Game pad vs Keyboard

[Reiterpallasch]

I started off using my controller because it was the way I played FFXI for years, but the targeting and camera movement was far superior with keyboard/mouse so I switched to just using that instead. My only grip is the current macro/actionbar system, which will hopefully be much better come 2.0.

I have every intention of eventually swapping to my belkin n52te when I'm able to, which puts both controller + keyboard to shame when setup properly.

[Yrusama]

I'm strictly keyboard-only. The mouse is uncomfortable when you're on the floor

[Hanabira]

what kind of gamepads do you guys use? im looking to get one. i bought the nostromos for $70 yesterday which i thought was perfect because its small, used in 1 hand, but has enough buttons to map a ton of skills, and just from tinkering with it and testing it out for about an hour off and on.. it really strains my thumb. its a little sore still.. so i think im returning it. but what do you guys suggest? and how do you overcome fumbling over the skill bar?

[Hulan]

I play with a bastardized abomination combination of both at all times. I control my character with my right hand using a controller (actually quite easy if you set the inversions up right and use one finger on one analog stick and another on the other). I then use my left hand to select targets (F1-F8) and abilities (1-10). By pressing the up and down buttons on the Dpad with my right hand and the 1-10 keys with my left, I can access all of my abilities (in two strokes), move, select targets, open menus, etc, without moving my hands at all.

[Synfrag]

I should use the keyboard and mouse probably as WHM but am still using controller. Going to maybe try controller and mouse today and see if I can get used to it because the 17 buttons on a Naga are hard to live without.

[Kinseykinz]

I use a controller and Main WHM, and typically am faster at buffing/healing than other whm's I'm around...BUUUUTTT

1. I reconfigured my Controller to be what works quickest and best for me.
2. I have anally laid-out my action bars so that I have only 1-2 clicks between most skills, especially the most used or combo'd ones.
3. I use my targeting filters
4. As whm, I find it best to hard target the person who's going to get the most damage so you don't need to reclick them...then if someone else needs attention I just have to click up or down in the party list (you can do this from a gamepad) to heal them, but after that, my target is automatically still the tank or whoever is most likely to need my constant attention...meaning I don't need to re-target or move my mouse back to them.

Basically, this is a preference thing...using a controller requires a little more pre-planning and setup to get the smooth, quick gameplay you are after, but it works. But for folks use to gaming mouses/keyboards etc, the more 'traditional' PC routes probably work better. This is solidly a style thing.

[ispano]

I use a controller and Main WHM, and typically am faster at buffing/healing than other whm's I'm around...BUUUUTTT

1. I reconfigured my Controller to be what works quickest and best for me.
2. I have anally laid-out my action bars so that I have only 1-2 clicks between most skills, especially the most used or combo'd ones.
3. I use my targeting filters
4. As whm, I find it best to hard target the person who's going to get the most damage so you don't need to reclick them...then if someone else needs attention I just have to click up or down in the party list (you can do this from a gamepad) to heal them, but after that heal/buff whatever, my target is automatically still the tank or whoever is most likely to need my constant attention.

Basically, this is a preference thing...using a controller requires a little more pre-planning and setup to get the smooth, quick gameplay you are after, but it works. But for folks use to gaming mouses/keyboards etc, the more 'traditional' PC routes probably work better. This is solidly a style thing.

This is where I feel most people get confused. For any given person, what suits them best, what they like or work best with, will vary. I will never argue against that. However, once you compare the two devices on their own, without any give persons preferences and such, one will clearly be superior for any given task.

[ispano]

On thing I suggest for people using mice with multiple thumb buttons, at least for the current UI. Set two of them up to rotate the action bars. It makes it much easier to access anything you need.

[Kasathar]

Keyboard + mouse here, but still the targeting is so clumsy, sometimes is just nerve wrecking.

The problem is not what kind of set up is superior for 1.X , the problem is that the game was designed based on a console controller scheme, that's why targeting and pretty much everything else feels even more awkward than in FFXI, which was designed with a controller in mind as well.

[TimonLoon]

Keyboard + mouse here, but still the targeting is so clumsy, sometimes is just nerve wrecking.

The problem is not what kind of set up is superior for 1.X , the problem is that the game was designed based on a console controller scheme, that's why targeting and pretty much everything else feels even more awkward than in FFXI, which was designed with a controller in mind as well.

Thats weird since I always felt that the game played very similar to XI. I think what people are having an issue with is the targeting priority. In FFXI, pressing left or right would cycle through all targets from left/right.. In this game I feel like it hops around wherever it wants to. Also pressing OK (X or O) will not always target the closest target in FFXIV like it did in FFXI.

To add on to what Ispano is saying... This whole debate is similar to the debate that the Fighting Game Community has with controllers vs arcade sticks. It all boils down to preference.. but when you get to the nitty gritty one of the two will always have an edge (obviously arcade sticks). Mouse/keyboard vs controller is no different.