The "I can't understand why you would play an fps on a console" thread

[JimNastics]

Having been a PC gamer for more years than I care to remember and a dab hand at FPS's, I've grown accustomed (nay attached) to the mouse + keyboard combination control system, as I'm sure have most of you guys. A few days ago I played COD:2 on the 360 for the first time, and it has compelled me to start a thread asking:

"Why would you play an FPS on a console?"

It's horrible. Completely horrible. How on earth ANYONE can willingly go from playing a PC based FPS to attempting to play with a joypad on a console is far beyond me... it felt ridiculously restricted and unnatural and I admit that I completely sucked, the people watching must have thought I was a grade-A nub, which I guess I am when it comes to console FPS's. I heard recently that Microsoft are toying with the idea of allowing 360 and PC owners to play against each other online... are they kidding me?! It would be some immensely biased towards us PC gamers, I can't believe even the greatest 360 players out there would have a hope in hell against your average PC player, let alone the l33t PC players.

A lot of people have said that COD:2 on the 360 is the best game out for the console, it makes me wonder if these people have even played it on a PC, and whether or not they know what they are missing. On the other hand, maybe the question is... am I missing something?

[directhex]

FPSen on consoles are fine, as long as they're console FPSen - not PC FPSen. Take, for example, Goldeneye on N64. It was easy to control, and played well. Compare it to, say, Quake 3 on Dreamcast, which was unplayable without a keyboard & mouse.

You need to make allowances for the differences in the platforms for there to be any hope at all. Even the Nintendo DS has online FPS deathmatch play without complaints, due to careful balancing of gameplay elements.

[Lowe]

I'm in the same boat. A mate has a 360 and he puts on FPS's to show it off and I'm like, 'Mate, you've got no chance online against someone with a mouse and keyboard'.

AI in single player is often so dumb on console FPS's because if they had the reactions of a normal person you'd be dead before you've even thought 'oh right thumb to look around..'

[SmileyUK]

i used to think the same thing, but having taken the time to adjust i dont find a pad a problem at all for fps games. In fact using the left stick for movement to me is better than the keyboard. The right stick for aiming however isnt as good as a mouse but with practise isnt far off.

And it ultimately boils down to if you are having fun or not, i dont what the control scheme is, if the game is fun i will play it.

[Skillian]

FPSen on consoles are fine, as long as they're console FPSen - not PC FPSen. Take, for example, Goldeneye on N64. It was easy to control, and played well.

No disrespect to Goldeneye - it's one of my fave games of all time - but you couldn't move and aim at the same time. To bring up the crosshairs you had to stand still!

I can't see anyone going back to that now.

[McClane]

FPSen on consoles are fine, as long as they're console FPSen - not PC FPSen. Take, for example, Goldeneye on N64. It was easy to control, and played well. Compare it to, say, Quake 3 on Dreamcast, which was unplayable without a keyboard & mouse.

I can see your point but I still think FPS games are crap on console. I used to play Goldeneye back in the day and I have to say I was pretty good at it (or at least compared to my other gaming friends). Then I moved on to counter-strike at version 1. I started to take counter-strike pretty seriously and used to play in several UK leagues and I attended some lans. So again, I'm not exactly crap

However, when I went back to Goldeneye I was aweful and when I played Halo on the xbox I was even worse! The movement is so restricted and it's a lot harder to make accurate adjustments to your aim. I will never buy an FPS for a console that uses conventional controls. I have to say though, the Wii looks like it could make FPS games playable on console.

[directhex]

No disrespect to Goldeneye - it's one of my fave games of all time - but you couldn't move and aim at the same time. To bring up the crosshairs you had to stand still!

I can't see anyone going back to that now.

go into the settings, switch to control style 1.2 - C buttons become ASWD; stick become mouseaim. at that point, moving & shooting together becomes trivial

[Merlin4458]

mouse + keyboard = proper fps

[directhex]

news flash: a typewriter and UI research project were not designed for playing first-person shooters.

it wasn't well into the life of quake 1 that the idea of mouse aim really became at all popular

keybaord & mouse work well for the genre because developers have made them work well, and because they're ubiquitous. there's no reason you can't play a fun first-person game without.

[Merlin4458]

timesplitters was a great game but it was more spray then aim, u couldnt aim on someones head within 0.5 of a second, u gotta go up.left,up,right! Its a mission

[snedger]

can be fun if you've got several people in the same living room, but on your own no way - screen res is just not good enough, unless you like smudge sniping; where is the skill in having auto-aim? - and without auto-aim, controls are too slow and tricky.

[Tom Scott]

Each to their own.... You could say "why would you pay £1000 to play FPS shooters at a decent framerate on a PC?".

I could see the 360 getting support for mouse and keyboard in certain FPS games though....

[Skillian]

go into the settings, switch to control style 1.2 - C buttons become ASWD; stick become mouseaim. at that point, moving & shooting together becomes trivial

Cool.

I sometimes used the "one joypad in each hand" technique. Kinda overboard, but was pretty badass once you got the hang of it.

[directhex]

Cool.

I sometimes used the "one joypad in each hand" technique. Kinda overboard, but was pretty badass once you got the hang of it.

the only game to play like that was Episode 1 Racer - 2 sticks = 2 throttles for 2 engines.

[kalniel]

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

[GuruJockStrap]

It all boils down to what you are used to.

I gave up PC gaming before the 360 launch last year. Like every PC gamer playing a console FPS for the first time I absolutely hated it. After a few weeks I managed to get used to it and enjoy using the controller now.

And heres another thing.

I had a quick go on my mates PC the other day playing F.E.A.R with the mouse and keyboard. Having not used that combo for the first time in almost a year..... I absolutely hated it! Just like going from mouse+keyboard to joypad a year ago. It just felt so strange. I was terrible.

I you're prepared to practice with a new controller input you'll soon get used to it.

I actually find the controller far more realistic in games too. With the mouse you can get that crosshair over an opponents head in a split second with uber accuracy while moving and under serious fire. Don't think thats very realistic personally. Also, pulling that right trigger to fire and feeling the rumble on the joypad is great.