Keyboard or Controller

[Yugl]

Controller with a keyboard. I used to use controller for typing as well until about LV48ish on DRG. Very few can imagine the hell the runs concurrent with this method. Especially before Aht Urghan and CoP came out (EVERYONE CRAM ONE CITY PLEASE).

[bungiefan]

Controller. I started at JP PS2 release and couldn't read the keyboard control diagram, while controller input was intuitive and similar to other PS2 FF games. Also, I don't touch-type, so can't use a keyboard without looking at it, and don't like having buttons mixed into the grid that have no function. I can only conceive of a keyboard as a text input device, not a game control method. I don't game on a PC unless it uses just mouse, or I can use a controller with it.

[rog]

I guess its just how you used to play / how you started. If you were a console gamer used just to pad it, or pc gamer used just to keyboard it.

Honestly it's not hard to get used to the other. I played with just kb for 5 years, and it took me about 2 weeks to get used to playing with a controller. I can play just as well with either one.

I can understand the key+mouse for the FPS, but in a game where you have a third persion view and you need to move the camera, numpad are way less pratical than double analog;

It's really not. Index finger on 4, middle finger on 8/2, third finger on 6, and thumb on arrow keys for camera. You can easily control both movement, and the camera with a single hand.

Honestly the biggest differences are macros can be hit much quicker with keyboard, and controller is more comfortable. Kb has a few minor advantages, but they are not really that big a deal.

[Julian]

Honestly it's not hard to get used to the other. I played with just kb for 5 years, and it took me about 2 weeks to get used to playing with a controller. I can play just as well with either one.


It's really not. Index finger on 4, middle finger on 8/2, third finger on 6, and thumb on arrow keys for camera. You can easily control both movement, and the camera with a single hand.

Honestly the biggest differences are macros can be hit much quicker with keyboard, and controller is more comfortable. Kb has a few minor advantages, but they are not really that big a deal.

My main issue with keyboard is that I know I'll probably hit the wrong key, since I'm looking at my screen, not the keyboard. To not be an issue, this would mean I'd have to memorize my entire macros by what # they are, which I guess isn't that bad if that's how you've been doing it forever. I, on the other hand, have my macros done in a way so that spells that need to be together are together, and I can easily remember what the last macro I used was, and how many times right/left I gotta move before hitting X, and at the same time I can also look at the top of my screen to make sure I'm hitting the right thing. easy.

[miokomioko]

Mouse!

OK kidding, keyboard. However, I did use only the mouse for like a day until I figured out the keyboard controls... it was horrible.

[BerenTebogo]

I started on PS2 only with no keyboad and for the past 4 years I've been keyboard only. Wife is same situation.

Keyboard is much more useful although sometimes I wish I could just lay down late at night with a controller when camping shit or w/e.

[deiopea]

Controller with a keyboard. I used to use controller for typing as well until about LV48ish on DRG. Very few can imagine the hell the runs concurrent with this method. Especially before Aht Urghan and CoP came out (EVERYONE CRAM ONE CITY PLEASE).

Controller and keyboard. I played on console for so long I can't see myself switching to KB full time. I remember typing on controller as well, lol. It's also nice to lie down and play.

[Mojo]

My main issue with keyboard is that I know I'll probably hit the wrong key, since I'm looking at my screen, not the keyboard. To not be an issue, this would mean I'd have to memorize my entire macros by what # they are, which I guess isn't that bad if that's how you've been doing it forever. I, on the other hand, have my macros done in a way so that spells that need to be together are together, and I can easily remember what the last macro I used was, and how many times right/left I gotta move before hitting X, and at the same time I can also look at the top of my screen to make sure I'm hitting the right thing. easy.

I'm sure you wouldn't have much trouble moving over to keyboard if you actually gave it a try. I have my macros organized similarly across all jobs, it's very easy to remember them this way. They're also grouped in patterns that allow for similar closeness of certain spells. I've done both controller and keyboard and can honestly say that quick macro access is by far more complicated on the controller.

[rog]

I'm sure you wouldn't have much trouble moving over to keyboard if you actually gave it a try.

This. When i started using a controller, i was stumbling around going hitting macros way too slow for about a day or so. After that i was a bit slower than i was with my kb, and within a week, i got used to it enough that i could play just as well with either kb or a controller. It really isn't that hard to get used to using something different, once you get past day one.

[Drunknmunky]

I started on PS2 only with no keyboad and for the past 4 years I've been keyboard only. Wife is same situation.

Keyboard is much more useful although sometimes I wish I could just lay down late at night with a controller when camping shit or w/e.

Wireless?

[Cesaria]

Keyboard only, played with it for so long that when I tried to play with controller at 360 release (UK never got PS2 release) - I just couldn't. Also 2 box in a very bizarre manner using the keyboard as well (have my screens set smaller than monitor resolution, and just stick the very edge of my mule's screen alongside mine so I can click into that window and type out a cure - abusing spellcast of course).

I used to know someone who did actually still move his character everywhere using the mouse though.

Full size keyboard set to compact settings so I could set things up to move up and down party/ally list (before stal macros came out) and cure people - but use num pad to move 99% of the time - I've never played FPS games so the idea of using WSAD doesn't compute for me - and I'm really really right-handed anyway. If I have to play on my laptop my character runs around like she's drunk because my steering is so bad using WSAD.

[Zumi]

I play with controller mostly for everything in the game. I use the keyboard to type and thats about it.

[RyaWHM]

Controller, ESPECIALLY for movement!

I would feel so choppy and two-left-foot-ish, if I used the keyboard to move, 'cause you don't have precision.

I dunno about you guys, but my answer to

"how often do you need to walk north a little (12 oclock) immediately run southwest a little (~7 oclock) then run in a rapid zigzag motion east (alternating 2 oclock 4 oclock)?"

...is "all the time!"

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also, keyboard is just too bleep-bloop-robot for me, keyboards are for typing, controllers are for playing games

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EDIT: also! you can't keyboard-run in a non-autorun way (like, in a circle for example) to kite things or whatever, WHILE typing to people -- but you can with controller

(...right?)

[Kipling]

If you feel you don't have precision with a keyboard then you are just bad at using the keyboard.

[Riki]

Keyboard controls in FFXI are just horrible (and also unlike every other MMO or RPG i ever played on PC).
So controller for gameplay, keyboard for chat.

[RyaWHM]

If you feel you don't have precision with a keyboard then you are just bad at using the keyboard.

But isn't keyboard just up/down/left/right and the diagonals?

If so then that's not precise, that's 8 directions like a nintendo controller

You'd hafta move the camera with it, to move in a more precise direction, but turning the camera takes time even if it's quick (...right?)

Am I missing something, is there a way to move in like 16 directions (or 32 or more) without having to [stop to] move the camera? Or locking onto something, or first-person-mode-ing, or whatever -- it all takes time (???)

[kanitta]

Keyboard only, but as a mage main sometimes pressing macro on keyboard doesn't respond properly, need to press it twice while my friend said he doesn't have this problem using controller. I got around this problem by using windower bind all my macro into corresponding ctrl-numbers & alt-numbers instead, works perfectly now =)

[Rulob]

I use KB all the time. I started my gamer life as console user, then with FPS i started playing PC games so i got used to both.

Macros are quick to hit, and the compact setting on large keyboard is the best imo.

I've never had a problem kiting. You dont have to stop to move the camera, you actually can move the camera while autorun.

I have tried using controller on a 360, and it feels clumsy, idk about the PS2

Oh, i play on PC btw.

[Kipling]

But isn't keyboard just up/down/left/right and the diagonals?

If so then that's not precise, that's 8 directions like a nintendo controller

You'd hafta move the camera with it, to move in a more precise direction, but turning the camera takes time even if it's quick (...right?)

Am I missing something, is there a way to move in like 16 directions (or 32 or more) without having to [stop to] move the camera? Or locking onto something, or first-person-mode-ing, or whatever -- it all takes time (???)

No, but if you are used to it I don't see anything that you would need to do with a controller in this game that you couldn't do with a keyboard besides the weird running in circles thing to kite. (Which you can do with a mouse.)

[RyaWHM]

with a mouse

ew, sick! get it away!