Game pad vs Keyboard

[AceofRains]

I'm currently using a keyboard and I hate it compared to gamepad.
Although the controls aren't that different to me I haven't really mastered shortcuts on the keyboard like the target filter or simply opening the main menu. (don't judge its a laptop...lol)

:/ I sure can't wait to get my controller back.

[SoapySan]

I use a gamepad when I'm being lazy. But I've been using my keyboard/mouse alot. Mainly because my mouse has all of these damn buttons on it.

[ispano]

Most of that doesnt make much sense but in my case I can target what i want, hit the spell i want in 3 or 4 button presses given that i have macros on triggers. in av for example group stop at your kill spot target your mob usually involves pressing left or right once or twice if you target one thet dies fast hit your trigger and press your macro.

while a mouse has a sense of precision in the mass pull fests this game has trying to click the mob in the middle with the most hp with a mouse is rather hard to do personally. with a pad i can just hit left or rightt ill i find one with high enough hp to survive my casting time.

the differences between pad vs mouse/keyboard aren't dramatically different. and vary hugely. you'll never see evidence that gamepad monks regularly out perform mouse keyboards monks or vice versa

You'll hopefully realize in my first response I said that the current UI latency and whatnot reduces the effectiveness. However, come 2.0 much of that should be cleared up.

Let me ask you this? What if you have several macros, not just 2 or 3? What if you need many many skills? You'll have to hit a button several more times to get to the appropriate key. As it is now, I hit the key I need, OR use a thumb button once to move the bar up or down, then hit one key. I don't need to move to the right or left whatsoever. Come 2.0 I won't have to move the bar either.

As for one outdoing the other? I've played with many people, many who use one form of control or the other. The ones using Gamepads I can regularly see me, even with my 200+ Latency, performing skill chains before them, getting into position before them and whatnot. That's of course only my word on that, no real proof.

Also, not to mention, while you're "tabbing" through targets to get the right one, with the default controller setup you're also not moving. If you change movement to the other stick, or targeting to a different button you can, but then you can't do something else while moving and targeting. I can.

Also saying the differences aren't dramatically different, yet vary hugely, is contradicting yourself.

[Eruantien]

I use a controller, just like one of the other posters I like to sit back on the sofa and play

[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.

[darkstarpoet1]

You'll hopefully realize in my first response I said that the current UI latency and whatnot reduces the effectiveness. However, come 2.0 much of that should be cleared up.

Let me ask you this? What if you have several macros, not just 2 or 3? What if you need many many skills? You'll have to hit a button several more times to get to the appropriate key. As it is now, I hit the key I need, OR use a thumb button once to move the bar up or down, then hit one key. I don't need to move to the right or left whatsoever. Come 2.0 I won't have to move the bar either.

As for one outdoing the other? I've played with many people, many who use one form of control or the other. The ones using Gamepads I can regularly see me, even with my 200+ Latency, performing skill chains before them, getting into position before them and whatnot. That's of course only my word on that, no real proof.

Also, not to mention, while you're "tabbing" through targets to get the right one, with the default controller setup you're also not moving. If you change movement to the other stick, or targeting to a different button you can, but then you can't do something else while moving and targeting. I can.

Also saying the differences aren't dramatically different, yet vary hugely, is contradicting yourself.

you say you are one way, but i'm on the other end of the spectrum. i use controller and usually top in the parse of any party i'm in whether it is doing damage or the amount of healing done. what he said is that it's not drastically different, but the results will vary greatly and that is correct.

there's not a huge difference between a good keyboard/mouse user and a good controller user.

the results varying greatly is just as correct. a bad controller is by no means going to be anywhere near a good keyboard/mouse user and vise versa.

there will always be a big difference between a good player and a bad player. that's regardless if you are comparing 2 that use controller, 2 that use keyboard and mouse, 2 that use keyboard only, or any combination of them.

[Yrusama]

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

[ispano]

you say you are one way, but i'm on the other end of the spectrum. i use controller and usually top in the parse of any party i'm in whether it is doing damage or the amount of healing done. what he said is that it's not drastically different, but the results will vary greatly and that is correct.

there's not a huge difference between a good keyboard/mouse user and a good controller user.

the results varying greatly is just as correct. a bad controller is by no means going to be anywhere near a good keyboard/mouse user and vise versa.

there will always be a big difference between a good player and a bad player. that's regardless if you are comparing 2 that use controller, 2 that use keyboard and mouse, 2 that use keyboard only, or any combination of them.

And yet, if you compare the two interfaces on their own, without a person using it, one is clearly superior for a given job. That may sound odd to some since someone has to use it for it to do anything, however, outside of them being two different control methods, the only other real variable is the player. If you remove that variable and compare the two as they are, again, one will be superior for a given job. Period.

[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.