home row (depending on how long your fingers are), but 7 through = are a pain. I rebind A and D to strafe, then QERTYFGHZXCVBN to skills, along with 1-6. You can also add Alt, Ctrl, and Shift to get even more binds available all at once. If you use each modifier, and add WASD to the modified keys, that's 92 possible skills available all at once. Obviously, you can trim that down based on key combinations you find hard to reach.

Another option is to switch action bars as you go. By default, shift+1 through shift+0 switch your main action bar to bar 1 through 10, and shift+up/down cycle up and down through them. I find it easier to have a cycle button in easier reach when i do things this way, so I'll bind, say, H on action bar 1 with a macro to take me to bar 2, H on bar 2 to take me to bar 3, H on bar 3 to take me back to 1.

Yet another option is to set up one action bar to do nothing but switch to the other bars. So hotbar 10, e.g., would have nothing but macros to go to hotbar 1 on R, 2 on T, 3 on G, etc. Then the same slot on every other hotbar would be a macro to go to hotbar 10. So I'd hit, say R R to go to 1, R T to go to 2, R G to go to 3.

Whether any of that is more comfortable than a gamepad is in the hands of the beholder. Personally, I only use the gamepad when I'm gathering or something relatively low-key like that, but that's because I've already got the muscle memory investment in kb/m controls for combat and don't feel like developing it for a gamepad.

[KrazyKupo]

I use a controller on pc more specifically the xbox 360 controller, and you can still use a mouse and keyboard combo at the same time as well in addition to using the controller. The controller is very responsive, and I believe it makes moving around and maneuvering a lot easier. I like the crosspad set up on controller, but you should try both you can always change the settings in the configuration menu.

[Headwarp]

stick with mouse + kb. the gamepad may be more comfortable. But, the targeting isn't the best and you have access to more abilities at one time using KB+Mouse.

You can be more precise with your camera using a mouse, you can tab through targets easier as a dps, you can use f1-f4 to target party members as a healer, or you can just click on peoples names or click a target with your mouse pointer to get the target you desire. mmo's require people to dodge things and do as much damage as possible in a set amount of time - the kb+mouse will be the more efficient of the two. That being said -I know ps3 users who play the game just fine with a controller. But having used both, and being a pc gamer for almost 2 decades now, I will say that without a doubt the kb+mouse is superior in terms of accessibility of abilities and target selection. I've honestly been considering plugging my g13 back in for this game, as I used it in WoW.