Controller Learning Curve: From PC to Console

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Seros

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jun 11, 2003
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Hey everyone,
So i will probably be buying a 360 in September. The only thing i am worried about is the learning curve on the controller.. being a PC gamer all my life ive been used to the mouse and keyboard and excel at it. lately ive been playing some CoD4 at my friends house and im not too bad, but i have such a hard time aiming sometimes. Ive played around with the sensitivity and cant seem to get it just right.

Im just wondering how many other people had the same issue and if you got used to it after some time.. i guess with anything you learn...
 
It is funky at first, but I enjoy playing PC games with my 360 controller (even played a little bit of Crysis with it). You'll get used to it if you keep at it long enough. Arcade games are amazingly fun with a controller. Practice, practice, practice. Although, I don't see myself really playing CoD4 or anything like that with a controller but I might end up doing it eventually.
 
a week of solid play to get the feel for single player action, as far as MP i a still find that i have hard time with the fast pace and aiming, but no problems with single player now
 
I have been at it for years and still cant quite "get it". Just goes to show you how superior M/Kb is for FPS's.
 
TheToE! said:
I have been at it for years and still cant quite "get it". Just goes to show you how superior M/Kb is for FPS's.
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but thats the thing you watch these pro gamers guys play a FPS match on the 360 and their shit it tight, i have seen people who have play FPS on KB/MS and still suck huge, i really think it comes down to the person.
 
Ive never been good at it, I hate aiming in FPS's with a controller. Some games are better than others though, since the acceleration is different in every game, too fast acceleration and I find it pretty much impossible to enjoy.
 
Seros said:
Hey everyone,
So i will probably be buying a 360 in September. The only thing i am worried about is the learning curve on the controller.. being a PC gamer all my life ive been used to the mouse and keyboard and excel at it. lately ive been playing some CoD4 at my friends house and im not too bad, but i have such a hard time aiming sometimes. Ive played around with the sensitivity and cant seem to get it just right.

Im just wondering how many other people had the same issue and if you got used to it after some time.. i guess with anything you learn...
Click to expand...

Grew up mouse and keyboard, I still suck with a gamepad, even after having a 360 for 2 years now. It gets better from the first few times you pick it up, but my brain is hardwired, and I don't think I'll ever be more than about 85-90% of my mouse/keyboard effectiveness.
 
Mac[X-D];1032899027 said:
but thats the thing you watch these pro gamers guys play a FPS match on the 360 and their shit it tight, i have seen people who have play FPS on KB/MS and still suck huge, i really think it comes down to the person.
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QFT

You just gotta try it.
 
I have no problems with a controller, just like any other input device, you get used to it. IMO everyone using the same input device, on the console, is a great way to level the playing field.
 
TheToE! said:
I have been at it for years and still cant quite "get it". Just goes to show you how much I suck at console FPSs.
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Fixed it for you.

I grew up on Keyboard/mouse FPSs since, well, Catacomb 3D. Earlier this year I made my final transition to 100% console. It took a bit of effort, but after a few hours you'll start getting the hang of it. I heavily shied away from console FPSs until I joined a Halo 2 competition for fun at a convention. It was my first time on a console and it felt pretty natural by the end of the event. I was even knocking up kills left and right for awhile. The sensitivity is going to be the biggest hurdle; even now I find it difficult to snipe someone as the reticle just keeps moving too far back and forth. But, you adjust the sensitivity to your gaming style and you go with it.
 
Mac[X-D];1032899027 said:
but thats the thing you watch these pro gamers guys play a FPS match on the 360 and their shit it tight, i have seen people who have play FPS on KB/MS and still suck huge, i really think it comes down to the person.
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And they're also competing against other people on a controller.... proves nothing.

The cross platform game Shadowrun was "dumbed down" on the 360 version, so that it would be more evenly matched with keyboard/mouse players.

Controller just isn't as accurate. I'm sure there are some people that are proficient enough with a controller that they could destroy certain people on keyboard/mouse setup...but to, otherwise equally skilled players... keyboard/mouse setup will win.
 
umm i never said anything about it proving anything, other than some people are able to play well with a controller and/or with kb/ms. and to the opposite side people can suck with a controller and/or with kb/ms, it depends on the person.

and i never said anything about a dual between the controller and kb/ms i don't care who would win, i was just saying some people can play FPS with a controller extremely well. just like some people can play with a kb/ms extremely well.
 
After playing through one whole game (Halo 3) I Liked it so much I bought one (xbox controller) for my PC. Although, I have always had a logitech game pad right there with my keyboard and mouse. I think its silly that people don't use game pads with PC's. I play games using al three. Like in any GTA game. Flying and driving are just better with a a game pad. Walking/running and killing is easier with the keyboard. Why limit yourself.
 
I bought a PS3 last week and with it the FPS Resistance: Fall of Man. I haven't owned a console for gaming since the Sega Genesis so my experience with analog sticks is about nill. I'm playing Resistance on easy and in the first hour or so of playing the game I died about every two minutes. Talk about sad. But I didn't give up, I stuck with it and now I'm doing well enough that I barely ever don't have a full health bar. I'm still adjusting to be sure, but the game is starting to actually feel like I'm playing on the easy setting. Took me about five days to adjust and this is coming from essentially a lifetime of kb/m use. So, have no doubt, there definitely is a learning curve going from PC to console, but I imagine that the learning curve for a pure console gamer attempting to use a kb/m would be equally steep. The key is to not get frustrated and to practice.
 
When using an analog stick to aim in FPS remember to release just before you get to what you're trying to aim at, or move it back slowly as you get to it. To me this is the big difference.

For RTS, I won't play with a controller ever. Not that I've ever seen a console RTS I'd want to play that wasn't on PC; I'm just throwing it out there.

Any other genre is just fine or better with a controller.
 
Its really simple. Don't try to play the console like you have a KB and mouse. I've done both for a long time (gamepad since NES and KB since Commander Keen) The strategies I use when playing a PC FPS are COMPLETELY different then the ones I use on a console.
 
I have done my fair share of gaming using both keyboard and mouse and gamepad (mostly xbox/360). I have spent tons of time playing CS and Halo (computer and all xbox versions)

For Halo, it is a completly different game going from xbox to pc versions in terms of controls and feel. I do extremly well playing on an xbox with the controler and I fail at using kb/m on the pc... whereas I am a fairly good CS player using kb/m

I would say if you spend enough time playing any game using a given setup you will become fairly proficient at it. And some games are just made to work better with certain controller setups so it wont hold true for everything
 
I'm passable with both and it just took a little practice. When in a slower paced game (Bioshock, Oblivion, etc.) I actually prefer the pad. I think looking around just feels more natural.
In faster paced shooters like Halo, Quake, or Half-Life I certainly think a mouse is a lot faster, but in some ways it's almost unrealistically too good. For instance in real life I think an analog stick is a lot more approximate to aiming a real weapon than an ultra precise mouse pointer.
 
For years I was 100% FPS on PC, and got quite good to where I would typically be in the top 3 in any MP match. Then I visited my buddy and played Halo with a bunch of his non-PC friends on an Xbox local LAN, never having touched an Xbox controller before then. Got my ASS handed to me in a paper bag. I was lucky to get three or four kills per map. The big thing I noticed was that the movement of my hands on the controls felt completely unnatural compared to what I was used to with Kb/M.

Move forward a few years and now I spend the majority of my very limited gaming time on the 360. While I'm far from where I used to be on the PC, I'm still much better than the average shlub. But that's because I've really gotten used to the controls through repetition.

Some people adapt easily, some don't. It only took a few days for me to get the hang of using a controller, but it did take quite a while for it to feel natural.
 
I've been nothing but an avid pc gamer most of my adult life. I picked up a 360 back in 2005 and haven't looked back. I enjoy my controlleer much more, it brings me back to my roots.. and opened me up to a more casual gaming experience.
 
People act like it's some sort of religious debate. Really, you get used to it. Maybe you'll even get really really good with a controller. For me, I learned by playing Halo. If nothing else, think of the left stick as WASD, and the right stick as the mouse. The games are fun once you get used to the controller. At this point, the controller is second nature to me. In fact, a lot of times when someone asks me how to play a particular game, I have to stop and think about it because I don't really think about the buttons i'm pushing or how I use the sticks. It's just an input device, like the kb/m. You learn it by using it.
 
Mac[X-D];1032899027 said:
but thats the thing you watch these pro gamers guys play a FPS match on the 360 and their shit it tight, i have seen people who have play FPS on KB/MS and still suck huge, i really think it comes down to the person.
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yep, I'm one of those that suck with KB/MS...I bought a MadCatz PantherXL in '99 and really improved my FPS gaming. I still have an original PXL, and a USB modified one.

When I got my x360 the first game I tried was CoD3. Found that after some practice I did alright. Since then I've used it with the Orange Box, Fear Files, CoD4, Halo3, Blacksite, MoH:A, CoD2....I'm still not great, but I have fun and that's what it's all about.

PS: Anyone remember OverToad? undefeated UT 1 on 1 champ used a PXL :)
 
Seros said:
Hey everyone,
So i will probably be buying a 360 in September. The only thing i am worried about is the learning curve on the controller.. being a PC gamer all my life ive been used to the mouse and keyboard and excel at it. lately ive been playing some CoD4 at my friends house and im not too bad, but i have such a hard time aiming sometimes. Ive played around with the sensitivity and cant seem to get it just right.

Im just wondering how many other people had the same issue and if you got used to it after some time.. i guess with anything you learn...
Click to expand...

I had the same problem...but you get used to it. In fact, I find it makes games a bit more challenging.... if a PC game (w/ controller support) is ridiculously easy, I'll occasionally plug in my 360 controller (wired FTW) to make it a little more difficult.

These days I occasionally find the kb/m a little awkward. The thing you lose in the transition from keyboard/mouse to console is the ability to do quick 180 degree spins. If you rely on those a lot you'll struggle... but if that's not in your keyboard/mouse gaming repertoire, you should be fine.
 
i play both and i can transistion between both pretty easily. CS:S and TF2 on PC, COD4 and Halo 3 on 360.
With a 360 its about just getting use to using your thumbs alot and getting a good feel for it. Go in with clean slate and not think about that youve played it before on the pc.
 
I tried many many many times since the PS1 and hate controllers for FPS/3rd person/adventure/rts games. So what do I do. If one of those genres is coming out for PC and console I buy the PC version. So basically, historically PC type games I buy for PC and console type games for console. I tried forcing myself to play "PC" games on console and figured why go through that hassle when in the end I'll enjoy the game on my PC more. I've try FPS on my PS3 and HATED it plus the graphics are a little hurting on the eyes compared to my PC graphics.

So multi platform game. It's best way to go.
 
Console gaming has allowed me to be more relaxed with FPS's. I'm not nearly as competitive on a 360 controller as I am on the kbm with games like halo 3 versus battlefield 2. Part of the reason is that I never fully transferred my skills over and part because it just doesn't feel right to play competitively on a console. After FPS'n on PCs for over a decade, it's hard to shake the mentality that a console controller is meant for more than just casual gaming.

That being said, I think the learning curve will differ from player to player.
 
im sure they make keyboard for the 360, i wonder if they make a mouse you can use for FPS too. perfect solution for pc gamers to transition to 360/ps3.
 
I just got my 360 today and was playing the Battlefield Bad Company Demo and I found it really hard to aim precisely.
 
Playing CoD4 on the xbox is when I started to get really good with aiming using a controller. I think that CoD's aiming feels much tighter and better than other FPS I've played on the xbox.

Tip for those transferring from kbm to controller: DON'T EXPECT TO AIM AS WELL ON A CONTROLLER. The sooner you get that through your mind, the less frustrating it's going to be. When I play cod4 on the xbox vs. the pc I play very differently, so you'll have to adjust you're play style when using a controller.

Also, when aiming on a controller: quickly TAP in the direction your aiming instead of slowly pushing the analog stick should help with accuracy. Adjust the sensitivity a notch higher usually helps for certain games.
 
Reading through this thread and wanted to dig it up to post my .02

I work all day on computers so the last thing I wanna touch is a PC when I get home.

More relaxing, you get used to the controller very quickly.

Even playing field among all players instead of PC gamers with better gear.

and most importantly.. It actually forces you to think logically and strategize. No longer will you be the best player due to your uber-l33t reaction time or amazing sensitivity and aim.

This is part of the reason I hate CS:S. Seems like nowadays it's everyone running around one shotting people in the head with their 3000 DPI gaming laser mice. What's the fun in that?
 
Just an update..
i rox0r with the controller now.
Ive gotten used to it completely and dont even think of it any more.

So, it is possible for those who doubt!
 
its possible to play console games just as good as PC games, with consoles though and FPS in particular I find the mouse/keyboard combo to give me a severe edge in aim. Also without having the distraction of the other player on the same screen really helps with my focus.

Take a game like UT3, and on PC I'll have a 25:1 kill death ratio, where on console it'll be around 10:1. Snap movements of the mouse is a one hell of an advantage loss.
 
you get over it. If you're good with a mouse, you'll be good with a stick (eventually). Its a level playing field after all. Thank god for no keyboards/mice on the 360!
 
Hmm why bother ? I play my FPS on pc and I play fightning games and arcades on ps 3 :)

Sure you can learn how to aim on pad but it will never reach precision level of mouse anyway.
 
To be quite honest, you don't. If you've played shooters competitively on the PC and you go to a console, it doesn't matter how good you get on the console, you still can't deny how much better the mouse is.

I have some friends who argue with me about this very issue and I can't even get myself to argue back because of how ignorant they are. You cannot refute the fact that a mouse is better for shooters in every conceivable way. Many of them simply don't understand how much more fidelity there is with a mouse because they never played enough on a PC to see how ridiculous you can get with shooting on a mouse compared to a controller.
 
precog13 said:
I bought a PS3 last week and with it the FPS Resistance: Fall of Man. I haven't owned a console for gaming since the Sega Genesis so my experience with analog sticks is about nill. I'm playing Resistance on easy and in the first hour or so of playing the game I died about every two minutes. Talk about sad. But I didn't give up, I stuck with it and now I'm doing well enough that I barely ever don't have a full health bar. I'm still adjusting to be sure, but the game is starting to actually feel like I'm playing on the easy setting. Took me about five days to adjust and this is coming from essentially a lifetime of kb/m use. So, have no doubt, there definitely is a learning curve going from PC to console, but I imagine that the learning curve for a pure console gamer attempting to use a kb/m would be equally steep. The key is to not get frustrated and to practice.
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sounds like me when I went to EA for a community day with Bad Company. I have never played an FPS game on a console since golden eye on N64 and I couldn't do anything but sit in one place and camp. I was only one who had no clue what was I was doing. By the end of the day I was at least able to move around and do some stuff. I does just take practice. This isn't about what is a better controller, it was about the OP being able to do it at all. To the op, you just need to practice practice practice. If you are a big gamer you'll learn fairly quick. I went from no expeirence to being able to at least be good enough to hold my own in a day.
 
Domingo said:
I'm passable with both and it just took a little practice. When in a slower paced game (Bioshock, Oblivion, etc.) I actually prefer the pad. I think looking around just feels more natural.
In faster paced shooters like Halo, Quake, or Half-Life I certainly think a mouse is a lot faster, but in some ways it's almost unrealistically too good. For instance in real life I think an analog stick is a lot more approximate to aiming a real weapon than an ultra precise mouse pointer.
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For games like Quake and HL its suppose to be unrealistic, its fantasy FPS, quake moreso than HL but still. I like it this way, its suppose to be that way. Why else would you be able to rocket jump? I dont "personaly" feel games like Quake and Unreal should be ported to the console, it takes away from the action of the game. Thats my opinion though.
 
Take this as advice from a hardcore pc gamer that haven´t even touched a console prior to the 360 and then Wii. I have touched a gamepad of course since I used it in some games on PC like GTA titles and sport titles...

But really the main advice is stay away from console fps games! have you played fps games on the pc for years its just to hard not to compare them and being frustrated by the aim or the poor AI or auto aim or other things...

The action/fps games I have had most fun with is where I was more into the story, environments rather then the actual basics... Of course you will get better at it but you will never ever be close.

So I wouldn´t buy a console to play this type of games really. Though titles like Assassins Creed, Mirrors Edge probably there is of course somes where acrobatics is more important then aim. Those unless you have a modern computer you will probably not feel very handicapped buy a console.

As for Wii okay it´s not as precise as a mouse/keyboard but the aiming is tons better and it´s much more immersive :)
 
oqvist said:
Take this as advice from a hardcore pc gamer that haven´t even touched a console prior to the 360 and then Wii. I have touched a gamepad of course since I used it in some games on PC like GTA titles and sport titles...

But really the main advice is stay away from console fps games! have you played fps games on the pc for years its just to hard not to compare them and being frustrated by the aim or the poor AI or auto aim or other things...

The action/fps games I have had most fun with is where I was more into the story, environments rather then the actual basics... Of course you will get better at it but you will never ever be close.

So I wouldn´t buy a console to play this type of games really. Though titles like Assassins Creed, Mirrors Edge probably there is of course somes where acrobatics is more important then aim. Those unless you have a modern computer you will probably not feel very handicapped buy a console.

As for Wii okay it´s not as precise as a mouse/keyboard but the aiming is tons better and it´s much more immersive :)
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You can't say stay away just because you don't like or can't use the controller well. Lots of people out there have no issue with the controller and are also PC game players. It just takes practice. Consoles have games that PCs don't including some good FPS games. If they guy wants to get a 360 he can get one, he just needs to know there is going to be a learning curve involved with switching to the controller. Sure it's not has accurate as mouse+keyboard but when everyone is using the controller you are all in the same boat until you get better with the controller.
 
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